Little more than a minute was on the clock before the 1,300 or so West Ham fans who had made the trip to the south coast broke into verse about their European success.
It might have been the start of a new season, but the supporters were still revelling in the glory of that famous June night in Prague when they won the Europa Conference League.
Sunday’s London derby against Chelsea is the first home game since the Hammers prevailed over Fiorentina to win their first major trophy in 43 years.