Current Capacity: 8,791 (including the Millennium and Woodman corners)
Current Stand Opened: 1st August 2001 vs Atheltic Bilbao, Ronnie Allen Memorial Match
Stand Replaced: Rainbow Stand and Paddock

The East Stand was the last of the four current stands to be built. It replaced the Rainbow Stand which was used for the last time against Barnsley on New Year's Day 2001 and was completed in time for the Ronnie Allen memorial match against Athletic Bilbao on August 1 later that year.

The two tier structure cost a reported £5.2 million to construct. It incorporates the club shop, ticket office, main reception area, the director's suite, club offices, and the second Hawthorns museum, it also includes 28 executive boxes. Mowlem were the contractors given the task of building the stand.

Including the Woodman and Millennium corners, the capacity of the stand is 8,791, compared to the 6,084 fans its predecessor the Rainbow Stand used to accommodate.

The completion of the East Stand and the addition of the two corners meant that for the first time in its history The Hawthorns was totally enclosed. 

In the summer of 2004 The Woodman Public House, which Albion had purchased some time before, was demolished, clearing the way for the East Stand to be extended in the future if required. The area is currently used as a car park.

TIMELINE

1904 The 'Noah's Ark' stand which had been transferred from Stoney Lane burnt down on Bonfire Night. The official cause of the fire is unknown but a stray firework, or a discarded match or cigar dropped at the game against Manchester United earlier in the day, is reportedly the most likely cause.

1912 A stand is erected over the Handsworth side, paid for with the club's share of prize money from the 1912 FA Cup final.

1923 The embankment on the Handsworth side of the ground is extended further back and the stand also heightened.

1932 A new scoreboard is installed at the corner of the Handsworth Stand / Smethwick End. The old one had stood at the back of  the Birmingham Road End terrace.

1947 A new block of twelve turnstiles open on the Handsworth side of ground.

1964 The original East Stand, containing 4,300 seats, is built at a cost of £40,000. The new stand reduces the overall capacity of the stadium to around 50,000. The stand would become known as the Rainbow Stand. The roof off the old stand is transferred to cover the Birmingham Road End.

1976 Fourteen executive boxes are installed into the Rainbow Stand. A further 1,600 seats are installed in front of the boxes, taking the overall seating capacity of the ground to 12,500.

2001 The Rainbow Stand is used for the last time on New Years Day for the visit of Barnsley. Work on the new East Stand starts soon after and the stand is used for the first time on August 1 when the visitors are Athletic Bilbao in a Memorial Match for Albion legend Ronnie Allen.

2002 A second Hawthorns museum is opened in the East Stand.

The East Stand Gallery can be found here