How boyhood Maidstone United fan Jamie Hemsley went from being a kid on the terraces to part of George Elokobi’s management team at Ipswich Town in FA Cup fourth round

A lifelong Maidstone fan will be in the away dugout at Ipswich Town as part of George Elokobi’s management team.

Jamie Hemsley finds himself involved in the biggest day in the Stones’ history - tomorrow’s FA Cup fourth-round tie - thanks to a university internship.

The 21-year-old works alongside Ben Fuller in the sports science department at the Gallagher Stadium, playing a crucial role in the well-being and fitness of the squad.

It’s a dream job for Loughborough student Hemsley, who has grown up supporting the Stones, being taken to games by dad Steve.

From the little kid watching Maidstone play in front of a few hundred fans in their groundsharing days at Sittingbourne, he now gets to walk out in front of almost 30,000 people at Portman Road.

“I’m absolutely buzzing and my dad can definitely back me up on that,” said Hemsley.

“I haven’t stopped talking about it all week.

“You have that angle as a fan for the whole occasion, and that’s crazy, but to be working on the day, it’s going to be an experience.

“It will be good to see how these big clubs operate because, with all due respect, we’re not Premier League or Championship level, so there are differences in how everything’s done.

“My mum and dad are coming, and a few of my friends.

“We’ll have loads of fans, it’s a massive stadium, a big club, a nice club, so it’s going to be a really special day.

“There’s been a few highlights this season in the FA Cup but this will top the lot, no matter the result.”

Things could have worked out differently for Hemsley, who would have been on his internship a year earlier had he started university when orginally planned.

But his A-level results, based on predicted grades during the Covid pandemic, weren’t enough for his sports