A lifelong West Ham United fan got the surprise of his life in China when he was presented with a shirt by midfielder Mark Noble to celebrate his 70th birthday.
John Grainger had only just got over the shock of being brought out to Beijing to see his beloved team play. His family had organised the trip as a surprise treat for his milestone birthday.
After then learning he could watch the team in training on Tuesday evening, John was left speechless when straight after finishing a strong session, Noble walked over to meet John and presented him with a shirt on behalf of the team. Manager Gianfranco Zola also spoke with John to pass on his congratulations and thank him for his continuing support.
John, who lives in the West Midlands and makes the long journey south to watch the team play as often as possible, was delighted. "I was completely shocked, but what a fantastic surprise," he said. "To receive the shirt from Mark was magnificent.
"I am a huge supporter of his. He is one of our best players and one that has come through our academy. Then to meet Gianfranco was an honour. I shall certainly never forget my 70th birthday."
West Ham were alerted to John coming over by the Premier League, who had been contacted by his family. The club then swung into action and made sure a new away shirt was brought along, together with his name and the No70, on the back.
Noble said: "It was a really nice to meet John and give him the shirt on behalf of the team. He was delighted and we were more than happy to make his day. He and his family, like many other fans, have travelled a really long way to see us and it was nice to be able to do something like this, as we really do appreciate the tremendous support we get wherever we play."
Zola echoed his midfielder's thoughts. "It was nice to meet John and wish him a happy birthday," he said. "I know there are many supporters like him who have travelled over here and I thank them for backing us. It is certainly a long way to come."
