Welsh ladies premiership team Manorbier has finally had to reluctantly admit defeat and has now ceased all its footballing activities, recently resigning from both the Premiership, and also the West Wales ladies league.

Explaining the harrowing decision to finish, Gerry Rigby, chairman of the club and also coach of the ladies team, said: "This is a really sad day for Manorbier and Pembrokeshire, who are losing a very fine and successful football club, but the perennial problem that we always face in the county of a limited player base, added to the problem of a net loss of players who leave the county to go to university, finally caught up with us.

"In many ways the situation this time meant that we were the victims of our own success, with an additional two players leaving us to attend the Arsenal Academy in one case, and also the Bristol City Academy in the other.

"Although we tried very hard to attract players to the club, we were unsuccessful, and because of the high standards of the premier league, it just left the club with no option but to finish.

"A light has gone out for sure, but hopefully another club will take up the challenge in future years," he added.

Gerry was keen to praise the input of all the committee members who worked tirelessly to help maintain the standards and integrity of the club over the seasons, and to wish all the players every success with their future careers.

Although a sad day, there was a slight silver lining in the sense that all the playing kit, footballs and coaching equipment has been dispersed to needy clubs and schools in the county, with all the senior players likewise dispersed, either to local clubs or to nearby premiership sides.