Paul Stafford has brought down the curtain on 17 years with Lurgan by joining North West champions Brigade.

The off-spinner, who was captain at Pollock Park last season as Lurgan lost their Premier League status, returns to the club he represented as a boy.

Stafford, who says the move will allow him to spend more time with his father who still lives in the north west, also attracted interest from NCU Premier League double winners North Down.

Comber skipper Peter Shields spoke to Stafford about the possibility of moving to The Green but family reasons have persuaded the spinner to choose Beechgrove.

“It was very flattering that a club like North Down, who are probably the leading club side in Northern Ireland, wanted me to join them and I was very tempted, who wouldn’t be?” said Stafford.

“But I’ve decided to go to Brigade. It will allow me to spend more time with my father over the weekends and I’ll be going back to a place where I had many happy memories. I already know quite a few of the Brigade lads like the captain Charlie Elder, Mark Simpson and Stephen Smyth."

Stafford admits it was a wrench to leave Pollock Park, where he has played with distinction for most of the last two decades.

Lurgan were relegated for the first time in their history last summer but it wasn’t all bad times for Stafford. He played in six losing semi-finals before enjoying an unlikely Challenge Cup success over North Down in 2002.

“That was a fantastic win and the highlight of my time with Lurgan,” Stafford added. “We were well below strength, the final being put back a week meant we were without Ross McCollum and Francois Viljoen but I think North Down were a bit worried about it being reduced to a one-day game. We basically had five bowlers and two good batsmen in Neil Hinds and Gareth Morrison, and fortunately they played well and we won the match.”