Doncaster v Portsmouth Local Interest

Part of the interest of Portsmouth’s visit to Doncaster in third round of the FA Cup on January 11th centres around the probability of two familiar forwards appearing in the side – Herbert Barlow, outside right, and Clifford Parker, outside left.

Barlow, born in Kilnhurst in 1916, has played for Barnsley and the Wolves. He was signed from Wolverhampton in 1989 and scored against them at Wembley in the final. Normally an inside left, he now appears to have solved Portsmouth’s outside right problem.

Parker, of course, is an old Denaby Mainer. He has been playing football since he was eight and was in a semi-final of the English schools Shield in 1928. He went to Portsmouth after a period with Mexborough and 2 ½ years with Doncaster. He joined Mexborough on leaving school, but after a period with the reserves, during which he had several trials with the Midland league side, he was not retained and went to Doncaster. The Rovers signed him before he was 17 and he went to Portsmouth in December, 1933. He has been playing regularly for the first team since 1935. But had to be rested in a week or two ago with flu.

He has a cup medal and scored twice at Wembley; got his 1^st cup goal for Mexborough – against Denaby!