Retiring York City club secretary Nigel Pleasants is to immortalise 32 years behind the scenes of football in a book.

It was yesterday announced that the 56-year-old football admin expert will retire at the end of the month after a six-month spell at the KitKat Crescent club.

But he will not be hanging up his pen completely with a book charting some of his office adventures at Norwich City, Leeds United and Cambridge United - as well as York - in progress.

A short illness at Christmas which literally forced him to slow down planted the idea of early retirement and he told the board this week of his decision to go through with it.

He said: "When I was ill it made me tired and run down and, although I'm okay now, since being here I've hardly had a single day off. It's a stressful job with long hours and I've been doing it now for 30-odd years.

"I have been thinking about it for a while but I told (managing director) Jason McGill this week and he has been really good.

"They have obviously found a replacement very quickly and I will be here to help him bed down. But even after that, I've said to Jason that I'm available if needs be. I'm not going to go away - I'm only on the end of a phone."

His arrival shortly after that of Billy McEwan has coincided with an on-pitch revival - continuing the theme of success that has followed Pleasants through his career with promotions, league championships, major cup triumphs and European campaigns to his name.

"Certainly on the pitch, things are looking healthy," he mused. "When I came here they were 17th and I'm leaving with them second.

"The supporters have also got the hope of a new stadium to look forward to in the near future.

"The supporters here really have been amazing and one of the highlights of my time at York was when the appeal to save the reserves went out and how quickly they saved it."

Updated: 09:07 Saturday, October 08, 2005