A Norwich fan who was targeted by online trolls has raised over £40,000 for charity.
Nathan West was mocked online for his looks after giving an interview to The Pink Un ahead of Norwich’s game against Millwall on Sunday which had over 24million views.
However, he has since received a lot of support from the football community, with Norwich players Angus Gunn and Shane Duffy amongst those to have donated to West’s fundraiser.
West is running a half marathon in October for Macmillan Cancer Support in Kent.
He has smashed his initial target of £500 to reach more than £43,000, with over 4,000 people donating.
A Norwich fan who was targeted by online trolls has raised over £40,000 for charity
Nathan West has raised over £43,000 in fundraising for Macmillan Cancer Support
In addition, West has been contacted by Wembley Stadium and has been offered the chance to watch an England game.
Reflecting on the support he has received, West told BBC News: ‘It’s been quite overwhelming.
‘I’m amazed how quickly the positivity has come and I appreciate everyone’s donations.
‘It’s gone global – I’ve been reading messages from all over the world.’
‘[The charity] called me yesterday and thanked me for fundraising and they can’t believe how crazy it’s got.’
Justgiving’s general manager Pascale Harvie said: “The overwhelming support Nathan has received from the football community has left us truly amazed.
“The power of social media in situations like this is incredible.
Norwich striker Jonathan Rowe has said that he will send West a signed shirt.
West predicted that Rowe would score against Millwall and he did so in a 3-1 victory.
Rowe wrote on Twitter: ‘Big up yourself for doing this interview Westy! Takes a lot of courage to express your opinions infront of a camera. I’m happy you predicted me to score again (I look forward to more predictions from you) Your the man. I’m gonna sign a shirt & send it to you!’.
On his fundraising page, West wrote: ‘I am going to run my first half Marathon in Tonbridge Kent the Half marathon of two half’s going to be a challenge but I am training hard for it. Thanks for supporting my fundraising. Macmillan gives people with cancer everything they’ve got. If you’re diagnosed, your worries are Macmillan’s worries. Macmillan’s doing whatever it takes. But without your help, Macmillan can’t support everyone who needs them.
‘Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and secure. Your details are safe, JustGiving – they’ll never sell them or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity. So it’s the most efficient way to donate – saving time and cutting costs.’
Norwich striker Jonathan Rowe said he will send West a signed shirt after he predicted him to score