A 24hr coach trip, an Italian blizzard and a Bob Taylor winner: West Brom's bizarre Anglo Italian Cup clash
It was a cup competition that never really lived long in the memory for English football fans. But for a certain group of Albion supporters, the Anglo Italian Cup threw up arguably one of their most bizarre away days.
If you asked a modern football supporter about the competition, they would probably give you a strange look and ask what on earth you were talking about.
When you tell them past finals have seen Swindon beat Napoli and Roma overcome Blackpool they certainly wouldn't believe you.
But in 1970, the competition, involving a handful of teams from England and Italy was founded.
West Brom and Wolves were involved in the 1970 tournament, Albion winning just one of their four games, which came courtesy of a 4-0 thumping of Roma.
They also competed in 1971, but wouldn't take part again until 1993, after interest dwindled and it became a semi-professional tournament.
In their three efforts, they had failed to get past the group stage, that was until 1995/96, in what proved to be the last year of the competition.
They progressed to the regional final, eventually losing to Port Vale, but it was one of their group games in Italy that Albion fans will always associate with the competition.
In December 1995, Albion, struggling in the Division One, headed out to face Brescia in a clash famous for being played in horrific, snowy conditions.
Around 50 hardened Albion fans made the trip that involved a near 30 hour coach trip, all to see a drab and forgettable 1-0 win courtesy of a Bob Taylor goal.
But it was the journey and the experience that sticks in the memory for those who were there, rather than the result.
