Mexborough & Swinton Times – Friday 03 January 1930
The Future.
What About The Midland League?
Club Officials Views.
Problems in South Yorkshire.
One of the leading questions the year has brought forward in sport in South Yorkshire is:
Is there a future for the Midland League?
The steady decline in public support of the Midland League clubs in this district, which really began two or three years ago, but which has become increasingly serious in 1929, has made the question an immediate one. Midland League football has become an expensive business through the post-war development of professionalism, which has sent the wages bills of the clubs to figures never dreamt of in a Midland League committee room a few ago; and when at the same time there has occurred a rapid growth of the junior game, tremendous development of road transport bringing the centres of first. class football within ever easier reach of such places as Mexboro’, Denaby, Wath, Wombwell, etc. simultaneous with a hankering in the public for such novelties as dirt track racing, the problem for a club of limited income is acute. All the district clubs in membership with the Midland League find it so at the moment and all are wondering what to do next. Below are representative replies to the question raised above: Is there a future for the Midland League?
Wombwell’s Message.
“Carry On.”
Mr. A. E. ALLOTT.
Mr. A. E. Allott, president of the Wombwell club: Few clubs to the Midland League have had to struggle so hard as Wombwell. Season after season changes in the management have been made without effect, and the directors are now resigned to the fact that—at present, at all events—it is useless to try to make ends meet in “gate” receipts and normal running expenses. For live seasons football as an economic proposition has been a complete failure at Hough Lane, and the club has kept going only by money from transfers and “efforts” organised by loyal and resourceful supporters.
Yet the message from Wombwell is: “Carry on.” The present is not the time to talk about throwing up the sponge as far as Midland League football is concerned. There is a good deal of life in the old competition yet, and those who appear to have forsaken football will come back when they tire of the artificial substitutes that tickle the fancy for a time being but in which there is not the permanent satisfaction that the “he” man finds in football.
The poor support at present accorded Midland League clubs is due partly to trade depression and partly to lack of Laterite pure and simple. “I think you might say it is both. Most of the towns in which Midland League football is established have been heavily hit by bad trade and thousands are staying away from the games because they cannot afford the 6d. or the 1s. If by some magic spell prosperity were restored and these people in a position to respond to their natural inclinations, the Midland League would thrive again locally. That is the thought that encourages me when the outlook is black.
Counter attractions have sipped the loyalty of many so-celled supporters The chief counter attractions I would name are dirt track racing, greyhound racing, roller skating, pictures, and dancing. You may smile at the suggestion that the last two comparatively effeminate attractions are drawing people away from football fielder. But wages are so low that when young people are confronted with various forms of entertainment they have to make a choice. Dancing and the pictures are pleasures is which the sexes can mix, which is not the case with football, at any rate not quite to the same extent.
I would pay a tribute to the unswerving loyalty of the older football fans. Week by week as I attend the matches nothing impresses me more than to see such a great number of men of 50, 60, and even up to 70 years of age enjoying games. The older men are staunch, the younger men inclined to be self-satisfied and fickle. If it comes to the test the old men will save the game. In spite of the present debilitated condition of Midland League football there is prospect of a bright time for the competition. This sort of thing goes in cycles. We have had our bad times before, and we have got over them. There is a revival looming and it may not be so long as some people think. I am a great believer in football as a moral stimulant for the nation cannot afford to let the game flag. Take away football and what other sport can you put in its place as a healthy outlet for the exuberance of Youth?.
We are content to struggle along at Wombwell knowing there is a better time coming, Carry on, I say.
Denaby’s View.
Too Many Matches.
Mr. W. Astbury, secretary of the Denaby club: The League is in a very bad position at present and the future is uncertain. In my opinion the League is muck too unwieldy and it is largely due to this fact that there is such a big drain on club funds.
Mid week matches should be cut out. Travelling expenses are heavy and “gates” practically negligible, Added to this is the fact that most of the players are working lads; they are often tired and cannot give of their best. There is difficulty in raising teams for mid-week engagements. Consequently, the standard of football deteriorates. But I doubt whether the formation of two sections would meet the difficulty. The raid growth of Junior football has greatly affected attendances at Midland League matches.
Wath’s Fear.
Some Clubs To Go.
Mr. W. R. Fuller, chairman of the Wath club:
I am not very optimistic, especially where my own club is concerned. It can be definitely stated that if a great increase of support does not come about at Watt’ then there will be no Midland League foothill in the town next season.
At present it is in exceptionally good league and there are plenty of good matches to be seen, but it is hopeless to expect the clubs in this district to do well in it when they are hampered by lack of finance. If there was only sufficient money a great run a reserve team of youngsters of promise who could fill any breach caused by injury et cetera.
It is certain, I think, that the Midland League will not be as big next year, and if any clubs have to dropout – as I expect – they will possibly do so from this district
Mr. W. P. Marsdin.
Mr. W. P. Marsdin, chairman of the Mexborough club (who is also a member of the Midland League management committee):
Whatever way happen to certain clubs the Midland League will go on. There will always be a place for it, because it just meets a need: the need for just that type of intermediate football it supplies, and which in the smaller towns is the only type that funds will allow management to provide. Management to provide.
It is certain that some clubs will here to drop out; those in South Yorkshire, for instance have now found that they cannot keep up the pace set by the clubs with bigger purses in other centres.
But, though it is unfortunate if the Midland League loses these poor clubs – but many instances are long-standing men – the League itself cannot alter its policy in an effort to adjust matters to make room for the poor clubs. The solution for South Yorkshire seems to in the possibility of forming a new league with a limited radius, with its own rules to include a maximum payment to players, with a saving clause to allow the reserve teams of Doncaster, Rotherham and Barnsley to come is. It is the heavy wages bills that is putting the South Yorkshire clubs out of the running and this scheme seems the only solution is some attempt is to be made to keep a good class of professional of semi-professional football going in our district.
It doesn’t seem like it we shall ever get back the old income and the only way is for the local clubs to bring their expenses down to the new level of receipts to make their sport an economic proposition.
But whatever happens the Midland League will go on along the same lines as it has always followed