The Don & Dearne Schools’ Football Association (South Yorkshire) had very successful representative teams who produced many professional football players. The D&DSFA also organised the Totty Cup and Barlow-Salmons competitons.
The list below are players who are from* the Don & Dearne region who have gone on to play/coach at an elite level. (*born and/or raised)
Born in the 2000s
Ethan Harrison (Born 2005) Denaby
Joe Ackroyd (Born 2002) Wombwell
Ioan Evans (Born 2002) Wath
Born in the 1990s
Ben Wiles (Born 1999) Rawmarsh
Morgan James (Born 1999) West Melton
Fraser Preston (Born 1999) Elsecar
Callum Whelan (Born 1998) Hemingfield
Billy Whitehouse (Born 1996) Mexborough
Terry Kennedy (Born 1993) Great Houghton
Jordan Clark (Born 1993) Hoyland
Ollie Banks (Born 1992) Brampton
Kingsley James (Born 1992) Rotherham
Aaron Chapman (Born 1990) Rotherham, Rawmarsh
Born in the 1980s
Andrew Boyce (Born 1989) Conisbrough
Ryan Cresswell (Born 1987) Swinton
Dale Tonge (Born 1985) Barnsley
Nathan Joynes (Born 1985) Hoyland
Luke Foster (Born 1985) Mexborough
Anthony Kay (Born 1982) Darfield
Matt Hamshaw (Born 1982) Rotherham, Rawmarsh?
Jon Parkin (Born 1981) Darfield
Born in the 1970s
Danny Hudson (Born 1979) Kilnhurst
Gavin Bassinder (Born 1979) Goldthorpe
Karl Rose (Born 1978) Darfield
Jason Blunt (Born 1977) Bolton on Dearne
Kirk Jackson (Born 1976) Houghton
Tony Battersby (Born 1975) Conisbrough
Paul Pettinger (born 1975) Wombwell
David Brooke (Born 1975) Darfield
Troy Bennett (Born 1975) Wombwell
Andy Taylor (Born 1973) Wath
Andy Curtis (Born 1972) Conisbrough
Nicky Eaden (Born 1972) Hoyland
Lee Mills (Born 1970) Darfield
Born in the 1960s
Mark Crossley (Born 1969) Hoyland
Paul Norton (Born 1969) Mexborough
Paul Heald (Born 1968) Wath
Kevin Eley (Born 1968) Mexborough
Nigel Pepper (Born 1968) Rawmarsh
Sean Joyce (Born 1967) Conisbrough
Dean Roberts (Born 1967) Conisbrough
Ray Warburton (Born 1967) Rawmarsh
Dylan Kerr (Born 1967) Mexborough
Jon Durham (Born 1965) Wombwell
David Harle (Born 1963) Denaby
Dean Whitehouse (Born 1963) Mexborough
Garl Hurlstone (Born 1963) Mexborough
Paul Shirtliff (Born 1962) Hoyland
Peter Shirtliff (Born 1961) Hoyland
Ricky Greenough (Born 1961) Mexborough
Nick Longley (Born 1961) Mexborough
Ian Banks (Born 1961) Mexborough
Stewart Evans (Born 1960) Rawmarsh
Peter Carr (Born 1960) Rawmarsh
Born in the 1950s
Billy Whitehurst (Born 1959) Thurnscoe
Kevin Eades (Born 1959) Rawmarsh
Ashley Taylor (Born 1959) Conisbrough
Ray Mountford (Born 1958) Bolton on Dearne
Steve Gardner (Born 1958) Hemsworth
Peter Hart (Born 1957) Mexborough
Peter Ward (Born 1956) Rawmarsh
Bob Mountain (Born 1956) Wombwell
John Middleton (Born 1955) Rawmarsh
John Dungworth (Born 1955) Bolton on Dearne
Steve Goulding (Born 1954) Denaby
Brian Marshall (Born 1954) Bolton
Alan Sunderland (Born 1953) Conisbrough
Alan Hopkinson (Born 1953) Hoyland
Sam Yates (Born 1953) Hoyland
Peter Kitchen (Born 1952) Mexborough
Mick Walker (Born 1952) Mexborough
Mick Speight (Born 1951) Wombwell
Ian Holmes (Born 1950) Wombwell Wath
Mick Prendegast (Born 1950) Denaby
Gary Scothorn (Born 1950?) Hoyland?
