Ahead of our 3-0 win over Burnley at Selhurst Park a fortnight ago – a day of joy for new manager Oliver Glasner and his new Crystal Palace charges – there was a smaller-scale, but certainly no less meaningful, celebration which took place just yards from Selhurst Park.
For inside a packed Fanzone ahead of kick-off, host Rob Thornton momentarily paused the pre-match proceedings – and Mary Barnett, unknowingly but wonderfully deservingly, was about to get pulled up onto the stage.
“It was a total surprise!” she admitted, speaking to cpfc.co.uk – but perhaps it shouldn’t have been.
Mary was about to receive a special ‘Community Captain’ armband, frame and pennant on behalf of the club and the Palace for Life Foundation, for whom she has dedicated a vast amount of time to assisting fundraising efforts – and ultimately changing the lives of young south Londoners – in so many different ways.
The theme of this year's International Women's Day is to 'Inspire Inclusion' – a feat Mary accomplishes every single week.
Presented as part of the Premier League’s ‘More Than A Game’ campaign, there can be few characters who embody the community spirit of their football club more than her.
“I'm born and bred in Croydon, went to school in Croydon – and basically haven't left Croydon!” she laughs. “I'm of Irish descent, but I've lived in Croydon all my life.
“I’ve been attending home games over the last three or four years, and my husband’s had a season ticket since he was four years old!”