In the second of two parts, the first of which you can read here, we chatted to Ollie, Simon and Joe.

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Ollie

How do you think West have done in pre-season?
Pre season was great. The squad is in very good shape and the new signings are class. Rhain Hellawell and Lewis Billingsley in particular seem to be hugely exciting prospects and both have already shown moments of brilliance. At the other end of the pitch, I really rate Markell Foulds and Ben Hampson; the spine of the team has looked very solid. The club have done excellently to keep the team together and to add quality in the right areas. Good times are coming.

Any standout moments over the summer? 
Despite it being scored against a group of worn out teenagers, Rhain Hellawell's goal against Rochdale EDS was possibly the best thing I've ever seen in my life. I also had a lovely burger at Conwy.

What have been your favourite moments since you started following West?
Everything Kyle Perry did against Horden Community Welfare last season during his one and only Brookburn Road appearance. That, or the night we won promotion at Barnton. Both fantastic memories that I often think about.

What are your hopes for West this season?
Promotion and lifting the Vase at Wembley! Last season fizzled out towards the end but we have a great squad that now has depth and quality in every position. There's no reason at all that we can't go further in both competitions. Bury are unfortunately miles ahead of everyone else in terms of resources but we should be able to match any other team at this level.

Which player(s) are you expecting big things from?
A player who hasn't been mentioned too much in pre-season is Zeke Eme. With a number of quality wide players coming in, I hope to see Zeke excel through the middle behind Benji. He finished the season strongly and has so much ability. We have so many good attacking options to fit in but I'd back Zeke to play a big role if given the chance.

Which game are you most looking forward to and why?
Away games in Glossop, Kendal and Ramsbottom might not be described as 'glamorous' too often but they were the fixtures I was looking forward to - it's a shame we've been given them all on Tuesday nights. I'll actually say Wythenshawe Town. We have them early on and it'd be nice to get a result against one of the more local teams in the division. (Ed. Nostradamus can breathe easily).

Sum up in 3 words what it means to support West...
Pride, passion, Pilsners.

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Simon

How do you think West have done in pre-season?
My main takeaway is that it's amazing we've both held onto the core squad from last season, but also have brought a lot of talent to the table to strengthen. That's really about the best you can hope do at this level. I think Zeke Eme and Darren McKnight were my standout players, and I've enjoyed seeing them hitting the ground running. I'd have liked to have seen us batter Maine Road at home, but we can't be greedy!

Any standout moments over the summer? 
I missed the away games so I didn't catch the batterings of Nomads and Conwy. We went down 1-0 to Rylands but I thought we responded pretty well. One of the trialists got through their the defence with tricky feet to go one-on-one with the keeper. I think that might have been Lewis Billingsley. He struck it straight at the keeper but he really looks like the sort of player who will slot in very well. I'm excited to see more of him. Beating 1874 Northwich was definitely very welcome, too!

What have been your favourite moments since you started following West?
The FA Vase match against Bury in 2020 has to be up there. I hadn't seen any competitive football since the Manchester derby March 2020 so it felt so special just to be at that game and the result was just a perfect cherry on top! That's the moment that confirmed to me non-league could replace the Premier League in my life.

A special mention to the Leyland semi-final and final in the Lancashire Challenge Trophy, the crowd for both those matches was special. I have to mention playing my hometown, Garstang, in the same competition. There were barely double-digits of West fans there but we sung our hearts out. To bump into old mates in places I've not been for years while following West was surreal. 

What are your hopes for West this season?
I'd love for us to challenge for the league but I know we're against it with the money in this division. I feel like Wembley is within this season, though. A couple of cup runs and let's upset the top order by occupying one of the play-off spots!

Oh and I hope Westy makes a speedy recovery and is back asap!

Which player(s) are you expecting big things from?
I feel like JJ Kirongozi will hit his stride this year. We've got some great forward-thinking players, especially adding Billingsley to the lineup. I think we're a team to really fear on the attack this year.

Which game are you most looking forward to and why?
Going to Wembley in the Vase final! I'll also enjoy Gigg Lane given I've got a bunch of Bury-supporting mates.

Sum up in 3 words what it means to support West...
That's a hard one! Community, family, adoration.

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Joe

How do you think West have done in pre-season?
West seem to have had a solid pre-season and , although I don’t usually read too much into results themselves, performances have been very good. We've been sharp in front of goal and haven’t conceded too many either. We’ve played a mixture of teams from various levels and applied ourselves well against everyone we’ve come up against.

Any standout moments over the summer? 
Conwy was a lovely day out! I’m glad the miserable weather we’ve had in July held off for that. 

What have been your favourite moments since you started following West?
Winning the league at Barnton. I was relatively new to following West at that point, so the idea that so many fans would go down to mid-Cheshire on a Wednesday night and create that sort of atmosphere was mind blowing! 

What are your hopes for West this season?
I’m not overly optimistic about our promotion prospects in the league, but I’m hoping for some memorable matches down at Brookburn with the opportunity to showcase how great this club is to more and more people. Another Vase run would be nice, I think we’ve all got the taste for that competition now! 

Which player(s) are you expecting big things from?
I’m expecting a big season from Zeke Eme this year. He’s looked sharp in pre-season and I think this will be his season to find that level of consistency we all know he’s capable of. I’m also excited to see how McKnight gets on this year, the Vase exit dented his confidence at the back end of last season, but he looks raring to go again from what I’ve seen of him over the last few games.

Which game are you most looking forward to and why?
The FA Vase final at Wembley! Wink wink!

Sum up in 3 words what it means to support West...
Community, inclusion, cans.

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Part One appeared in the Colne programme and Part Two will be available in the Vauxhall Motors programme.