In Denaby United’s Year of Plenty – Flashback to 1907-1908 (picture)

April 1966

South Yorkshire Times April 23, 1966.

In Denaby’s Year of Plenty

Flashback… To the year Denaby United tied with Sheffield Wednesday Reserves for the Midland League Championship. Memories of this Denaby “year of plenty” are recalled by Mr A Massey of 38, Road, Conisbrough in a letter to the “South Yorkshire Times.”

At that time his brother, the late E.M.Massey, and Jim Hancock, shared the goalkeepers honours. Although he cannot remember the exact year of Denaby triumph, Mr Massey now turned 70, says he was 10 or 11 at the time.

He writes: “The reason I have such a vivid memory of that year is because when my brother was picked to keep goal I used to wait for him near a small door by the turnstiles when he saw me he used to take hold of my hand and take me in to see the match free.

“It would only have cost me a penny to go through the turnstiles – but a penny to a small boy in those days was a fortune.

“The players used to change at the Reresby Arms, come round the corner and up the lane to the little door by the turnstiles.”

Mr Massey believes that the championship team for most of the season was “J Hancock, Ramsden, Marshall, Nimrod, Tom Kelly, Les Hoften, Blackburn, Dyal, Gadsby, Speight, Ball stop

“in these days this team would have been well up in the second division. The greatest member of this good team was Les Hofton, who Denaby transferred to Glossop then in the Second Division.”

hofton

Hofton was a full-back with Glossop, and they later transferred him to Manchester United for £1000, which in those days  was a lot of money. (a record for Manchester Utd. too!) “I followed with keen interest Manchester United matches to see how Les was getting on. I eagerly awaited the ’Umpire’on Sunday (later the ‘Empire News’) for a description of the Manchester match.”

Sportswriters described Hofton as being “in a class by himself – the natural successor to Bob Crompton.” Mr Massey says that this was indeed praise but unfortunately Hofton sustained a injury to his knee while playing for England in an inter-League match. That injury finished what could have been a brilliant playing career.

Les tried to make a comeback with Denaby years later, but his knee would not stand up to it and he had to call it a day.

Mr Massey adds: “All the players I have name would today are been an asset to any Football League team. Joe Nimrod, a local man and as good a halfback as you could wish to see, Dido Blackburn and Joy Ball, two of the finest wingers, Teddy Dyal and Speight, to find inside forwards, Tom Kelly at centre half …. yes a great team.”

He mentioned some of the Midland League teams of those days – Sheffield United Reserves, Rotherham County, Rotherham town, Doncaster Rovers, Mexborough Town.

“Yes, don’t forget Mexborough Town, who had as good a team of Denaby.” He writes.

“It had to be a good team to top the Midland League in those days,” he says. “The clashes between Denaby and Mexborough was something to look forward to. The grounds were packed to capacity on Christmas Day and Boxing Day.”