For all those who followed local football in the 50s, 60s and 70s, this week's TRM should be right up your street.

About four months ago, Gary Evans from Haverfordwest kindly sent me a few items to use, some of which I've already included. Gary said: "I rescued the photos from a house clearance, they were in a 1950 Evening Post Sport column."

The photos he sent included this one of Milford United's 1950 team.

As well as bringing back happy memories of me and my dad, in all weathers, enjoying the excitement of a match day at Marble Hall, berating 'blind' referees and chatting to flag-waving linesmen, it also reminded me of the time, many moons ago, when the Robins legend, the late Brian Burgoyne, recalled the end of the Robins' glory days.

After scrambling around in my boxes of 'old stuff' (I am a bit of a hoarder), I finally found a few jottings, now faded and barely decipherable, from the final interview I had with Brian, many moons ago, and here, with names aplenty, are a few of his thoughts.

Brian recalled that by the end of the 1960s, it was a real struggle to even field a team.

People had more choices, more money in their pockets to seek alternative entertainment, and from having gates of 3,000 people, shouting and cheering on a Saturday afternoon, it became a mere hundred or so hard core stalwarts who could be seen, strung out, around Marble Hall, like a necklace with most of its beads missing. Me and dad were two of the loyal beads.

Brian added: "As well as there being more entertainment available to people, the huge improvement to the major roads and motorways gave the big football fan the chance to travel more easily to see a higher grade of soccer at Swansea and Cardiff, and do a bit of shopping at the same time!

"Mind you, the road improvements also made it quicker for us to get to away games, enabling players to play Welsh League football, and still be home in time to take their wives out at night. Not like it was in the 50s, when we used to leave Milford at 9am, and if you got stuck behind a tractor or lorry, you'd end up having to get changed in the bus which belonged to Fred Rees of Neyland. I remember going to play Newport County at Somerton Park, and it took six hours to get there."

Another reason why the Welsh League changed for the worse was because Cardiff, Swansea and Newport pulled out. They were the teams that attracted big gates.

Brian's thoughts on the present day ball and formations: "The modern footballs are far better than the ones we used in the 50s. The weight of it stays the same for the whole game.

The ones we played with used to soak up water, mud, and get progressively heavier, and they had laces! We'd plaster our eyebrows with Vaseline to prevent cuts. And as for tactics, every team played five forwards, three half backs and two full backs. Today, each team has a different formation."

In 1967 the club's financial position worsened, but they were determined that they would remain in the Welsh League for as long as possible. Brian said: "The 1967-68 season was to be the last one that a lot of the players played Welsh League football. We started with a 3-0 win over Caerau, the team being Eric Owens, John Tollett, Bobby Savage, Mike Lawrence, Tommy Wood, Brian Burgoyne, Jimmy Curtis, Ray Hammett, Ralph Potter, George Thompson and Dai Scoble, with Mike Inker as sub.

The season ended with a 2-1 home defeat to Cardiff Corries, and that day we fielded Eric Owens, Brian Lees, Cecil Curtis, Brian Burgoyne, John Rackley, John Tollett, Ron Morse, Jimmy Curtis, Adrian Lewis, Ralph Potter, Graham Davies and Neil McCarey. The top scorer that season, with 14 goals, was Ralph Potter.

It was a difficult season and many others, including Brian Laugharne, Jimmy Harteveldt, Eddie Collins, Ray Proctor, Tony Kominek' Denzil Horton, Roger Mitchell from Carmarthen, John Rawden, Mike Bevan, John Devonald, Brian Cleaver, and Brian 'Bimbo' Davies helped us fulfill fixtures."

In 1969, Brian Burgoyne obtained his Welsh coaching badge and recalled some league players from the 1970s: "Gary Beckett, who had been a big help to me in running the Pembrokeshire League side, volunteered to manage the Welsh League team, attracting players like Mig Rodrigues, Brian Mathias and Jeff Hicks to help strengthen the side alongside Adrian Dark, Alan Buckingham, Alan Frank, Keith Jones, etc etc.

In 1975, when Terry Scutt took over the mantle, he signed Jeff Lloyd, Gary Stephens, Derek Owens, John Tollett, Paul Bowen, Mario Rabaiotti, Billy West, Derek Braddick, Phil 'Gibbo' Griffiths, Peter Price and goal John Gwyther."

Brian said the last game he played against Welsh League opposition was in the 1976-77 season. "For some reason, Terry Scutt asked me to play against Haverfordwest County in the Jubilee Shield match at Marble Hall. I was over 40 and although I'd played the occasional game for the reserves when they were short, I was far from being match fit. I think he asked me to play to even up the age difference between the two teams, because the Harfat team included the great Ivor Allchurch, who was about 47!

I didn't play well but influenced the game by giving away a penalty and scoring a 'tap-in.'

To finish off these soccer memories, I asked my good friend, sharpshooter and golden boot-winner Ralph Potter, to dig out a suitable photo for me, and here's one of a 70's Milford Welsh League team.

B/R Jimmy Curtis, Dai Scoble, George Thompson, Eric Owen, Ralph, Bob Savage, Trevor Thomas.

F/R Herbie Thomas (trainer) Ray Hammet, John Tollett, Brian Burgoyne, Tommy Wood, Mike Lawrence.

Now for our teaser. Last week's answer (seven men have seven wives, etc) was 21 and stumped lots of you, but not Les Haynes, Cynthia Edwards and Joyce Layton.

Try this one: If you had five potatoes and wanted to divide them equally between three people, what should you do? Answers by noon on Friday, please.

A final thought: one of the many things no one tells you about ageing is that it is such a nice change from being young.

See you. Take care.