1973

Rawmarsh Horse & Jockey 1 Rawmarsh Welfare 0

Replay:

1st match

1 - 1

Frank Morley

Harry Millington

Dave Cousins,Pete Scott,Col Dawson

Glyn Whyman

Luke Brennan

Steve Bailey, George Bartholomew

John Wheeler, Steve Murfin

Glyn Whyman

Allan Craw, Billy Sanderson, Bob Murfin

Pete Roddis

Barry Short , Mick Wassell

From Gary Cooper's "Forgotten Heroes"
Final Replay: Rawmarsh Welfare 0 Horse & Jockey 1
The replay was certainly worth waiting for as it was ‘full of excitement, good football and with a dramatic finish’. The game was played at a high tempo and only resolute defending from both teams prevented either side from gaining an advantage. On the hour Steve Murfin had a goal disallowed for Rawmarsh Welfare and, although they remained the dominant force, they were unable to score the all important goal. With 90 minutes gone, and with the players and crowd fully expecting extra time, a final Horse and Jockey counter attack dealt a killer blow. Dave Cousins controlled the ball smartly on the edge of the Welfare penalty area, skipped past two defenders, rounded goalkeeper Barry Short and slammed the ball into the empty net. The Welfare players barely had time to take the restart before the final whistle was blown. Their ‘sister club’ claimed the cup.

Final : Rawmarsh Welfare 1 Horse & Jockey 1
The final took place at Hampden Road on Easter Monday 1973. Despite the driving bank holiday rain and swirling wind, both teams produced high quality football in one of the most exciting finals in years. The teams for the 1973 final were as follows:

Rawmarsh Welfare: Barry Short, Pete Mills, Bob Murfin, George Bartholomew, Keith Ardron, Billy Sanderson, Mick Wassell, John Wheeler, Frank Morley, Steve Murfin, Pete Roddis. Sub: John Cooke

Rawmarsh Horse and Jockey: Graham Bacon, Glyn Whyman, Harry Millington, Colin Dawson, Steve Bailey, Dave Cousins, Luke Brennan, Allan Craw, Steve Ashforth, Dick Bell, Pete Scott. Sub: Mel Haynes

Horse and Jockey started the better with Barry Short forced into making two fine early saves, but Welfare began to get a foothold in the game. It was the tireless Pete Roddis who gave them the lead on the half hour. After finding space in the Horse and Jockey area, he displayed sublime skill to control and flick the ball into the net in a single movement then ‘almost cleared the crossbar with the leap with which he celebrated his goal!’

In an end to end second half, Roddis almost doubled the Welfare advantage when he hit the post with a neat lob, then Horse and Jockey full back Glyn Whyman struck a fierce shot just inches over the bar. Rawmarsh Welfare seemed to have enough in their locker to keep their ‘sister club’ at bay until a fluke goal levelled the scores for the Horse and Jockey side. Pete Scott gathered the ball way out on the left wing and drove a speculative cross to the far post. The Rawmarsh defence should have cleared it but, deceived by the flight of the ball in the swirling wind, they allowed the ball to bobble into the net. The celebrations had barely subsided when the Welfare team attacked and almost snatched a late winner as John Wheeler struck the post with a snap shot in the 89th minute. The game ended 1-1 and yet another cup final involving Rawmarsh Welfare required extra time. It was Horse and Jockey who nearly scored the winning goal when former Welfare players Keith Scanlon and Allan Craw combined for the latter to head against the crossbar. As it was, there were few other scoring chances and the teams had to prepare to do battle again on May 13th 1973.

From Gary Cooper's "Forgotten Heroes"

In the Mexborough Montagu Cup, wins over Denaby Rovers and Goldthorpe Colliery resulted in a semi-final tie against Houghton Main. A 2-1 win with goals from Steve Murfin and Frank Morley gave Rawmarsh a place in the final for the first time since the 1950-51 season. In a bizarre twist of fate, they would be playing Rawmarsh United, a very successful Sunday League side. However, several of the Rawmarsh Welfare first team who played in the Yorkshire League on a Saturday also played for Rawmarsh United on a Sunday! The South Yorkshire Times reported that it was such a local derby ‘not only do the clubs share the same ground and many of the same fans, but they also share some of the same players!’ reporting how five players representing both sides had all played for Rawmarsh Welfare in the competition. At the beginning of the season, manager Horace Murfin had insisted that those players who represented both sides, George Bartholomew, John Wheeler, Steve Murfin, Pete Roddis and Frank Morley, would all play for Rawmarsh Welfare in this competition.

Before the final was played Rawmarsh United even changed their name. They were offered the use of a pub to be their official headquarters and in another quirk of fate it was the long-time Rawmarsh Welfare home base, the Horse and Jockey, on Dale Road. Rawmarsh United were now known as Rawmarsh Horse and Jockey. Even without the five Welfare players, the Horse and Jockey side was a very talented and experienced team that included Graham Bacon, Steve Ashforth, Dave Cousins and Colin Dawson who all played in the Midland League for Bridlington Trinity, Peter Scott from Matlock Town of the Northern Premier League and former Rawmarsh Welfare players Allan Craw, Glyn Whyman, Keith Scanlon and Les Swales Jnr.

Allan Craw:

Allan Craw: "In the semi-final Horse & Jockey beat Grimethorpe MW 3-1 with goals from Pete Scott Steve Ashforth and Allan Craw.

In the 1972-73 season i was playing with Kilnhurst Colliery on Saturdays in the County Senior League and Rawmarsh Horse and Jockey in the Sheffield Sunday League.
I was on holiday when Kilnhurst Colliery played Rawmarsh Welfare in the Montagu Cup 1st round and lost 4-3 and along with 2 other players Luke Brennan and Harry Millington who played for Kilnhurst Colliery but missed that game also, so we were all eligible to play for the Horse and Jockey in the competition. I didn’t play in the competition until the semi-final as i was playing on Sunday mornings for the Horse and Jockey and all Montagu Cup games were played on Sunday afternoons so i couldn’t manage both games on the same day. So it was a bit ironic that we all actually played in the final that day against Rawmarsh Welfare and had we all played that day for Kilnhurst Colliery we would have missed out."