 By 1900 , when the lease on Stoney Lane expired , the club needed a bigger ground yet again and so made its last move to date . All of Albion 's previous grounds had been close to the centre of West Bromwich , but on this occasion they took up a site on the town 's border with Handsworth and Smethwick . The new ground was named the Hawthorns , after the hawthorn bushes that covered the area and were cleared to make way for it . Albion drew 1 – 1 with Derby County in the first match at the stadium , on 3 September 1900 . The record attendance at the Hawthorns was on 6 March 1937 , when 64 @,@ 815 spectators saw Albion beat Arsenal 3 – 1 in the FA Cup quarter @-@ final . The Hawthorns became an all @-@ seater stadium in the 1990s , in order to comply with the recommendations of the Taylor Report . Its capacity today is 26 @,@ 850 , the four stands being known respectively as the Birmingham Road End , Smethwick End , East Stand and West Stand . At an altitude of 551 feet ( 168 m ) above sea level , the Hawthorns is the highest of all the 92 Premier League and Football League grounds . 
