In April 2024, The Albion Foundation launched one of their most ambitious events to date with hopes of turning The Hawthorns into an exciting ‘thrill zone’.
Months of meticulous planning and attentive perusing of details all circled around one ambition – to construct a Zipwire spanning from one side of the 26,850 stadia to the other.
And thanks to those diligent preparations, throughout the third weekend of July 2024, over 300 participants would experience a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, soaring from the top of the Birmingham Road End to the ramp at the bottom of the Millennium Corner.
The physical set-up begins 48 hours before the first paying participants would take their flight, as Big Bang Experiences arrive at the Shrine. They start by fixing take-off and landing platform, fastening a clamp to the top of the Birmingham Road End which will soon have the main attraction attached to it.
The wire itself is hoisted into the air slowly, with staff from Big Bang putting all their might into creating just enough tension for the cord to hold weight. Before anybody can test run it, there must be three weights thrown down to see whether the wire can handle the masses it’ll face over the weekend.
Once tested, it’s the turn of events coordinator Steve Meeson and Jonathan Ward to be the first people to fly across the hallowed Hawthorns’ turf. GoPro strapped and harnesses fixed, they provide the first gleaming example for the scale of this event and the successful months of planning.
As Saturday, July 20 comes around, the staff’s early start for set-up sees additional parts of the puzzle come into place. Photo printing, registration and a changing room tour are all scattered successfully around the Zipwire event.
Participants begin to trickle through, all dressed similarly as though to produce one collective navy and white blur. Their first step is to register in accordance with their allotted time slot, the daredevils taking part are greeted by friendly faces at the reception desk and signed in.
Scaling the blue track in front of the West Stand, participants are greeted by the day’s. challenge. The fine metal cord casts a slender dark shadow onto the luscious emerald turf beneath it, it hangs in the crisp fresh air completely unmoved by the sudden gusts of wind that creep into the unshaded sections of the ground.
Before they take on the challenge, participants take a tour of the home dressing room. There they can see the setting in which many Baggies greats have prepared themselves for the most monumental of fixtures. They may sit where club captain Jed Wallace perches before leading Albion out donning the famous blue and white stripes – they can also stand on the very spot that Carlos Corberán has stoked many positive reactions with his pre-match team talks.
Photos in the dressing room taken, and out to the canopy that houses the harnessing station. There, participants are given the trolley and nylon-webbed harness that will secure their passage across the pristine pasture below.
Now for the ascent towards the top of the Birmingham Road End, the highest point of the ground with the highest altitude above sea level in the Football League. Each step propels them closer to the challenge that awaits and only at the top can the spectacle truly be appreciated.
Hooked on and away they go, sliding themselves to the edge of the platform, and being sent on the 184-metre dive towards their landing point, on their way they often attempt to strike a pose towards the two cameras situated in the stands poised for an action shot.
Metal brakes clatter against each other, echoing around the stadium, participants leap from the Zipwire onto the wooden platform and head around the foot of the Smethwick End. Whilst they do so, adrenaline surely surges through their veins as they begin to believe the feat that they have achieved. All of that soon gets swept aside as they rush to get unharnessed and see their photos.
As they approach the large high-definition screen in reception, gurning faces, windswept hairdo’s, poignant poses and cheers of glee frozen in time are displayed. The photos taken during their descent are quickly processed and available for printing upon high-quality glossy paper.
The proliferating numbers of participants continue to flow through the West Stand corner, eventually raising a grand total of £30,440.74. The money will once again be thrust back into the valuable work that the Foundation does at it continues to glisten within the local community.
Deputy director Ward heaped praise on the organisation of the event, with it running like a well-oiled, high-flying machine throughout. “I’m delighted with the way this event has panned out,” Ward said.
“The organisation and determination of the team has lit up The Hawthorns this weekend, creating a once-in-a-lifetime experience that so many have enjoyed. Huge credit must go to them and their dedication to creating a delightful community experience.
“I’d also like to thank our partners and sponsors for helping to put this event on, West Midlands Safari Park, National Gas, Bache Group, A.Hingley Group, HB Flooring and BHP Design – we’re hugely grateful for your endeavours. A huge thanks to Big Bang Experiences for setting up this amazing weekend, without them it wouldn’t be possible.”