Denaby Utd – Challenge Cup Final – Denaby 2  Barnsley Reserve 0 – Match Abandoned

19 March 1910

Mexborough and Swinton Times March 19, 1910

The Wath Fiasco.
Sheffield Challenge Cup Final
Denaby United 2  Barnsley Reserve 0
Match Abandoned

Denaby United’s experience of the Sheffield Challenge Cup competition has been unfortunate.

Four years ago it cost the club a tidy sum of money to win the trophy. This year the Barnsley supporters did not mean them to win it at any price.

It will be remembered after beating Rotherham Town very decisively at Mexborough in the replayed semi-final tie, they were called upon to play the match over again at Sheffield, because one of their players, unknown to themselves, had taken part in the preliminary stages with a junior club.

On Saturday in the final with Barnsley reserve, they had the Barnsleyites beaten all the way. Barnsley reserve never shaped like winning and their supporters, 15 minutes from time, could stand it no longer. They swooped on the field and stopped the match. Their intention was to rob Denaby of the well won victory. It remains to be seen whether the Sheffield and Hallamshire executive will support them in that intention.

Barnsley Welshers

The game was not a great one, by any means. Denaby did not touch their best form at any period of the game. Barnsley Reserve never showed any at all. Denaby had in the same team which beat Notts County Reserve so easily the week before, except that Gregory had perforce to stand down, and Nimrod took its place. Charlie Bisby coming in as right half. The teams faced each other as follows:

Denaby: Thompson; Middlemis and Nimrod; Bisby, Kelly and Westwood; Moseley, Dyal, Tufnell, Glenn and Dodsley.

Barnsley Reserve: Wilcox; Little and Ellis; Oxspring, Wrenn and Helliwell; Hammerton, Taylor, Martin, Coulthard and Arthurs.

It was not a strikingly good Barnsley Reserve team, but it was anticipated that it would put up a better show than actually materialised. Indeed the Barnsley Folk, probably intoxicated by the success of the Barnsley lads in the English Cup, had somehow got hold of the idea that the red shirts were going to lick creation. If you don’t swear that the Barnsley football club will make the English Cup, the Sheffield Challenge cup, and Wharncliffe Chance Cup you tender yourself liable to the consequences of unpopularity in Barnsley. At any rate, the Barnsley people, and there were plenty of them—a thousand coming down in one train —were absolutely confident. As a matter of fact, they were gambling a little on the event. I heard odds of 6 to 4 laid freely enough on Barnleys chances. That gambling was the cause of the disturbance, and the ruin of their football fame, as it is bound to be the ruin of sport in the end. The Barnsley people saw their money going; they could not afford to see it go: So they forgot the instincts of gentlemen, the traditions of sportsmen and they welshed!

Free Views.

A considerable number also welshed the authorities at the outset, pouring over the fences instead of going through the formality of passing the turnstile. But that was the fault of the authorities. There was an insufficient number of gatekeepers and police

The gate realised £48, and if everyone had paid for admission would probably have reached £60. Which, from the financial point of view, quite justified the selection of Wath as the venue of the match

A Poor Game,

Play opened very quietly after Denaby had won the toss. Indeed, at no stage of the game were the passages really exciting. Denaby soon found Barnsley’s weak point, the right back, and once or twice Dodsley danced round Little. Once he sent in a centre which was dead on the mark, and Moseley should have blinded Wilcox with the final crash, but instead he preferred to manoeuvre for position, and the ball floated out of danger.

But Denaby’s first point came after five minutes play, Dudley giving to Glennon, for the latter to score with a real beauty, a cross shot, hard and low. That was the only bit of real good work Glennon did during the afternoon. He seemed nervous, hesitant, undecided, and he was not at all himself. Denaby kept at it, and both the right wing men were provided with opportunities. The Barnsley defences were driven in time and again, and had the Denaby forwards shown average shooting form the issue would have been settled earlier than it was.

Barnsley had a stroke of misfortune when they lost Oxspring towards interval through injury. The halfback came back in the second half, but he was little use.

Only twice in the second half did Denaby make serious advances, and they stormed the goal in each occasion. On each occasion too, when they came to look round, they found that Thompson have been there just before them. At the interval the Barnsley crowd still wore an assumption of cocksure men, but in spite of their bravado they were beginning to look a little anxious.

The Denaby halves and backs had held the Barnsley men tight all the half, and the Denaby forwards had taken things very easily.

And the monstrosity the Oakwellites call a mascot strolled aimlessly about the ground, its handsome lineaments beaming intelligence. Barnsley attacked with some vigour early in the second half but little “Nimmy,” was played a grand game against his old club, and Middlemis, were sound safe and on the left-wing Westwood had his man tied up.

Dodsley sent the ball in the direction of Wilcox, and from a movement of his resulted a rather remarkable goal. The ball came across the goalmouth and was bustled clear. Dyal got hold of it ….  forward, raced round it and …… stood on the goal-line side by side ….. the goalkeeper and facing the field of ….. he headed it onto Tufnell’s breast for the second goal. The amazement of the Barnsley spectators present gave way to angry ….. and the storm was beginning to rise and was to burst very shortly.

The Storm Bursts

Denaby were again attacking on the wing and in a “brush” close in, a player handled the ball. No doubt he handled it accidentally and Denaby’s appeals were half hearted. The referee, luckless man, consulted a linesman who gave Denaby the verdict.

Then the crown set up a hoot as loud as a couple of hundred factories, and before the penalty could be taken the referee had to caution a section of the crowd.

Glennon took the kick and shot straight at Wilcox who saved smartly and cleared. But this did not not appease the Barnsley fans who were forried  by a couple of good chance which the other fellows had.

Discontent spectators gradually began to collect in a forbidden area, the cricket pitch, which took fine runs unprotected from public crime catchment.

The ball was kicked out on that side it was seized and the spectators at once, by common consent crowded onto the playing area. The former policeman present were helpless. It was all they could do to get the referee and the luckless linesman to the pavilion safety. Indeed the latter was assaulted before he could place himself under police protection. There was an exciting pandemonium for a second or two. Children who had not advanced beyond the “smacking” age stuck their thumbs jauntily in their vest. The adults of the crowd look merely silly. At half a dozen points in front of the Pavilion, Denaby men were making exciting and angry speeches, calling on the Barnsley crowd to be sportsman and behave as such. “Each senseless,” said one. “It’s Rotary said in other

To their credit, be it said, that the Barnsley Reserve players took no part at all the disturbance. It was thought that the crowd might be induced to allow the remaining 15 minutes of the game to be played and the Denaby players turned out optimistically enough. Barnsley’s men never attempted to show up at all. So soon as the Denaby players appeared back swooped the intelligent gentlemen from Barnsley. They looked from the Pavilion just like a flock of silly sheep swayed hither and thither by the impulse of their leaders. It was useless. The Barnsley men were determined not to see their team beaten; and so the match had to be abandoned at 5-15. The Sheffield Association can now either award Denaby the Cup which they have fairly earned, or order the 15 minutes to be re-played on another ground, or order the whole game to be re-played.

If they consult their own interests they will take the latter course. If they meet the ends of justice they will take the first course. By ordering a replay they will have aided and abetted the Barnsley rioters. Another run for their money was just what the ” win, tie, or wrangle.” school wanted. Denaby have been a hardly used club so far as the Sheffield Challenge Cup competition has gone. The disgraceful conduct of the Barnsley supporters merits some punishment.