Stead will do it for pal Jordan

JON STEAD will be inspired by the presence of his beloved late pal Jordan Sinnott as he bids to fire Harrogate Town into the Football League at Wembley today.

Much-travelled striker Stead, 37, will line up for Simon Weaver’s Sulphurites against Notts County, where he spent the past four seasons, and will look to the crowd for motivation.

Two cardboard cut-outs of his former Huddersfield team-mate Sinnott, who died in January, aged 25, after being attacked in Retford, will again be proudly on display in the stands, as they were during last weekend’s home play-off semi-final win over Boreham Wood.

Huddersfield-born Stead, who began his career at the Terriers before top-flight spells with Blackburn, Sunderland and Derby, will be making the first Wembley appearance of his long career.

He said: “I spoke to the people at our club and said I’d like a couple of cardboard cut-outs of Jordan, one with ‘Sinnott 25’ and one of his face, which was a photo from a wedding we were at last summer.

“So we got that printed up and they were in the stand last

Saturday and will be going on the coach with us this weekend.

“Even if I have to put them on a seat myself, I will do it, so it’s nice to know Jordan is definitely going to be there watching at Wembley.”

Stead struck up a close bond with Sinnott during his second spell at Huddersfield and took him under his wing.

Stead said: “What happened to Jordan was a shock to everybody, so getting promotion would be a fitting tribute.”