Albion's visit to Bristol City on Saturday is more than just a promotion match for manager Mark McGhee.

It is also a reminder to the Glaswegian of where his journey in professional football began.

McGhee will take a nostalgic trip down memory lane when the team coach pulls into the car park at Ashton Gate.

Rewind 30 years and you would have found him there during the close season, playing cricket with his team-mates as a £500 per year apprentice.

Former Southampton manager Dave Merrington, once a candidate for the Albion post, was responsible for launching McGhee's playing career in England.

"Dave Merrington was youth team coach at Bristol City at the time," McGhee explained. "They had a Scottish lad called John Bain and his dad did a bit of scouting.

"His dad had seen a couple of boys playing in Scotland and invited Dave Merrington up to have a look at them.

"The night that Dave came I was playing for the opposition. Dave invited me on the back of that for a week's trial and I was then invited to sign as an apprentice for two years.

"In the first year I was on a tenner a week and in the second year £12.50 and you also got your digs paid."

Although McGhee fitted in well he could not see a first team future for himself with City.

He returned to Scotland at the end of his two-year apprenticeship to forge a reputation with Morton.

He scored 37 goals in 64 League games before going on to bigger and better things with Newcastle, Aberdeen, Hamburg and Celtic, but he has never forgotten where it all started.

"I have really happy memories of Bristol," McGhee said. "I really enjoyed my time there.

"In the Bristol team at the time were people like Gerry Gow, Tom Ritchie and the captain Geoff Merrick. Colin Lee was an apprentice with me.

"I wasn't particularly sorry to leave in the sense that I wasn't really doing myself justice or getting the chance to progress.

"There were a couple of boys in front of me, Shaun Penny and Kevin Mabbutt, Gary's brother, both of whom had been financed by Bristol City to go to Millfield School.

"As local boys they were getting opportunities in the reserves ahead of me. I was sorry to leave but also happy to go and play first team football somewhere."

McGhee returned to Ashton Gate earlier this month with Albion assistant Bob Booker to see City's 1-0 victory against Second Division leaders Plymouth.

"It hasn't changed a lot," he said. "In fact, as we were walking through the car park I was telling Bob that was where we used to play cricket in the summer.

"I have been back a few times with teams and normally drawn. We will accept a draw on Saturday, but we need to win. I think finishing third or fourth is important and to do that we have got to beat Bristol City."

Finishing third or fourth, rather than fifth or sixth, is the preferred option for McGhee because Albion would then be at home in the second leg of the play-off semi-finals.

That depends on McGhee getting the better this time of Danny Wilson, the Bristol City manager and former Albion skipper.

He said: "The biggest head-to-head I've had with Danny was when he was at Barnsley and they pipped us at Wolves to get into the Premiership."

There is also the small matter of making amends for the crushing 4-1 defeat inflicted by City at Withdean in McGhee's first home match in charge back in November.

Wilson wants to avoid a repeat of last season. City finished third then before losing 1-0 on aggregate in the play-offs to Cardiff.

The Welshmen went on to clinch promotion to Division One by beating QPR 1-0 after extra time at the Millennium Stadium.

City are third again now, two points behind Rangers and six adrift of Plymouth.

The top two meet on Saturday at Home Park, where a win for Argyle would simultaneously secure promotion and the title.

That is the result Wilson is looking for, although it would count for little unless his team overcome his old club.

Wilson said: "For us QPR really have to lose, so if Plymouth get a win, great. But the main thing is we try and win our three games to have a chance."

Albion will be striving to deny Wilson his wish in front of a packed house as they prepare for what could prove to be a dress rehearsal for the play-offs.

Top scorer Leon Knight said: "All we are concentrating on is winning games. We don't do all the maths stuff.

"We rise to the big occasion. We will relish the chance to go there and take three points off them.

"We are used to big crowds. We won't let that affect us."