Paul Turner (Born 1950?) Great Houghton
Mike Faulkner (Born 1950) Conisbrough
Born in the 1940s
Pat Cullen (Born 1949) Mexborough
Geoff Salmons (Born 1948) Mexborough
Peter Middleton (Born 1948) Rawmarsh
Brian Conley (Born 1948) Thurnscoe
Alan Warboys (Born 1949) Goldthorpe
Brian Hemstock (Born 1949) Goldthorpe
Dave Blunt (Born 1949) Goldthorpe
Brian Lyons (Born 1948) Darfield
Martin Wilkinson (Born 1947) Mexborough
David Hancox (Born 1947) Conisbrough
Frank Barlow (Born 1946) Swinton
Derrick Allen (Born 1946) Wombwell
Roger Barton (Born 1946) Hoyland
Arthur Ashmore (Born 1946) Highgate
David Galvin (Born 1946) Denaby
Barry Wagstaff (Born 1945) Wombwell
Tony Wagstaff (Born 1944) Wombwell
Eric Thompson (Born 1944) Wombwell
Bobby Saxton 1943 Conisbrough
John Parks (Born 1943) Wath (SUFC 1 x appearance)
Trevor Burgin (Born 1943) Darfield
Gordon West (Born 1943) Darfield
Ken Mallender (Born 1943) Thrybergh
Roy Massey (Born 1943) Mexborough
Ken Turner (Born 1941) Houghton
Bob Widdowson (Born 1941) Swinton
George Jagger (Born 1941) Great Houghton
Roger Collinson (Born 1940) Rawmarsh
Born in the 1930s
David Barber (Born 1939) Wombwell
Frank Beaumont (Born 1939) Hoyland
Kevin McHale (Born 1939) Darfield
Allan Green (Born 1939) Darfield
Alick Jeffrey (Born 1939) Rawmarsh
Brian Sawyer (Born 1938) Rawmarsh
David Cade (Born 1938) Darfield (school)
Joe Hooley (Born 1938) Hoyland
Gordon Swann (Born 1937) Mexborough
Phil Winfield (Born 1937) Mexborough
Keith Bambridge (Born 1935) Rawmarsh
Tim Womack (Born 1934) Denaby
Peter Vickers (Born 1934) Kilnhurst
Mark Jones (Born 1933) Wombwell
Roy Lambert (Born 1933) Hoyland, Swinton
Malcolm Hussey (Born 1933) Darfield
Roy Taylor (Born 1933) Hoyland
Irvine Gray (Born 1933) Hoyland
Harry Lee (Born 1933) Mexborough
Billy Webb (Born 1932) Mexborough
Joe Thomas (Born 1932) Great Houghton
Brian Fawcett (Born 1932) Barnburgh
Stan Jefferson (Born 1931) Goldthorpe
Joe Hilton (Born 1931) Goldthorpe
Dick Wright (Born 1931) Mexborough
Raymond Dixon (Born 1930) Denaby
Ray Taylor (Born 1930) Jump
Born in the 1920s
Roy Swinbourne (Born 1929) Denaby England B
Arnold Mitchell (Born 1929) Rawmarsh
Peter Miller (Born 1929) Hoyland
Ted Robledo (Born 1928) West Melton
Albert Burrows (Born 1928) Wombwell
Jack Short (Born 1928) Great Houghton
Ken Parkinson (Born 1927) Darfield
Frank Hyde (Born 1927) Wath
George Robledo (Born 1926) West Melton
Jack Hubbard (Born 1925) Wath
Henry Walters (Born 1925) Wath
George Nelson (Born 1925) Mexborough (SUFC WW2)
Edward Lockwood (Born 1925) Goldthorpe
Bernard “Barney” Singleton (Born 1924) Conisbrough
Ron Shaw (Born 1924) Bolton
Eric Lacey (circa 1924) Bolton-on-Dearne (Eng school?)
