From the moment I walked into Villa Park as an employee rather than a supporter, I loved every minute. From my first day, I was a workaholic, willing to tackle any task that might come my way. To be fair, there was no alternative - my appointment took the office staff to a grand total of eight!

I didn't have time to think too much about the workload during those early years, and while it was hard going at times, I was living the dream by constantly having contact with the likes of Bruce Rioch, Ian Ross, Chico Hamilton, and Charlie Aitken - players I had previously idolised from seat 102 on row M in the Trinity Road stand.

I was now meeting them on a regular basis, and I even had access to their payslips. It wasn't so much a job, more a hobby for which I was paid. I couldn't wait to get to work in the morning, and I never really wanted to go home.

Amazon And when I did, I usually carried a bundle of paperwork and was frequently still working past midnight. I spent hours studying Income Tax tables to calculate deductions from the salaries of my heroes.

Apart from the playing staff, I was also responsible for the groundsmen, maintenance staff, stewards, cleaners, turnstile operators, and anyone else employed by the club on a casual basis. Then there was all the banking and bookkeeping, plus stints in the ticket office when they were busy.

Pam Tabbener and Len Latham were the only two regular members of staff in there, which meant the rest of us would have to put our day jobs on hold to help cope with the demands of cup ties and other big matches.

I was like a child in a toyshop and getting PS23-a-week for the privilege. And just imagine how thrilled I was when I was invited to travel on the team coach as secretary Alan Bennett's assistant for an early-season match at Burnley. I tried to look nonchalant but travelling with the players and enjoying a pre-match meal with them, was a brilliant experience.

Then I watched the game at Turf Moor from the directors' box, alongside Burnley's famous chairman Bob Lord and the actor Peter Adamson, who played the part of Len Fairclough in Coronation Street. It was just a pity that we lost 4-1