After the tragic death of former FC Halifax Town midfielder Jordan Sinnott at the weekend, Tom Scargill talks to some of the people who were part of the promotion-winning 2016-17 season with Sinnott at The Shay. ’A great player, but an even better lad’
“HIS SMILE would light any room up, and he was loved by everybody.”
Former FC Halifax Town team-mates have paid heartfelt tributes to Jordan Sinnott after his tragic death on Saturday at the age of 25.
Sinnott scored 10 goals in 44 appearances during his single season, 2016-17, at The Shay, but was a crucial part of the team as they earned promotion from the National League North under Billy Heath.
The midfielder, affectionately known as Sinbad, was an unequivocal success at The Shay, exuding skill and assurance, displaying an eye for a pass and an eye for goal.
“The first time I saw him play was for Altrincham against North Ferriby, and he was so comfortable on the ball,” recalls Halifax’s assistant manager that season, Mark Carroll.
“He just looked as if he had all the time in the world. Only good players make the game look easy and Sinbad could do that.
“I remember when we played
Altruincham at home, he came on when we were 2-1 down, Tuesday night game. He gets the ball and Bill’s going ‘put it in the box’ and he goes and beats two or three men and puts it in the top corner. Absolutely superb.”
“That season we wouldn’t have gone up without him,” says former Town defender Kevin Roberts.
“Wehada lot of doggedtype players around him, but he was the one with proper quality.”
Sinnott’s finest hour in a Town shirt was a man-of-the-match performance in that season’s climax against Chorley at The Shay; a beacon of composure in the maelstrom of a play-off final.
”He was involved in the two key moments in making both goals,” recalls former teammate and current Town captain Matty Brown.
“We were dead on our feet towards the end, we had Peni (Richard Peniket) injured for the last few minutes.
“But he had that quality about him, he could turn a game and he had that swagger about him.” “He’s one of the best technical players I’ve ever played with and he was absolutely brilliant that season,” says former Halifax striker Richard Peniket. “In the final against Chorley he almost carried us on his own.
“When we needed a bit of quality or a calm head, he was always there for us.” ”The last 10 games of the season, he got us over the line,” says Carroll.
“When you look at that ball in for the winning goal (against Chorley), he’s literally facing the touchline, and how he’s whipped that ball in to Garns (Scott Garner) head, it’s just unbelievable.
“It was a big game but it didn’t faze him. you looked at him before the game and he was as calm as anybody”
”I think he was one of our best players in that promotion season,” says former Town striker Tom Denton.
“He was the playmaker in our team and he made things happen.
“He set up Kev Roberts for the first and put that cross in on the bounce (for the winner) and you could just see his face down the camera. He was just loving it.”
”He was a big player for us that year,” says former Halifax midfielder Liam King.
“He’s one of the best technical players I’ve ever played with.
“He was such a nice lad, so laid back. He was a big part of the team spirit. A very easygoing guy. It was a brilliant season with a great group of lads. We will never forget it.”
”I didn’t really meet Sinbad until quite late on that season because I was away getting rehab on my injury,” says Brown. “But ever since I met him, we used to just hammer each other with banter.
“We formed a really good friendship. I’ve had him stay at my house countless times, I’ve been on nights out with him. He will be greatly missed.”
“Everybody loved him,” says Carroll. “He took his football seriously but he could also sing.
“All the new lads had to do a song and he sat at the back of the coach with his guitar and sang ‘Valerie’.
“All the lads were like ‘wow, he’s not only a good looking boy, he can play guitar and he can sing as well, the boy’s the full package!’”
”He was just a really, really nice lad,” says Peniket. “I can’t remember anyone ever having a bad word to say about him.
“He was a good friend. We were always the last ones to go home, that’s the type of lad he was. Full of life, loved life, happy. He had more friends than anyone I’ve ever known.”
”He was a special player,” says Carroll. “He’s one of the most talented players I’ve ever had the privilege to work with.
“Some of the things he could do with a football, we used to look on with envy in training.
“Most of all, he was just a top, top bloke.”
“He was a great player but an even better lad,” says Roberts.
“When a tragedy happens, people say ‘he was a great lad’ but he genuinely was one of the best lads you’ll meet.”
”He was more of a friend than a team-mate,” adds Denton. “He was a great guy, proper down-to-earth, always had a smile on his face.
“He even played with a smile on his face. He was always up for a laugh, just a joy to be around.”