Carlos Corberan invites West Brom legend Tony 'Bomber' Brown to training ground in bid to inspire players

The Baggies head coach has been doing his homework on the club’s proud history and Albion’s record of five-time winners of the FA Cup caught the Spaniard’s eye.

Corberan was also, over the last couple of weeks, introduced to Albion Cup-winning icon Brown, 77, during the latter’s work as matchday summariser on BBC WM.

And the boss has taken the decision to invite former midfielder Brown – the club’s record appearance maker and goalscorer – to the Walsall-based headquarters to hear tales from an era where the club were FA and League Cup winners, as well as beaten finalists in the latter, and regularly mixed it in the top half of the First Division.

“We know our club won five FA Cup titles, so know for us it is a very important competition,” Corberan explained.

“The other day I had the pleasure to meet Tony Brown, he won the competition the last time in ‘68.

“He is someone very special who has scored many goals for this club, being a midfielder, that is something even more interesting.”

Corberan, 39, has been in charge over two months and has led Albion to an excellent turnaround in form in the Championship in that time.

The former Huddersfield boss intends to offer an invitation for ‘Bomber’ to speak to the players and relive memories and experience that helped shape a Hawthorns ‘legacy’.

Corberan regularly says he feels the pride and has been struck by the scale of Albion’s history, honours and fanbase.

“You can only learn from the past,” he added. “At this club, the fact it has a big past does not mean that it could have a big present or future.

“But I feel lucky to be in a club with this past, I feel very proud to be at a club that has won five FA Cups, it means a lot to me to be in a club with a lot of history.

“It’s special when you can meet people that have been part of this history, you can only learn things.

“I was discussing with Ian (Skidmore, director of communications) about bringing Tony here and to meet him (again) and to share thoughts and experience with the players. Because the players can only learn from someone that has played for this club in a demanding period making something fantastic.

“The people like Tony that have made history in one club can only give you (positive) things, because you can only make history if you are very special.

“I said to him, the fact he was a midfielder increased the challenge (record goalscorer) he had in front of him!

“This is the same as the (Sir Alex) Ferguson documentary I told you about, to share this experience with someone that has made history here some years ago.

“This is only a positive feeling, to know the history of the club only makes us feel proud and increases our responsibilities with the things we do, and we feel value in our day-by-day, to be part of West Bromwich history means a lot.”

Oldham-born Brown lives locally and is immortalised in bronze outside The Hawthorns with his record of 720 appearances and 279 goals between 1963 and 1981.

The head coach, whose side visit Luton in the Championship on Saturday, stressed the importance former players, the likes of James Morrison and Chris Brunt, can have on the group.

“It’s always positive to have players that have been important here – even in the staff now with James (Morrison) working with us and people involved in the academy and loans (Chris Brunt).

“It’s good to be close to players that have created a legacy in the club, it’s a positive experience to help us keep growing.”