It was a fitting place for the ceremony to be held, as Spuddy, pictured, is a lifelong Arsenal fan. But those years of service started closer to home, with the founding of Sudbury Wanderers on June 28, 1958.

Brian was one of a group of players who, having reached 18, could no longer turn out for Sudbury Youth Club, which was based in what is now Hardwick House.

"A group of us got together with Wally Brown, landlord of the Black Horse. We still wanted to play. He had a little barn-type place in the back which he said we could convert to dressing rooms.

"We had to pay an affiliation fee, so we started off day one five shillings (25p) in debt," he said. "We vowed then we would never be in debt again, and we weren't."

Wanderers started life in the old Halstead League, with Brian as secretary, a post he was to hold for 41 years until Wanderers merged with Sudbury Town to form AFC in 1999.

For the last eight years of that spell he was also treasurer at the club.

"We had problems getting somebody to do the bookwork side. I took it on while we looked for someone else. But eight years later…"

Come the merger and David Webb took over the football side of the new club as secretary, leaving Brian to concentrate on finance.

"When we merged they asked if I'd be happy to have David do the football side.

"I said I'm delighted. It was like having half a job. I just retired as well, and thought I'm in clover here."

Wanderers made progress in the Halstead League, but their Border League ambitions were handicapped by lack of a ground.

So in 1972-3 the club moved from People's Park to Brundon Lane, and promotion came in 1976-7.

"I went to Border League meetings, and was asked to join the management committee. There I stayed until I was elected chairman in 1992."

He stood down for one year when there were problems with a rule change, but took the chair again after a 12-month break, and still holds the post.

Wanderers continued to make progress on the field, moving into the Eastern Counties League. "But we were always the lesser light, behind Sudbury Town," he said.

"I was one of the people behind the merger. I don't think Town would have kicked a ball in the 1999-2000 season. When I looked at their books it was frightening."

Town's debts were eventually cleared, and with the sale of the Priory AFC now has "money in the bank.

"This will provide a new clubhouse, and new changing rooms, and we still won't owe anybody any money.

"We have to put something in place now which will take the club on long after we have gone.

"The Priory was the family silver. There is no more family silver left to sell."

The long-service award was originally to have been presented by the Suffolk FA.

"The FA said I was up for the award, and I jokingly asked if it could be presented at Arsenal.