[Lord Snooty]

January 25th:

Good times and bad times today. Let's start with the good and say Happy Birthday to our Welsh Wizard of the Wing, Sorba Thomas. Born on this date in 1999, in Newham (what part of Wales is that?  ) he's 23 today.

On this date in 1964, we beat Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in the FA Cup 4th round. This was the last time we won an away FA Cup match at a top flight club, before we went and beat Burnley at Turf Moor earlier this month.

Town took the lead through Kevin McHale, against the run of play after quarter of an hour. Bobby Tambling equalised for the Blues shortly after and it was level at the break. Chelsea pushed for the winner, but Town keeper Ray Wood made a couple of brilliant saves from Terry Venables. It got worse for Town when John Coddington strained his knee ligaments and with no substitutes being allowed at this time (they were introduced to the game in 1965), he had to go and play out on the wing and hope for the best.

With time running out and a replay looking on the cards, it was another goal against the run of play that won it for the Huddersfield lads when ex Newcastle star, Len White popped up with the winner.

And then we went and lost 3-0 at Turf Moor in the next round. 

Going back a bit further, we beat Sheffield United in 1930, in the FA Cup 4th round, on the way to reaching the Cup Final later in the year. This match was played at Leeds Road and we won it 2-1 with two goals from the Wembley Wizard, Alex Jackson, who had scored a hat trick in the previous round against Bury.

Talking of miraculous late winners. Who went to York on this date in 2004 for that late late David Mirfin show?

We were in the basement division once more, just out of administration and with Peter Jackson back in charge. The Minster Men had been the early pacesetters in the league, but had dropped off badly in the second half of the season. They actually ended up getting relegated and our win in this game didn't help their cause at all.

We were pushing for a promotion spot after a poor start to the season, but this game was playing out as a goal less draw when Jacko sent on centre back Mirfin as a sub.

We're wanting to win the game and Jacko sends on a centre back. Is he mad?

Far from it. Big Mirf went up front and immediately set up the winner for Danny Schofield in the 89th minute. What's more, a minute later, he went on a run down the wing, cutting inside, beating several men along the way and slotted the ball home for a 2-0 win.

Absolute scenes, as they say nowadays.

But now, the bad news. 

In the early hours of January the 25th 2020, Jordan Sinnott was murdered. He had been attacked in the street in Retford and died in the Northern General Hospital in Sheffield at 19:00 the same day.

Two men were arrested and later jailed for the attack.

Following his death, his former Town team mates, Danny Ward, Duane Holmes, Alex Smithies, Matt Crooks and Jordan's brother Tom, sent an appeal to football clubs across the country to send in shirts with "Sinnott 25" on the back for his funeral. 800 different football shirts were donated from around the world, these were displayed at his funeral at Bradford City's stadium. After the funeral, the football shirts were donated to Sport Relief.

Ward, Smithies and Crooks still wear number 25 on their backs as a tribute.

In his career, Jordan played just 5 times for Town, making his debut in the FA Cup draw at home to Leicester, which we won the replay of. After us, he played for Altrincham, Bury, FC Halifax Town, Chesterfield, Alfreton Town and had just signed on at Matlock Town when the tragedy struck.

His dad, Lee Sinnott, skippered Town in the Play Off win at Wembley against Bristol Rovers in 1995.