Denaby Utd – “Shoestring” Denaby’s Fixture Pressure.

18 April 1964

South Yorkshire Times April 18, 1960

“Shoestring” Denaby’s Fixture Pressure.

Denaby United will have to call on local junior team to see them through a tough period of mid week fixtures, says player manager Harry Hough

last week Denaby played Matlock on Monday, Belper on Thursday, and on Saturday Midland League Championship chasers, Scarborough, all away, and United have yet to play Grantham and Retford in midweek.

Harry said that this has told on his team. “Most of them are amateurs, although on a part-time professional basis, as in other Midland League clubs, and it is hard on them.

“We have only four or five experienced professionals in our side. We have no second team, and we have been running on a `shoe stringĀ“ but even so I do not think there is a team in the League, which enjoys its football as much as Denaby.”

“With so few players we are really struggling for a team for some of the midweek fixtures.”, He added.

Denaby played several players from the local Denaby side Tom Hill Old boys in their match at Belper last Thursday.

Harry puts the lack of players down to the fact that nowadays footballers do not really serve apprenticeships, and do not graduate through the junior sides into the `big timeĀ“

“We also have several players who would have done better if that stayed a season, got the Midland League experience and then gone to one of the Football League clubs.

Quickly Snapped Up.

“We have been looking for players, but there does not seem to be any local talent. Committee men have been watching teams each week, but any promising lad snapped up by the big clubs will discard the player if he is no good.

“This season has been a wonderful opportunity for the lad who thinks he’s god; all he had to do was contact me and we would have given him a trial, and told him whether he would make the grade.”

Harry said there should be more co-operation between junior clubs and teams such as Denaby. “If a team has a good player who they think would make the grade, they should contact us, and we would willingly give him a trial, whereas now they naturally try to hang on to the good players they have. We are looking for the players who look like making the highest standard of football.

One player Denaby have definitely lost is insight forward Alan Harvey. Alan, who married recently and lives in Barnsley has flown out to Canada. He joined Denaby at the beginning of the season.

 

 

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