The walk up the steps into the stand is great and seeing the shrine opening up in front of you is magical. I like to get in early and watch the stands fill, On odd occasions when I have arrived late (for me) and the stands are already full the experience loses something for me personally.
In the spring / summer its glorious to be in a baggies shirt basking and relaxing in the warmth, in the winter under the floodlights with the pitch glistening the place takes on a different persona but its still beautiful, I do think of the Hawthorns as a beautiful ground, not a functional bowl or un-cared for relic, it would be interesting to hear what opposition fans think of it.
I cant think how many times I have enjoyed this pleasure over the years, but as I type this the hairs on the back of my neck are tingling and I do want to get back.
Its also true that I do get a similar feeling at some away games but far, far less intense.
Leaving the ground is a strange one, from the muted scowls after a poor performance to the sheer euphoria after trouncing some poor X!@£'s from witton, its all part of the experience