A NEWPORT County AFC volunteer is calling it a day after missing just 15 home games in the past 27 years.

Starting when the club was reformed in 1989, John Sharpe spent nearly 20 years as a steward for the Exiles at Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucester, Somerton Park and Spytty Park.

And for the past eight years Mr Sharpe has been a familiar face in the hospitality suites at Spytty and Rodney Parade.

At the age of 73, and to the delight of his wife Marion, Mr Sharpe has decided to take life a little easier – but he’ll still be cheering on Warren Feeney’s men from the stands next season.

To mark more than a quarter of a century of service to the club Mr Sharpe was presented with a special County shirt, signed by the players, before the final home game of the 2015-2016 campaign.

“The directors heard that I had been volunteering for 27 years and only missed 15 home games and they decided to thank me,” he said.

“Gavin Foxall and Jon Bowkett presented me with the shirt before the Notts County game.

“My son Kevin is in the County Choir and they were singing ‘There’s only one John Sharpe!’

“They also took us volunteers to AFC Wimbledon free of charge as a thank you as well and I’m very grateful for that.”

It all started for Mr Sharpe as the club was reformed at a meeting chaired by the club’s honorary president David Hando at the Lysaght Institute in Newport in June 1989.

“I was at the meeting and David Hando asked for volunteers to help us run the side,” he explains.

“I think there were 35 of us who volunteered to do the stewarding at that time in Moreton-in-Marsh.

“After 35 people put their hands up he said I want someone to be in charge of the stewards so I stuck my hand up again and no one else did.

“I was afraid of what my wife Marion would say,” he added.

“She wasn’t very happy in the beginning but she’s got used to it.

“I’ve asked her to come and help out as well but she said she’d rather do the ironing!”

Mr Sharpe has seen 17 managers come and go since he started as a steward and says winning promotion at Wembley in 2013 was his favourite moment.

“I started at Moreton-in-Marsh when we had 500 fans travelling there,” he said.

“When we came back to Somerton Park we had to clean all the weeds out and they were waist high.

“I never saw a full match when I was stewarding so I don’t have a favourite game.

“But seeing four promotions and two Wembley finals has been fantastic.

“I wanted to see us get back into the Football League but I never thought I would.

“When Christian Jolley scored that first goal it was incredible and I was there as a fan that day so I could enjoy it.”

And Mr Sharpe will return to being a fan next season.

“I’m 73 now and you’ve got to be here two hours early and two hours after the match and with travelling that’s seven hours for me,” he said.

“So I think it’s about time I just came at 2.30pm, watched the match and went home afterwards.

“I don’t know whether I’ll miss it but I’ll still be coming to the games.

“Right from the age of 10 I’ve never supported another team – I’m County ‘til I die.”