LIKE good wine, they've matured with age. But the former Trowbridge Town players at the biggest club reunion on Saturday night also showed there's still some fizz left in the bottle.

Players who turned out for the club over the last six decades attended the reunion at Trowbridge cricket club. The 1940s provided some vintage years as the club won the Western League championship in 1946-47 and 1947-48 and the Wiltshire Professional Shield in 1945-46, 1946-47 and 1949-50.

Many believe it was the finest ever Trowbridge team. Representing that era were Harry Haddon, who was celebrating his 83rd birthday, and Selby Dando. The 1950s saw Trowbridge finish Western League runners-up in 1956-57 and 1957-58 and, with former Scottish international John Henderson as player-manager they won election to the Southern League.

The swinging 60s included one of the club's biggest games, a home match against Coventry City in the first round of the 1963-64 FA Cup. Trowbridge officials resisted the temptation to cash in by switching the game to Highfield Road and Coventry, then top of the old Third Division and managed by Jimmy Hill, brought all the razzmatazz to Frome Road before running out 6-1 winners.

Four members of the Trowbridge side that day Colin Tavener, Dave Noakes, Dave Morris and Paul Meehan met up again to remember the day. Noakes recalled: "I had lots of clubs in my career, but I enjoyed my spell at Trowbridge the best."

Sadly, the more recent history of Trowbridge Town has included more off the field financial crises than on the field successes. Derek Noble, a former company secretary at Ushers, continued a tradition of close links between the brewery and the football club, by becoming chairman of the club in the 1970s.

The club faced expulsion from the Southern League because of a lack of floodlights and a deal was negotiated with the council to provide the money for the lights. Noble said: "Three weeks after the lights were put up we had a Bonfire Night party at the ground. To my horror, I watched as the pylons slowly bent over from the heat of the bonfire, but fortunately they went back upright when they cooled."

The 1980s brought another brief golden age, with Trowbridge winning promotion to the Alliance League (now the Conference). Les Alderman, who took charge in the mid-1980s, came down from his home in Scotland for Saturday's reunion.

He said: "One of the first things I had to cope with was the fire that completely destroyed the main stand and dressing rooms at the beginning of the 1985-86 season.

"But we still managed to play the game on the Saturday and although the grass was scorched we beat Thanet."

The 1990s also brought success, with John Murphy leading the club to promotion back to the Southern League Premier Division, the semi-finals of the FA Vase and the Southern League Cup and victories in the Wiltshire Premier Shield and Wilts Floodlit Cup in successive seasons.

The end finally came in 1998 when after 118 years the club folded following years of financial problems. A new club was formed a year later, with the first team now playing in the Hellenic League. Former manager Roy Bence, who organised the reunion, said: "Trowbridge Town has had many ups and downs, but most players will tell you they enjoyed their time with the club."