FORMER football boss Don Mackay has swapped the Rovers for the Ribble Valley and the touchline for the beer taps in a new business venture.

The former manager at Ewood Park has taken over the reins of the popular Calf's Head, at Worston.

Mr Mackay and his wife, Pat, took over the tenancy at the pub in January and, after a massive refurbishment programme, they gave the Calf's Head a full re-launch this holiday week.

Mr Mackay spent four and half years as Ewood boss up until the entrance of Jack Walker in 1991.

From Blackburn he moved to Fulham and then there followed a couple of years of, as he put's it. 'twiddling my thumbs.'

Then the couple decided to branch out into their own business and with the help of the Devonshire Pub Company, they re-trained for the licensed trade.

Mr Mackay said: "We have no previous experience of the pub and hotel trade, but we have had a lot of excellent support. We are full of enthusiasm and we are ready to tackle it!

"We have always loved the Ribble Valley and when the opportunity came to take up a pub here we jumped at it.

"There were always pressures in the football business, but I must say the stresses of running a pub are even worse!"

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