 Albion had spent the majority of their history in the top @-@ flight of English football , but when the FA Premier League was founded in 1992 the club found themselves in the third tier , which had been renamed Division Two . In 1992 – 93 Albion finished fourth and entered the playoffs for the first time , having just missed out the previous year . Albion 's first appearance at Wembley for over twenty years — and their last ever at the original stadium — saw them beat Port Vale 3 – 0 to return to the second level – now renamed the First Division . Manager Ossie Ardiles then joined Tottenham Hotspur however , and a succession of managers over the next few seasons saw Albion consolidate their Division One status without ever mounting a serious promotion challenge . 
