FOOTBALL fan Brian Sanders was recently gobsmacked to find a poignant little souvenir from yesteryear pushed mysteriously through his letterbox in the form of a Newport County AFC programme From August 19, 1980.

Although he has no idea who sent it, Brian is extremely grateful, because he used to cut the grass and mark the pitch for the Exiles when they were known as the Ironsides.

And featured in the programme is a two page feature on Brian, praising him for his stirling work in keeping the Newport pitch in tip top condition.

Although he attended every game during his eight-year stint as Newport groundsman from 1977-85, the 76-year-old Abergavenny man had never seen the programme until earlier this month, and he can’t believe it’s taken over 37 years to discover his own personal 15 minutes in the spotlight.

The former groundsman told the Chronicle, “I can’t believe I missed it the first time around. I was present at every match day, but no-one thought to tell me at the time there was a feature on me in the ‘The Amber Note’ when County played Charlton Athletic.

“So a big thank-you to whatever kind soul sent it my way.”

Brian, who married local lady Audery Mary after leaving the army in 1971 has always been a keen gardener. Before he was chief pitch trimmer at Somerton Park, the man with the mower spent 15 years looking after the green at Crickhowell Cricket Club.

Prior to his post at Somerton, Brian had always been keen on football, as both a fan, player, and ref but it was as a groundsman for Newport County where he really found his feet.

Brain explained, “It takes several years to create a good surface. We began work on the Newport pitch in the summer of 1979 with the same contractors who were involved with making Cardiff City’s Ninian Park surface one of the best in the football league.

“We used to cut the grass every other day and leave the clippings on there to fertilize the soil.”

During his tenure ensuring everything was pitch perfect, Brian confessed that there was one bee above all others that used to get in his bonnet and make him incandescent with rage - a goalkeeper illegally marking their goal area.

“As a groundsman you can accept wear and tear on the pitch through normal use and you don’t mind the work involved to get it back to normal. But when you’ve put in a lot of hard work, it’s the worst thing in the world to see it spoiled by someone breaking the rules.”

Although Brian has been long retired from the job of preparing the stage so that the beautiful game can stay beautiful, the seasoned and ever watchful eye of the diligent groundsman is like a boxer’s punch, it never leaves a man.

Consequently Brian is always eyeing up the quality of the pitch in whatever game of footy he’s watching, no matter if the team be Barry or Barcelona.

And in case you’re wondering, he still gets that old familiar rage every time he witnesses a disrespectful goalkeeper churning up the turf like a petulant racehorse.