Denaby Utd – Denaby 0, Farsley Celtic 0 -Talent was in the Deep Freeze

3 January 1970

South Yorkshire Times, January 3, 1970

Talent was in the Deep Freeze

And there was Little to Cheer About

Denaby United 0, Farsley Celtic 0

All prospects of good football from Denaby and Farsley evaporated into the cold air on Saturday as winter’s icy fingers closed on Tickhill Square. With talent in the deep-freeze, the league champions had little trouble in holding an under-strength Denaby side in the Yorkshire League’s top Christmas encounter.

Denaby had player-manager Harold Sapey, centre-forward Howard Morley and pivot Bob Bennett on the sidelines, and the re-arranged forward line rarely troubled the league’s strongest defence.

With players unable to turn and the ball bobbing awkwardly on the bumpy pitch, a large Christmas crowd had little to cheer about, and in fact the visitors looked the more likely to score for much of the game. A period of first half pressure gave Denaby a scare or two as the ball skidded about the penalty area, and Farsley centre-half Hughes, up helping the attack, had the first real chance of the match in front of goal.

But the Gods smiled on Denaby and a wicked bounce averted the danger.

Defence Dominate

The dominating force in this ‘game was the Farsley defence.

rail, strong and brilliant In .overing a n d ahticipating moves, they ‘shielded ‘keeper Burton from everything Den-aby could muster.

Not until the last five minutes, when substitute Reynolds came on for Denaby, did the home club look like scoring.

Then Reynolds’ cross just missed both the post and Dick Sumpner and a sweet passing movement down the right flank, ended with `Tosh’ England curling shot just over the top.

Minutes earlier Farsley had come close to scoring when Ken Whitehead had to go full length to the foot of the post to keep out a shot.

‘Pantomime’

Neither side can have been disappointed with a point, but it would be ridiculous to assess these two clubs on their performance in this pantomime on ice.

Teams :

Denaby United — Whitehead (K), Wiggles, Toyne, Pettit, Harvey, Whitehead (P), Gray, Wiley, Bowden, Sumpner, England; sub., Reynolds.

Farsley Celtic — Burton Fieldhouse, Axby, Hird, Hughes, Brown, Jones, Aveyard, Walker, Wardby, Steele.