West Bromwich Albion return to Sky Bet Championship action on Saturday afternoon following the October international break with a Hawthorns showdown against Preston North End (ko 3pm).
Ryan Mason's team have collected 14 points from their first nine league matches and head into the fixture sat just outside the top six.
The Baggies were beaten 3-0 at Millwall in their last fixture and the boss will be demanding a much better showing this weekend.
Visitors Preston have made a really positive start and sit inside the play-off positions having claimed 16 points. They're on a five-game unbeaten run and recorded a 2-0 home victory over Charlton Athletic before club football paused.
Follow the action LIVE
Supporters can listen to live audio commentary of Albion's clash with North End.
Audio passes are available to purchase here.
WBA Radio & WBA TV duo Gez Mulholland and Andy Johnson will provide live commentary from The Hawthorns, with coverage starting at 2.45pm.
Details for video streaming on WBA TV will be available here from Friday morning.
Supporters are kindly asked to direct any questions or complaints about WBA TV or WBA Radio to wbatvsupport@streamamg.com.
The club are unable to answer queries about WBA TV or WBA Radio sent to fans@wbafc.co.uk, myalbion@wbafc.co.uk or enquiries@wbafc.co.uk.
Regular updates will also be posted across the club's social media channels throughout the day.
The opposition
Preston North End will be delighted with their start to the 2025/26 campaign and are sure to head to The Hawthorns full of confidence.
The Lilywhites have won four, drawn four and lost just one of their nine second-tier matches. They'll arrive in the West Midlands hoping to extend their unbeaten run to six games, something which they haven't managed to do since between November and December in 2024.
They've beaten the likes of Ipswich, Leicester and Derby so far this term and North End will be targeting another triumph at The Hawthorns.
This season is their 11th straight year in the Sky Bet Championship, making them one of three clubs sharing the title for longest time spent in the division alongside Bristol City and QPR.
Paul Heckingbottom is their boss and has been since August 2024. The 48-year-old previously held the top positions at Sheffield United, Barnsley, Hibernian and Leeds United. His Preston record reads 18 wins, 18 defeats and 26 draws from 62 matches in charge of the club.
Memorable meeting
Albion cruised to a 4-1 triumph against Preston North End at The Hawthorns in April 2019 thanks to a hat-trick from Dwight Gayle.
The Baggies went in 3-0 up at the break after two from Gayle and a further goal from Jay Rodriguez before Dwight completed his treble with 19 minutes remaining.
Callum Robinson notched a late consolation for the visitors in the final moment but it did nothing to take the gloss off a fine afternoon for the home team.
Supporters can watch the highlights below.
Recent record on home soil against the Lilywhites
Albion 3-1 Preston North End, January 2025
The Baggies kicked 2025 off with a comfortable win over the Lilywhites at The Hawthorns. Josh Maja opened the scoring before Callum Styles notched his first for the club. Maja added a third before the break, but the hosts' hopes of a clean sheet were wiped out when Ryan Ledson bagged a consolation inside the final 20 minutes. Supporters can watch the highlights below.
Albion 3-0 Preston North End, May 2024
The hosts secured a spot in the Sky Bet Championship play-offs at the end of the 2023/24 campaign with a final-day triumph on home soil against the Lilywhites. Alex Mowatt's penalty gave Carlos Corberán's team a 1-0 lead at the halfway point, with efforts from Kyle Bartley and Darnell Furlong wrapping up the result in the second 45.
Albion 2-0 Preston North End, December 2022
Okay Yokuslu's brace was enough to earn the Baggies three points in their last game of 2022. The Turkish midfielder crashed one in from long range in the first period and clipped in a classy second after the break.
How's that for a stat
The Baggies have won 13 of their last 14 home games against Preston North End.
There has been at least two goals scored in all of the last nine fixtures between the two teams at The Hawthorns.
Only three of the last 26 head-to-heads have ended level. None of the last 14 games at The Hawthorns between the Baggies and Preston North End have ended in a draw.
The Lilywhites have scored the highest amount of goals outside the box in the Sky Bet Championship so far this season (5).
Ryan Mason's men head into the weekend as the side who have made the most passes in the division so far in 2025/26 (4,360).
Ticket information
Tickets are on general sale for Albion’s Sky Bet Championship fixture against Preston North End.
Prices start from £32 adults, £27 seniors (65+), £20 20-25s, £15 under-20s, £10 under-17s and £7 under-14s.
