It seems more than reasonable to say that Fairford Town Football Club have discovered a recipe for success.

On and off the pitch, all the ingredients are in place to take the club onwards and upwards.

While on the pitch, the club are back in the Premier Division of the Hellenic League after last season’s runaway Division One West title win, possibly the most mouth-watering feature at the club right now is the success of the recently introduced Spikes Diner.

It is the brainchild of club chairman Stuart Pike, who has a background in the fast food industry.

The club boast that they produce “the finest hamburgers in football” and those words are backed up by the fact that they have been awarded a five-star hygiene rating by the Foods Standards Agency.

Pike, a former pupil at Farmor’s School in Fairford, took over as Fairford’s chairman two-and-a-half years ago after being their main sponsor for 12 months or so.

“The club were struggling on and off the field,” said Pike, 52, “and there wasn’t a chairman.

“Mike Tanner, the club’s president, and Bill Beach, the secretary, were running around doing all the jobs. Volunteers at clubs like ours are fewer and fewer and we needed to get the club on a business footing.”

Pike, who served with both the Army and RAF, brought in an old RAF mate, Dave Bartlett, as his vice-chairman – “He’s my wing man,” chuckled Pike – and together, with Tanner, they set about reviving the club.

“The facilities at Cinder Lane were very under-used and that had to change because the gate money just about paid the referee!” said Pike.

“Football is an expensive hobby and the higher you go – we’re playing at level 5 – the more expensive it gets.”

So the function hall was refurbished, the diner introduced and the floodlights upgraded. The club have “a cracking groundsman” in Martin Radway, and Swindon Town Ladies play their home games at Cinder Lane on Sundays.

“We’re getting much more use of the facilities now,” said Pike. “We’ve got a very good accountant and don’t owe a bean.”

That’s partly on the back of a number of successful dinners, with a high-profile guest speaker, held at the club.

Former Wales, Liverpool and Aston Villa striker Dean Saunders was the most recent and Pike said: “It’s a great fun evening and for a small town like Fairford it’s brilliant. Someone like Dean Saunders coming to the club is the talk of the town.”

They’ve also had Nigel Owens, Andy Powell and John Hartson as speakers and are hoping to get Shay Given along for the World Cup in the summer.

The first two – Owens and Powell – made their names in rugby, of course, and Pike is proud to say he is a big rugby fan. The nearby rugby club, who play at Coln House School, are regular users of the facilities at Cinder Lane and Pike, while he has “a passion for football”, is certainly not one of those people who has eyes only for one sport.

“I used to play rugby when I was younger,” said Pike, who was born in Germany but moved to Poulton at a young age. “Farmor’s was a strong rugby school. I started off as a hooker but as I got bigger I got moved to the second row.

“When I was in the Army I played mainly rugby but I liked both sports. To be honest, I wasn’t a very good footballer. They used to put me in goal – that was the best position they could put me! – although I wasn’t a bad goalkeeper.”

Pike spent eight years in the Army and nine in the RAF – serving in such hot-spots as Iraq and Afghanistan. He says he’s pleased to be back in the Cotswolds – he lives in Fairford – although he has not cut his ties with all things military altogether because his wife Samantha works at RAF Fairford.

Pike has certainly experienced plenty in life. His current role at Fairford is not the first time he has been a chairman of a football club, because he had a short spell at the helm at Gloucester City.

“I was the main sponsor at the club,” he said. “Then Nigel Hughes stood down as chairman and I said I’d do it as an interim job.”

And it was certainly an eventful few months because during his time in charge Dave Mehew was sacked as manager and Tim Harris was installed as the new boss at a club that currently play in National League South.

“Sacking Dave Mehew was very difficult,” admitted Pike.

There has also been a change of manager at Fairford where Jody Bevan is in his first season in charge. He was appointed following the resignation at the end of last season of Gareth Davies.

It’s been a tough baptism for Bevan, a centre-forward who numbers Gloucester City, Cinderford Town, Shortwood United and Cirencester Town among his former clubs, as Fairford have battled to establish themselves at the higher level.

Experienced striker Lee Smith, who joined the club at the start of the season, is doing his bit but Pike admitted: “It’s been hard work, but I think we’ve just about turned the corner. I think we’ll be okay.”

And even if the worst comes to the worst and they do go down, Bevan, who had a short spell as temporary player/boss at Cirencester Town, need have no worries about his job.

“We’re not a sacking club,” said Pike. “Too many clubs get rid of a manager when results aren’t going for them. It’s a knee-jerk reaction.”

And Pike is clearly a big fan of Bevan, who still plays a bit.

“He’s come on in games and made an impact,” said Pike. “He played at a good standard and he’s cored a few crucial goals.

“He knows all the tricks of the trade. He’s one of those who wears his heart on his sleeve and we’re very lucky to have him.

“He’s a mixture of everything as a manager. I’ve seen him go off on one where he needs to but he can also put his arm round a player as well.

“He’ll put his hands up if he’s made a mistake but it’s his first proper job. He’s still learning but we want him here for the long-term.”

And what about the future, how far does Pike think Fairford can progress?

“This season it’s all about staying in the division, which I think we’ll do,” said Pike. “But looking ahead I’d like to think we can be a top six or seven side who can have a good run in cup competitions.

“I’m not one of those chairman who says we’re aiming for the Southern League. If everything is right on and off the field in a few years’ time, then we wouldn’t say no but it’s got to be sustainable.”