Poppy pride as Slaven Bilic wears West Brom fan's flower
An elderly Albion fan who has been in isolation for nine months due to coronavirus has been left overjoyed after Slaven Bilic wore a poppy she crocheted.
Joan Taylor, from Cradley Heath, has been shielding since March while waiting for a hip operation.
Before she could have that procedure, though, the 78-year-old needed to undergo surgery to strengthen her lower spine.
That operation was delayed multiple times due to Covid-19.
More Covid-19 coverage:
So to keep herself busy, Mrs Taylor crocheted 160 poppies – some of which were donated to the club – for Remembrance Day. And she was then left overjoyed when she spotted Bilic wearing one during Albion’s game at Fulham on Monday.
“My wife is an excellent sewer but because of her back pain she couldn’t get on the machine so she decided to crocheted some poppies,” Joan’s husband Harry said.
“A friend or ours – Mark Whitehouse – donated some to the Royal British Legion and some to the club.
“Joan has been in quite a bit of pain since the operation. But we put the football on and there was the manager wearing one of her poppies. We couldn’t believe it.
“Within a few minutes our daughter rang. Then my son rang saying how amazing it was. It was fantastic. After that we couldn’t watch the football – we just kept trying to spot Slaven.”
