ONE of the men who keeps the ambitious Stourport Swifts Football Club ticking insists he prefers to stay in the background.

John McDonald has been involved with Swifts for 32 years, playing a part in their rise from Kidderminster League Division Three South to Midland Alliance.

The 53-year-old is Stourport born-and-bred, living in Brindley Street before moving to nearby Areley Kings.

After giving up his secretary role last season, John is now general manager and tends one of the best non-league pitches in the Midlands at Walshes Meadow.

He combines that with family life and his maintenance job at a couple of caravan parks in the district.

That includes working at the Walshes Farm site which allows him to pop over to the football club during a lunchtime.

It has been a busy time for all at the Swifts with good results on the pitch, including record-breaking FA Cup and FA Vase runs, as well as a fire wrecking part of the clubhouse and flooding chaos twice.

John, who was replaced by Nigel Green as secretary, admitted: "I was finding it increasingly difficult to do the administration work and attend meetings.

"I really enjoyed the role, though there was a lot of unnecessary hassle now and again. But I met a lot of people.

"My title now is general manager, looking after the ground and organising events on the Saturday. I enjoy doing the pitch which I've done for about 25 years.

"We have a good committee of 10 and we all do our bit. I've always loved football and I used to watch West Bromwich Albion in the early 1960s before I got involved with Swifts. I saw them win the FA Cup in 1968 and the League Cup in 1966.

"Swifts are one step away from the Dr Martens League and we've had a steady progression up the pyramid."

His own attempt to play the game was curtailed by "two dodgy knees" at the age of just 20.

John married Sylvia at St Michael's Church 28 years ago and they have three children. Suzy, 26, teaches in Worcester, while Norweb employee Andrew, 24, and Worcester University student Laura, 20, both live at home in Stourport.

And John said: "I do like Stourport but one thing I don't like is the traffic. It's horrendous. There is yet another survey on whether we need a new bridge but we don't need the survey, we want the bridge.

"Stourport's a pleasant place - you only have to look at the complex with cricket, rugby, rowing and football all in the same place. It's picturesque in the summer."

Before he started his maintenance work 10 years ago, John was made redundant from Stourport firm ACCO where he had been a tool setter since the 1960s.

He added: "I enjoy working outside, it makes a change from a factory atmosphere. Redundancy is a serious thing but there were no gripes from me. I got my cheque and went. Steve Robson, joint owner of the Walshes caravan park, found me a couple of days work and it went from there."