When more than 6,000 Yorkshire voices came together to voice their support for the former Huddersfield Town manager towards the end of their club's FA Cup tie at Chelsea, it was a genuinely moving moment.

Just 48 hours earlier, the awful news that Jacko – as he is known affectionately in the game – would soon have to take a short sabbatical from his post as Lincoln City manager to battle throat cancer had left Yorkshire football in shock.

Messages of support had soon started pouring in to not only Sincil Bank, but also the clubs he served with such distinction during a 17-year playing career. It was, however, at Stamford Bridge where perhaps the most poignant and touching tribute came with the travelling Town fans chanting his name long and loud during the closing stages of their team's 3-1 defeat. One fan had even brought a home-made banner reading 'Get Well Soon Jacko'.

Not only that, but several of the Chelsea fans sitting near the press box in the East Stand stood up to applaud their Yorkshire counterparts. The man himself was more than 150 miles away, overseeing Lincoln's fightback from a goal down to beat Macclesfield Town 3-1.

The rousing reception he had received ahead of kick-off at Sincil Bank, just like the shouts of support at Stamford Bridge, spoke volumes for the high esteem in which Jacko is held by those who have crossed his path.

After his side's win, the Lincoln manager revealed the attention he had received since the news broke had been "overwhelming". He also asked the assembled reporters to try to make sure the weekend headlines were about his players, and not him.

Football, we are continually told, is a results business so some may put the shows of support down to the huge upturn in results the club have enjoyed since the 46-year-old's arrival. The bare statistics, for instance, reveal the Imps have risen from the relegation zone to 14th place.

But having got to know Jacko over the past decade or so, both professionally and personally, I suspect they were much more to do with the man himself.

Football fans have become increasingly savvy at working out who the genuine characters are in the game and who are the charlatans. And Jacko is definitely in the former category.

During both his stints in charge of Huddersfield, a trip to his office at the McAlpine/Galpharm was something to look forward to. Not only was he a good host – I can't remember not being offered (or accepting) a bottle of Bud – but, also, great company.

When the interview was over, there was never any pressure to leave as snippets of gossip were exchanged and I am sure he is exactly the same now with the media in Lincoln.

As he had grown up in the village where Sutcliffe Towers can be found, there was plenty of common ground while it was always a pleasure to listen to the wealth of stories collected during a long playing career.

Most are not printable in a family newspaper, though one of my favourites concerns his early days at Newcastle in the mid-Eighties. For the first few weeks, the club put him up in a flat in Newcastle and one night, after enjoying a few drinks with his new team-mates, he decided to go home.

Fast forward a couple of hours and Jacko is suddenly woken up by loud banging on his front door.

He then opens the door to discover Paul Gascoigne, who had been among the group of Newcastle players enjoying a few beers, standing completely naked and pleading 'Can you lend me some money to get home, Jacko? I've lost all my cash and clothes playing pool'.

Jacko is now facing the biggest battle of his life, but the great solace is that he will fight this cancer with the same strength, determination and vigour that characterised his career in football. And he will win.