Mexborough and Swinton Times, March 24.
Denaby United seek Fresh Financial Assistance.
An S.O.S. has been sent out by the Denaby United Football Club and it is hoped that their urgent call will be answered when representatives of the club and those of the Sports Allocation Formed, which is in operation at both collieries, meet Mr L.C.Hodges, managing director of the Denaby and Cadeby Colliery Company.
The club has experienced its second worst season and has no transfer fees to help it along. Influential backing, two, has been absent for many years, and public interest in the team has fallen away.
In The Beginning .
Denaby United football club was formed in 1895 by the reverent R.P. Rosevere, and went through from the South Yorkshire and Sheffield Association League competitions to the Midland League in 1902. The club remained in that competition until 1913, but it was revived in 1919 and they finished at the bottom of the league in that season. In the following year, officials of the Denaby and Cadeby Collieries revived interest in the club, and it met with success. Now the slump has come again.
As expected, the special meeting of the club held in the Miners Welfare Hall on Sunday attracted a packed hall. Mr W.Winstead, the chairman, said that if they were to resign from the Midland league for next season. Their resignation must be in by March 30.
Mr A.Davis, financial secretary, appealed for better support, and at the same time informed the meeting that it was his desire to resign his position, which was only temporary, as he was filling the place of Mr T.Swinbourne, who is ill in a Leeds hospital. He could not accept the position any longer, but was willing to help his successor to the end of the season.
He said the clubs income amounted to £846 11s 11d, which included £465 10s from the Sports Allocation Fund. The chief item of expenditure were: Midland league expenses and wages £550 and Sheffield Association league expenses £56 6s 10d. There was a balance in hand of £1.15s 9d an outstanding accounts of £120.
The Second Team.
In reply to a question regarding the second team, Mr Davies said there being a loss of £60 and that was the reason for their withdrawal from the Sheffield Association League. He also said that the average weekly contribution from the workmen was about £8 10s.
Mr T.Hill, chairman of the Sports Allocation Fund, said the club had already overdrawn to the extent of £26, and by the end of the season they will probably overdrawn by about £100. At present the workmen contributed just over £800 a year to the sports fund, of which amount the football club took 60%, and he would not asked the men for any increase contributions. The men played their part and he thought the Colliery Company should also be approached. He was opposed to any suggestion of resignation from the Midland League. He felt confident that a deputation to the Colliery Company would meet with success.
It was pointed out to Mr Hill at the football club and written. Mr Hodges with a view to a deputation, but he was away on holiday, and would see them on his return.
Mr T.Hill proposed that the meeting be adjourned a week to await the result of the deputation to the Colliery Company and this was carried unanimously.