STONEY LANE
1885-1900

First Game: 5th September 1885 vs Third Lanark Rifle Volunteers, won 4-1 (Friendly)
Last Game: 16th April 1900 vs Nottingham Forest, won 8-0 (Football League Division One)
Biggest Victory: 23-0 vs Burton Wanderers, 1st February 1890 (Staffordshire Cup)
Biggest Defeat: 0-7 vs Wolverhampton Wanderers, 16th January 1899 (Birmingham Cup round 2)
Highest Crowd: 20,977 vs Wolverhampton Wanderers, 2nd March 1895, won 1-0 (FA Cup round 3)
Lowest Recorded Crowd: 405 vs Derby County, 29th November 1890, lost 3-4 (The Football League)

Modern day location of ground

With restrictions on when matches could take place at the Four Acres, and with the need for a larger ground because of the club's growing success and fanbase, Albion started looking for a new site and on February 27, 1885, the club obtained the tenancy of a nearby field from local undertaker Mr H Webb. The initial lease was for seven years with an annual rent cost of £28. Fencing and boundary walls were put in place and a wooden grandstand, known as Noah's Ark, was erected. The stand, which could house approximately 3,500 fans, 600 of them under cover, would later be transferred to The Hawthorns.

Two very basic brick changing rooms were built along with three refreshment stalls. Five 'pay' boxes were installed although fans could also buy tickets through openings in the wall of the ground as well as from neighbouring houses.

The reported cost of equipping the ground ready for use was £370.

Stoney Lane - 2004

The first game to take place at Stoney Lane was a friendly fixture against Scottish side Third Lanark Rifle Volunteers. The game resulted in a 4-1 victory for Albion before a crowd of 2,122.

Stoney Lane - 2004

In 1888, whilst at Stoney Lane, Albion became founder members of The Football League and lifted the FA Cup for the first time. The first league game to take place at the ground was against Burnley on September 29, Albion running out 4-3 winners. The ground also saw the club achieve it's record league victory, 12-0 against Lancashire side Darwen on April 4, 1892.

The largest crowd to assemble at the ground was 20,977 for a FA Cup tie against local rivals Wolves in 1895 whilst the lowest recorded gate was a meagre 405 for a league game against Derby County in November 1890.

Evidence of the site's former life, Stoney Lane - 2004

As the years passed the standard of the ground fell and it was classed as being one of the poorest grounds in the country. With the club only leasing the land the directors were reluctant to spend any money on improvements so a search was started for a new site.

After 15 years at Stoney Lane, the last ever game at the ground took place on April 16, 1900, when a crowd of 5,187 witnessed Albion defeat Nottingham Forest 8-0 in a Football League Division One match.

Up until the the late 1970's, the land on which the ground once stood had remained unbuilt on, used in later years as a site for a local fairground. Nowadays, a small housing estate stands on the site, it's name - Albion Field Drive - pays homage to it's former use.