Mexborough & Swinton Times – Friday 11 October 1929

Football Nuisance.

Goldthorpe Landlord’s Plight.

As a last resort, a Goldthorpe landlord decided to prosecute street footballers. During twelve months he had had to pay over £20 for repairs to windows, etc., and as a result of the footballers’ activities he could not keep tenants.

This was the story told to the magistrates at Doncaster on Tuesday by Mr. C. R. Marshall, who appeared to prosecute on behold of Mr. Sidney Hamilton, of Goldthorpe, who summoned Leonard Lockwood, Wm. Mellor, Harry Martin, Geoige O’Malley , Joseph Watkinson, Alwyne Lockwood, Ernest Mellor, all of Goldthorpe, for playing football on the highway.

Mr. Marshall stated that the lads played between Nora Street and St. Mary’s Road and prosecutor owned the houses on either side of the road. The most surprising feature of case was that the recreation ground was only about 60 or 70 yards away, yet the boys persisted in playing in the back road. Prosecutor had complained until he was tired, and many times he had met with abuse. During the last 12 months be had had to spend over £20 in repairing broken windows, and thing’s had got to such a state that many of his tenants had gone. If any of the tenants complained, they usually got their windows broken after dark.

Mr. Hamilton, who stated that he lived at Market Place. Goldthorpe, agreed with his advocate’s statement. On Sept. 18. at 11.55 a.m. he saw defendants playing with a full sized football in the back passage between the houses. It was not safe to go along the passage, and witness saw a little girl knocked aside. He told the boys he would report them. He was sick and tired of telling to stop it. He did not like bringing them to court, he thought it would be a lesson to them. “I cannot keep a good tenant, for they bring the key back within a few days:” he added.

Defendants, who were represented by their parents, were bound over and ordered to pay 4s. costs each.