THE WILLIAM HILL FAN OF THE YEAR – MARY JINKS
SUPER-FAN Mary Jinks has been sponsoring young Non-League players for years – and winning the William Hill Fan of the Year prize won't stop her!
She first came to The NLP's attention in February. England C were playing a friendly in Cyprus and pensioner Mary just had to be there, all for one player – Andy Halls!
Mary, 86, missed Halls make his debut in Turkey but was at FC Halifax Town to watch him win his second cap and there was no way she was going to miss his third Three Lions cap.
She packed her England shirt, complete with Halls' signature, and travelled out to Larnaca alone. Mary, a former head teacher, has sponsored the Macclesfield defender ever since he was a youngster breaking into the Stockport County first team.
He's not the only player she has sponsored over the years. Former Stockport midfielder Matty Mainwaring is another and she can often be found around the north-west at Macc, Stalybridge Celtic, Hyde, Altrincham and the Hatters watching the other players she supports.
She even sponsors AFC Croydon Athletic's Danny Penfold after a chance meeting with Rams chairman Paul Smith while she was in Ireland watching Stockport County on a pre-season tour.
“Winning the Fan of the Year award feels fantastic – I really enjoy going to watch all these matches and I'm so happy for the boys in the Conference,” she explained.
“I love the people involved in Non-League football. I love the friendliness and the fact that the players will speak to you and talk to you about their hopes. You can find out so much more about a person – they really, really are fabulous.
“I sponsored Andy Halls at Macclesfield, so when I found out he was going to Cyprus I thought, ‘That's not very far – it's only just across the Mediterranean' and decided to go.
“I went to the wrong stadium in Famagusta first of all but then I got taken to the right one – everyone was very welcoming and it was a good day.
“Andy came on in the second half, he got a yellow card almost straight away, as he does, and unfortunately they ended up losing 2-1.
“I'll certainly continue sponsoring players – I've got a really nice young man at Stalybridge Celtic, his name is Oliver Crowley and he is so, so sweet,” added Jinks. “I just want to encourage him to do his best.”
