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1949

Rawmarsh Welfare 1

Kilnhurst Colliery 1 *=

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Photo credit:  Gary Cooper
 

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Les Swales 1949, 1950 or 1951 medal

From Gary Cooper's Forgotten Heroes
Replayed Final - Rawmarsh Welfare 0 Kilnhurst Colliery 0

With no extra time scheduled, the game was replayed on Saturday May 7th 1949 at Tickhill Square, the home ground of Midland League side Denaby United. On this occasion neither team managed to score during normal time or in extra time and following 220 minutes of football a decision was made, that for the first time in the history of the competition, the sides would share the cup for six months each. The team captains tossed a coin for the right to hold the cup for the first six months, Bill Boden correctly chose ‘heads’ and Rawmarsh Welfare were presented with the Mexborough Montagu Hospital Charity Cup for the first time in their history. When Rawmarsh contacted Kilnhurst after six months, Jack Haythorne, the renowned Kilnhurst secretary, said that they no longer wanted to share the cup as they claimed that the honour and glory had passed, but he said they would claim what was rightly theirs in the 1950 competition.

From Gary Cooper's Forgotten Heroes
Semi Final 1949
The 1948-49 Mexborough Montagu competition heralded the beginning of one of the longest running sagas in the history of the competition as Rawmarsh Welfare and local rivals Kilnhurst Colliery embarked on a remarkable series of matches. Both teams reached the final of the 1949 competition but not without a struggle on the part of Rawmarsh. In February 1949, Rawmarsh met Denaby Rovers in the semi-final and after an hours’ play were leading 1-0 through a Charlie Ardron goal. It was at this point that a blizzard blew in, and despite the best efforts of both the players and the officials to carry on, the referee was forced to abandon the tie with twenty minutes remaining.

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From Gary Cooper's Forgotten Heroes
Semi Final replay 1949
In the re-played game, Rawmarsh defeated their opponents by a score of 3-2. The goals were scored by Les Swales, Ralph Goacher and Charlie Ardron, the latter of whom broke his nose whilst scoring the winning goal with a header, but bravely remained on the field of play to seal the victory before going to the hospital for treatment when the final whistle blew.

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By the end of the 1948/49 season Kilnhurst had assembled another team capable of winning the areas premier cup competition and the colliery side met Rawmarsh Welfare in the final at Hampden Road.  The colliery team was as follows. TOM DUNGWORTH     WILDE     TONY COOPER      JACK TAYLOR        SENIOR        WALT TAYLOR  ERNEST PETTY             LES HARPHAM                JACK KERRY       DIXON           GEORGE FRITH The final was played on Easter Monday.  In a goalless first half Hopkinson in the Rawmarsh goal was busier than Tom Dungworth of Kilnhurst.  The first goal came in the 75th minute when a high ball came in from the left for Rawmarsh’s Ardron to head into the top corner giving Dungworth no chance.  Both teams had many good chances but it was not until two minutes before the end when George Frith collected a pass from Dixon beat two Rawmarsh defenders and shot home from an acute angle.  The Kilnhurst supporters mobbed the little left winger, carried him shoulder high off the field at the end of the game, not a match winning goal but it gave Kilnhurst a second crack at winning the cup.  There was a massive attendance of 3,600 people with the hospital funds being boosted by eight two pounds. The final was replayed at Denaby and again resulted in a draw.   After a third drawn game it was decided that the cup should be shared, the only time in the history of the Montagu Cup that this has ever happened.

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John Howitt: looks like early 1950s

I recognise Harold Dunworth and Walt Taylor back row far right. The man second left is

Jack Haythorne who ran all Kilnhurst events in the 1950s. At one summer carnival he had an elephant walk up the Main Street and into the field.

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Both the above images are of Kilnhust teams between 1948 and 1950.  Unable, as yet, to establish a date.

John Howitt :

Albert Lloyd who played in both of these matches (1946 & 1949)

He said that he didn't remember any photos being taken after these matches and he had never seen any, neither have I.
Tommy Dungworth (goalie in 49 & 50 son of thomas D who won it in 23).

Semi-Finals
Rawmarsh Welfare 3 Lunwood 0
Rawmarsh Welfare 3 Denaby Rovers 2  (originally abandoned due to snow after 68 minutes at RW 1 DR 0.)
(Charlie Ardron with a late winner from a corner)

Quarter Final
Rawmarsh Welfare 1 Bowbroom 0

Kilnhurst Colliery 5 Albert Road 1
Lunwood 3 New Stubbin 2
Denaby Rovers 2 Parkgate 1

Denaby Rovers team:  Jones, Priestly, Hill, Beasley, Silman, Pearson, Lovell, Flaherty, Allen, Hurley, Harrison.

 

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Walt Youren's medal.  The inscription should read 1948-49

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Herbert Senior's scrapbook.    Credit:  John Senior

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