Paul Brooker was back in the starting line-up for Albion's testing trip to home specialists Bury.

Brooker was preferred to Robbie Pethick in the only change to the team which drew 1-1 at Swindon last Saturday.

German striker Dirk Lehmann took the place of Lee Steele on the bench.

Steele, 28 tomorrow, did not make the journey to Lancashire for family reasons.

Bury, plagued by injuries, made a couple of changes to the side knocked out of the FA Cup on penalties by Third Division Lincoln at Gigg Lane on Tuesday.

Lee Unsworth returned at the expense of David Borley while the fit-again Gareth Seddon was given the nod over Ian Lawson upfront.

Bury went into the contest on a six match undefeated League run in front of their own fans.

They did not have their madcap mascot Robbie the Bobbie to cheer them on. The 8ft policeman, alias local plumber Jonathan Pollard, was given the boot by Bury after allegedly making obscene gestures to the referee against Lincoln.

He had already been sent off three times this season for baring his bottom to visiting supporters, trading blows with the Cardiff mascot and encroaching into the technical area of Bristol city boss and former Albion midfielder Danny Wilson.

The official guest list for the game included Premiership managers Sam Allardyce of Bolton and Everton's Walter Smith, keeping tabs on Albion hotshot Bobby Zamora.

Bury: Glyn Garner; Danny Swailes, Lee Unsworth, Gareth Seddon, Paul Reid, Steve Redmond, Jason Jarrett, Michael Nelson, Jon Newby, Harpal Singh, Jamie Stuart. Subs: Hill, Connell, Borley, Clegg, Lawson.

Albion: Michel Kuipers; Paul Watson, Kerry Mayo, Danny Cullip, Simon Morgan, Gary Hart, Charlie Oatway, Paul Brooker, Richard Carpenter, Nathan Jones, Bobby Zamora. Subs: Rogers, Lehmann, Melton, Virgo, Pethick.

Referee: Mr M. Messias (York).