NATIONAL League outfit Eastleigh have confirmed the departure of long-serving club secretary Ray Murphy.

Murphy, recognised as one of the most hard-working, efficient and dedicated club administrators in local non-League, is moving up a division into the Football League.

He is joining League Two outfit Swindon Town where he will head up the secretarial role.

“We would like to thank Ray for his efforts whilst at the club and wish him well for the future,” said an Eastleigh statement.

Murphy, who includes Bashley and Winchester City among his former clubs, co-wrote a recently published book about the Spitfires, entitled “The Story So Far.”

Along with fellow author Gary Day, he painstakingly chronicled every season in the club’s history from 1946-2017.

The launch of the book coincided with a successful club reunion in May that brought back around 150 Eastleigh old boys to Stoneham Lane.

A Spitfire since 2005, Murphy was also instrumental in bringing the increasingly popular over-50s walking football under the club umbrella.

Eastleigh FC founder and life president Derik Brooks, who wrote the foreword to “The Story So Far”, said of Murphy:  “He radiates calm and professionalism as club secretary, followed by his dry sense of humour. Mr Unflappable!”