David Wagner praised supporters in a record stadium opening-day crowd and described the team’s backing as “unbelievable”.
The boss was delighted with a 2-1 win against Brentford and even more pleased because 18,479 turned up to watch his team.
Wagner gave starting debuts to six new players, watched Elias Kachunga and Kasey Palmer score the vital goals and then led post-match celebrations himself.
“To have so many people here is great, a real story, and their support was unbelievable,” said Wagner.
Watch Town celebrate their win:
“It makes us very proud and gives us confidence to feel and see and hear this positive atmosphere.
“We are not just reading it in the newspaper or hearing it on the radio, we have it in our dressing room and the training ground and now we have it at our home stadium.
“Even before the start the atmosphere was outstanding and I could feel it myself, that this is maybe the beginning of a story.
“So we thank every single supporter because they helped us massively.”
It was Town’s biggest home opening-day crowd since 1970, when the club were in the old First Division (now the Premier League) and had just won promotion as champions.
The previous best opening-day attendance at the John Smith’s Stadium was for the visit of Stockport County in 2008, when 15,578 were in the stands to see a match which launched the club's Centenary season.