Adult disabled supporter tickets are available from £22.
Secure your seat online, in person via the East Stand Ticket Office, or by calling 0121 227 2227.
Please note, tickets will be delivered via the ‘WBA Tickets On The Go’ app.
The app is available to download on smart devices from the Apple Store here and the Google Play Store here.
Baggies fans unable to use a smart phone to enter the stadium will need to contact the Ticket Office.
When buying online, supporters will need to be logged into their My Albion account linked to their ticketing ID. Click here for instructions.
Hospitality
Various hospitality options remain are available for the game against Preston.
Fans can make a booking by clicking here, calling the team on 0121 524 3455, or by emailing hospitality@wbafc.co.uk.
For the supporters
Albion are excited to welcome supporters back to The Hawthorns for Saturday’s Sky Bet Championship clash with Preston North End (ko 3pm).
There are plenty of activities to enjoy both before and after the contest.
The Fan Zone will open from midday until 2.45pm. Supporters of both clubs with a valid match ticket are welcome to attend for free.
A wide range of entertainment will be on offer in the Fan Zone including opportunities to grab the perfect selfie with mascots Baggie Bird and Boiler Man, face painters on site from Cheeky Gorgeous, fun inflatable challenges put on by the Albion Foundation and West Midlands Inflatables, and the chance to play a whole host of video games at the gaming van.
There’s live football on the big screen too. QPR take on Millwall at Loftus Road in the second tier, with that particular London derby starting at 12.30pm.
Tom from West Brom and local steel drum band Tropikal Vizions will be providing the live music in the Fan Zone this weekend. Tom from West Brom will be performing from midday until 12.45pm, with Tropikal Vizions on stage from 1.45pm until 2.15pm. The latter will also be showcasing their talent outside East Stand reception between 12.45pm and 1.15pm.
Fans can take advantage of plenty of food and drink options and purchase Baggies merchandise – including all three 2025/26 replica kits - at the retail wardrobes. Lamb patties will also be available to order in the concourses.
The club shop will be open from 9am until kick-off, before reopening after the final whistle for a further 30 minutes. Saturday is the final day supporters can purchase the adult and junior 2025/26 shirt bundles in-store. Baggies fans can also redeem £10 shirt printing.
After full-time, supporters with a valid match ticket from all stands are invited to visit the post-match bar which is situated in the middle of the East Stand and can be accessed via gate 12. New TVs and lightning have been installed, while benches and tables will be in place.
Live football will be shown on the screens – the Premier League encounter between Fulham and Arsenal at Craven Cottage (ko 5.30pm).
Tom from West Brom will also return to the stage, playing live music from 5pm until 5.45pm.
Feeling peckish after 90 minutes of cheering on Ryan Mason's men? Discounted food will be available while stocks last.
The post-match bar will open immediately following the final whistle and will remain open until the conclusion of the 5.30pm game. It will be open for all weekend lunchtime or afternoon kick-offs, but will not operate after night games.
Enjoy your day and come on you Baggies!
Together Against Racism
Albion are supporting the EFL's Together Against Racism campaign in their fixture against Preston this weekend.
At the Baggies, we believe that football is a game for everyone, everywhere, and we are proud of the welcoming atmosphere that you create at The Hawthorns every matchday. However, last season there were still 141 incidents of racist abuse at EFL grounds and more than 5,000 incidents of online abuse, plus more that likely went unrecorded.
To tackle the rise in online abuse and protect players, the EFL employs Athletia, a social media monitoring system that reviews public posts relating to players and officials across EFL clubs. The League also continues to work with social media platforms and the Football Policing Unit to ensure perpetrators are identified and sanctioned accordingly.
Racism will not be tolerated and we stand together to remove it from our game.
Those engaging in racist abuse face up to five years in prison and football stadium bans of 10 years. Last season, 17 fans were banned from their clubs and 24 faced police convictions for racist abuse at EFL grounds, with many more being referred for restorative justice or still under investigation.
Albion strives to ensure the club is truly reflective of the diverse communities it represents and stands side-by-side with players, managers, supporters, and the EFL to tackle racism in our game.
One Club. One Community. Together Against Racism.
If you witness racist or discriminatory abuse, you can report it directly to the club via the phone number 07929 221878, or alerting your nearest steward.
Albion will take swift and firm action against anyone identified in making racist or discriminatory behaviour, working with the relevant authorities to ensure perpetrators face club sanctions and police action.
