South Yorkshire Times, May 5th 1933
Benefit Match
Denaby 5, Past Players 0
The match between Denaby United and a team of past players of the club arranged for the benefit of “Bill” Lawley. the club s former trainer and played on the Denaby ground yesterday, was not too well patronised.
However. though the Iast team contained none of the more famous players turned out by the club, some players still well-known and remembered, in the district at any rate, were on view.
Denaby won easily in the end though they only led 1-0 at the interval. WHITEHEAD having scored from what looked suspiciously like an offside position just before half-time. ADAMS had a “day out” in the second and largely through the clever prompting of Fitgerald scored four more goals for Denaby.
A feature of the display of the Past team was the splendid kicking of the two Hull City full-backs, Rogers and Woodhead. Their positioning and their clearances from the most awkward angles were admirable and they were quite the most polished players on the field.
It was good to see Dick Kelly, who led the Denaby attack in that memorable F.A. Cup tie against Southport and is now with Rossington, heading for goal in the old dashing style and showing the same opportunism as a marksman, though he did not manage to score, being pulled up for on the only occasion he got the ball past Hudson. Sam Kennedy’s genial personality enhanced the friendly atmosphere of the game but even his bulk did not enable him to force a way through the Denaby defence in which Taylor and Mountney were very sound with Hudson safe and alert behind them. Critchley, the Doncaster Rovers winger, did some clever things but Smith never allowed him to become really dangerous, and Matt. Taylor kept a close watch on Wadsworth, the Barnsley player, on the other flank. The Finney brothers of Wath worked hard in the Past half-back line but could do little to hold the Denaby forwards in the closing stages.
Mr. J. Ellmer, of Ryecroft, refereed the game and the linesmen were Mr. R. Coops (Frickley), and Mr. W. Marshall (Denaby). After the game the players and officials were entertained at a tea and concert at the Denaby British Legion Club The arrangements had been made by a committee of which Mr. E. Kelly. president of the Denaby British Legion Club was