When the football community rallies, it really rallies. Just ask Westy

Football can be a horrible unforgiving place at times. So too social media. Put the two together and it can bring out the worst in people.

Nathan ‘Westy’ West found this to this cost when after giving an excellent interview to the Pink Un’s Sam Seaman prior to the Millwall game, he found himself the victim of some nameless, moronic Internet trolls when the piece was posted online.

Luckily we’re only talking about a few idiots and it wasn’t long at all before the inherent good in the majority of folk prevailed. Among those reaching out to Nathan (he prefers to be called Westy as I’ve discovered) was Chris Reeve – of Talk Norwich City and BBC Radio Norfolk – who offered him a case of beer by way of support and as an act of kindness.

Westy was grateful but politely declined, and suggested that instead Chris may like to donate to his JustGiving page – set up to try and raise £500 in sponsorship for his running of the Tonbridge Half-Marathon. Chris took up the challenge of not only donating but also to try and give an online ‘push’ to the fundraiser.

The rest is history. In the space of a few days, the name Nathan West became as synonymous with Norwich City and Norfolk as Ashley Barnes, Josh Sargent, and Angus Gunn.

Luckily, the man of the moment found time in his hectic schedule to find time to talk to MyFootballWriter.   

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Gary: How’s life been over the last week and a bit? You’ve become an overnight superstar in Norfolk, and deservedly so, so I’m guessing you’ve had a fun week. What have been the highlights?

Westy: My life has been wonderful and amazing over the last week and if it continues for a little while longer that would be great! It was a bit overwhelming at first but I have tried to take it all in and have enjoyed every minute of it. The highlights of the week have to be all the radio interviews, from Radio 5 Live Breakfast, BBC Radio Kent Breakfast, Times Radio, and Greatest Hits Radio Norfolk.

My phone hasn’t stopped ringing and I’ve spoken with journalists from the Eastern Daily Press, The Times, and the Daily Mirror as well as ITV Anglia online and BBC Norfolk online.

I thank all of them for taking an interest in my story but my highlight has to be going to the BBC Radio Norfolk studios and being live on The Scrimmage on August 28. Thanks to Rob Butler and Chris Reeve for having me on the show – what an experience that was. I had so much fun and enjoyed it very much – it would be amazing if, maybe, I get one or two TV appearances to tell my story and help promote the Macmillan Cancer Support charity.   

Were you tempted to take up Chris’ kind offer of the case of beer? 😊 If you had, and hadn’t instead come up with this great idea of asking him to promote your JustGiving page, then none of this may have happened!

I did have a little think about taking the beers but I am not drinking much at the moment as I am training for the half marathon I am doing on October 1. I messaged Chris Reeve to say no thank you for the beers but ‘perhaps you could donate to my just giving page for Macmillan cancer support?’ The rest is history.

You are right – if I had taken the crate of beers none of this would have happened. I thank Chris enormously for sharing and promoting my JustGiving page and thank all the Norwich City fans who had my back and have supported me with kind words. In fact, the whole of the footballing community in the UK and abroad has come together to support me, even some of the people who wrote bad things about me have apologised and donated.

A special thank you to @HLTCO on Twitter for his kind words and to everyone who has donated. I appreciate it so much and thanks too for all the kind messages. If you have not donated, you can still do so until November 6, 2023.

What made you decide to run the Run Kent- Tonbridge Half Marathon, mate? Are you a regular runner and have you run half-marathons before? Or was it specifically to raise some money for Macmillan Cancer Support, which is a wonderful charity by the way.

I decided on the Kent Half Marathon as I wanted a challenge myself to levels I have not been challenged before. They say it is a half-marathon of two halves – the first flat and the second over some hills. I’ll be pushing myself up those hills! I did cross country at school for a year many moons ago, which was fun, but I wanted to get back into running and so used to go on some runs, but only between April and October. I then decided to take it more seriously and run all year, and have now done about five 10ks. From there  I wanted to go to the next level, which is a half-marathon. 

When I signed up I noticed an event page – where you pick a charity to fundraise for – and Macmillan was the one that stood out straight away as cancer has affected my family in the past and they are a brilliant help if you need the support. 

Have you been training hard for it? I hope all your celebrity appearances over the last week haven’t hindered your training regime too much? 😊

Yes, I have been training hard and am now in the eighth week of a 12-week training plan, so hopefully, I’m on course. And, yes, I have been training around my celebrity appearances, so it has not impacted it too much at all. 😊

As well as a live appearance on Monday night’s Scrimmage with Chris and Rob, a mention on Sky’s Soccer Saturday, and a future appearance as Matchday Community Hero at Carrow Road, I saw that Wembley Stadium has also been in touch inviting you to an England game. Have you decided which England game you’d like to see?

Yes, I cannot wait to be the Norwich City Community Hero, which is happening on October 21st when Leeds United visit Carrow Road. I am also very grateful to England Football and Wembley for contacting me and supporting me. We have picked our game, which is vs Italy in a Euro Qualifier on October 17th,  where I  am taking my brother and we having a tour of Wembley before the game. We’re looking forward to it.

This weekend, me and my brother are going to see Norwich Women play London Seaward FC at The Nest as guests of the Canaries Trust. We’re looking forward to that one a lot too.

Your initial target was £500, and at the last count, it was approaching £60k! I believe there are some very famous names on your list of donors, including a few City players.

Yes – City players Angus Gunn and Shane Duffy have kindly donated and Sky Sports’ Simon Thomas – who was on the phone during The Scrimmage – also donated. I also had recorded messages of support played on The Scrimmage from David Wagner and the wheelchair tennis star, Alfie Hewett who were both amazing. Hopefully, we will hit £60,000 soon. 

While you’re here, Westy, we can’t ignore City’s great start to the season. Are we going to keep this up?

Yes, it has been a great start to City’s season and, yes, I  do think we will keep it up. We are united as one at the moment – the fans, the team, and the management – and that gives us a great chance.

You were spot on with your prediction for the Millwall game, including Jonny Rowe getting another goal. He’s been brilliant, hasn’t he. Who else has impressed you so far?

Jack Stacey. He has done quite a bit running up and down the right wing and is a great crosser of the ball. At the back, Shane Duffy, at centre-back, has been putting the challenges in and we have brought in players who have toughed up the squad. Captain Kenny has also been really good and Dimitris Giannoulis has had a great start to the season. I also like the look of Christian Fassnacht from what I have seen of him. He has fitted straight into this Norwich team. 

On the subject of predictions… where are we going to finish?

I would like to think if this form continues we could finish in the top two but if not the top two then we are definitely good enough to make the playoffs.

In addition to City, you’re also, by the looks of it, a big part of Earsham Football Club. What sort of season are you expecting them to have?

Yes, me and my brother go watch them a lot at home and sometimes away. The Earsham First Team will hopefully be pushing for promotion in Division 2 of the Anglian Combination and the Reserves are looking to go up from Division 5 South of the Anglian Com.

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Thanks for your time, Westy. What a star. What you’ve done is amazing and is a perfect example of how, thanks to you and Chris, a bad situation can be turned into a very good one.

At the time of writing, the fundraiser is at £58,672 so it would be great if the good folks of MyFootballWriter could help edge it along further still. A nice round £60,000 would be brilliant.

Nathan’s JustGiving page can be found here:

https://www.justgiving.com/page/nathan-west-tonbridge-half-marathon-2023