Mark Crook's Wath Wanderers

07/09/2026

Wath Wanderers won this final in 1944 - with eight players that had Football League appearances https://www.montagucup.com/1944
Join us in Mexborough next Easter Monday for the 130th anniversary final.

📅 Save the date 29/03/27
The 130th Anniversary of the Montagu Cup 🏆
Brinsworth DC FC Wickersley CC FC

10/08/2026

Mark Crook's great grandson Sam Whitlam scored in the competition Mark won with his feeder team, Wath Wanderers, in 1944.

That day the legendary George Robledo scored the winner in a marathon match which lasted more than two and a half hours.

A move to Wolves for George never quite materialised and instead he went to Barnsley FC and then to Newcastle United where he was part of a legendary partnership with Jackie Milburn.

We're lucky to have such a rich football history in the Don and Dearne Valleys and the likes of Sam are keeping it going.

There are still a few copies of the book tribute to Mark available through visiting: tinyurl.com/eBayWath

COTTAGE 2 - 1 ATHERSLEY REC

Huge result for us today in the second round of the Montagu cup against last years Barnsley league winners Athersley Rec! With plenty of lads missing we knew it was going to be a very tough game but the lads stood up and went and won it!🏆

We went 1-0 up inside 20 mins thanks to a Sam Whitlam penalty following Aiden Salmons being wiped out after taking on a few players to get in to the area.

We then made it 2-0 when youngster Zac Worrall gambled on a ball bouncing over the keepers head and putting the finishing touches in to the back of an open net.

After half time, we defended for a lot of the remainder of the game, and it was a very solid performance but with Rec pulling one back, we dug in even more and saw out the win. Rec did have a goal disallowed for offside and Luke Leader made some fantastic saves throughout the game, but we also had chances to extend our lead. Great end to end game where we ran out probably deserved winners.

Some great performances all over the pitch, every single man 1-13 absolutely dug in and grafted for each other like a team should. However, man of the match goes to Alex Roebuck for playing 90 mins for first time in about 4 year and being absolutely world class (no bias.) Shane Cocking did oreyt anorl.

All best to rec for season, great game and thanks a lot for packing boozer out afterwards 🙏🏻

We now face off against AFP in the quarter final as we look to carry on our cup run.

UTC🧡🖤

01/08/2026

Feeding The Wolves' author Ashley Ball is on with another worthwhile sporting history story. It's fair to say Archie fitted plenty in to his life!

An ice hockey player born in Barnsley, was once in talks to sign with Detroit Red Wings but an eye injury from childhood scuppered the deal.

Incredibly he went on to win a Winter Olympic gold medal with Team GB, build planes during the Second World War and coach The Nottingham Panthers to half of their league titles.

It's a privilege to tell the incredible story of Archie Stinchcombe.

https://www.barnsleychronicle.com/article/36270/the-barnsley-winter-olympic-hero-who-almost-signed-with-nhl-giants

28/07/2026

fans heading up to Doncaster tomorrow who have a bit of spare time can make a pilgrimage to a few South Yorkshire sites with huge links to the club.

Last year we, with the help of the new chancellor MP John Healey, unveiled a blue plaque for Wolves's great talent finder Mark Crook at the base of his feeder club, Wath Wanderers.

It's the place where many of his discoveries including Peter Knowles, Steve Daley, Bob Hatton, Alan Sunderland, Gerry Taylor and many others first pulled on the old gold.

Crook, of course, also found Ron Flowers and his blue plaque can be found nearer to Doncaster Rovers's stadium in Edlington.

And nearby Crook's blue plaque (a five minute drive) is one for the legendary Robledo brothers. They were on Crook's radar too but a move to Wolves never materialised and the duo ended up at nearby Barnsley FC before winning the FA Cup at Newcastle United. George did play for Wolves in a friendly match during the war and for Crook's Wath Wanderers.

And just to make it even more Wolves... the pub nearby Crook's plaque is called The Bull’s Head !

Fans are also welcome to call in at these locations ahead of heading to Bramall Lane in September.

There are so many links between our part of South Yorkshire and the great days at Molineux and Crook made it all happen.

Crook's achievements in finding 114 pro footballers, many for Wolves, are now all celebrated in the book, Feeding The Wolves. Copies remain available at a discounted price at: tinyurl.com/eBayWath

Wolves Away days Wolves ay we Wolves Disabled Supporters Association - Wolves DSA The South Bank, Molineux

27/07/2026

We're about to blow the final whistle on sales of Feeding the Wolves: The story of English football's greatest ever scout.

The book tells the story of the man who found Ron Flowers, Cyril and Peter Knowles, Terry Cooper, Alan Sunderland, Steve Daley, Bob Hatton and many, many more.

He even tried to sign Alan Ball and the Charlton brothers!

Though he worked primarily for Wolves and in Yorkshire his players went all over England and even Scotland. Chances are he found a player who played for your club.

Given we've just got about a dozen copies left, we've dropped the price to just £17 which includes free post and packaging. A bargain as it's still £22 in the shops.

To order one of the final copies, visit: tinyurl.com/eBayWath

We will not be printing any more!

Thanks to everyone who's bought so far and for all the positive feedback. If you know someone who might want to read the book too. Please share or tag them in the post.



Published by Steve Penny Media

“What an incredible job you have done. How on earth you have managed to gather all that information and then to have the talent of turning it all into a must read book about such an amazing character as Mark is the work of real talent.”.

08/07/2026

Many accolades have come the way of our book, Feeding The Wolves, but knowing copies are now bound for the most famous libraries in the UK and Ireland is right up there.

Copies will soon be held in the Bodleian Library, Oxford University, the Cambridge University Library, National Library of Scotland, National Library of Wales and Trinity College Dublin.

It's particularly pleasing for author Ashley who's had a long-term obsession with Inspector Morse and Oxford!

It's testament to Mark and the incredible story he created for Wath, and the 114 footballers he discovered. It was just a privilege to tell it.

Steve Penny Media

There's still time to add it to your own library by visiting: www.tinyurl.com/eBayWath

30/06/2026

The next project by Feeding The Wolves author Ashley Ball is well underway. If you've enjoyed the story of Mark Crook – you will want to hear Jimmy Chappell and Archie Stinchcombe's...

Please give the page a follow and share among ice hockey fans.

In the summer of 1925 Jimmy Chappell, aged 11, left Huddersfield for a new life in Ontario, Canada. He was on board the SS Montcalm with his mum Marion and sister, Bessie. Father Ernest had made the trip alone a few months earlier.

After first settling in Perth the Chappells, who were originally from Batley, made Oshawa their home.

By the summer of 1935 he was back on the exact same ship with a new dream in mind: playing ice hockey for Great Britain.

In just ten years he had learned how to skate and play hockey to a standard good enough to earn a deal in the UK with Earl's Court Rangers.

Less than six months later he was off to the Winter Olympics in Germany where he would become part of history as Team GB pulled off a gold medal win - the first time Canada had ever been denied. Chappell would score twice at those Olympics against Hungary and Czechoslovakia.

Jimmy, along with teammate Archie Stinchcombe, will feature in Champagne On Ice: The story of Yorkshire's forgotten Winter Olympic heroes - out next year with Steve Penny Media

For more stories on the duo's remarkable lives and to keep up to date with the progress of the book, give this page a follow and please share it among fellow hockey fans.



Huddersfield Hub Huddersfield Civic Society Huddersfield & District Family History Society Huddersfield Local History Society Batley Town Council