During her 20 year support for the Nelson Giants, one thing has remained constant for 96 year old Doris Cuthbert – a kiss from her favourite player, Phill Jones.
Doris has attended every home game for the Mike Pero Nelson Giants since the early 1990s, a time-frame that has matched Phill Jones’ remarkable 23 year career with the team.
She says, after every game she gets a kiss on the cheek from some of the players, including her favourite, Phill.
“The players go past me when they come on and go off and I never miss out getting a kiss from Phill,” says Doris. “It’s quite nice.”
This season management at the Giants have decided to gift Doris and her daughter, Kathy Cuthbert, season passes after years of buying them. But it isn’t the first time she’s been surprised by the team she loves, two years ago they made her a 95th birthday cake.
Doris says she started playing basketball when she was around ten but only started supporting the Giants after her daughter Colleen Carston took her along one night in the early 90s. After that she was “hooked”.
At the same time Doris was morphing into a Giants super-fan, a young Phill Jones was establishing himself as a star player. He says Doris has been a part of his life as a Giant.
“We’re lucky that, over the course of my career, we have had a loyal fan-base and there are hundreds who has been coming for years. But she is one who has been at every game,” he says. “I do recall big games that we had in Nelson and her sitting on the baseline and pointing the finger at the odd player, she’s pretty protective of our players.”
Doris is such a huge fan that she even attended games last year in a brace after she broke her neck.
“I remember a few years ago she said to me ‘oh, I probably won’t be at next year’s games’,” says Phill. “But she still comes. She’s a bit like me, saying I won’t play and then ending up on the court.”
When the Giants return to the newly-renovated Trafalgar Centre for the first home game of the season on April 2, Doris will be there. And you can bet she won’t be leaving until she gets a kiss from her hero Phill.
