Denaby “Star” for Stoke.

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More than a season ago when Denaby United took 17-year-old Walter Bussey, the Maltby born boy from Anston Athletic, and put him into Midland league football, we recognise him as a first-class player in the making.

Last season he played regularly with Denaby’s Central League side and steadily developed in footwork, head work, passing, and tackling. He was given trails by Stoke and though they found him still a little raw, they too were impressed and put him on the retained list.

At the beginning of this season when Denaby met and beat Wath at Denaby in the opening match by two goals scored by Bussey, we wrote “He has developed wonderfully. He has, apparently mastered the one serious fault to be found with his play last season and certainly in front of goal only two clear chances came to him on Saturday and he took both, with shots that will score practically every time. Apart from that he was as hard-working a forward as there was on the field – and the cleverest of them all. Bussey is not merely clever with his feet: there is purpose method, in everything he does. He played brilliantly on Saturday and marked himself out as the most promising youngster on the field.”

No critical watcher of the play of this forward this season expected him to be much longer at Denaby and Stoke have added to their playing strength with a young player who should be of immense value to them. He is still under 20, is still learning, and has not yet reached full development either in ability or physique.

Bussey played in Stoke’s Central League side against Blackpool on Saturday and made good use of his first chance. He will no doubt soon get a chance in a higher class of football. And his admirers locally have no fear as to his retaining their faith in him.

The name of Bussey has now to be added to the lengthening list of players whom Denaby have developed from rawness and sent into first-class football almost ready-made –

to the list which includes Froggatt, the present captain of The Wednesday; Scriven Birmingham’s reserve outside left, and Briggs, one of Birmingham’s most regular goalscoring forwards: Cooper and Walter Bradshaw, who are helping Blackburn Rovers; Powell, now with Accrington: Sam Cowan, who went to Doncaster Rovers, but is now promising to push claims for international honours with Manchester city; Sam Kennedy, on Fulham’s playing strength: Hawkins with Exeter city; Wilson with Brighton and Hove.

Few who go from Denaby ever disappoint their new clubs or their old well-wishers at Denaby. We are sure that Bussey will not be one of those few.