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Islanders head to Wembley to cheer on Wells

Photo by Akil SimmonsIn support of Nahki: Some of the fans who left last night to support Nahki Wells at Wembley on Sunday. At left is MP Michael Weeks, former Wells coach Scott Morton is in the back row, second right. In the front are Jack Fraser and Lionel Young who will also be at the game.

Their numbers will pale in comparison to the more than 80,000 fans inside Wembley Stadium, but the Bermudians travelling to the Capital One League Cup final will be shouting loud and strong in support of one of their own.A group left the Island last night, including fans of Wells’ former club Dandy Town, and more people are flying out tonight. Add to that those living in London who have purchased tickets, the number of Bermudians inside the famous stadium could number a few dozen.“I’ve been to a few games (in England) before but this one is going to top it all for me, with one of your own on the field it will be completely different from going to a match and supporting one of your teams,” said Scott Morton, a former Dandy Town coach who coached Wells at youth level. He knew then he was coaching a special talent.“With Nahki I had my finger on the pulse with him when he was younger, so that will bring out feelings I have never felt before at an English game. I had him in the Under -18s at Dandy Town for two years. When he was 12-years-old we took him and a group of players to Ajax (Holland) and he was outstanding then and Ajax wanted to take a further look at him then.”Morton says it will be a memorable trip regardless of the outcome. “For me it will be capped off by just seeing him on the pitch, everything else is a bonus,” said Morton.Michael Weeks, vice president of Western Stars, also boarded the British Airways plane last night along with a group of Dandy Town fans. “As soon as we realised he was in the final, there was a buzz around the club as to how many of us were going to go up and support him,” said the MP.“As far as I know it’s in the area of 40 of us associated with the club going to support Nahki, who was one of those special players and from the time he was a junior at Dandy Town, you could see he was different from the rest. I’ve been a fan of his from when he was a youngster.Weeks, who hasn’t attended a game in England before, is not sure what to expect, but is looking forward to the occasion.“Not to a football game but I’ve been to England on a few occasions,” he stated. “I’m looking forward to the euphoria and 40 strong in 80,000 is not going to be much but in our little group we’re going to make some noise, as much noise as we can for Bradford.”Close friends Lionel Young and Jack Fraser who lived and trained in England in the 1950s as apprentice tradesmen from the Dockyard, jumped at the chance to watch a Bermudian play at Wembley.“I lived in England for quite a while but this is the first time going to Wembley, I used to go every Saturday to regular league games, my friend Fraser and I,” said Young. “I’m looking forward to seeing Nahki at Wembley. I’m looking for him to score but if he doesn’t score I hope he has a good game because there are a lot of people looking at him and he’s got a bright future ahead of him.”Said Fraser: “I’ve been watching this young man as he was coming along playing for Bradford but I didn’t know of him when he was playing for his local team, but I just kept watching him and he kept scoring goals and I said to my friend ‘if this young man goes to Wembley, we’ve never been to the new Wembley, we should go up and see him and give him some support’. We’re looking forward to that. I had a good friend in England who had a way of getting the tickets for me.“My team then was Portsmouth because that’s where we stayed. Now I’m Manchester City because of Shaun (Goater).”Wells’ mother Elizabeth Simmons was excited as she boarded the flight last night with her two sons, Aaron and Rico. “I’m stressed out and haven’t had much sleep,” she stated. “I get butterflies when Nahki plays period, but this whole week has been butterflies every day.“To be honest I’ll be glad when it’s all over, whether they win or lose they are champions in our eyes, to have made it this far. They’ve taken on Premier League teams and beaten them so hopefully they can continue. I spoke to him a few times today, he hasn’t given me any indication that he’s nervous.“He’s been online reading the newspaper every day, the support that he has and the wellwishes that people have been putting in the paper is overwhelming. Plus there is excitement with the people who are travelling up. We have our Bermuda flag and we’re ready and raring to go.”