West Brom reveal 'Boiler Man' mascot - which becomes instant online hit with fans
Meet the Baggies' Boiler Man! This is the new mascot which became an overnight sensation with football fans.
The mascot - a combi-boiler - was out entertaining the crowd and having pictures taken with fans at West Brom's Championship season opener at The Hawthorns on Saturday.
It was unveiled by the club's new sponsor Ideal Boilers and certainly raised a smile for fans who posted pictures online.
West Brom announced a two-year sponsorship deal with the Hull-based firm back in May and the company's logo features on West Brom's match shirts and training kit.
Fans across the country got involved in the fun proving a lighter moment for the Baggies who slipped to a 2-1 defeat to Bolton Wanderers.
West Brom only have one mascot this season following the passing of Richard Eades on Boxing Day last year.
Richard Eades had worked for the club from the age of 14 and had been one of Albion's mascots, Albi, for 10 years.
His friend and long-time colleague Dave Challoner continues in his role as mascot Baggie Bird.
He took to Twitter to say that Richard would have loved all the fun but said the day had been tinged with sadness.
Dave said: "Please note the boiler is not WBA mascot.
"WBA only have one mascot now the day Eadesy passed away. Albi, the mascot he played, was retired and given to his family.
"Boiler man is the mascot of Ideal Boilers.
"Today was so difficult for me. The first game of the season without Eadesy but I know Eadesy would have been loving the boiler mon today and would have been pinging balls off it left, right and centre.
"I just wish it was me, Eadesy and boiler mon. What a team that would be."
He later revealed online to former West Bromwich Albion kitman Pat Frost, who was England's kitman for the World Cup in Russia, that the man who was the boiler mascot played for the supporters' own football team.
Pat said the mascot was turning into a 'cult hero'.
Ideal Boilers said online that the mascot had originally been called Vinny the Vogue after its range of boilers.
But he had quickly been known as the Boiler Man or Baggie Boiler.
