West Bromwich Albion supporters are known as some of the most loyal in the Championship, with strong support so often a factor in respectable home form and performances.
With The Hawthorns holding a current capacity of 26,850, it has to be admired that the only times average attendance figures have dropped below the 20,000 figure since 2001 being as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic when fixtures were played behind-closed-doors.
| West Brom – Attendance Figures since returning to the Championship | Spectators | Average Attendance |
|---|---|---|
| 2021/22 | 503,119 | 21,875 |
| 2022/23 | 531,553 | 23,111 |
| 2023/24 | 529,136 | 23,006 |
| All Data as per Transfermarkt | ||
As is the case with any of the 72 clubs in the EFL, Albion are known to have an abundance of supporters who are more recognisable than others due to their own footballing careers or fame in other industries.
With that in mind, FLW looks at some of the most famous supporters you could spot on matchdays in B71.
Frank Skinner
Starting off this list is Frank Skinner, who is notoriously associated with football aside from his love of the Albion.
The Comedian and Radio DJ attended his first game in December 1967 against Southampton and revealed his boyhood hero was the club’s most revered player, the iconic Jeff Astle.
It goes without saying that on a personal level, Skinner is so often remembered by English football fans for his double-act with David Baddiel, which started on 90’s show Fantasy Football League, as well as producing three versions of “Three Lions”, with the first of those celebrating the home tournament of Euro 96, where Terry Venables’ side reached the semi-finals.
Skinner is often spotted cheering on the Baggies, particularly when it comes to home outings.
Adrian Chiles
Presenter and writer Adrian Chiles is next, with the Quinton-born 57-year-old holding a season ticket, as well as hosting numerous events at The Hawthorns.
Chiles stated that his first West Brom game was a 1-1 draw with Luton Town in April 1974, and in recent years, he has often been known to reference club matters in his columns in the Guardian, as well as holding a back-to-front tattoo of the club badge when featuring in the sitcom ‘Meet The Richardson’s’ in 2022.
Stretching further back, Chiles published a book in 2007 titled ‘We Don’t Know What We’re Doing’ which includes several references to his passion for the Baggies, as well as presenting a BBC documentary called ‘Whites v Blacks: How Football Changed a Nation’, which also had numerous links to his boyhood club and their predicament in the 1970’s.
Aaron Ramsdale
New Southampton goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale referenced his support of West Brom back in 2019 after an encounter with Watford whilst playing for Bournemouth, as former Baggies cult hero Ben Foster was between the opposing sticks.
After a goalless draw at Vicarage Road, Ramsdale told the Daily Echo: “Fozzy made some great saves in the first half and it was great to share the pitch with him.”
“Being a West Brom fan I watched him for a long, long time when he was there. The way he plays, the speed he plays at and being able to kick off both feet, I know his game inside and out.
“A few years ago, we played West Brom and he signed a shirt for me. He’s remembered ever since and he said ‘you’re a proper goalie, you can play out, you can kick it and you come for crosses.’
Given his association with the club, many Albion supporters would have been pleased when it was revealed that a potential move for the England international to Wolves was halted, as a deal between them and the North London side for the 26-year-old proved too expensive to strike, before he eventually joined the Saints on Deadline Day.
Ramsdale has made just over 200 appearances in his senior career so far.
Lenny Henry
Lenny Henry is yet another comedian with an affiliation to West Brom, with the 65-year-old and founder of Comic Relief having great admiration for the club’s “Three Degrees” of Laurie Cunningham, Brendon Batson and Cyrille Regis, who became cult heroes in the 1970’s, especially with how their performances combated racism on the terraces.
“The first football match I ever went to was at West Bromwich Albion, and it was when ‘The Three Degrees’ were playing. So, Cyrille Regis, the legendary Laurie Cunningham and the fantastic Brendon Batson, who’s got a book out soon. And I loved it. To see three guys that look like me, playing Brazil-style football in West Bromwich was something to see, my friends,” Henry told Virgin Radio in 2023.
Joe Lycett
Lycett is known to be one of West Brom’s most notable supporters, even having his own TV show which has been broadcast from the Digbeth area of Birmingham called ‘Late Night Lycett’.
The 36-year-old has previously taken to social media to reference his love for the club in swipes towards David Beckham and supporters of West Midlands rivals, Birmingham City.
Richie Anderson
TV and Radio personality Richie Anderson rounds off this list, holding a season ticket in the Smethwick End of The Hawthorns.
Anderson is a patron of the club’s LGBTQ+ Supporters Group, Proud Baggies, and in February 2024, produced an in-depth interview with Football Focus, describing his love for the club and how accepted he feels by others within the fanbase when in attendance, since coming out as gay in 2018, revealing it to his Sunday League team, Coombs Wood FC.
