With an under 21 team from West Bromwich due to play Hereford FC tomorrow evening, BN looks back to July 21st 2003 when a young Albion team were defeated 5-0 by Hereford United.
However the evening might be also remembered for one particular event.
Tamika Mkandawire was in the Albion side and was subbed after handling the ball in the area. Later that season he returned to Edgar Street on loan and the rest is history.
Hereford United 5 - 0 West
Bromwich Albion XI
An effective pre-season display against a group of West Bromwich Albion youngsters saw Hereford United emerge convincing 5-0 victors.
Featuring defender Peter Wilding and fellow trialists Dean Craven of Bridgnorth and Danny Bertram of Cheltenham Town, Hereford impressed in somewhat cooler conditions than last week's draw with a strong Wolverhampton Wanderers side.
The Bulls missed Steve Guinan and David Brown in attack, as both were injured for the match, but it was good to see Ben Smith make his return and score twice with his first two touches after coming on as a second-half substitute.
Hereford could have scored a couple of times before they took the lead on twenty five minutes. Both Danny Bertram and Rob Purdie squandered decent chances, while Danny Williams hit the woodwork from a long-range free-kick on eighteen minutes. The goal came, though, after a handball in the area by Tamika Mkandawire following a Williams shot, which was parried by goalkeeper Dan Crane. Tony James stepped up to send Crane the wrong way and send Hereford into the lead. Mkandawire was subbed immediately after the incident, at the request of the referee.
Ten minutes later, Michael Rose doubled the advantage. A Williams corner was dummied by Jamie Pitman for Rose to fire home, and Rose almost turned provider two minutes before the break, but his corner was nodded inches over the crossbar by Andy Tretton.
After the restart, Simon Brown went close for West Brom but it was the visiting goalkeeper who was again the busier, as he was forced to save a strong header from United substitute Richard Teesdale, while Rob Purdie fired inches wide after good movement between Williams and Bertram.
As the game was played in a friendly atmosphere, it was good to see some sportsmanship when West Brom's Steve Brown was lying injured in his own area. Instead of waiting for the ball to go out of play, United coach Richard O'Kelly rushed onto the field to see to his knock, which turned out not to be serious.
Hereford, though, showed a mean streak a few minutes later as Ben Smith scored twice in thirty seconds. His first came when Bertram drew replacement goalkeeper Matt Jones to the byline before chipping the ball over him for Smith to net. Seconds after the restart, Smith picked up a loose ball thirty yards out and fired it over the goalkeeper and into the net.
United searched for a fifth, and got it on seventy seven when Bertram fired home with a scorching shot to seal a superb evening of football. A decent crowd of 1,306 turned out, including 49 supporting West Brom.
Hereford: Baker, Rose, Wilding, Pitman, Tretton, James, Williams, King, Bertram, Purdie, Craven.
Subs: Teesdale, Ding, Sawyers, Parry, Smith, Gwillam, Moon