It Cost £3,938 to Run Denaby United In 1955-56

The question is often asked: “What does it cost to run a Midland team football club these days?” The answer was provided at Denaby United’s annual meeting on Sunday morning. In the year ended April 5^th it cost £3,938 19s. 2d and there was a loss on the year of £132 6s 2d.

Wages and fees accounted for £2530; travelling expenses, £738. “Gate” receipts (about £250 less than in the previous season) brought in £1034, workmen’s contributions £1409 and the supporters club gave £756. The deficit reduced the excess of assets over liabilities from £566 to £434.

Two points emerged: the balance sheet is drawn up to April 5. And it has been generally felt that a truer picture would be offered if it were drawn up to the end of the football season. A proposition that this should be next year’s procedure was accepted. The supporters club have also made a further donation of £150, the ladies section a donation of £30, making a total of over £900 for the year, a record. Opinion was expressed that no supporters club in the country had given more to its parent club by comparison with its membership. At Denaby it works out at approximately £3 per head. The committee had been working together for seven years; in that time they have increased their yearly grants from £200 £900. As a pleasant finale to the football season they provided tea and sandwiches for Frickley Colliery and Denaby United after their last Midland league match, of the season, noted in our last issue.

“Gates” disappointied chairman, Mr Arthur Roberts. He ppoke appreciatively of the money that came both from workmen’s contributions and the supporters club. “Without them, we could pack up”, “gates” had been very disappointing. They had hoped the evening games would have attracted large crowds, but it did not work out that way. From a financial point of view the season had not been very good; from a playing point of view (43 points from 46 matches) it had been very satisfactory. One of Denaby’s “problems” had been that they had won points away – and lost at home. This had no doubt affected home “gates”.

Mr Sam Peck was re-elected president and Mr B. W. Lupton. Financial secretary. Mr Matt Taylor’s appointment as secretary manager runs for two years and he is not due for the election until 1957, but on Sunday he said he was quite prepared to resign and let someone else take on the task, if it were felt-as, he said, he had heard it said, he was not doing his job properly. “I have heard I am not doing my job properly by not finding players”, he said. “You can’t find players if you are travelling with the second team.”

“A Matter of Opinions”.

One of the 70 strong attendance asked, “Are these people who say these things willing to do your job, Mr Taylor?”

Mrs Taylor replied: “I don’t think so”.

In subsequent discussion opinion was ventured from the body of the hall, “what it boils down to is that they would like a player manager, but daren’t say so”.

Mr Taylor replied, “That is a matter of opinion”, and another rejoinder from the hall was, “it would also be a matter of great expense.”

On a proposition from the body of the hall, a vote of confidence was expressed in the secretary manager.

Six committee men elected for two years were Messrs H. Goodlad, W. Gandy, J. Webster, J. Taylor, J. Keywood, and T. Holmes and, for one year, S. Dufty.

The Second Team

The question of the second team future was discussed during “any of the business” and discussion concluded with a vote – carried against in amendment that it be left to the committee – that a second team be run again in season 1956-57. Referendums was made to a suggestion which had been discussed at a second team to be known as Tom Hill Old Boys, be run.

When pressed for a statement as to what had transpired “now the cat was out of the bag”, Mr Roberts said it had merely been talked over. Nothing concrete had been done.

Mr Tom Shepard replied. “This is the thin end of the wedge”.

Denaby’s retained list so far include Smethurst, Williamson. Hague, Cooper, Southall, Barnes, Gillott, Holmes, Martin and Duggan.