A Wanderers employee for almost four years, Richard 'signed' for Wycombe from Northampton Town - where he had worked his way up from being a part-time steward.

"I was working at Sixfields one night when a fax came through advertising the Stadium Manager job at Wycombe," he says. "I went for it with nothing to lose and I haven't looked back since."

Before joining The Cobblers, Richard had a spell in the armed forces, who he joined after leaving school at 16.

"I originally went for the Royal Marines, but ended up joining the Grenadier Guards," he says.

"I still have some good mates there; I served in Northern Ireland for about three years. It's something that I will never forget, it was a very volatile place and nothing like you saw on the television back then."

Since arriving at Adams Park 'Stan' has settled in nicely, commuting from Northamptonshire every day helping to produce a record breaking safety setup.

"I'm very lucky to have a job I enjoy, no two days are the same and I am lucky to have the backing of Steve Hayes and the board who help me to get things done.

"I'm proud of everyone here, more so than anywhere else I've worked. We do our jobs well but everyone knows how to have fun, there are not many places where you see that."

Stan is never too far away from his better half when at work, his wife Shirley has been employed at Adams Park for three years- as a control room supervisor.

"She doesn't get any special treatment, I never hesitate to moan at her for not doing paperwork and stuff like that," he says. "But as soon as we get outside the Blues gates then it's back to normal again!"

Richard and his team have started to create an impressive record, with last year bringing the least number of spectator injuries in the stadium's history. The club's stewarding team has also been regenerated under his tenure. Out of the 150 or so stewards at the club, every single one has been trained in first aid and fire safety. The group have also been through vigorous conflict management tuition with the Thames Valley Police.

"Not only are our stewards well trained, they have a love and loyalty for the club," says Stan. "We don't bring people in from agencies; everyone who works here lives in the local area and is a Wycombe fan. It means they can really relate to everyone and give the help that is needed on a match day."

Wycombe was recently recognised as having the highest percentage of Asian stewards in the Football League, with just under half of the stewarding team being of Asian descent. They beat off tough competition from clubs such as Blackburn and Aston Villa.

"All this means we can treat people right, and make sure everyone in our ground feels safe," says Richard.

So what does 'Stan' think about the upcoming season on the pitch? If his hopes are anything to go by, the players will be just as successful as the stewards.

"I'd like to see us go up as champions - winning the league would be great and if the players believe it I don't see why it can't happen. I don't think we should be scared of anyone else in this league."