But Jill Youngman denies any simmering grievances about her husband Ray and his dedication to Anglian Combination Premier Division club Hempnall.

In fact, she rolls up her sleeves and gets involved too.

Even since they got married in 1964, Mrs Y, as she is known at Bungay Road, has been washing the kits, making teas on match days and helping with the club's administration.

"If you take them on, you take on their sport," said Jill.

"I knew he was involved with it when I married him. Any time he says he will give it up, I say 'don't!'.

"I was always at cricket when I was single, scoring for Woodton, so I was used to sport on a Saturday."

Hempnall FC's history dates back to pre-1900 and it was in 1945 that the Youngman family first got involved, with brothers Ted and Stanley joining the club, followed by their four younger siblings.

The fourth in line to join was Ray in 1952, who started out as a 15-year-old goalkeeper for the club's newly-formed reserve team, before being promoted to the first team three years later.

But his playing days were halted when he broke his foot in 1963 and suffered the same injury again in the first game of the next season and did not play again.

For Ray though, Hempnall was always about more than 90 minutes of football on a Saturday.

From the day he joined he recalls assisting the club's secretary collecting match fees and marking out the pitch, before taking on the role himself at 21 and becoming treasurer – two roles he has held to this day.

In recent years he has also become child protection and welfare officer, as well as being secretary/treasurer of the village's playing fields association.

One of his most time-consuming roles is as club groundsman, which takes up to 30 hours a week.

"I'm on there every day," said Ray, 71.

"The weather doesn't bother me, I don't like sitting indoors.

"The secret is when you do it, not what you do to it. Every Monday I harrow the pitch wet or dry because it doesn't make any difference.

"The rolling side I work out Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, whatever fits in. You always get one dry day a week.

"I have two afternoons where I do my divots, push them all out. And I mark the pitch out.

"On Saturday I'm down there at 11am, putting ropes round the outside and the goalkeeper (Ben Cudden) comes down to put the nets up because I can't reach up there.