[Ska'dForLife-WBA]

An exciting time in the news: Rowntree's have invented the Polo mint, Mr Attlee has just created British Rail and the NHS, and bread rationing is finally at an end. At least, I presume that's the news; as Albion are travelling to Chesterfield this weekend, either the year is 1948, or a first-ever FA Cup encounter between the two sides is about to renew an acquaintance that's lain fallow for seventy-five years.

Having seen off Anstey Nomads, Northampton and Wimbledon to reach the third round for the second season in a row, the Spireites will be hoping for a better outcome than last year's 5-1 defeat at Stamford Bridge. On paper at least, Albion are a more achievable target for a cupset, especially on home soil; Chesterfield's record at the Technique Stadium is pretty solid, a pre-Christmas FA Trophy defeat to Coalville notwithstanding. And indeed, had this match been played three months ago the Baggies would have been ripe for a good Wokinging, but things have changed for the better under Corberan, and so the only Achilles heel for us now is the perpetually cavalier attitude to the FA Cup which has seen us crash out at the first hurdle the last two years running.

Armando Dobra has opened the scoring for Chesterfield in each of their cup games so far, and he'll be one to watch on Saturday. For Albion, much will depend on the team we put out - understandably, the playoffs are our major concern - but it would be very disappointing not to get the win. For one thing, the last time that Chesterfield beat us, Hitler invaded Czechoslovakia three weeks later. The last thing we need is Mr Putin getting more bright ideas in 2023, so here's hoping the Spireites will let us have our cup run for the sake of world peace...