Presentation at Denaby Main

25 October 1901

Mexborough and Swinton Times, October 25.

Presentation at Denaby Main

On Thursday evening week at the Reresby Arms Hotel, Mr W. Wright the treasurer of the sports committee, was presented with a beautiful gold medal by the latter, as a mark of esteem and recognition of past services, not only to the sports committee, but also for the splendid and invaluable services he has rendered to the football club.

The sports were only inaugurated this year, but, owing to the untiring energies of Mr Wright and others they were brought to a most successful issue financially and otherwise.

But Mr Wright has acted as treasurer to the Denaby United F.C. ever since the club was founded on its present basis, some years ago, in a somewhat low position. In the capacity of president of the club he has been the means of raising to its present standard of excellence in the football world.

Although the club has no brilliant record so far as high-class football is concerned, it is on the upgrade, and is establishing for itself a firm basis on which to build the more powerful rock of a highly promising future, and under the guidance of so energetic and unsparing a president as Mr Wright has proved itself there is every possibility that the club may soar much higher than it now does.

The other presentation was made by Mr W.I. Gibbs, the genial manager of the Denaby Main Hotel, to Mr T Weston, one of the club’s best friends, for services rendered, and as a recognition of very services and kindnesses mentioned by Mr Gibbs in his remarks. This item did not leak out until practically the last moment, and it came as a pleasant surprise packet to the limited number who had been invited.

Previous to the presentation a ham and tongue lunch was provided by Mrs Weston, who catered in her usual able style, and afterwards Mr Weston occupied the chair at the “social,” Mr Gibbs being voted to the vice-chair.

Mr Weston in a short address, said they were all aware they had met that social evening for the purpose of making a presentation to their worthy president of the football club and athletic sports committee. Everyone concerned in the sports are doing their utmost without exception, and they had given credit throughout the district to all those were taking an interest in them. (Hear, hear).

Mr H Baker the sports secretary, in a few brief remarks, stated that the subscriptions had amounted to a little over £25, whilst upwards of £14 had been received from entrance fees, and the total income was £77, of which a little over £25 was left as the balance to be taken by the cooperators and promoters of the sports. – The F.C. and the Foresters. (Hear, hear).

After the toast “the King and Queen and the Royal family” have been duly honoured, Mr Weston, in presenting Mr Wright with a gold medal, said he was called upon to make a handsome presentation that evening to Mr Wright, the president of the Denaby and Cadeby Main athletic sports, and it gave him the highest satisfaction and honour to make that presentation. He and Mr Wright had known each other since they were youths of 18 years, when they had worked side-by-side, and they had always been on the best of terms of friendship.

They had separated some 15 years, and they had not lost sight of each other, and when he came into that district Mr Wright was one of the first to rally round him, therefore, when he was asked to make the presentation he felt highly honoured.

Regarding the football club and athletic sports, he did not know a harder worker, and he need not impress upon them that in Mr Wright they had a great supporter and a great friend. He did not do all this work for any benefit but for the interest of the game, and without him he could honestly say he did not know what the club would do, and he felt highly pleased with the Sports Committee when they formed the idea of making him a presentation in acknowledgement of his services both to the football club and the sports. (Hear, hear).

He (Mr Wright) was one of the mainstays of their club – practically the backbone of the Denaby United F.C.(hear, hear). On behalf of the committee he had very great pleasure in handing Mr Wright the splendid gold medal, and he hoped and trusted they would all live to see him wear and cherish it greatly for years to come. (Hear, hear and applause.)

Mr Wright in accepting the medal said he thanked the chairman for his kind remarks, he had made respecting himself and also for the hearty vote, they had accorded him. Although he had taken an active part in the sports and football club, they also had worked as hard and as earnestly as he had. He did not know that he had ever met with a more energetic lot of people in all his life, and he thought they had all worked harder than he had, and he had only been a simple soldier with leaders of gun and cannon. There was only one thing he wished, and that was that he would only be able to show his appreciation of their kindness. They knew at a time like that, when a man should get up and express his feelings, everything left him, and although he felt so grateful and thankful to them the words would not come – and they could not say what he would have done in an orderly way. He thanked them from his heart for the kind present to him, and he promised them while there was a breath in his body he would try to appreciate it, and when his life´s mission was completed, he would try to leave it as a remembrance to his family. (Hear, hear and applause.)

Mr I Gibbs contributed in a few remarks, which cause a satisfactory surprise to the company. He said it was a great pleasure to be amongst them that evening and he could say without fear that the finest and most noble hearted sportsmen was their worthy host, Mr Weston (hear, hear). He was always ready and willing to give good advice in any good cause, whatever the institution, and he was always ready to guide them and put them in the right way to do right. (Hear, hear). Mr Weston had been a bosom friend of his father, who, he was not ashamed to own, was raised as a miner, and it was a credit to Mr Weston that he had so successfully climbed the ladder of life to attain his present position. Mr Weston, was the pioneer of the Hospital Sunday movement at Denaby, which was recently so successful, and so long as he was there he would try to follow his example, especially in that direction, and to obtain succour for the poor people who would otherwise have perhaps to lie and possibly die on the wayside. (Hear, hear). Mr Weston had been greatly instrumental in reforming Denaby from its somewhat slovenly ways – they would all admit that – and so long as he was at the Denaby Main Hotel he would try to keep house in the way it should be by following the good example of Mr Weston. (Hear, hear.

In making a presentation of a gold medal to Mr Weston, as a mark of esteem and respect, he said: “I ask you Mr Weston as a father to me, to set this a small token of respect from myself.”

Mr Weston in his reply, said he felt very grateful to Mr Gibbs, their vice-chairman, for the handsome present which had come upon him as a great surprise, and he very much appreciated. In a lengthy explanation of how Mr Gibbs was delegated to the position of manager of the Denaby Main Hotel, Mr Weston explained that he did what he considered the best in obtaining for the Company a reliable and straightforward man, who he was glad to know conducted the house with every satisfaction. In conclusion, he heartily thanked them, especially Mr Gibbs, for this handsome present.

Mr Wray was unavoidably absent, but his annual subscription was ready whenever they chose to fetch it. (Hear, hear.)

In most harmonious evening was afterwards spent, songs, etc, been contributed by Messes J Flinders, J Davies, G Chapman, J Birch, W Raspass and R Clarkson (Conisbrough)

Votes of thanks to the host and hostess and others concluded the meeting

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