Baggies legend Brown hopes history can repeat itself

West Bromwich Albion face Birmingham City in The FA Cup on Saturday for the first time since 1968 - the year they last won it. 

And one of the heroes of that successful Cup run is hoping history can repeat itself 46 years on. 

Tony ‘Bomber’ Brown struck Albion’s second in their 2-0 Semi-Final victory over Blues before the Midlands outfit overcame Everton 1-0 in The Final. 

That remains the last major trophy West Brom have lifted, but Brown feels there’s no reason Tony Pulis’s side can’t be a force to be reckoned with in this year’s competition. 

“In the past, teams who aren’t the 'big guns' have had good runs in The FA Cup and I don’t think there’s any reason we can’t do that,” Albion’s all-time record goalscorer told TheFA.com. 

“You need a bit of luck along the way but if you get momentum going in The FA Cup, like we had in 1968, it can take you a long way. 

“If you get into the Fifth Round you can smell Wembley and that’s the way it was for us. You get that belief in the dressing room.” 

Albion’s Cup success was spearheaded by the goals of Jeff Astle, who became the first player to score in every round of the competition. 

And ‘Bomber’ believes that any team who is going to be successful in The FA Cup needs to have a potent goal threat. 

“The year we won it Jeff scored in every round and he had a belief that every time he went out in a Cup match that he was going to score,” said Brown. 

“I hope Saido Berahino has got that belief now and that he can come up with the goods during this Cup run. 

Saido Berahino scored four in the last round against Gateshead

“You have to have someone who is going to score the goals for you, especially in The Cup where you can’t just settle for a draw.” 

New Baggies boss Pulis made his bow in the Hawthorns dugout when Albion secured a resounding 7-0 win over Gateshead in the Third Round. 

Brown is full of praise for the Welshman’s attitude toward competition and says the West Brom fans would love to have a successful campaign. 

“It is music to my ears to hear Tony Pulis say that he thinks a lot of The FA Cup and that he wants to do well in it,” he said.

“That is what the fans want to hear. The fans like good cup runs.” 

It has been four years since these two Midlands rivals last locked horns and, with a big crowd expected at St Andrew's, the excitement is palpable ahead of Saturday’s ties. 

As a veteran of 720 games for Albion, including many local derbies, Brown believes the fans are in for an unpredictable, rollercoaster of a match. 

“There will be plenty of passion at St Andrew's on Saturday, that is guaranteed,” he said. “You never know what will happen in local derbies, I have played in many where the team that’s doing well in the League has come unstuck. 

Birmingham and West Brom last met in 2011

“[Gary] Rowett has got Blues buzzing and they are a completely different side to what they were not long ago. 

“They will have a big crowd behind them and we will have to be up for it from the start as the away team because I think they will steam into us. 

“I’m sure that’s what Tony Pulis will tell them in the dressing room, you’ve got to match them for effort and commitment and then, hopefully, our extra skill will come in somewhere along the line.”