Albion-mad Donny duo plot downfall

An Albion-mad Doncaster duo return to the Hawthorns hell-bent on grounding their hometown heroes' flying start.

Rovers full-back James Chambers played 78 times for the Baggies in five years as a professional, after learning his trade in the club's youth set-up.

And his former mentor, Richard O'Kelly – West Bromwich-born and a lifelong Albion fan – is now assistant manager at The Keepmoat Stadium.

But both Black Country men insist emotion is a luxury they cannot afford when they return this evening looking to puncture the bubble of optimism at their former club.

Chambers said: "I had many good years at West Brom. I started there with my brother, came up through the youth team and managed to force my way into the first team.

"Luckily for me I took my chance when I got it and I had four or five seasons there, got a lot of good experience and left with good memories.

"It was brilliant. My brother was there and I had a lot of friends who came up through the youth team at the same time.

"I still have a lot of friends there now and there were great times for me.

"A few have moved on but Neil Clement is there. There are also a lot of good staff there who I know.

"I have been texting a few of the boys and the banter has started already, but come the game that goes out of the window."

O'Kelly's affection for the Baggies goes back even further than Chambers, to the 1960s when he caught the football bug on the terraces of The Hawthorns as a child.

He went on to work for the club behind the scenes, having spent the majority of his playing career nearby at Walsall.

But the Donny No 2 insists there will be no split loyalties this evening.

He said: "It's just another game as far as I am concerned. The fact it's going back to the club I supported as a child and the first club I ever saw means nothing.

"I work for Doncaster Rovers now and that's the most important thing. I was seven or eight when I first went to watch them play at the Hawthorns and they beat Arsenal 4-2.

"I was fortunate enough to work there a few years later as youth coach with Alan Buckley and I spent six or seven years there.

"A few of the players like James and Daniel Gabbidon came through there and went on to other things. Now I just go there to scout. If I go to the Hawthorns it's to look at players.

"Last season when they were in the Premier League we saw a couple of their players that we fancied and we spoke to Tony Mowbray about them.

"Shelton Martis was one of them, while the other two boys ended up in the first team and have gone from strength to strength.

"In some ways you want the team you support to be in the top division but from my point of view it's nice to be able to go there.

"The playing surface at Albion is always nice and the supporters are always appreciative of good football.

"Hopefully we will be able to go there and give them something to see."

Albion boss Roberto Di Matteo is expected to name an unchanged team after Saturday's 3-1 success against Plymouth.

The Italian has no new injury concerns but striker Luke Moore is unlikely to recover from his ankle injury in time to play, handing summer signing Simon Cox another chance to impress up front.

Rovers could be without injured forwards James Hayter and James Coppinger, who are both major doubts, so Lewis Guy and former Baggies target Billy Sharp, who signed recently on a season-long loan from Sheffield United, are standing by.

The visitors will be major underdogs for this evening's clash and their assistant, who still has a home in the West Midlands, believes Di Matteo's men deserve their promotion favourites tag.

O'Kelly said: "They are all comfortable on the ball and like to pass it. They've got a good system of play with goals throughout the side with Brunt on the left, Luke Moore up top and they've got Bednar back now.

"They've got a young player who we spotted last year, Chris Wood, who could be a player in the future. They will definitely be in the top six. It is almost guaranteed."