South Yorkshire Times, April 4th, 1970
Newsboy Title
Seventeen-year-old Conisbrough newspaper boy Tony Mannion delivered the goods at the Castle House Restaurant, Sheffield, on Tuesday to romp away with the “Star” Newsboy title for 1970.
With the title came a magnificent chrome and silver trophy and a cheque for £50.
Tony, a Swinton Comprehensive School sixth-former, became the first representative from the Mexborough area to take the prize when a panel of five judges named him best of the nine finalists.
His newsagent, Robert and Malcolm Ackroyd of Gibsons Ltd, will display the trophy in their Denaby shop when it has been engraved.
In the Bank
The £50 is in the bank and Tony plans to keep it there for if he achieves an ambition to reach university, where he hopes to study mechanical engineering.
Studying
He is at present studying for ‘A’ levels in Maths, Physics and Engineering and his spare time has been put to good use in building a go-kart – which he hopes to race in the future.
It is one more step towards achieving his ambition to become an automobile or aeronautical engineer.
With Tony at the Castle House Restaurant on Tuesday were his mother, Vera, and sister, Pat, and afterwards the three of them took a little time off to celebrate the victory.
Tony’s family moved to Castle Street, Conisbrough, recently from Denaby but his newspaper round takes him through all the old haunts – Braithwell Street, Ravensfield Street, Warmsworth Street and Maltby Street.
Tony has been delivering newspapers for over three years, and has had an evening round for six months.
Placed second in the final was Andrew Oliver (15), of Chesterfield, third was Margaret Crossley (14) of Hoyland, and joint fourth, Peter Rodger (16) of Rotherham and Maureen Flood (16) of Shiregreen.
The judges were Mr. T. P. Watson, general manager of Sheffield Newspapers Ltd., Mr. G. Neale, member of the board of management of the National Chamber of Trade, Mr. G. Hardwick, secretary of the Yorkshire District Council of the National Federation of Retail Newsagents, Miss E. Baker, careers officer, Sheffield Careers Office, and Mr. P Furniss, assistant youth officer and organiser of Youth Action, Sheffield.