Mum of homegrown Wolves starlet Nathan Fraser beams with pride - but she'll watch derby from afar
By day she looks after the IT systems at busy New Cross Hospital – but tomorrow Wolves striker Nathan Fraser’s mum will be glued to a different screen.
Tracy Kenny, head of technical services at The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust, is looking forward to Sunday’s Black Country derby when Wolves go to arch-rivals West Bromwich Albion in the eagerly-awaited FA Cup fourth round clash.
But she and partner Brian Fraser won’t be at The Hawthorns - because as foster parents of another boy, they will taking him to play in his own football match. “We’ll be watching it on TV when we get back,” said the mum of two.
Tracy is hoping homegrown Nathan, 18, can repeat his heroics of the third round replay against Brentford.
The Tettenhall teenager came off the bench to equalise for 2-2 before Matheus Cunha scored the winner from the penalty spot to set up the first Black Country derby in front of fans for nearly 12 years.
“Being there at the Brentford game, and seeing the fans’ passion, then seeing the media reaction to it, then the banter since at work made you realise how much this game means to people,” said Tracy, who grew up in Liverpool in a Reds-supporting family.
“The whole office has Wolves and Albion supporters, so the game has certainly been a talking point before every meeting.
“Our IT service desk manager Craig Winchurch is an Albion season ticket holder and his wife supports Wolves, so there’s been plenty of banter.
Tracy and Brian live with Nathan and their older son Lewis, 21 in Tettenhall. Brian is actually from West Bromwich and attended school opposite The Hawthorns but is an Aston Villa fan.
“Nathan is a Wolves fan – he’s Wolverhampton born and bred, he was born at New Cross Hospital, he’s been at the club since he was seven,” added Tracy.
This week, Thomas Telford School dedicated an assembly to their star former student, who attended with his proud mum.
“The pupils asked him questions and they used him as a role model,” said Tracy. “We never thought he would be a footballer but Nathan’s always had great desire – it was off the Richter scale.
“He wants to make his Premier League debut and wants to have an opportunity to cement a place at Wolves, but he’s been brought up in a foster household so he is very grounded and knows he has a long way to go.
“He’s looking forward to it but he hasn’t mentioned the game much,” said Tracy. “He lives at home – we’re here for him.
“I think he’s just relieved to be fit because he was injured before Christmas and he’d be happy to make an impact and change the game by scoring again – and hopefully it will be 2-1 to Wolves!”
