Dave Stemp’s retirement after 30 years as manager of Vale of White Horse Schools Under 11s was marked with a presentation from Premier League stars Matt Taylor and Dean Whitehead.

The 62-year-old part-time teacher at Our Lady’s Abingdon was caught out by a surprise gathering of around 60 current Vale boys, former players, parents and officials at Didcot Town to celebrate his three decades in charge of the team.

And the icing on the cake came when he was handed signed Bolton Wanderers and Stoke City shirts respectively from midfielders Taylor and Whitehead, who took their first steps on the road to stardom as members of the same title-winning Vale team under his management.

Neither of the pair could be present, but their former manager was clearly thrilled by the gesture – as well as being shocked by the evening’s events.

Stemp, who had been expecting to go to Al Gusto (formerly Cibo’s) in Didcot with his wife, Chris, to celebrate her birthday, said: “This has been absolutely knockout – I didn’t know anything about it.”

And he added: “It has been pretty good over 30 years. Yes, you get the highlights with lads who have made it, but it has never been mine or the Vale’s aim to say we are going to make professional footballers.

“What we try to do is take year six pupils, and it used to be year five as well, and give them an experience which will not only develop them as footballers, but as individuals.”

He related one story about Taylor when he was playing at Portsmouth, and Stemp visited the club’s Centre of Excellence.

“We were having a cup of tea, and Matt Taylor came up. He ignored all his first team-mates and came straight over to me and said ‘Hello Dave how are you doing and how are the Vale doing this year.’ “That was a Premier League player, and he was asking about me and the Vale – that really meant so much to me.”

Taylor even took time to send Stemp, who will also be stepping down as a coach with Oxford United’s Centre of Excellence after 13 years, a text message during the evening, wishing him all the best for the night and in his retirement.

As well as the individual successes – Howard Forinton was another Vale lad to make the professional ranks –there have also been the team triumphs while Stemp has been at the helm.

He twice guided Vale to Wembley in the ESFA Inter-Association Seven-a-Side Co-mpetition where they finished runners-up to Sutton in 1996 and joint champions with Carlisle in 1999.

There have been three County League titles and a Witney Cup, but he still has some unfinished business before he heads off into retirement.

On five occasions, Vale have finished runners-up in the Southern Counties Cup under his management.

But now they have the opportunity to give him the trophy which has so far eluded him after booking their place in this year’s final against Lewisham.

“What would be nice would be to go out on a win in the Southern Counties Cup,” he added.