City diary: Deep Wells of love for the Minstermen

That is perhaps fitting during a campaign in which City boss Russ Wilcox has regularly applauded the patience of the club’s supporters and the loyalty of the Haxby-based Wells family is beyond question.

Last weekend’s home match with Newport represented the 600th consecutive competitive fixture that dad Dave has attended – a sequence stretching back to an away match against Torquay in December 2003 and including every game during the eight-season Conference era.

Mum Jackie and daughters Laura and Emma, who are 20 and 17 respectively, have joined Dave at most of those games with the parents having first met amid the romantic surroundings of a City clash at Port Vale.

The family will have clambered out of their beds at 5.30am this morning to catch the 7am train from York for today’s season-ending dead rubber at Portsmouth.

They won’t get home until past midnight and match tickets alone, prior to any food and refreshment expenses, have cost £70.

In total, they spend hundreds of pounds a month following the Minstermen during a typical season and they have also sponsored players in the past.

The Wells’ support was recognised when they were named the joint-winners of City’s first Fan of the Year award and presented with a trophy and iPad Air, donated by Helmsley Computers, at City’s 2-1 home win over Morecambe.

A Russell Penn thunderbolt guaranteed the Minstermen’s Football League status that night and Jackie admitted the result made it an even more memorable night for her family.

She said: “We were nominated for the award and I don’t know who by, so it came as a really nice surprise to be recognised for our support.

Russell Penn’s brilliant goal and staying up after going a goal behind then capped a great night.

“The iPad has been claimed by Emma and she takes it with us to away games. She has downloaded some movies to watch for today’s long trip to Portsmouth.”

Dave’s 11-and-a-half year stint without missing a City game has interrupted a family holiday in the past and also leads to careful planning at work when the fixture list is released every June.

On the measures her other half has taken to keep his run going, Jackie revealed: “We once all went to Center Parcs in Cumbria and Dave travelled back to York for a game before rejoining us.

“It was a Burton home game that had been called off and then switched to a new date that clashed with our holiday. He also books his leave at work as soon as the fix - tures come out to make sure he can get to every game and, even though we’ve all missed games through ill - ness, he just seems to keep going.”

Dave started going to City matches in 1974, with Jackie becoming a regular from the late 1970s.

Having witnessed five decades of highs and lows, Jackie knows all about the peaks and troughs involved with following the Minstermen.

“The two games against Manchester United stand out for me in the 1990s before the girls started going and all the victories over Luton at their place and Wembley were very enjoyable,” she recalled.

“I think losing 4-0 to Canvey Island away on a Tuesday was probably the lowest point. It was only me and Dave for that one – the girls didn’t come, but they are just as big fans as me and Dave now.

“They enjoy the travelling as much as anything. We go by train as often as we can, especially the long-distance games and, at other times, we get a bus together.”

At home games, Dave watches from the David Longhurst end while the rest of the family sit in the Popular Stand and all four hold different perspectives on the game.

“John McCombe is Emma’s favoutrite player, Wes Fletcher is Laura’s and mine would be Keith Lowe,” Jackie explained. “I’m not sure who Dave prefers but I think his all-time hero would probably be Keith Walwyn.”

Helmsley Computers also gave away an iPad Air to Customer Service Award winner Simon Davies, who takes photographs for the club programme and website at home and away matches as an unpaid volunteer.

Programme seller and transfer box operator David Quinn, meanwhile, was recognised with City’s 2015 Club Hero accolade, as part of the tenth annual Football League Awards.

Commenting on Quinn’s contribution at Bootham Crescent, general manager John McGhee said: “York City is very much a community football club and is built on the invaluable work of numerous volunteers, without whom we couldn’t exist.

“It would have been nice to nominate all of our unpaid staff but David stood out on this occasion for his long service to the club and unstinting work over the years.”

KEITH LOWE has jumped one point ahead of Russell Penn in the bid to regain his The Press Player of the Year crown.

The City defender was our man of the match during last weekend’s 2-0 home defeat to Newport to collect three points towards the standings.

Michael Ingham (two) and Shaq Coulthirst (one) were also rewarded with points as our second and third-highest rated players respectively.

Skipper Penn, meanwhile, has secured The Press Player of the Month award for April.

He was the winner of our online man-of-the-match poll against Newport to collect the two bonus points on offer towards that contest.

The Press Player of the Year standings: Lowe 30 points, Penn 29, Coulson 24, Summerfield 22, Zubar 20, Hyde 18, Ilesanmi 18, McCombe 17, McCoy 16, Ingham 14, Olejnik 14, Fletcher 11, De Girolamo 9, Carson 8, Halliday 7, Montrose 7, Straker 7, Coulthirst 5, Winfield 5, Cisak 3, Jarvis 3, Platt 3, Benning 2, Sinclair 2.

The Press Player of the Month for April standings: Penn 13, Ingham 8, Summerfield 7, Winfield 6, Lowe 6, McCombe 3, Zubar 3, Coulthirst 1, Hyde 1.

Goals: Hyde 10, Fletcher 7, Lowe 6, Coulson 4, De Girolamo 4, Summerfield 4, Carson 2, Coulthirst 2, Penn 2, Sinclair 2, Winfield 2, Zubar 2.

Assists: Coulson 11, Carson 5, Summerfield 5, Hyde 4, Penn 4, McCoy 3, Meikle 3, De Girolamo 2, Fletcher 2, McCombe 2, Hal - liday 1, Lowe 1, Montrose 1, O’Hanlon 1, Platt 1, Straker 1.

Bad boys: Penn one red, six yellow; Halliday one red, five yellow; McCoy five yellow; Carson, McCombe both four yellow; Hyde one red, two yellow; Coulson, three yellow; Winfield, Zubar both one red, one yellow; Benning, Fletcher, Ilesanmi, Montrose, Summerfield all two yellow; Jarvis one red; Lowe, Olejnik, Platt, Straker all one yellow.