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A Stockport County fan, sitting in the same seat at the Edgeley Park stadium for the over 50 years, received a very special visit from the club’s President Steve Bellis.
A fan since 1958, 80-year-old Stephen Foster, who is receiving end of life care at St Ann’s Hospice in Heald Green, was unable to get to the game last Sunday that saw the National League side take the Championship and win promotion to the EFL for the first time in 11 years. Although Stephen watched from his bed, he said it was not the same as being there and admitted “I would have gone on the ground. I’d have been there cheering.”
Hearing about Stephen’s disappointment in not being at the ground on social media, club President Steve Bellis took the cup to Stephen, the first person outside of the club to handle the winning trophy.
Stephen was thrilled to hold the cup and said, “I’m dead proud of that” before adding “by heck it was heavy.”
This kind of gesture epitomises the club’s true, community spirit. As Steve Bellis explained:
“Stephen melts my heart. He’s everything that the football club is about. And this is what we should be doing.
“For me, there are too many clubs where trophies end up in some Board Room or in a display cabinet. But it’s not for that. It’s for the fans and we believe the trophy should be out there. So to be able to bring it to Stephen and let him have the first touch outside the club was an honour, to be honest.
“The smile on his face! I think it melted everyone’s hearts yesterday.”
To top it all it was Stephen’s 80th birthday; he said it was – “a wonderful experience, I was very very surprised. The day will stay with me in my living memories.”
Images: screen grabs taken from BBC News