Everyone's up for the Cup

Anyone who claims the FA Cup has run its course only needed to see the interest at today's press conference down at Albion's training ground.

There are normally four 'written' press and two radio stations present for run-of-the-mill Championship games. Sandwiches go untouched, there's enough soup to go round and the tea and coffee urns normally have dregs left at the bottom.

Not today.

Albion's FA Cup fifth round trip to Coventry brought several TV stations, a host of national newspaper journalists (prompting one to quip - 'at last, I know where the Albion training ground is') and BBC Radio Five Live.

You'll be able to read what Tony Mowbray and Dean Kiely (the allocated player) had to say in Friday's Birmingham Mail and on Birminghammail.net

Michal Danek will have to wait - the fact Kiely was up before the press indicated he was going to play. This was confirmed by Mowbray. Do-Heon Kim was also knocking around. He'll probably play.

Elsewhere, I couldn't help keeping one eye on the situation at Bramall Lane.

Interesting that Kevin Blackwell should be appointed. The ex-Luton and Leeds boss was No2 to Neil Warnock at the time of the 'Battle of Bramall Lane'.

I remember then Albion boss Gary Megson telling me that, a few days later, he was contacted by one member of United's coaching staff, who went onto apologise and say how thoroughly troubled he was by the United team's and Warnock's conduct.

Not longer after Blackwell left.

Go figure.