Mexborough and Swinton Times, March 10.
Call to Colliery Officials.
Appeal for more Interest in Sport
Denaby Welfare Tea.
A call to colliery officials to play a larger part in fostering sport in Denaby was made by Mr Tom Hill, chairman of the Denaby Welfare Trustees, at a tea organised by the Denaby and Cadeby Cricket, Tennis, and Bowls Club at the Welfare Institute, Denaby, and last night.
About 130 people attended. The guest of honour was Mr Ellis Robinson, the Yorkshire County cricketer, who with his father, Mr Ernest Robinson, was among the speakers.
Mr Hill, who congratulated the organisers on their successful gathering and mentioned that it was the largest attendance he had seen for some years, said they had not much talk about in their footballer Denaby this season, but he was hoping that when the cricket season ended, they would find themselves in a better position than that in which they found themselves with football now. He was told some years ago, that it was impossible to run Midland League football at Denaby that they should remember that in a recent cup final several of the 22 players had played with Denaby United. Whatever Denaby United was now, it had accomplished things in the past, and could do so again. Mr Hill declared that he could not but criticise the attitude the colliery officials took up in the sport in the district. He said the workmen subscribed their pennies, and went to matches. Yet the officials had “a kind of hangback.” He would say that every time he had seen Mr Hodges for financial assistance, he had never come away empty-handed, but he hoped that in the coming year the officials would take more interest in the local sports.
Mr Hill, paid tribute to the sportsmanship of Mr Walter Coates, chairman of the club, and also remarked that apart from the other sportsmen Denaby turned out they had also turned out a first-class cricketer in Ellis Robinson, who had received his Yorkshire County Cap in the season 1937 – 38. That was a thing which Denaby could boast, and which many towns could not.
Mr Ellis Robinson, replying, said he did not know why he should be the guests of honour, because she was just a local lad, and that was all he wanted to be. Mr Robinson said that Denaby and Cadeby, had not won the Yorkshire Council, but he did not see why they should not do so. They had the ground, and they had the talent.
Mr G.K.Bateson, the club secretary, thanked the Welfare Trustees, the artists and the helpers who had organised the tea arrangements, and Mrs Farrell, secretary of the women’s Bowls section responded.
Mr Ernest Robinson, who recalled the early days of cricket and football at Denaby, presented three bowls trophies as follows:
The Denaby Welfare trophy to Mrs Marshall for scoring most points for the Denaby Women’s Bowls team last season; the Fullerton Hospital Cup to Mrs Evans, (captain), on behalf of the Mexborough club, and the Kelly Cup, a Rotherham league trophy, to Mr W.E.Hill, captain, on behalf of the Denaby Main bowls team.
Entertainment by the welfare band and artists from Scunthorpe followed.