George Shephard (circa 1923) Denaby
Jim Briscoe (Born 1923) Swinton
Jack Selkirk (1923) Swinton
Leslie Thompson (Born 1922) Little Houghton
Harry Newey (Born 1922) Bolton-on-Dearne
Roy Cooling (Born 1921) Wombwell
Fred Haughey (Born 1921) Conisbrough
John Edwards (Born 1921) Wath
Wilf Oscar Hargreaves (Born 1921) Rawmarsh
Stan Charlesworth (Born 1920) Conisbrough
Lionel Smith (Born 1920) Mexborough
Artur Willis (Born 1920) Denaby
Sam Cox (Born 1920) Mexborough
Willie Watson (Born 1920) Bolton on Dearne
Cyril Grant (Born 1920) Wath
Born in the 1910s
Ernest Shepherd (Born 1919) Wombwell
Sid Storey (Born 1919) Darfield
Doug Darby (Born 1919) Bolton
Wally Wildman (Born 1919) Wombwell
Walter Bennett (Born 1918) Mexborough
Wally Ardron (Born 1918) Swinton
Walter Aveyard (Born 1918) Thurnscoe
Albert Watson (Born 1918) Bolton
Richard Woffinden (Born 1917) Kilnhurst
Harold Pond (Born 1917) Kilnhurst
Herbert Barlow (born 1916) Kilnhurst
Arthur “Sab” Ashmore (Born 1916) Highgate
Guy Wharton (Born 1916) Wombwell
Jack Flaherty (approx 1916) Mexborough
Arthur Jefferson (born 1916) Goldthorpe
Francis Westlake (Born 1915) Bolton
William Henry Hardy (Born 1915) Denaby
George Lunn (Born 1915) Bolton
Jack Sykes (Born 1915) Wombwell
Ernie Hoyland (Born 1914) Thurnscoe
Bill Parry (Born 1914) Denaby
Joe Guest (Born 1914) Denaby
Tom Hinchcliffe (Born 1913) Denaby
Cliff Parker (Born 1913) Denaby
George Greaves (Born 1913) Darfield
Cliff Thorley (Born 1913) Wath
Les Jones (approx 1913) Wombwell
Syd Rawlings (Bor 1913) Wombwell
John Hampshire (Born 1913) Goldthorpe
Fred Butcher (Born 1913) Hemingfield
Bob Carte (Born 1913) Denaby
Arthur Sturgess (Born 1912) Conisbrough
Albert Ward (approx 1912) Mexborough
Stan Burton (Born 1912) Wombwell
Matt Moralee (Born 1912) Barnburgh
Frank Rayner (approx 1912) Goldthorpe
Walter McArthur (Born 1912) Denaby
Arnold Bramham (Born 1912) Brampton?
Walter Coulston (Born 1912) Wombwell
Wally Annables (Born 1911) Swinton
Mike Brannan (Born 1911) Brampton
Vic Dodsworth (Born 1911) Mexborough
Alf Fitzgerald (Born 1911) Conisbrough
Joe Langford (Born 1911) Mexborough
Ernie Lanceley (Born 1910) Swinton
Norman Hammond (Born 1910) Mexborough
Amos Hill (Born 1910) Wath
Clem Smith (Born 1910) Wath
Charles Hellewell (Born 1910) Hoyland
Born in the 1900s
Wilf Copping (Born 1909) Houghton
Frank Chivers (Born 1909) Goldthorpe?
Percy Ashton (Born 1909) Bolton
Jack Waring (Born 1909) Wombwell
Bill Ratcliffe (Born 1909) Bolton
James Critchley (Born 1909) Bolton
Albert Parkin (Born 1908) Wath
Joe Harvey (Born 1908) Kilnhurst
Jim Smith (Born 1908) Thurnscoe
Bernard Radford (Born 1908) West Melton
Fred Briggs (Born 1908) Wombwell
Harry Watson (Born 1908) Wath
Charles Bembridge (Born 1908) Mexborough
Cliff Woodhead (Born 1908) Darfield
Francis Chorlton (Born 1908) Rawmarsh
Dick Spence (Born 1908) Platts Common
George Hackford (Born 1908) Wath
Jackie Storer (Born 1908) Swinton
William Thomas Cooper (approx 1908) Denaby
George Raynor (Born 1907) Hoyland
Eric Brook (Born 1907) Mexborough
Albert Roberts (Born 1907) Goldthorpe
Ted Hancock (Born 1907) Denaby Main
Arthur Rodgers (Born 1907) Mexborough
Bernard Parden (Born 1907) Jump
Walter Wadsworth (Born 1906 approx) Kilnhurst
Albert Hill (Born 1906) Conisbrough
Teddy Ashton (Born 1906) Kilnhurst
Lewis Barber (Born 1906) Broomhill
Jack Barker (Born 1906) Denaby
Len Wassell (Born 1906) Parkgate
George Balmforth (born 1906) Denaby
Joe Wilkinson (Born 1905) Darfield
John T Harrison (Circa 1905) Parkgate
John Hatton (Born 1905) Little Houghton
