South Yorkshire Times, April 19th 1969
After two weeks under the spotlight, Mike Prendergast has become a well-known name down Hillsborough way,
Thrown in at the deep end the of Sheffield Wednesday were at their Lowest Ebb, this 18-years-old Denaby youth has preformed with a skill and enthusiasm that has earned him praise from all the critics.
But how did Mike react to the news that his move from schoolboy football in Denaby to play alongside such stars as George Best, Billy rang bremmer Bobby Charlton, was to be completed?
St James Park was the venue, Newcastle United Opposition, April 9th the date.
“I thought it would affect me quite a bit to hear I would be playing, but it didn’t at first. When the manager told me on the train to Newcastle, I didn’t have time to think about it. All the lads congratulated me, and Sam Ellis, who I shared my hotel with, was talking and joking all the time. I wasn’t given the chance to think about it,” said it When it sank in, in the dressing room before the match, John Fantham and Gerry Young Talked me through it. I was very nervous, but once on the field it was great.”
How did Mike react to the great reviews he got? I was surprised, he said, “I didn’t think I’d played that well, although I knew I hadn’t done badly. It scared me a bit, because people would be watching me when I came to Hillsborough, expecting a lot from me.”
Mike crowned the performance with a goal.
“Gerry Young was cutting in from the left, running across goal looking for a shot. I dropped behind him to cover, but I could see the ball was running away from him. At the last second he touched it on to me, and I tapped it to one side to get a clear shot at goal, then just gave it all I had got. It swerved away from keeper and in to the goal. At first I just couldn’t believe it. It was fantastic” The games against Burnley and Leicester have confirmed the thoughts of those who saw Mike Prendergast play in that first match. If the Whole team played as he did, then Sheffield Wednesday would still be a name to be feared by even the best of clubs.