Mowbray: We can be legends April 04 2008
Tony Mowbray has challenged his players to write their names into West Brom's folklore by winning the FA Cup.
This season marks the 40th anniversary of the last of Albion's five cup triumphs, when the late Jeff Astle scored in extra-time to seal a 1-0 win over Everton.
West Brom have contested three semi-finals since then, losing each of them.
The Baggies will attempt to reach the final for the first time since 1968 when they face Portsmouth at Wembley on Saturday.
With Championship rivals Barnsley or Cardiff set to fill the other final spot, Albion manager Mowbray is aware that he and his players could be standing on the brink of history and achieving legendary status among a generation of the club's supporters.
"If we were to get through against Portsmouth, this team will have a realistic chance of winning the FA Cup," said Mowbray.
"If we can get Albion's name put on the trophy again, the little kids who are five, six or seven now will be still talking about it when they are 77 years old.
"They will say they were there at Wembley when Albion won the cup in 2008, and for the old boys who were at the last one in 1968 it would be something very special.
"It would go down in history and go through the generations. A chance like this comes around once in a lifetime and it would be a fantastic achievement if we could do it."
Mowbray can speak with some authority on the subject of being a football fan. Born in Middlesbrough in 1963, he has followed the fortunes of his hometown team for four decades.
His childhood was one of disappointment, but Mowbray took his place among the Boro supporters when Bryan Robson - his predecessor at the Hawthorns - led the north-east club to their first cup final appearance in 1997.
"Cup final day was the biggest day in the football calendar in my family," said Mowbray. "I think everybody was a Boro fan but the bottom line was that Boro weren't in cup finals when I was watching them.
"The club I supported as a boy never got there when I was growing up, and I didn't bring Boro much luck when I went to watch them at Wembley on the occasion they did get there. I was sat with the fans in 1997, and I was still a player at Ipswich back then.
"But I was a fan as well, so I know what it is about. I know the disappointment of a team losing games.
"Losing semi-finals or finals is pretty huge in terms of the disappointment so that is why Saturday isn't just a day out for us. We want to go there and win."