Frank Varney (Born 1905) Wombwell
Levi Redfern (Born 1905) Denaby (SUFC 2 x appearance)
Fred Tilson (Born 1904) Swinton
Charlie Bisby (Born 1904) Mexborough
Eric Longden (Born 1904) Bolton
Walter Nutter (Born 1904) Wath
George Briggs (Born 1903) Wombwell
Ted Bowen (Born 1903) Goldthorpe
Charles Sanderson (Born 1903) Hoyland
Jack Wilkinson (Born 1902) Wath (Wath National school)
Harold Cope (Born 1902) Rawmarsh
Webster Swift (Born 1902) Wombwell
John Horton (Born 1902) Thurnscoe
Horace Hawkins (Born approx 1901) Mexborough
Sam Cowan (Born 1901) *Native of Swinton in 1936 MC article
Albert Redfern (appox 1901) Wombwell
George Fawcett (Born 1901) Great Houghton
George Waterfield (Born 1901) Swinton
George Appleyard (born 1900) Rawmarsh
Cyril Dixon (Born 1901) Rawmarsh
Ernest Binns (Born 1901) Wombwell
Fred Reeves (Approx 1900) Mexborough
Born in the 1890s
George Shaw (Born 1899) Swinton
Arthur Ruddlesdin (Born 1899) Hoyland
Ralph Burkinshaw (Born 1898) Kilnhurst (SUFC WW1)
Walter Brayshaw (Born 1898) Mexborough (SUFC WW1)
Walter Moore (born 1898) Darfield
Albert Pape (Born 1897) Elsecar (bizarre transfer Orient to MUFC)
Fred Tunstall (Born 1897) Darfield (scored only goal in 1925 FA Cup final)
Percy Beaumont (Born 1897) Mexborough (SUFC WW1)
William Shaw (Born 1897) Kilnhurst
Harry Vaughan (Born 1897) Wath
Harold Hamilton (Born 1896) Parkgate
Charlie Howson (Born 1896) Wombwell
Richard Shaw (Born 1896) Kilnhurst
Frank Ruddlesdin (Born 1895) Hoyland
Albert Darby (Born 1895) Wombwell
Horace Nicholson (Born 1895) Kilnhurst
William Henry Marshall (Born 1895) Kilnhurst
Billy Watson (Born 1893) Bolton
Walter Oscar Hargreaves (Born 1893) Rawmarsh
Eugene Harrison (Born 1893) Bolton
Sidney Dawson (Born 1893) Kilnhurst
Bill Ogley (Born 1893) Wombwell
Albert Roystone (Born 1892) Rawmarsh
Laurie Burkinshaw (Born 1891) Kilnhurst
Billy Clarkson (Born 1891) Wombwell
Harry Stansfield (Born 1891) Bolton
Jack Burkinshaw (Born 1890) Kilnhurst
Born in the 1880s
Joseph Enoch Smith (Born 1889) Kilnhurst Killed WW1
Larrett Roebuck (Born 1889) Jump
Teddy Glennon (Born 1889) Denaby (born Whitwick)
Jack Foster (Born 1889) Wombwell
Cliff Jones (Born 1889) Rawmarsh
James Pownall (Born 1888) Hoyland
George Utley (Born 1887) Elsecar
Allen Foster (Born 1887) Rawmarsh
Fred Haywood (Born 1887) Mexborough (see report for 1907 photo Mex Town)
Albert Brooks (Born 1887) Parkgate
William Hargreaves (Born 1886) Wombwell
Tommy Boyle (Born 1886) Hoyland
Willie Cooper (Born 1886) Mexborough
Harry Kay (Born 1886) Elsecar
John Cowley (Born 1886) Mexborough
Charlie Gedney (Born 1885) Wombwell
Ezra Holmes (Born 1885) Wombwell
Alf Smelt (Born 1885) Jump
Fred Newton (Born 1884) Denaby
Fred Staniforth (Born 1884) Kilnhurst (played in 1909 FA Cup final)
William Lawley (Approx 1883) Mexborough 1 app for BFC
William Jenkinson (Born 1883) Wombwell
Fred Connelly (Born 1883) Mexborough
John Eades (Born 1883) Goldthorpe
George Crowcroft (Born 1882) Conisbrough
Frank Newton (Born 1882) Denaby
Tommy Hakin (Born 1882) Mexborough
George Bennett (Born 1881) Mexborough
Dave Ewing (Born 1881) Elsecar
Wally Speight (Born 1881) Elsecar
Charlie Arthurs (Born 1881) Kilnhurst
Tommy Thorpe (Born 1881) Kilnhurst
Tommie Tompkins (Born 1880) Kilnhurst (maybe – played for Highthorn 1903)
Phil Bratley (Born Rawmarsh) Rawmarsh
Abe Burkinshaw * (Born 1884) Mexborough
*played for BFC in 1908 – Source: David Wood (BFC historian)
Born in the 1870s & 1860s
Arthur Birch (Born 1879) Mexborough
Jack Stables (Born 1879) Wath
Harry Davis (Born 1879) Wombwell
