Leap year proposal shock for Mansfield Town winger Matty Blair

Mansfield Town winger Matty Blair is now engaged after his girlfriend Xanthe surprised him by taking advantage of the leap year to propose to him on February 29.

The 26-year-old was due to be the guest at Stags’ weekly An Evening With show at the ground that night but was persuaded by Xanthe to postpone his appearance by a week.

“My girlfriend said you can’t do it as I’ve something planned,” smiled Blair as he kept his date with the fans a week late on Monday. “Little did I know she was going to propose to me. So my girlfriend is now my fiancee.

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“It was February 29th – the day women can propose to men. And she took up that option – I don’t know why. I said yes as she’s a good one.”
However there was no going down on one knee.

“I was a bit disappointed as it was just let’s have a bit of a chat on the sofa and it was – are we getting married or what?” he said.

“She actually had a ring her mum gave her – a family heirloom, which she popped on. Then we went out for some food and actually celebrated properly.

“I really didn’t put two and two together until she said it was the leap year day. “But we’d had a running joke about it for a while as I’d said you can ask me. Now the running joke has actually turned into a serious commitment.”

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Last month Blair bagged two goals in two home games in a row as he finally hit form for Mansfield after his long injury lay-off.

So it was a disappointment to see him miss Saturday’s home 1-0 defeat by Yeovil with illness. However, he confirmed he will be available again this weekend for the trip to Bristol Rovers.

“It was just a bit of man-flu and I am over it now,” said Blair. “I just have a bit of a sore throat.”

Stags face a tough battle to stay in the hunt for the play-offs, sitting two points shy of the top seven and with four games in March now all against play-off rivals.

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But Blair said: “I am thinking only of Bristol Rovers – that’s the most important as it’s the next one. Forget the next three after that for now.

“Rovers is the big one, the three points. Next Monday we will look at the Portsmouth game.

“For now it is how do we beat Bristol Rovers? How do we get the three points?

“With four games, six points would be a good return, regardless of who you are playing.”