It’s 1994 and the Albion have recently sold goalkeeper Mark Beeney to Leeds United for £350,000 – to balance the books.
The financial woes that nearly destroyed the club were starting to surface as the club bumbled along in the third tier. Former Irish international Liam Brady was at the helm, doing a decent job with a bunch of youngsters, and one very seasoned pro... Jimmy Case.
The Liverpool and Albion legend had returned for a second spell on the coast after turning out for non-league Sittingbourne.
League form had been patchy but in the League Cup, things were different. A comprehensive first-round two-leg victory over Wycombe Wanderers set up a juicy tie with Premier League Leicester City, who would go on to appear in three finals in four years from 1997.
The Foxes were beaten 1-0 at the Goldstone Ground, with Kurt Nogan – in the middle of a prolific streak that was attracting some top-division suitors – scoring the only goal. The second leg, on a chilly Tuesday night, saw a very healthy contingent of Albion fans travel to Filbert Street in hope of an upset.
In the first half, young and inexperienced right-back Stuart Munday somehow found himself in the inside left channel with the ball at his feet. He looked up, took a few touches forward, and launched an absolute howitzer into the top corner from all of 35 yards. It was a stunning strike that caused total pandemonium in the away end.
To the uninitiated, Albion would have looked like the side from the top flight as Nogan finished off a delightful move to make it 2-0. As the final whistle loomed, Case – already on a booking – was preparing to take a corner and was waiting for team-mate Jeff Minton to return to the field. Facing away from the ref, the veteran midfielder – who had a hearing impairment – didn’t hear the whistle for him to hurry up and received his marching orders.
A bizarre end to an otherwise successful evening!