South Yorkshire Times November 13, 1948

Survived an Explosion
Cadeby “Find” Is 39 Years Old
Denaby Football Memories
Recall Old Names and Familiar Faces    

A sheet of newspaper which has lain in Cadeby Main Colliery, Conisbrough, 39 years, within 20 of the explosion area of the 1912 disaster at the pit which took a toll of 86 lives, has been unearthed on this week by Mr Joseph Humphries, 50, Old Road Conisbrough, the colliery safety officer.

The paper, part of a copy of the Sheffield sporting Journal, “The Week,” survived the explosion holocaust. It had then been in the pit four years.

Mr Humphries told a ” South Yorkshire -Times” reporter On Tuesday that he presumed the paper must have been used to pack up some miner’s “snap” and when the man had finished his meal, he had thrown it away.

“I found it in the side of the packing on the ‘south,’ ” he said. “about 20 yards in-by of the explosion area. That road will not have been use d regularly these past 30 years, but I have to go down there every week as part of my duties as safety officer, and I am always interested in looking round forthe old things, like dates.”

He brought the paper out of the pit. Now tattered, it is still, however, very legible and it is not Inappropriate that the discovery of a sporting paper should have been made by Mr Humphries, for he is a Yorkshire Council umpire and on the official list of Football League referees.

Denaby v Wednesday

On Tuesday he talked over with Mr W. Astbury, former Denaby United financial secretary, the football lore disclosed in the torn pieces yet surviving, for an interesting feature of the issue is a report of a Midland League match between Denaby United and Sheffield Wednesday Res. Several of the names mentioned are of men who are still living in the district.

For instance, the Moseley of the match is Mr I. L. Moseley, Tickhill Street, Denaby, later Denaby’s trainer and recently honoured by the St. John Ambulance Brigade by investiture as a Serving Brother of the Order of St, John of Jerusalem.

Other players are: Joe Nimrod, Denaby right-half, now living in retirement in Tickhill Square, Denaby; Tom Kelly, centre half, later went to Grimsby Town; Jack Westwood, left half: “Punch” Padley, centre forward, one-time with Worksop and Grimsby; Chris Welsh, full back, later killed at Manvers Main.

Denaby lost the match 1-0 but finished fifth in the Midland League that season

In the Wednesday goal was “Teddy” Davison, now manager at Bramall Lane.

The paper is to be preserved by Mr Astbury.