Ever wondered how those guys patrolling every gangway came to be in possession of their day-glow jacket or always thought that you'd like to see the game at Deepdale from a different perspective?

That's exactly what went through the mind of a former senior league referee who wanted to maintain his involvement in the game, and he has told pne.com that he has never looked back since taking up the position during what he feared would become a poisoned challenge of a fixture!

John Anderson explains how he finds stewarding to be an excellent release away from his normal nine to five during the week.

"I got involved in stewarding because my weekends just didn't feel complete without a fix of football," he said.

"I had to give up refereeing adult football on Saturdays because of injuries, but I still wanted to be involved in football in some way or another.

"I was talking to a colleague who was a fire steward at PNE and how much she enjoyed it. Next thing, I was at PNE talking to Tom Beattie [assistant ground safety officer] and being shown around the ground!

"My first game was against Millwall, and I thought I'd chosen the wrong time to start given Millwall fans' reputation, but they were actually very good to steward so I kept going back.

"The main role of a football steward is to look after the health and safety of everyone in the ground. I meet and greet fans coming into the ground and am looking to stop any banned items from coming in.

"This includes things like glass bottles, cans, large flag sticks, air-horns... and drunken fans! You'd be surprised how many fans stagger to the turnstiles and still expect to get in - it's a criminal offence to try and gain access to a football ground while you're intoxicated."

He went on to explain that he would have no hesitation towards encouraging others to follow in his footsteps for a variety of reasons, adding:

"I'd recommend stewarding to anyone. Since I started, I've gained qualifications; all stewards are required to be trained to a NVQ Level Two standard by law.

"I've also developed a load of new communication techniques. You learn to assess how to deal with people and situations, when to be assertive, and when to stand back and let events unfold.

"You also learn to be logical in your responses rather than emotional.

"I now find myself watching people instead of football - it can sometimes be more fun! I've seen a few boobs and bums being flashed at the ground over the last few seasons and not all are a pretty sight!"

If you think that the role of a steward on matchdays is something that you could handle, PNE are currently recruiting in a variety of health and safety roles for the 2009/10 season.

For further information, contact the ground safety team on 0844 856 1964.