Albion to introduce safe standing at The Hawthorns

Albion's Smethwick End will house most of the 4,000 safe standing spaces

West Bromwich Albion are to become the latest club to follow the growing trend towards 'safe standing' areas at football grounds.

A total of 3,864 seats at The Hawthorns, mostly at the Smethwick End, as well as in the Millennium Corner, will be converted in time for the 2025-26 season.

The club's official ground capacity will remain at 26,804.

According to a football ground guide published in September 2024, Albion would become the 18th EFL side with areas of safe-standing rails.

There are already 13 Premier League clubs who have them, plus the national football stadium at Wembley.

All-seater stadia were a recommendation of the Taylor Report which followed the 1989 Hillsborough disaster, in which 97 fans died in a crush at the Leppings Lane End during an FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest.

The first safe standing area since then came during the 2021-22 season, when football crowd safety began to be looked at again following the Covid pandemic.

The Baggies' decision was taken following consultation with the Albion Assembly, made up of club officials and fan members of key supporters' groups, the Sports Ground Safety Authority and the club's Safety Advisory Group.

"The club have long been advocates of safe standing," said Albion managing director Mark Miles. "A lot has changed since The Hawthorns became an all-seater stadium almost 30 years ago, and we're confident now is the right time to bring standing back in a safe and controlled way.

"Though the upper Smethwick End and Millennium Corner are expected to be very popular locations for safe standing, we understand it might not be for everyone, and we'll ensure anyone who would like to relocate can do so."

Albion currently lie sixth in the Championship under Tony Mowbray as they chase a return to the Premier League for the first time since 2021.