Adam Grinsell's West Brom US tour diary

Day one of my tour to California, following West Brom on their pre-season trip, is starting with an 11 hour flight with British Airways from Heathrow to San Francisco.

It's a daunting prospect even for a seasoned traveller. But I'm in a buoyant mood, even with eight hours of the journey remaining, on top of a three-hour delay.

That's because, sitting in the departure lounge enjoying a drink or three, I discovered that the Baggies have broken the bank and splashed out £10 million on a new striker.

What a way to launch their pre-season jolly to the States. And, by the way, hallelujah.

Even with the thriftiness that West Brom fans have come to know and abide, you had to think that it was only a matter of time before the club would be forced into making some kind of statement of intent with a big money signing.

We simply would not have been able to keep up with the financial pace of the Premier League had we not.

Perhaps the woes of last season were a blessing in disguise, forcing the hand (and chequebook) of those in charge.

Time and again it has felt like we have passed on players that have turned out to be proven goal-scorers, simply because another club has bid beyond our means.

Of course cash doesn't necessarily mean goals, but something had to change and this is a step in the right direction.

I sincerely hope that Brown Ibeye turns out to be a striker that warrants his price tag, in the way that many other, more modestly-priced additions to the squad have proven to be top-class, thanks to the excellent scouting network we've had in place.

His stats up until now certainly look good. It also has a different feel to those rushed, last-minute deals that broke our transfer record last year.

As I am mid-air I have no idea as yet whether I'm going to see him in Albion colours during this trip, but I certainly hope so.

I'm also hoping to see Joleon Lescott sporting the old blue-and-white pinstripe in public for the first time, along with some of the other new boys.

The Baggies are set to play two matches against Sacramento Republic, a third-tier outfit that until this year had not kicked a ball in a competitive match, having only been founded last year.

I will be at both matches, along with training each day, chatting to the players and coaches in an attempt to get an insight to the season ahead.

I'm also looking forward to meeting those die-hard fans that are prepared to splash their own cash to travel such distances to support the club they love - as well as those living over there, for whom this is a rare opportunity to see their heroes in the flesh.

Come day two, I was hoping that on this trip I would get a feel for the American take on the beautiful game, and it didn't take long to get a flavour.

On arriving at San Francisco airport I was confronted with passport control, and a very friendly officer.

"What are you going to be here reporting on?" he asked.

Not wanting to be a typical English tourist by refusing to at least try my hand at the foreign language, I replied: "Soccer.

"I'm here following West Bromwich Albion to see a couple of friendlies they are playing here."

"Oh," he replied. "Are they MLS?"

As fired up as they might have been for the World Cup, their interest in the game in general seems to be as indifferent as it ever was.

I don't profess to be an authority on the world game, but I can at least tell you the Newcastle Jets hail from Australia and Gremio from Brazil.

The next American I meet is a friend I have over here, who lives in nearby San Jose - he's married to an English woman, so you would think he might at least be a little more au fait.

But he is even more pessimistic about the American love for the sport.

"I think the interest was so high in the World Cup because there was nothing else happening at the time," he said. "The NFL season was over, and there was no basketball or hockey.

"And the US did overachieve."

But he added that now all American children want to be goalkeepers, after the heroics of Tim Howard in Brazil, and be the next person to make the most saves in a single match in World Cup history.

I'm not sure that says much for the country's international ambitions.

Today was my first full day in the States and I spent it taking a trip to the Baggies' team hotel, the swanky Hyatt Regency in the centre, I mean center, of Sacramento.

The team were on a period of free time and scattered around the lobby or on their way out, but while there I spotted that they have taken over a whole conference room - and turned it into a kit room. And, in a corridor of this swanky hotel, was a metal bin containing a few sweaty shirts.

We know what we are. I also visited the home of Graham Smith, current technical director of Sacramento Republic and former Albion keeper, who made 10 appearances in the 1972/73 season.

A thoroughly nice and genuine bloke, the first thing he did was offer me a can of Boddington's, making me feel right at home.

We then chewed the fat for the next hour and a half about everything football - the guy certainly knows his stuff, and seems to know someone connected with every club. He gave me a peek behind the curtain on everyone from Ron Atkinson to Martin O'Neill.

And he is also a massive fan of Alan Irvine, having known him since his time at Everton. He has certainly eased my concerns over the appointment.

I finished my Boddington's and said farewell, but I'll be looking forward to seeing him again tomorrow when his former club take on his current side. Come on you Baggies!