William Nettleton (Born 1878) Wombwell
John Bisby (Born 1876) Rawmarsh
Thomas Gosling (Born 1876) Wombwell
Rodger Craven (Born 1875) Low Valley, Wombwell
Walter Bennett (Born 1874) Mexborough
Billy Biggar (Born 1874) Mexborough
Harry “Tip” Bennett (Born 1871) Mexborough
Bob Ward (Born 1871) Parkgate
William “Micky” Bennett (Born approx 1868) Mexborough
Tom Nixon (Born 1867) Wombwell
Jimmy Sayer (Born 1862) Mexborough England international (no. 138)
England Schoolboys
Dearne Valley School Football Association
Les Thompson (in 1936) – from Houghton Council school. Captained England Schoolboys against Scotland, Wales & Ireland. He was killed in 1944 in an RAF raid over Germany. Buried in Denmark.
Eric Lacey (in 1937) – from Dearneside school. Played against Scotland & Wales.
Don Walker (in 1938) – from Dearneside school. Played against Ireland.
Don & Dearne School Football Association
David Cade (in 1953) – From Darfield school. Played against Ireland.
Frank Barlow (in 1962) – From Mexborough Grammar school. Captain against Wales, N. Ireland, Republic of Ireland, Germany and Scotland.
Jimmy Kelly– (in 1963 or 1964) from Denaby played for England Youth against Wales in the Amateur Youth Championship on 14 March 1964, at Elland Road
Billy Salkeld – England captain 1967-68. From Conisbrough & went to Mexborough School. If this Billy Salkeld is the inside-left E.Salkeld he is mentioned as being a playing member of all three Amateur Youth matches in early 1969. (1st & 28 February, at Stranrear and Tranmere, and 15 March at Haverfordwest)
Matt Hamshaw – (circa 1999) schoolboy & under 18 level. He had two caps in March & April 2000, and another seven before the year was out.
Robbie Cotton – (in 2009) Swinton Brookfield & Swinton Comp. & England Schoolboys.
Peter Hibbert – Trials with Nobbie Stiles and Bob Wilson
Four Don & Dearne lads in an FA cup final
In the 1939 FA Cup final there were FOUR Don & Dearne players involved. In fact they scored 3 of the goals between them in a 4-1 victory for Portsmouth against Wolves.
http://thurnscoe.dearnevalleyhistory.org.uk/article/memorable-wembley-final/
Successful Coaches
Steve Widdowson (Born 1975) Swinton
Mick Hudson (Born 1972?) Kilnhurst
John Greaves (Born ???) Denaby
Other notable footballers
Colin Dawson (Swinton) & Pete Scott (Kilnhurst) played in an FA Vase final 1975 at Wembley for Matlock in a 4- 0 victory Scarborough.
John Marshall (Born Goldthorpe 1954) was at Peteborough United in the early 1970’s
Dick England was a regular for Stevenage.
“John (Jackie) Parks played for Park Road and went on to become a Sheffield Utd apprentice. He played centre half playing up hill and centre forward playing down hill on the old Park Road pitch. He did play, I believe, for Don and Dearne, we both left school in 1959.” Derek Bradley
Harry Kaye (Born Elsecar?) is listed as a guest player for SUFC.
Don & Dearne Schools FA
The Don & Dearne School Football Association was formed when the Dearne Valley and Mexborough Association joined together in 1947, at the instigation of Mr. Herbert Clarke. In the previous season Mexborough had won the Yorkshire Trophy Competition and Dearne Valley were the runners up.
In 1983, it is understood that the Don & Dearne did not have a representative side for the first time in many years.
Article from 1963 mentioning Ken Mallender, Tony & Barrie Wagstaff, Jack Parkes and Frank Barlow.
Article from 1961 which shows how well respected the Don & Dearne SFA was
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Don & Dearne School Football 
