Pops, who travels to and from the United States where he is presently residing with his wife Dorothy Topsy Hamilton, said that he is not casting aspersions at the way football is played now, but said that it was so much different in their time, and that moreover, he would like to see the game revitalized and played with the love that they used to play with. He said that they practiced a lot because the officials did not allow the teams to change any men. If you started the game, you had to stick it out for the entire 90 minutes, Pops said.

Our practices were on and off the field, as we interacted with each other. Our coaches did not tolerate nonsense and we could not be in the nightclubs. Our coach would ride around at night, and if he met you at a dance he would make sure that you went home, reminding you that you had a game to play and perform in, said Pops.

?We all had our differences, but when we were on the field our minds were set on winning and playing our best. We had respect for each other, our coach and even our fans, knowing that constructive criticism helps. We played one-touch football and the support of the fans was tremendously great.?

On that note, Cattouse said that he passed the MCC grounds lately and asked if games had stopped playing, but was told that there was a game going on. ?I was rather surprised, because when we played on those grounds, you could hear the fans shouting from a distance, and they gave us encouragement and made us anticipate the next game,? said Cattouse.

Both men agreed that the difference now in the game is because of the training, ball control and skills, which are needed to create a good performance. The men said that the players today need to love the game, and participate in other sports besides football, which will improve their skills. The men that played football from 1955-1965 were multi-talented, said Pops. We never got paid, but were hired by our sponsors to work for them, he said.

Not wanting to say ?in my days,? Pops said that back then, the men who played football played many other sports, like himself, who played basketball, track and field, and cricket.

A few of the men that played on the first Brodies team were Nelson ?Roo? Robinson, who was the goalkeeper, Anselm ?Bendrake? Williams, John Young, Pas Ellis, ?Shamba? Dominguez, Gilbert Dunn, Malcolm Hemmans, Jenna Gentle and Bernard Aguet. All men got nicknames from the way their played.

The Brodies team won 2 consecutive years, 62-63 and 63-64. They were the runner-ups in the 64-65 season. Pops average was 1.5 goals per game for the 2 ? seasons he played. Some of the teams of that era were Dunlop and Diamond A.

The men said that the encouragement they received from the senior players of their time aided them in their playing skills. The men recalled their most spectacular game, when they played under the coaching of Buntin Fuller against the police team.

Cattouse said that they were down 3-2 and had 5 minutes remaining in the game when they struck for 2 goals in the last five minutes and won the championship.

?The way you position your body while playing has a lot to do with making you able to score a goal. I guess that is why we dominated most of the Central American teams in the 60?s, because we were strategic players, setting the pace for a goal. We also had many strikers,? said Cattouse.

Another great game, the men said, was when the team scored the fastest goal ever in Belize after only two men touched the ball. That goal was scored by Pops from inside the 18 after getting an assist from Gilbert ?Pino? Hernandez. That goal, they said, is still a record as Belize?s fastest goal ever.

Pops then recounted his years playing on basketball teams such as ?Flyers? and ?Cobras.? His first year, he said, was played at the Old Parish Hall. He said that he won 3 championships, 2 in the junior and 1 in senior. That was the only time, in 1963, that Belize had a selection that ?represented? at the Jamaica Games, both in basketball and football.

Pops said that he is now very active in track and field and has won over 20 medals since 2000, representing Belize in Panama at the Central American Master?s Athletic Championships and the New York Empire State Games, which has over 6,000 participants, ages varying. He said that he has won six-100 m and four-200 m races, and that his field event is the long jump. Earlier this year he clocked 12.4 in the 100 m.

Pops said that he intends to start a sports club in Belize, as he is moving back home and hopes to revitalize the football spirit. He said that he hopes to be able to deal with the younger generation, who will be better and easier to mold and teach.