Mowbray wants Baggies to secure 'badge of honour' at Wembley
Mowbray wants to equal the feats of former WBA greats
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Saturday, 05, Apr 2008 10:16
West Bromwich Albion manager Tony Mowbray wants his team to secure a place in the FA Cup final and with it a position in club folklore.
Mowbray says that the tradition of the FA Cup means winning the trophy would be a great coup for his team and a fitting reward for the effort his players have given him this season.
The Baggies last won the cup in 1968, when they beat Everton 1-0 thanks to a goal from Jeff Astle, and the Hawthorns boss says he wants the current crop of players to be able to write their names next to the club's other cup winners.
He said: "The FA Cup is about having your name stuck on that trophy that teams have played for so many years.
"To have WBA stuck on it again would be pretty special for this group of players. Sometimes you want to stick a badge of honour on your team so in 20 years' time it is still remembered and talked about today."
To achieve Mowbray's ambition the Baggies first have to defeat Portsmouth in the semi-finals.
As the only Premier League side left in the competition Mowbray realises that Harry Redknapp's team pose the biggest obstacle in their path towards another FA Cup win.
Fellow Championship sides Cardiff and Barnsley are contesting the other semi-final and Mowbray says he would be confident against either of those teams should they make the final.
He said: "I would suggest we would go into that game on a pretty level footing with the other team."
West Brom are currently 12 points ahead of Cardiff in the Championship while Barnsley are just one place above the relegation zone.