Many clubs have ‘celebrity fans’; they usually come out of the woodwork when silverware is pouring into a club faster than shoppers at the Next Sale when the doors open. How Big Wes came to see his first live game was the culmiantion of mistaken identity according to a BBC News report.
It all began four years ago in 2011. Ah 2011, the year of the Arab Spring, the year of the Tottenham riots, the year of the Occupy Wall Street protests. It was also the year that Nottingham Forest’s Wes Morgan, now of Premier League side Leicester City, made his 400th appearance for Nottingham Forest. Cue the case of mistaken identity.
It was Friday October 28, 2011 at 3.25 p.m. to be exact when Wesley Hall from Atlanta, GA heard a buzz from his phone as a Twitter notification buzzed in. He’d just gotten to his desk and had his peanut butter and honey sandwich when his phone buzzed that first time.
I think @bigwes needs to do a number on @mattyfryatt right from the off @ #nffc v #hcfc
— John B 💙 (@jbnffc1865) October 28, 2011
Around 20 minutes later another from the same Twitter user buzzed in on Wesley’s phone as the @bigwes handle was used again.
#MilestoneMorgan @bigwes makes his 400th senior appearance for #nffc v #hcfc not many achieve that nowadays #nffclegend
— John B 💙 (@jbnffc1865) October 28, 2011
Wesley Hall then did a bit of Internet research and did his homework on the #nffc hashtag, which revealed the error behind the initial Tweet and informed this Big Wes of the other Big Wes. Whilst Big Wes Morgan was waiting for his 400th appearance as a Red, Big Wes Hall was eating a sandwich and waiting for his spreadsheets to load. After protracted Twitter conversations back-and-forth, Big Wes Hall then asked @Manor_Farm_Tony how he could become an honourary fan. This caused Tony to Tweet the following, a love affair was born.
BREAKING NEWS: The is no longer only one big Wes….. @bigwes #nffc
— Someone Slot Putin already… (@NoSleepForTony) October 28, 2011
That love affair saw a Forest fans whip-round as a shirt was sent out to America and an XL shirt was dispatched and was greatfully received by the American Big Wes even if its XL size left Big Wes laughing at how “they underestimated the “Big” in Big Wes.” Then, this past weekend Wesley Hall and his wife flew over to Nottingham from their Atlanta home to take in the Nottingham Forest vs Hull City game. Whilst the result may not have gone exactly to plan, Hull winning 1-0, at least the American Big Wes got to take part in the half-time crossbar challenge competition. However, the result doesn’t matter – the experience is King here and one that every football fan, regardless of who they support or follow, can associate with; that first game.
I remember my first Leeds United game. That anticipation, the build up, the uncertainty, the throng of people around the ground, the walk up the stairs, that first sight of the pitch. Then you have the racing heart, the ragged breath and all that’s before the wall of building noise reaches crescendo level – the game hasn’t even started. Nothing matches that first time, no cup win, no hammering of local rivals…nothing. This is Wesley Hall’s reaction when he first saw the City Ground on his visit – as football fans, we can all catch a ride on this feeling.
I look at this pic of when I first saw CG and I literally start to tear up again. I have not yet come down. #ftid pic.twitter.com/4EZAMGw0By
— Wesley Hall (@bigwes) October 6, 2015
Wesley, who was accompanied by his wife Chere is now returning to Atlanta after his brief sojourn to the United Kingdom, a visit that took in the cities of London and Nottingham. The big man, with a big love for Forest is hoping to make it back one day but until then the memories of a glorious first visit to his adopted football club will stay ingrained in his psyche.
