Barnsley Sunday league memories

I refereed for many years in those days. Still have some copies of the Barnsley FA monthly fixture lists with referees appointments … so very many fixtures each Saturday and a Sunday until Barnsley got in the Premiership, when so many players chose to go to Oakwell instead of playing. Could tell many stories of local referees changing “rooms”. Best I remember was I think down Platts Common way….had to get changed in a disused telephone box !

 

One of the hardest footballers ever. Ask Gerry Taggart lol. Great story where he wouldnt leave the pitch after the game(Mal Shotton had to beg Billy. Waiting outside the dressing room after the game. to not kick fekk out of Gerry, Coz Gerry was a young un and tried to return a Billy kick on him during the game. Billy ceded to mal as Gerry was a bairn and wasn't familiar with him. Billy gave him a stern ticking off saying there mustn't be a retaliation next time. Lol)

 

My dad and my uncle played for the Rising sun, all the lads used to say that they would beat Barnsley if they played them.

An old bloke called Alan Webb said he would get them a game against Barnsley, nobody believed him until he actually organised it.

The Rising Sun played the Barnsley first team, managed by Allan Clarke in his second spell.... I think Barnsley won one nil but I'm not 100% certain

 

I thought he only turned fully pro mate whe he left for Huddersfield.

 

Quite a few refs got changed in their cars to make a quick getaway lol.
Lundwood and Kendray especially.

 

Us Kendriars and them Lundwooders had some great battles but have all been good friends since our playing days finished.

 

I’ll have to check with my Dad, but I’m certain he used to play with Billy in the same team BITD. My Dad used to play for The Station Inn in Darfield and I also remember him playing for Centre 17.

 

We had no offsides on Wednesdays from Mellor playing at Old Town St Pauls

 

[QUOTE="nomad, post: 3374776,
Jags centre forward said the first 2 dead balls into the box was to be put onto goalie and he was going to flatten him.
They were, he did...
Centre forward that day...Billy Whitehirst..
Lennie lives at back of me now. I pick him up at bus stop often[/QUOTE]

Billy Whitehorse was one of the dirtiest players I’ve played against. I played against him when he played with South Kirby. He went on the pitch with the sole intention of trying to maim the opposition.

 

Need we say more about Billy.

 

THE LATE JEFF HOOSON...

At Jeff's wake at Ward Green Club, loads of " old local footballers" talking about the good old days.
Comments like " tha could never catch mi" or " sorry about snapping thi at Oakwell " or " tha never scored against us"..you get it, total footy banter..BUT...100% respect between players that had faced each other dozens of times.
Names mentioned..Lew Whithead, Arthur Gill, Porky, Bill Roby, Frank Mathers, In 80s they were faces of local league...
Will the local footballers of today be doing this in 40 years?

Hard men, hard knocks, but full respect

 

I played with a guy called Terry Hooson. Two things about him. Firstly, he was a top notch guitarist who had played in Hamburg shortly after The Beatles. Secondly, his knee cartilage was shot, and his knee used to pop out of joint during games. He just popped it back and carried on!

 

I remember Brian Holdsworth who used to play up front but don’t remember him playing in goal.

 

Terry Hooson lived in Junction street. His best mate was John Parkinson who became Mayor and also played for Poggy West End.Terry was a terrific guitarist starting with Small Paul and the Young Ones, then Chicago Line. He did some session work for Blue Horizon which was the blues label of Decca. He was a better guitarist than a footballer.

 

Ah no my dad wasn't a Holdsworth. No worries buddy

 

I knew Terry pretty well for a few years. His parents had a stall on Barnsley market, nice people. I think Terry and his then wife tried their hand on the market too, but my memory is a bit hazy on that one. We had a teammate called Phil Smith who was a Barnsley fan, and well known around town as a bit of a hard case. We had very few problems with the opposition when Phil was with us!

 

Small Paul and the Young Ones, I’m too young to remember them but my mate’s brother used to play in that band, Jimmy

 

hooky its obvious that thas forgot best ref in barnsley sunday league (me) had a season off and first game back was lundwood ex servicemans club sent off center half he said ill pull thi hair out by rooits booked a few players and when center half came back i was booking another he shouted tha wants a parker pen fo christmas I told him to keep talking ill keep writing

 

I think in general during our games against local rivals and other teams of a high standing it never got out of hand and was forgotten about after the games. Our rivalries were at school age. And late teens In the main. We allus have a good laugh reminiscing on many occasions. Us Jumpers and them theer Hoylanders and Elsecar lot (they had to pair up against us. We had some fearsome characters even if vastly outnumbered. Trouble is I wasn't one of em and couldn't run either lol) travelling to away games. Taking the pi55 is obligatory. Laugh a minute. If I start losing I bring our friends the wombwellers into the equation and it just gets hilarious at times. And the camerardery is second to none.
Even with those outside of them borders. Wath. Thurnscoe. Goldthorpe, Donny. Scouse Pete. Royston worsbro etc . All join in the banter. It makes travel more enjoyable.

 

Don Mellor was a nightmare. He went out of his way to do something controversial to spark a reaction so that he could book or send someone off. He only reffed us twice. First time was a cup game against Barugh Green. With minutes to go He gave a dubious free kick to BG. We were well drilled in the offside trap and a second before the kick was taken, the back four ran forward in unison to leave 3 players offside. The linesman raised his flag but Mellor allowed them to continue and score. He said, "I'll decide who's offside". There were protestations and one defender was booked and another sent off. The second time, he.must have remembered us and the centre-half he'd red carded previously. Within five minutes of kicking off our centre half won a 50:50 with a beautifully timed sliding tackle. No one appealed, but Mellor gave a penalty, hoping to get a rise out of the defender. Instead, the defender just walked away and said to me 'What's the point, he just wants me to say something so he can send me off". Mellor looked disappointed and actually asked, "What's up nobody interested in protesting?". No one in local football had a good word to say about.him.