South Yorkshire Times June 29.
Vital Year for Denaby.
Denaby United must have more home support to enable it to survive in the Midland League. This was the urgent message of the club’s annual meeting, held in the Denaby Main Miners Welfare Institute on Sunday.
Club chairman, Mr T.Holmes told members that although the teamhad maintained an excellent standard of football throughout the season,upholding its fine reputation, attendances had been deplorably low. Some Midland League clubs took as much gate money at one match as Denaby had taken all season. He emphasised:
“Something drastic has got to happen next season, otherwise it looks as though Denaby United is coming to the end of its days in the Midland League. Were it not for the supporters club, I don’t know how the club would carry on.”
Mr Holmes thought the sparse attendance at the Annual meeting itself – there were only 20 members present, including management committee – reflected the general lack of interest in the club.
The club would be in the Midland League next season, but there would have to be a drastic cut in expenses.
Ex Barnsley professional player manager Harry Hough spoke of the year’s “depressing report.” The club had to tell its players they could go elsewhere because they just couldn’t afford to pay them.
Said Mr Hough; “This is a very hard thing to do. Denaby United has the finest team spirit of any club I’ve been associated with.”
This was thanks to the efforts of many of the people present at the meeting, and was significant of the tremendous spirit achieved by certain people.
Team spirit was 90% of the battle, he thought. For the last two seasons the team had played some decent football, but there had been no support to back this up. In particular Mr Hough was amazed at the lack of local talent.
Local Talent Missing.
He commented: “I thought we should have had a host of local youngsters wanting to get into this type of football, but we are having to go into Leeds and Barnsley. This is deplorable.
He felt that now people realised that he was really in need of support, the home talent would come along.
Playing tribute to the spirit of the players, Mr Hough commented on the atrocious conditions under which they had played at the end of last season. He added, “I am sure that if we have that support through the turnstiles, Denaby United could be one of the leading figures in the Midland League.
“After the amount of work that has been put into the club it is a pity that we have to revert to near amateur status,” he declared, adding, “we are going to have two teams next season… the one out there on the pitch and the one behind me in the boardroom and in the village.”
Extending particular thanks to club president, Mr Sam Peck and secretary Mr Arthur Roberts, and to members of the Supporters Club, Mr Wolf concluded, “I hope next season we can get on the long haul. That’s going to take us back to the top.”
Loyal Supporters
Mr Roberts remarked that there seemed to be no interest in the team, apart from a couple of hundred supporters who came every week.
“I don’t know where the interest is, but if we can we have got to find it” he said.
The club will be able to feel quite a respectable team next season, which would comprise mainly amateur players, but there will be one or two professionals as well.
Then followed the election of officials, when the meeting was told of the proposed retirement of Mr Peck as president of the club. However Mr J. Greathead suggested that he should be asked to stand again and Mr Peck was unanimously re-elected.
The following were elected to the management committee: Messrs S Duffty, M Taylor, T Holmes, J Richards, G Mellor, W Glenn Hall, J Sanderson and J Hall