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No expense spared: Inside West Bromwich Albion's state-of-the-art coach which comes with luxury seats, top class ovens and a professional chef

A family run Lye coach company has given a sneak peek inside its most state-of-the-art passenger vehicle which transports West Bromwich Albion players to and from football matches around the country.

By Beverly Rademacher
Published

Prospect Coaches won the contract last summer to provide transportation for WBA players, including the men's and women's first teams, in its luxury Irizar i8 premium, high-deck coach.

Nathan Hadley, MD of Prospect Coaches in Lye, on the luxury coach that provides transport for the West Bromwich Albion first team
Nathan Hadley, MD of Prospect Coaches in Lye, on the luxury coach that provides transport for the West Bromwich Albion first team

Designed for long-distance, touring and corporate services - the vehicle which was made in Spain has been kitted out with everything a travelling elite sports team could require.

The £500,000 coach boasts luxurious leather free seats that are only seen in high end vehicles along with high tech adjustable tables so the players can enjoy a sit down dinner while on the road.

Nathan Hadley, MD at Prospect Coaches in Lye, on the state-of-the-art coach used to transport the West Bromwich Albion first team across the country It boasts a coffee machine, luxury material on all of the chairs picked and designed by Nathan and his wife Claire, and the table transforms into a physio table too.
Nathan Hadley, MD at Prospect Coaches in Lye, on the state-of-the-art coach used to transport the West Bromwich Albion first team across the country It boasts a coffee machine, luxury material on all of the chairs picked and designed by Nathan and his wife Claire, and the table transforms into a physio table too.

There are TVs throughout the bus, a proper coffee machine, toilet facilities - of course, plus a physiotherapy table should anyone need help to recover after a match.

What’s most impressive though is the full professional kitchen situated at the back of the coach, which boasts two Rational ovens and a state of the art microwave that can cope with heating metal trays.

Nathan Hadley, MD of Prospect Coaches in Lye, in the luxurious coach that transports West Bromwich Albion's first team - which boasts its own kitchen with two Rational ovens and a top quality microwave. Stats show players can improve on pitch performance by 10 per cent if they get the right nutrition and food after a game
Nathan Hadley, MD of Prospect Coaches in Lye, in the luxurious coach that transports West Bromwich Albion's first team - which boasts its own kitchen with two Rational ovens and a top quality microwave. Stats show players can improve on pitch performance by 10 per cent if they get the right nutrition and food after a game

The set up comes with a professional chef on board - to cook the players a top quality nutritious meal after each game to ensure they have the fuel needed to stay in peak condition for the next match.

The high tech vehicle  is one of five team coaches owned by Prospect Coaches, which is headquartered in Lye, Stourbridge.

It also transports the Wolves women’s team and Kidderminster Harriers first team to games around the country, along with a host of other local football teams including Stourbridge FC and their supporters.

Nathan Hadley, MD at Prospect Coaches in Lye, next to the luxury coach used to transport the West Bromwich Albion first team
Nathan Hadley, MD at Prospect Coaches in Lye, next to the luxury coach used to transport the West Bromwich Albion first team

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Nathan Hadley, managing director of Prospect Coaches, said: “Not many coaches will have a kitchen. The club have had the two Rational ovens installed with the belief that there’s a 10 per cent gain in the performance of the players from the nutritional value that can be provided by the chef that travels onboard and prepares in this kitchen a meal for all the players post game.”

Nathan Hadley, MD at Prospect Coaches in Lye, on the state-of-the-art coach used to transport the West Bromwich Albion first team across the country It boasts a coffee machine, luxury material on all of the chairs picked and designed by Nathan and his wife Claire, and the table transforms into a physio table too.
Nathan Hadley, MD at Prospect Coaches in Lye, on the state-of-the-art coach used to transport the West Bromwich Albion first team across the country It boasts a coffee machine, luxury material on all of the chairs picked and designed by Nathan and his wife Claire, and the table transforms into a physio table too.

He said he and his wife Claire Hadley-King designed the colour scheme for the luxury seats - adding: “My wife is very much not a fan of leather so we have a fabric called ultra fabrics, and this is one of the first coaches or the first coach in the country with this material.

“It’s fully synthetic, there’s no animal based products and it's very soft. It’s also used by some other luxury brands…some very high end luxury vehicles use this material.”

He continued: “After winning the contract we agreed to build this coach specifically for the club with input from the players, the management team and particularly for the chefs.”

The company has been transporting sports teams for around six years as a big part of the business, which also offers school transport provision and more recently has become a FlixBus operator.

Nathan Hadley, managing director at Prospect Coaches in Lye, which runs a transport service for the West Bromwich Albion first team
Nathan Hadley, managing director at Prospect Coaches in Lye, which runs a transport service for the West Bromwich Albion first team

Nathan said it was a kind of Field of Dreams moment that started it all. Inspired by the famous line from the 1989 Kevin Costner movie ‘If you build it, he will come’ - he took a leap of faith that paid off and has resulted in Prospect Coaches getting to transport the players of his late mom’s favourite football team.

Remembering Ros Hadley, who was managing director of the firm - started by her father Geoff Watts, the bus features a number plate that pays tribute to her.

The late Ros Hadley pictured with her father Geoff Watts at Prospect Coaches
The late Ros Hadley pictured with her father Geoff Watts at Prospect Coaches

Nathan, who took over the driver’s seat after the sudden death of Ros in June 2024, said: “Mom was famously a West Bromwich Albion fan and loved to wind up the rest of the family who weren’t.”

Prospect Coaches in Lye where a plaque was unveiled commemorating the late Ros Hadley. L-R: Ros's son Nathan Hadley, Laura Hadzik (national chair of Women in Bus and Coach), Karen Tiley (Midlands chair of Women in Bus and Coach), Nathan's wife Claire Hadley-King and the couple's sons Tom King and Jake Hadley, with the West Bromwich Albion first team coach to the rear
Prospect Coaches in Lye where a plaque was unveiled commemorating the late Ros Hadley. L-R: Ros's son Nathan Hadley, Laura Hadzik (national chair of Women in Bus and Coach), Karen Tiley (Midlands chair of Women in Bus and Coach), Nathan's wife Claire Hadley-King and the couple's sons Tom King and Jake Hadley, with the West Bromwich Albion first team coach to the rear

Ros, who was a female powerhouse in the bus and coach industry,  is also commemorated with a blue plaque on the wall of the Prospect Coaches HQ in Lye High Street - awarded by Women in Bus and Coach - which was unveiled on February 25.