Fiftieth Birthday Treat – Darren Stevens Player Shirt Package. Supporter Profile – Stuart Glover

Kent all-rounder Darren Stevens, who was the runaway winner of last seasons Player of the Year Award, has already started the new campaign with some stellar performances, including a match winning display against Somerset at Taunton in the first NatWest T20 Blast match of the season.

One person who could not be happier at seeing Stevo at the top of his game is Kent supporter Stuart Glover, who is Darren’s Shirt Package holder this season. Because of work commitments in London, Stuart is only able to watch seven or eight days cricket so for that reason he is not a Member but he has shown his commitment to following the County by spending £350 on his shirt deal.

He is looking forward to meeting up and chatting with Darren at the club’s End of Season Sponsors’ Dinner when by then Kent’s favourite son will have hopefully had another record breaking season.

Stuart decided to invest in Darren as a 50^th birthday present to himself and knew it would be money well spent and he will be able to take the shirt home with him at the end of the season signed by his favourite player.

“Like many Kent supporters I was not even sure that Darren would be able to play for us this season but I am delighted to see him in action and playing as well as ever”, said Stuart who enjoys all forms of the game and spent a day at Tunbridge Wells at the recent Worcestershire match.

Stuart lives at West Wickham in North Kent and pays on the day when he goes to matches “I don’t go to games enough to warrant being a Member, but I am still very interested in the club’s fortunes. With my other commitments I find it time consuming travelling extensively to Canterbury. I am not a great lover of a Sunday start in championship games and day night floodlight matches are not convenient for me but I am happy to choose my days out watching Kent”.

"Stuart, who works for a law firm, has been a supporter for a number of years. He has attended all but one of Kent's last nine one day trophy finals, seeing them lose on each occasion! The final he missed was Kent's victory in the 2007 Twenty20 cup competition at Edgbaston. "I must have been a bit of a Jonah.’

Stuart is an armchair fan of most sports and a football follower of Arsenal and his local team Bromley.

Living only a short distance from Beckenham he is disappointed that the County are not playing there this season because of the redevelopment but is impressed with the progress that is being made at Worsley Road. “It will look great when it is finished”, he said “I looked in there recently and the building work has really progressed. Hopefully when we go back we will play both one day and championship cricket there as the spectator facilities will be excellent. It will mean I will be able to watch a bit more cricket”.

Stuart took up his shirt package offer after seeing it advertised on the club website and the shirt will have pride of place in his home when he gets his September birthday present from the man himself.

Written by Pete Burrowes