Vikings supporter of 76 years will watch team for free next season (From Runcorn and Widnes World)

Vikings supporter of 76 years will watch team for free next season

3:45pm Thursday 13th December 2012 in Vikings news

VIKINGS have handed a happy Christmas to 93-year-old Edna Millington.

The Super League club have paid for her Viking Stronghold membership, meaning she will be able to watch her beloved team for free in 2013.

Edna, a Widnes fan of 76 years’ standing, is the oldest member of the supporter’s Stronghold scheme.

She and her family were VIP guests at the club’s recent player event at the Stobart Stadium when the squad numbers for the new season were revealed.

Edna, who watched her first Widnes match when she was 17 years old, rates 1920s and 30s star Tommy McCue as the best player she has seen.

McCue donned a Widnes shirt on more than 300 occasions and also represented Great Britain and England.

For a spell he was a teammate of her brother-in-law and another Vikings legend, Harry Millington, a loose forward with one England cap who made 460 appearances between 1927/28 and 1946/47.

Vikings chief executive James Rule said: "It was a real pleasure to have Edna and her family at the squad night and to meet a fan who has given so many decades of loyal support was a real privilege.

"We were delighted to refund Edna's Stronghold membership and we hope to give her many more years of pleasure, supporting the Widnes Vikings."

Edna’s passion for the black and whites came to prominence as a result of the club running a competition to find the oldest member of the Viking Stronghold.

The club said they were inundated with responses but were delighted to reveal Edna as the outright winner.