Councillor to ask whether fans can pursue bid to protect The Hawthorns from quick sale

Recent loans taken out by owner Guochuan Lai against the club have left fans determined to safeguard the 125-year-old stadium from being sold.

Conservative Councillor Les Trumpeter is set to ask Councillor Danny Millard, cabinet member for communities at Sandwell Council, whether fans could explore the process.

He is set to ask: "Would the cabinet member for communities welcome an approach from West Bromwich Albion supporter groups, to explore granting The Hawthorns an Asset of Community Value (ACV) status?"

This would be the first step in a lengthy process to achieve the ACV status.

If the listing as a community asset of value is backed by fans down the line, it would mean people would be informed if the grounds are listed for sale within the five-year listing period.

The community can then enact the Community Right to Bid, which gives them a moratorium period of six months to determine if they can raise the finance to purchase the asset.

Councillor Trumpeter, who is asking the question tonight, told the Express & Star: "Like many Albion fans The Hawthorns is one of my favourite places on Earth, I could not imagine watching home matches anywhere else.

"Coventry fans were forced to watch home games in Northampton because their club did not own The Ricoh Stadium, that is a warning to every football fan in the country.

"Raising this issue at full Sandwell Council will mean it is a matter of public record. And I want this landing on a desk in China so our owners know the community are organising, we will have added another hoop to jump through before a sale can be conducted.

"We cannot wake up one morning and find the ground has been sold beneath our feet. We need more transparency and making the ground an Asset of Community Value gives us that transparency."

The latest club accounts last month revealed WBA gave a loan of £4.95m to a company owned by chairman and owner Guochuan Lai, who bought the club in 2016 for £200 million.

Ground was broken on The Hawthorns in 1900 and the ground has hosted England internationals, two FA Cup semi-finals and has the distinction of being the highest Premier League and Football League ground above sea level.