Former Reds youngsters face off in league opener Wale family celebrating 100 amateur shows at ‘best venue’
THERE will be several former Barnsley FC youngsters in the dugouts tomorrow as the County Senior League Premier Division starts with a local derby between Dodworth MW and Wombwell Town.
Hosts Dodworth are coached by Darren Young and James Dudgeon who were in the Reds youth system in the late 1990s when Karl Rose, now manager of newly-promoted Town, was on the fringes of the first team squad.
Young and Dudgeon were coaches under Rose at the Wombwell club before moving to Dodworth.
Rose said: “I know Daz well and
James was best man at my wedding, he’s always been at the side of me as a coach.
“It will be strange being in opposite dugouts but, after 90 minutes, we will be friends again.
“They’ve done a great job and Dodworth are the favourites to win the league so it’s a hell of a start and we have been thrown in the deep end.”
Dodworth manager Young added: “Wombwell are expected to do well this season so we couldn’t ask for a harder start. We know quite a bit about them. It will be a tough test.
“Everyone expects us to do well this season. We’re confident we will have a good season but, until you start playing, you don’t know where you are.
“We finished third last season and could have won it. We know how many points we need to win the league.
“It’s important to get a good start, starting with the Wombwell Town game.”
Town were set up in 2018 with the aim of becoming the highest-placed nonleague club in Barnsley.
Although their progress was delayed by two cancelled seasons due to Covid19, they have been promoted twice into the Premier Division.
They are improving their facilities to the standard of the Northern Counties East League with the hope of eventually moving up to that level.
Rose said: “We understand that you can apply for the NCEL if you finish in
you are in mid-table. We are better than our league position suggests.
“Garside has been playing for our over 35s but we’ve brought him back to the first team to be a leader, hold the ball up up front and score goals.
“He was outstanding.
“He won a few headers in the first minute which set the tone.” the top four, but you are guaranteed if you win the league.
“That’s the aim eventually but we’re not sure if we will be able to do it this season.
“There’s a bit of uncertainty going into the new league and trying to judge where we’re going fit in.
“We have tried to keep everyone from last season and add quality.
“We know there are some very good sides in that division.
“We just want to do the best we can in each game. We haven’t taken any games for granted in the last couple of seasons and we won’t now. We just want to enjoy it and entertain then see where we at the end of the season.”
Dodworth played in a League
Cup derby at Wombwell Main on Wednesday, winning 2-1.
Town won 5-1 at Kinsley Boys.
Eddie Agnew scored twice with Jordan Cooper, Luke Hallam and William Harling also netting.
Houghton Main lost 1-0 at home to Hepworth. Silkstone United lost 4-2 at home to South Kirkby.
THE FACT Mick Wale is promoting his 100th amateur boxing show next week is testament to his determination, dedication and even his meticulous record keeping.
Brampton-based Mick, father of former British champion Josh and Gwyn and Dempsey, who have both boxed as amateurs and professionally, has had a long association with the sport he learned while being a serving paratrooper.
The 60-year-old then guided his sons into the sport and has had a nomadic existence with gyms in Mexborough, Wath, Wombwell, Brampton and even in his own back garden.
Now firmly established in the Cortonwood Miners’ Welfare building in Brampton and with the Metrodome secured as their home venue for both amateur and professional shows, promoted by the now retired Josh, things have never seemed as steady.
That does not tell the full story, though, with Mick fighting every day against tumours on his spine.
Defying the odds and the doctors has become a regular occurrence. Getting to 100 shows is just the latest feat.
Mick said: “There have been times where I didn’t think I would still be here. Let alone get to 60 and have done 100 boxing shows. I am proud of what I have done. When I got my illness, everything could have been over.”
Josh said: “It is a massive achievement and testament to the longevity of the club and my dad. Not all of the boxers we have had become champions but they become better people and hundreds of kids have boxed on the shows over the last 30 years.”
The shows themselves kicked off at the Albert Road Club in West Melton in 1997 and have since been hosted around the region and latterly at the Metrodome.
Josh, now 34, has fond memories of the early days.
He said: “When I first started boxing you could still smoke in venues and there was a cloud of smoke above the ring.
“The venues always seemed packed. More than they do now. It was always a great atmosphere.”
Mick’s own lads and popular Barnsley fighters Neil Beevers and Robbie Barrett, who also won a British title, cut their teeth on the club shows of Micky’s Athletic.
Mick added: “Gwyn and Josh were outstanding amateurs – winning national titles. Josh got his first England vest at 12 and was on the same squad as Amir Khan. Tyrone Nurse won a novice title with me and so did Neil. He lost his first two fights and got stopped in both.
“He had a bad lifestyle but we turned him around and he finished with a record of won 14, lost two and stopped 12.
“Chris Eubank Junior pulled out of the championships to avoid him.”
Josh added: “My dad got a programme out the other day and it showed that myself, Robbie and Tyrone all boxed in the home corner. All three of us went on to become British champions. That is something to be proud of and not something you see on every show.
“He keeps books on everything so he was never going to not know when his 100th show was going to be.”
The Wale stable is probably at its largest ever now and Mick said that would not be possible without the help of longterm coach Shaun Eastwood and others.
The hundreth show, on Tuesday at the Metrodome, is set to feature eight home fighters. Doors open at 6.30pm and tickets are available to buy on the door.