THE BIRCHES, BUNN'S FIELD
1881-82

First Game: 10th September 1881 vs Oldbury, won 5-1 (Friendly)
Last Game: 4th March 1882 vs St. Lukes, won 10-0 (Friendly)
Biggest Recorded Victory: 12-0 vs Milton, 8th October 1881 (Friendly)
Biggest Recorded Defeat: 2-4 vs The Grove, 26th November 1881 (Friendly)
(No attendance figures available)

Modern day location of ground

With the ambitious young club outgrowing its 'open' sites at Cooper's Hill and Dartmouth Park, Albion moved to The Birches, Bunn's Field in August 1881 after taking out a nine month long lease on the land. The players and officials of the club equipped the ground themselves, erecting fencing and flattening the pitch to make it playable.

The Birches, which was located in Walsall Street, was the club's first enclosed ground and was capable of housing 1500-2000 spectators. Being an enclosed ground the club was able to charge admission to games for the very first time. A crowd of around 600 was said to have watched the first game at the ground against Oldbury.

Approximate site of Bunn's Field looking from New Street - 2005

The players at first used the nearby White Hart public house as changing rooms before later utilising the Roebuck Inn which stood on the corner of New Street and Walsall Street, virtually adjoining the ground.

The main entrance to The Birches was opposite Christ Church School which was attended by a number of Albion's earliest players.

The Drunken Duck formerly The White Hart - 2004

Today the site of Bunn's Field is Alfred Street although due to a major redevelopment planned for the area it will soon be bulldozed to be replaced by a shopping complex. The Roebuck Inn was demolished during the late 1960's/early 1970's whilst The White Hart, more recently known as The Drunken Duck, is currently standing empty.

Approximate site of Bunn's Field looking from Cronehills Street - 2005