STEADYING INFLUENCE
Jon: My Wembley trbute to pal Jordan
Jon Stead is determined late pal Jordan Sinnott will play a part in the final
Harrogate Notts County Today, 3pm 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 i s not short of motivation.
Two cardboard cut-outs of former Huddersfield team-mate Sinnott, who died in January after being attacked in Retford aged 25, 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.
Harrogate, the North Yorkshire outfit from the spa town more famous for its tea rooms than footballing glory, have never played at Wembley or reached the Football League.
Huddersfield- born Stead, who began his career at the Terriers before top-flight spells with Blackburn, Sunderland and Derby, will make 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.
“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.
Watching
“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.
He explained: “The likes of Sin, Matt Crooks and Duane Holmes were all young professionals coming through.
“I spent a lot of time with them and Danny Ward and Alex Smithies as well. There was a group of us who hit it off and we really stuck together after we all left Huddersfield.
“What happened to Jordan was a shock to everybody, so getting promotion would be a fitting tribute and bring smiles to a lot of people’s faces.
“The fact it’s against Notts County, where I played more than any other club, just makes it a little bit more special.”
Sixteen years ago, Stead scored the winner for Blackburn in a Premier League victory over Manchester United. He was also on target when Bradford dumped Chelsea out of the FA Cup in one of the competition’s greatest shocks in January 2015.
The Yorkshireman, who has seven goals in 29 appearances this season, added: “I’d have loved to have been a regular Premier League player and gone on to play internationally and hit the heights that every footballer wants to hit.
“I’m still playing at 37 and helping Harrogate Town into the Football League would be right up there with anything.”