West Brom defender Semi Ajayi has revealed that he was left hugely impressed by Albion’s support after his first game for the club.
The centre-back signed from Rotherham in the summer and made his debut for the Baggies as they picked up three points on the opening day against Nottingham Forest. With optimism around the club following Slaven Bilic’s appointment, Albion sold out the away end for the short trip to the East Midlands and they backed the team as they secured a 2-1 win.
And, when asked in a Q&A for the main thing he remembers from that day, Ajayi explained to the official site that it was the vocal backing from the stands that stood out – with one song in particular catching his attention.
“The main thing I remember from that game was how loud our away support was throughout the 90 minutes! I think that was the first game they sang the gaffer’s song too and they must have sang it at least 20 times that day, so for the following three or four days, the song was stuck in my head and I was constantly humming it to myself.
“It was the first time I’d ever experienced our away support and it left a huge impression on me.”
Will West Brom be in the Premier League next season?
Yes
No
Of course, Albion have gone from strength to strength since that win at the City Ground, with Bilic’s men leading the Championship for much of the season, although they are second right now after dropping points in their final game before this enforced break. Importantly though, they have a six-point advantage over Fulham in the race for a top two finish, with nine games scheduled to play in the league.
The challenge for Ajayi and his teammates will be to ensure they finish the job of achieving promotion – something they will have to do without the fans as football across the country, and even Europe, is likely to be played without support for the foreseeable future.