South Yorkshire Times and Mexborough & Swinton Times – Friday 04 May 1934

Manchester City’s Success

Manchester City’s success in Saturday’s Cup Final occasioned a good deal of satisfaction in South Yorkshire for a number of reasons. It was, for instance, gratifying to think that the club which removed the district’s premier representative in first-class football this season, Sheffield Wednesday, from the competition should go on to win the coveted trophy.

Furthermore, there was a distinctly local flavour about the Manchester team. Sam Cowan, the captain, Eric Brook, and Tilson are all products of this area. Cowan, who formerly played with Denaby and Doncaster Rovers, lives at Swinton. Brook is remembered as a clever little schools footballer, and a Wath and Barnsley player, and Tilson was recruited, via Oakwell, from Barnsley junior football.

All three had vital parts in the winning of the Cup. Cowan was throughout the confident and encouraging captain, Tilson got both the all-important goals, and Brook played a magnificent part in helping to revitalise the team in the second half.

Those who know Brook personally will recognise as typical his boyish demonstration at the conclusion of Saturday’s great game. After gleefully dashing up to Tilson to congratulate him on his share in the win and enjoy the triumph with one who has been a close companion ever since the two Barnsley men went to Maine Road, Eric was to be seen tearing across the grass with the lid of that dignified emblem of football supremacy, the F.A. Cup, in his hand, and three excited ball boys, who evidently thought he might be stealing it (!), in full chase behind him.

As to Brook’s work in the match, critics of the game seem to be unanimous in their recognition of the part he played when a “big pull” was needed by Manchester in the second half. To quote a contemporary: “Brook was the inspiration—Brook, who had been running all over the field, even to the extent of being on the right wing for a throw-in by Busby.”

With the exception of a League Championship medal Brook has now won all the principal honours which are to be gained in Association football. He has an F.A. Cup medal, international caps against Scotland, Ireland, and Wales, and continental countries and he has also received recognition in Inter-League games.

He is an old boy of the Dolcliffe Road School, Mexborough, which has produced a number of first-rate footballers, and played his first serious football under the auspices of the Mexborough and District Schools F.A.

He has not forgotten the Association or those who gave him his earliest instruction in the game and wrote a grateful note the other day in reply to a congratulatory telegram from the Schools Association on his being “capped” against Scotland.

“I only hope,” his letter concluded, “that some more of the boys can be as successful as myself under your care.”

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