FA Cup R5 Preview

30 January 2007

F A CUP 5TH ROUND DRAW: Bristol City or Middlesbrough v WEST BROMWICH ALBION

I was right about the exciting possibilities offered by the previous draw, but I?m not certain that a potential banana skin at the in-form League One outfit or a trip to Tony Mowbray?s old club will be quite as rewarding as the humiliation of local rivals Wolves. Nevertheless, if we play to our potential we must have at least a chance of progressing to the Quarter-finals.

We have a 100% FA Cup record against BRISTOL CITY but haven?t met the Robins in the competition for over eighty years. The first of our two F A Cup encounters was in 1909-10 and we were the underdogs, as City were a top flight club and we were mid-table in the 2nd Division. In the 2nd Round tie at Ashton Gate on 5th February we drew 1-1 thanks to a goal from centre forward Bob Pailor. He scored again in the Hawthorns replay four days later, but with Charlie Hewitt, our ?75 signing from Liverpool, netting two and winger George Simpson grabbing another, we ran out 4-2 winners. By the time of our 1925-26 3rd Round tie at The Hawthorns on 9th January, the status of the two clubs was reversed. Albion were comfortably placed in the 1st Division and Bristol City were near the top of 3rd Division (South). We were 4-1 winners, thanks to two from Tommy Glidden, later to captain the Baggies to victory in the 1930-31 Cup Final and one each from Joe Carter and Jack Byers. The last time we met in the league at Ashton Gate was in 1998-99 in Division One, when two goals from Lee Hughes and a third from James Quinn earned us a 3-1 victory.

We?ve met MIDDLESBROUGH just three times in the FA Cup, with a meagre total of only three goals being recorded. We were to be relegated from the 1st Division in 1900-01, but when we met 2nd Division Boro in the Quarter-final at their Old Archery Ground, Linthorpe Road, we had already beaten Manchester City at home and Woolwich Arsenal away in earlier rounds, both 1-0. On 23rd March Fred Buck scored the only goal of the game to take us through to the Semi-final, where we lost to Spurs at Villa Park. The next meeting was in 1928-29 in the 4th Round at The Hawthorns on 26th January. This time both clubs were in the 2nd Division, Boro were to finish top, but Jimmy Cookson scored our winner in another 1-0 victory. The third 1-0 was in 1980-81. Both clubs were in the 1st Division, with Albion riding high in the table one of the cup favourites. However, this time we were to be disappointed, for on 24th January in the 4th Round tie at Ayresome Park, defender Ian Bailey scored a first half winner for the home side. Don?t ask about our league record in Middlesbrough, we haven?t won there in the last 18 attempts dating back over fifty years to 1951-52, when George Lee scored in yet another 1-0 scoreline. The most recent meeting was at the Riverside last season in the Premiership, when Nathan Ellington and Kanu scored in a 2-2 draw.

 - Dave Watkin

Previous Stories:

  29 January 2007:  FA Cup R5: Middlesbrough or Bristol City

  26 January 2007:  Hoult suspended for Sunday?

  11 January 2007:  Albion accept Ellington request

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