An Undoubted Win for Denaby

Denaby United 3 Barnsley Reserves 1

When I received instructions to do their match I said to myself, Poor old Denaby, you’ll go down again today, for but twice before had I been to Denaby this season and although Denaby were expected to win, they sadly came a cropper. It was with a heavy heart, therefore feeling I was going to Denaby no good, but an unintentional injury, that I boarded an alleged bus and was driven to Denaby.

When I arrived on the ground and was about to enter the stand, the ancient official of the club, who appears to regard the ground as his especial property, help me: “Hello, he said, “I thought you said we better pay you to keep away?” I answered and said unto him, “So I did, but you are. However, if you make it worth my while now I will go home again.”

There been no response to this offer, I determined to stay, resolving to accept no responsibility for anything which might happen to Denaby during the day. I set out my stall as well as the alleged accommodation for reporters would allow me, and remarked, “Very well, then your blood be upon your own heads.”

I’m glad to say that my appearance at Denaby was not the signal for Denaby’s downfall. I saw them play the best game I have yet seen at Denaby, I was able to wire at the conclusion of the game, to the four corners of the earth, the news at Denaby had won. I am sorry to say, however, that since I was last at Denaby the club committee have done nothing to improve the comfort of the unfortunate class of men what to report their matches, and contribute, I imagine, something to the success of the club by their labours.

All the accommodation for the Press is a shelf, fixed in front of the stand, which, is too low to stand upright at, but which one cannot sit down to, because no seed is provided. I would like some of the committee to bend nearly double on that wretched shelf and do an hour and a half’s writing. There was some talk of a new stand been erected on the other side of the ground, containing respectable accommodation for the “fourth estate”, but that project, I am informed, is postponed sine die, and I suppose it is the intention of the committee to condemn the pressmen to their present purgatory sine die.
That is why, having hitherto held my peace about it, I am now compelled to cry out. If the Denaby committee do not wish their matches to be reported, they can adopt no better way of saying it than by making pressmen do their work under the wretchedly uncomfortable conditions which now exist. I shall come once more to Denaby and if I have to do my work on that backbreaking shell, it will be my last visit there until I learn that the conscience of the committee has induced them to make better provision.

The match did not attract much of a gate, indeed, when the teams lined up to commence the game there was only a handful of spectators present. The more attractive fixture at Mexborough, I suppose, had something to do with this, and it goes to show that the Denaby committee depend very largely on the Mexborough public for support.
Denaby took the field without Welsh, who is on the injured list, is placed at back been taken by Marshall, of the reserves, which may be said at once thoroughly justified his inclusion in the team.

The meeting of Donald Lees, Docherty, Lavery and Heppinstall, with their old colleagues led to a good deal of handshaking before the game commence. There is a very strong Barnsley element in this year’s Denaby team, but it could not be said that affection for their old team led any of the Denaby players to show the reader’s favour.

Denaby won the toss, and kicked off towards the colliery goal. In the first minute the home left got away and Heppinstall centred, Tompkins heading pass Rounds into the net. This early success of the home team was warmly applauded by the few spectators present, but there were not enough for them to create what one might call a demonstration.

Barnsley got down, but “Brown” was wide with a fast shot. Denaby came again, and Heppinstall, with an alright shot, force Rounds to handle again.

Denaby left the field victors by three goals to one.

Denaby have a good team, and when they treat the pressmen as he has a right to be treated I shall feel inclined to write nice things about the club.

Team: Hancock; Marshall, Lawley; Nimrod, Lees, Arnold; Lindley, Tompkins, Docherty, Lavery, Heppinstall