Jordan Sinnott: Top clubs pay tribute to Matlock footballer
- Published
"There's not enough words to describe him. Really. He's the best person I ever knew."
Tom Sinnott is planning his younger brother's funeral.
The last thing he expected was just about every professional team in England sending him a shirt with Jordan's name on the back of it.
But, as he's told Radio 1 Newsbeat, it's part of a tribute to the 25-year-old footballer.
Jordan - a non-league player for Matlock Town - died on Saturday after being attacked during a night out. Three 21-year-old men are being held by police on suspicion of murder.
His family started arranging to have a top from each of the teams he'd played for hanging up at the funeral.
"The idea kind of snowballed," says Tom. "We thought, why don't we see if there's any more clubs that might want to donate a shirt with 'Sinnott 25' on the back?
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"His girlfriend Kelly had a brilliant idea to start a What's App group with all his football mates in it. They all love Jordan and said, 'no worries, we're on it'.
"Within an hour or two, the lads had got back and said we've pretty much secured all the sides in the Premier League, Championship, League One and League Two. Scottish teams and non-league sides as well."
After the funeral, the family want to donate the shirts to Sport Relief.
"It'll give us peace and happiness to know children will have a footy kit to play football in and his name will be on the back.
Tom says the support's been "overwhelming" and it "means the world knowing that Jordan's still bringing joy to people."
Receiving the call
Jordan was found at around 2am on Saturday in Retford in Nottinghamshire with a fractured skull. Tom says he first knew something was wrong at 4am.
"My fiancée Gem received the phone call. She passed the phone over. And I was straight up and out the door.
"My mum and his cousin picked us up with my step dad and we just we drove down there as quick as we could - well, legally."
Jordan died in hospital that evening.
His club postponed their game on Saturday afternoon, and their match on Tuesday's been put off as well.
'He was someone special'
Jordan Sinnott signed for Matlock Town in the summer
"You expect brothers to fight all the time. But we never had a fight. We never raised voices. I don't think I've ever heard him shout to be honest. Unless it was on the football pitch.
"We've been close since the beginning, really. We always rung each other, when he was on the way home from training and I was on the way home from work, just to hear each other's voice.
"His close friends, I don't need to tell them how much he loved them. And Kelly as well. It's hit us all hard really. He loved her so much."
Jordan had also played professionally for Huddersfield, Bury and Chesterfield - and Tom says he was obviously talented as a kid.
"He used to come play with me and my mates and put us all to shame. He would far surpass any of us - even with the age gap.
"I always knew he was going to go on to be someone great - even if it wasn't football. He was someone special."
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