Denaby United’s Origin.

13 April 1929

Sheffield Independent – Saturday 13 April 1929

Denaby United’s Origin.

Football clubs sometimes originate in curious and unexpected ways.

Denaby United, for example, owes its existence to a little disused church adjoining the Reresby Arms Hotel, Doncaster road, Denaby.

This crumbling ruin has an interesting history, and one of its most interesting incidents was the period when it gave birth to the present Denaby United Footbail Club.

In those days—20 years ago or more, there was not the present Parish Church of All Saints. A sporting parson ministered to rough and ‘’Dirty Denaby” in the little church of St. Chad, re-built out of barn adjoining the once-upon-a-time Reresby Farm.

The Rev. Mr. Rosevere—dead these few years—found that people had their hearts in the right place, and the football team attached to the church quickly caught on. Such veterans as Mr. Ernest Robinson, Tom Peters and others held office with the club, whose players included Mr. “Billy” Astbury and Mr. Hancock, the secretary-manager and trainer to-day.

And so, from email beginnings, Denaby United grew up. Footbal was slightly different then, but the game in Denaby was one factor proving to the outside world that the colliery village was not as black as it was painted.

The little church still lingers in crumbling decay, but it is regarded with affection many who remember the days of its usefulness.