1948

Darfield Council beat Mexborough Schofield Street

darfield council 1947 1948 amended copy — Darfield C of E: Back Row (L to R): Jackie Foster; Alan Gibbs: Tom Williams: Fred Sullivan: Robert Rennie; Herbert Dale; Alfie Dunn; Ken Ibbotson; Stan? Hill. Front Row (L to R): Billie Askin; Lawrance Smedley; Fred Jones; Alvin Hardcastle; Jack West; George Parkin and John (Jack) Turton. The coach was John Turton’s uncle.

Above: Alvin Hardcastle pictured in 2019 with his miniature Totty Cup trophy which was presented to him by Jorge Robledo. Alvin remembers that he played in several Totty Cup winning teams – definitely 1948.
He remembers the headteacher at the time was Kenneth Kilner, whose brother, Roy, played cricket for Yorkshire and England.

Alvin explained that they made the full-sized goals smaller for the Totty Cup matches by suspending a 2nd crossbar from the crossbar on chains!
They travelled to the matches in Campeljohn’s buses.
Alvin used to walk to Foulstone school with Mark Jones, who was 2 years older. Alvin went to see him play for Manchester United at West Bromwich Albion when he was in the army in Leamington. Alvin named his son, Mark, after Mark Jones and still supports Manchester United.

Lawrance Smedley went on to play for Barnsley. Robert Rennie’s brother Keith also played for Barnsley and could have played for his country. Jack West’s brother Gordon was goalkeeper for Everton and Blackpool.

Ann Edgar: My father, George William Parkin, played for Darfield at that time and as still got his cup, which stands on the fire place. I have also got a picture of him with the Shield that they won.

Ann Edgar: In the same season, George William Parkin’s school team (Darfield) also won a “Shield” after an 11-1 victory against Brampton Ellis. Each member of the team had the shield for one month after they won it.
Although there never a team photograph due to cost. His father insisted that George had this picture taken when it was his turn to have the shield. He never got his winners medal because he left Darfield school that summer to go to Darfield Foulstone. See photo below.

Albert Jones was in charge of football at Mexborough Schofield Street school (Junior Boys) after he was released from the army in 1946. He wrote “We definitely played in the Totty Cup 1947/48/49 and lost in one final to Darfield CP”.