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| The Associations History |
BARNSLEY & DISTRICT FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION
Established 1893
In the Beginning
The actual commencement of the Association is shrouded in mystery but there evidence held in local press records that organised football was being played in Barnsley in the early 1880’s. There seems no doubt that our organisation started as a charitable organisation for the original title was the BARNSLEY CHARITY ASSOCIATION FOOTBALL UNION.
Between 1893 and 2007 nine people have acted as Secretary to the Association and it speaks well for their integrity and devotion to duty that the records available to us today have been maintained in such good order.
The first officially recorded date was the 1st September 1893 when income was shown in the Account Book from entry fees for the Challenge Cup. The first recorded date in the Minute Book is the 9th September 1893 when the minutes of the Annual General Meeting are entered for that date.
Research in other areas however reveals differing information. A copy of Lodge’s Diary a local almanac at the time dated August 1900 records a reference to the formation of the Barnsley Charity Association Football Union in March 1891. Verification of this has not been possible but some credence can be attached because the Balance Sheet of the 1893 Annual General Meeting mentioned above carried the item “Balance Forward” £7-9-0 which is a clear indication of activity in the previous year, together with a list of beneficiaries to whom cash had been distributed.
Furthermore the Barnsley Chronicle dated 26th April 1890 carried the results of the Challenge Cup semi-finals and final of the Challenge Cup as follows: Wentworth 1 Staincross 3 and Birdwell 3 Hoyle Mill 0 both played at the Queens Ground and Staincross 5 Birdwell 0.
Yet again in April 1891 there appeared a report of a Charity Cup Competition meeting held on 3rd April when the objects were set out as :
1. To encourage local talent
2. To enable district clubs to take a more important position than heretofore
3. To make the Association game more popular and
4. To devote the proceeds to charity.
R K Micklethwaite presided supported by the Rev. T Preedy (whose name is perhaps better known with the formation of Barnsley Football Club) and representatives of eight clubs.
From this time the game went from strength to strength with the formation of many leagues including the Association League, the Junior League, the Sunday School League, The Nelson League, The WMC league and many others over the years.
Probably the heyday for football in the area was between 1945 and the mid sixties when the Association managed 8 divisions every Saturday with 120 recorded teams.
Reference to Sunday Football was first recorded in the minutes in 1943 when the Sheffield & Hallamshire County FA asked for the Associations views, no support at all was recorded. Several other references were made in the 50’s and early 60’s but public support did not change.
Eventually social attitudes to Playing football on a Sunday changed and in 1968 the Barnsley & Distrct Sunday League was formed.
Extensive Research into the History of the Association was conducted by Frank Waters (President from 1969 to 1989) in preparation for the Associations Centenary and by Roy Parden who was instrumental in publishing the Centenary Brochure and is still active as Disciplinary Secretary and management of this website.
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