Albion reveal £3m stand facelift

West Bromwich Albion have announced plans for a £3m refurbishment of the Halfords Lane stand at The Hawthorns.

Work is due to start in March and will be completed for next season.

Chairman Jeremy Peace told BBC WM: "We will widen the concourses and improve the facilities for supporters. Capacity will fall by about 700 but that's okay.

"If we found there was a pressure on capacity we could increase it over time. I hope it will be a fitting place for us to be."

The plans will also see the players' facilities moved from the ground-floor level to the first floor.

The media section will the elevated to the top floor along with newly expanded corporate boxes.

We've thought about it very carefully and believe we've reached the right decision West Brom chairman Jeremy Peace

Peace was quick to point out that the cost of the facelift will not affect the amount of money available to manager Tony Mowbray to spend in the transfer market.

"When we built the East Stand we took out a £5m loan which we will pay off in the summer and our new long-term finance will have no affect on our player trading or wages.

"I think the worse thing is that you build a new stand and then can't fill it and the supporters wonder why you spent the money. We've thought about it very carefully and believe we've reached the right decision."