Albion skipper Jonathan Greening is dreaming of reaching The FA Cup FInal.
By Nicholas Veevers. Thursday, 03 April 2008.
West Bromwich Albion v Portsmouth
The FA Cup sponsored by E.ON
Semi-Finals
12.15pm, Saturday 5 April 2008
Wembley Stadium
Winning clubs will receive £900,000 from The FA
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When West Bromwich Albion won The FA Cup in 1931, they also secured promotion back to the top flight and they remain the only team to have ever achieved that.
Now skipper Jonathan Greening is hoping that history can repeat itself this year as the Baggies prepare to face Portsmouth at Wembley in the first of the Semi-Finals this weekend.
The Hawthorns club haven’t been in an FA Cup Final since the last time they won the trophy in 1968 and they are also involved in the promotion chase in the Championship, so it has been a busy season for Tony Mowbray’s team but all eyes are now focused on The FA Cup and Greening admits it will be a dream if they can go all the way.
“To climb those stairs and be the man who lifts The FA Cup would be so special,” said the 29-year-old.
“We’re all aware that West Brom are the only club to have ever gained promotion and won The FA Cup in the same year – to repeat that would be just the ultimate achievement and I’d probably think about retiring!”
Firstly though, Albion must defeat the competition’s only remaining Premiership side Portsmouth on Saturday and Greening knows that they will have to be at their best if they are to have any success against Harry Redknapp’s men.
“They’re a strong team, good on the ball and have match-winners throughout their squad but I’m glad we’ve got them because if we’d got Cardiff or Barnsley they might have been more defensive,” he added.
“We know Pompey will make it an open game. They’ll play their stuff, we’ll play our stuff and it should be a good attacking match.
“They’ve got people like Kanu, Kranjcar and Diarra but then we’ve got Ishmael Miller, Kevin Phillips, Roman Bednar and James Morrison, so there are impact players throughout.
“Harry Redknapp has played it down so far, because he knows we’re a good side who can give his team a tough match.”
With three teams from the Championship at the Semi-Final stage and numerous Premiership sides having been knocked by teams from the second tier and below, this year’s Cup seems to have been dominated by upsets and that is something which Greening has been delighted to see.
“It’s fantastic,” he said.
“The day before we played Bristol Rovers we were in the hotel watching Barnsley beat Chelsea.
“It brought home the spirit of the competition in that one weekend really and it says a lot about the quality we’ve got in the Championship in many ways and perhaps shows that people shouldn’t write off those sides who aren’t in the Premier League.
“I’m glad it’s happened, it’s brought some romance back to The Cup.”
Greening has already amassed plenty of FA Cup experience in his career with the likes of Middlesbrough and Manchester United, where he was once part of the squad that travelled to The Final in 1999.
“I’d just turned 20 and we were playing Newcastle in The Final,” he recalled.
“When I found out I was in The FA Cup Final squad I just couldn’t believe it – I ended up getting a huge phone bill because of all the calls I made to mates and family.
“Everything about that occasion was special, from getting to The Final itself, when Giggsy scored that goal in the Semi-Final at Villa Park against Arsenal, to getting measured up for the suit, to then actually travelling down to London for the game. Even though I never made the bench, to be sat there watching with the lads was amazing.
“I managed to get to the Semi-Final with Middlesbrough after we beat Everton in the Quarter-Finals. We were drawn against Arsenal at Old Trafford and then it all went wrong and I ended up missing the game because I injured my thigh a few days before it.”
And that is one piece of history that Greening will certainly hope doesn’t repeat itself ahead of Saturday’s game.