DESPITE his best efforts, Don Dickerson was thrust centre stage at a recent awards night in Wycombe.

The long-serving secretary of High Wycombe RFC was honoured with a specially introduced Lifetime Achievement award after more than five decades at Kingsmead.

But, for a man who’d rather fit the bulbs than be in their spotlight, the fifth annual Community Champions Awards was a slightly uncomfortable affair.

He said: “One of the girls who works in the club bar nominated me. I went there not knowing if I’d won so when they read out the top three and I wasn’t mentioned I breathed a sigh of relief. I like to keep a low profile.”

He wouldn’t be spared though. Dickerson didn’t win a standard volunteering award because the judges had been so impressed with his nomination they created a new award just for him.

He said: “Bill Reid introduced the chief executive of the council [Karen Satterford] and she gave me a very long introduction.

“But it was only when she was talking that it dawned on me that she was talking about me.”

However, people like Dickerson, who earlier this year won the Peter Trunkfield Award from Wycombe RFC for long service, are the lifeblood of grassroots sport.

He joined Wycombe in 1968, played his last game for the club aged 53, has been a committee member for more than 40 years and club secretary for 33 of those.

Quite apart from that, he has painted, repaired and decorated the club house, raked the pitch before matches and organised 30 tours throughout the UK and Europe, plus last summer’s extravagant to Chile.

There is also the small matter of fund-raising, and Dickerson has raised more than £250,000 for Wycombe RFC in the last decade alone.

He said: “I’m really pleased for the recognition. It was a one-off award and I don’t know if they’ll keep it going, but if it comes up again I’ll nominate David Grigg.

“He’s been there a good 30 years and has been the mainstay behind keeping the youth section going over the years.”

This was Dickerson’s day though, and despite his 73 years he has no intention of weaning himself off the club just yet.

He said: “I’d be six feet under if I stopped. I can’t sit in a bloody armchair.”