South Yorkshire Times April 5, 1958.

“The Struggle Becomes Harder Each Year,”
Says Denaby Utd. Chairman

There can be few more loyal football supporters in the country than Mrs. Rachel Jones (78), of 85, Tickhill Street, Denaby, and her niece, Miss Isobella Hobson (65), of 45, Doncaster Road, Denaby.

For over fifty years they have faithfully followed Denaby Unites through all their trials and struggles in all weathers. They were both made honorary life member: of the club two years ago, and still attend all first and second team home matches. Until recently they travelled with the team to important away games.

This proud record was acknowledged on Friday when both the ladies were specially invited to attend tile third joint annual dinner and dance of the Denaby United Football and Supporters’ Clubs, held at the Denaby and Ca.deby Miners’ Welfare Committee.

“Might Yet Escape”

Mr, J. Ford, Chairman of the Club, spoke of the Club’s poor playing record in the Midland League, but said they had progressed pretty well in the Association League. “We are all trying,”

he went on, and added that they might yet escape the bottom two places and even win the Montagu Cup.

He said they made no apologies for transferring players to League clubs, for without the fees obtained the Club would be faced with extinction.

“The struggle becomes harder and harder each year,” he continued, and said that at the last year the club paid an average of £120 per year in entertainment tax. The abolition of the tax had not benefited the club greatly for the extra cash had been swallowed up in increased rates.

He welcomed the principal guest of the club, Matron of Fullerton Hospital Denaby Main, Miss DA Brighton, who, he said, was a most beloved and respected member of the community of Denaby.

Workers behind the Scenes

Ex Denaby inside forward, Derek Holmes, who retired from football owing to teaching commitments at the end of last season, said he was pleased to have the opportunity of publicly expressing thanks to those workers behind the scenes who expended so much time and energy to keep the flag flying at Tickhill Square.

He regarded the Supporters Club as one of the most active in England said he was well aware that but for the efforts Denaby United would long ago have gone to the wall.

“The players to realise how much they are indebted to their live wire sub voters club, who been instrumental in providing them with a new script and better changing accommodation” he said.

Mr Holmes felt that nonleague clubs such as Denaby had a lot to contribute football, and he remarked that he had been amazed to find, when speaking to long standing supporters on away trips, the number of famous players who  had had direct or indirect association with the club.

Sam Cowan (Manchester City), Jack Barker (Derby County) and Cliff Parker (Portsmouth) had all started their great careers with Denaby.

Against All Odds

Mr. Holmes described the difficulties of running of the Club as “a struggle against all odds,” encircled as It was by League clubs and said, he regarded Denaby’s existence In the Midland League for over fifty years as a proud record by anybody’s standards,

He had vivid recollections of the small band of supporters who travelled many miles in support of  the Club—on grounds as far apart as Corby and Scarborough. “It is a great fillip to a player to hear the Yorkshire dialect coming through that of, say, a Cambridgeshire crowd down in Wisbech,” he added. (Derek was with the Club for five seasons and received a benefit last year).

Mr. S. Peck, President of the Football Club, proposed the toast of the “Supporters’ Club,” and said the Football Club were largely reliant on the efforts of the Supporters’ Club, together with “gate’ receipts and transfer fees, for their income. £1,650 has been received in transfer fees over the past year)

 Magnificent Effort

He said that since the beginning of the 1951-2 season the Club had received approximately £2,500 from the Supporters’ Club and he felt all would agree that this was a magnificent effort from such a small hand of workers, ably led by their President, Mr. Jack Greathead, and assisted by Chairman, Mr. Gerry McNichols and financial secretary, Mr G. Allport.

He paid tribute to the long service of Mr. Matt Taylor, who had been connected with the Club as player and secretary-manager, and now as an official of the Supporters’ Club. These services were to be recognised by a presentation at a later date.

Mr. Peck gave a welcome to the new secretary-manager, Mr. Arthur Roberts, and wished him every success in his duties with the Club.

Responding, Mr. J. Greathead, President of the Supporters’ Club, said they had had their best financial year to date, and a big part of their activities had been concerned with events in aid of Bobby Southall’s benefit.

Mr. Allport presented Mr. B. Lupton, financial secretary of the Football Club, with a cheque for £250, and other presentations made included that of a barometer to Miss Brighton — from the Supporters’ Club, and bouquets to Mrs. Jones and Mrs. Hobson by Mrs. Peck and Mrs. Ford on behalf of the Football Club.