Rotherham Town v Thornhill | movie | 1902 | Official Featurette - video Dailymotion

A ropey pitch and worse goalkeeping in a typical non-league football derby in Edwardian Yorkshire. | dG1fVFdKRXNTWmtqclU

Transcript

00:00 A South Yorkshire derby between Rotherham Town and Thornhill,

00:07 who played in the Sheffield League, filmed on 11th February 1902.

00:12 These were two of the original Rotherham clubs who merged in 1925

00:16 to be known as Rotherham United.

00:19 Rotherham Town are in the strip with the white half on the left,

00:22 Thornhill have the white half on the right.

00:26 More than 3,000 locals came to watch this spectacle

00:30 held on the red house ground belonging to the local publican.

00:33 The match itself was abandoned after 55 minutes

00:36 due to the poor quality of the pitch,

00:38 but not before Albert Wilkinson had filmed highlights of the game

00:42 to be shown later that week at the Drill Hall in Rotherham.

00:45 The handling of the Rotherham Town goalie in white

00:52 leaves something to be desired.

00:54 (Music)

00:57 The spectators, their face still covered in pit dirt,

01:14 line up alongside Albert Wilkinson, the showman exhibitor,

01:18 and smile for the camera.

01:20 The crowd are entirely male,

01:22 and without exception they're wearing flat caps and working gear

01:25 in complete contrast to the elegance of the sporting crowds

01:29 at cricket and athletic events.

01:31 (Music)

01:35 (Music)

01:38 (upbeat music)

01:40 (upbeat music)