South Yorkshire Times March 19, 1949
“For Good Honest Triers Schoolboy Footballers ! ”
Huddersfield reader Harold Oxley’s letter, following Mexborough Schofield Street Boys’ grand season (writes the Sports Editor) has brought another interesting letter from Normanton reader Sidney Barron, My correspondent has very kindly sent along the accompanying photograph, which will no doubt and memories for several local soccer enthusiasts.
He writes: ” Like your reader, Harold Oxley, I look forward every week to receiving your excellent paper, and having played cricket and football since my schooldays, your article revived many pleasant memories of my Swinton Bridge school team in my early days of goalkeeping.
” With your very interesting article on the Mexborough school team of 1927-28 I agree; it was a grand side, but being an old Swintonian, in all modesty I think our team of 1926 would take some beating as a record – breaking side. They went through the season without defeat and won the Bond Shield, the Rawson Cup and the Montagu Shield
For the success of school teams I think the greatest credit should go to the sports masters— and at Swinton we were very fortunate in having Mr. B. W. Baker and the late Mr. J. S. Gough.
Mr. Baker used to say: ‘ If you’re behind try ten times harder and having played regularly since leaving school, I think for triers, schoolboy footballers beat the lot.
” This team of good, honest triers at Swinton (see photograph) was Sid Barron; Reg. Williams and Walter Annables; Chuck Speight, George Phillips and Jim Dale, Jack Gudgeon, Johnny Gittens, Steve Firman, Don Birch and Andy Wilson, also Ken Lloyd, Bernard Coop, George Oates and Norman Painter.
” The accompanying photograph I cherish very much as a souvenir, for I carried it in my old kit-bag in the 8th Army in the Royal Artillery in the Western desert, and also when I was on police duties – in Palestine. It certainly reminded me also received my Times ‘ wherever of boyhood days in Mexborough. I went in the Middle East—and how I looked forward to my copy in the I mail in the desert ! I played a great 1 deal of football in representative teams in the M.E.—but for sheer football I enjoyed schoolboy football the best. Good luck to you and to the paper.”
A sentiment warmly reciprocated with many thanks on behalf of ” Times ” readers for a very interesting reminiscence.
