Mexborough & Swinton Times January 6, 1906
Football Lyric
Denaby United vs Mexborough
A Comparison.
If I was asked to draw a line
Between these rivals great,
I fear that I would fain decline
In view just now to state.
Sometimes I think Mexborough Town
Are just the smarter side,
Then Denaby do something grand,
And hence precisely how they stand.
I can’t at once decide
If one would but the other beat
We have a chance to know,
But somehow every time they meet,
Such level form they show
That still we cannot really say
Which is the better team,
And so I cannot write today
That either is supreme.
Two matches in the Midland league
The rivals now have played,
And neither side has shown fatigue,
But both throughout have stayed,
Three solid hours they’ve been opposed
And always on the run,
But yet no difference is disclosed,
For neither side has won this
One match has shown the Town’s attack
A little bit to seek,
That combination somewhat flat,
Their shooting rather weak,
But in that same encounter all
Possessed of common sense,
See they had what we may call
A very sound defence.
In that same game United shone, this
Throughout their forward line,
The five men almost played as one,
In combination fine.
But more than once throughout the play
We felt surprised to find this
At Denaby, at least that day,
Were insecure behind.
But in the other game we saw
This difference turned quite round,
We in United’s 5 the flaw
Of indecision found.
And at the self-same time we stood
Amazed to clearly see
That Denaby’s defence was good
As good could ever be.
The match, moreover, plain revealed
The Mexborough Town attack
As quite the best upon the field
A smart and sturdy pack
While there were moments now and then
When failures in the rear
Filled all the hearts of Mexborough men
with apprehensive fear
Then which to dub the better team
I’ve not the least idea,
Nor can I think of any scheme
by which to make it clear,
Three hours to settle it they’ve tried
Then how on earth can I decide
what they can’t prove themselves? This
GB. Tennyson Sims.