Confident pledge by Denaby United’s New Manager.

August 1964

South Yorkshire Times 15th August.

“We shall not Finish at Bottom of the Midland League this Time.”

Confident pledge by Denaby United’s New Manager.

Moves to bring former Doncaster Rovers, Newcastle and Glasgow Rangers centre half Bill Paterson to Denaby United as captain for the coming season have failed.

The “South Yorkshire Times” learned this week that negotiations bring the player who cost Newcastle a large transfer fee to Denaby had been on the verge of success when a job which Paterson hope to take in Doncaster did not materialise.

But the building of the new team for the new season – which starts next Saturday with a game against Retford – is still going on.

“A lot of people keep saying we are done – but Denaby United is a long way from being done,” were the confident words of the new secretary – manager, Mr Sam Duffty, this week.

Returning to the club from last season. Our Denaby’s longest serving player, full-back Frank Foster, and forward Derek Cox, as well as centre half, 19 years old Ronnie Taylor, who played a few games at the end of the season.

Brian Whant, Frank Foster’s partner at full-back last season may well be back again and confirmation of his re-signing is expected any time.

New Signings

new faces will include 18 years old. David Roberts, a write-off from Thrybergh, was been playing with Mark Crookes Young Walls, and it is hoped, John Butterfield, a goalkeeper from Cleckheaton.

24 years old, John Woodyer, who has Midland League experience with Grantham, Scarborough and Retford, may well be another signing. An insight forward or halfback, he was burned by a sunray lamp and if he proves fit again in preseason practices may well be on Denaby’s books this season.

Other signs were expected to be made after this week’s first practice, held on Tuesday, with a second on Thursday, followed up by a final public one against a local team.

“The team will be a young one – but even though we will have a young players. They will all have had experience in good class football,” said Mr Duffty.

He added, “We have a heavy programme in the first two months of the season and I hope we can have a bit of luck and get into top gear straightaway. The players are nearly all new and we cannot promise anything at this stage, but I am sure there will be a definite improvement on last year. We are not going to finish at the bottom again.”

No Second Team.

The Denaby club has come to a good understanding with the secretaries of other local clubs concerning the loan players etc and will help those clubs whenever they – and so they will not have a second team.

The club’s new trainer will be Bill Barker, an ex army instructor and Masseur, who was in charge of the Rotherham United junior teams for about six years.

Finances always been Denaby’s big headache, and was a major cause of last season’s disaster. Although the response to the recent miners ballot for extra contributions towards the cost of running the club were not as encouraging as it could have been, officers are not disappointed.

“After all,” said Mr Duffty, “we will be receiving £300 a year which we haven’t had before.”

He promised, “We will try our best to improve the club as a whole, get ideas and find ways and means of putting it back on its feet.”