The Twelfth Man 2019

In February we learned of the death after illness of Womb- well member Brian Workman. Here, Brian Sanderson pays his own tribute. Main article reproduced by kind permission of the Barnsley Chronicle BRIAN WORKMAN TRELFORD MILLS Obituaries Brian was born in Reading and was good enough to play cricket for Berkshire. He was a good bat and a medium swing bowler. He always remembered playing at The Oval where we visited recently when Yorkshire was playing. His job took him away to Germa- ny and Australia. When he came back he went to live in Chapeltown, Sheffield where he started playing some local cricket. He was a Shef- field Wednesday season ticket holder until his health stopped him going. I first met Brian at the Wombwell and soon we became very good friends. We both had the love of cricket and memorabilia. His par- ticular love was signed scorecards and books. I soon had the pleasure to meet Caroline, his wife and Jack, their son and was instantly accept- ed as a friend. For the Wombwell, Brian organ- ised the winter nets until his health deteriorated. However, Brian was always cheerful and we went on some trips to watch Minor County cricket. One ground we visited was Colwall where Berkshire were play- ing Herefordshire in the sunshine. Great day! More recently the Workman family moved to Derbyshire where through Jack he became involved in local cricket and Derbyshire County Cricket Club. Brian will always be in the mem- ory of Wombwell Cricket Lovers’ So- ciety and his cricket friends. He will be remembered as a cheerful per- son who had many stories to tell. Rest in peace, Brian. All the best for the future for Caroline and Jack. Trelford Mills, a respected top-flight football referee and cricketer who became known as a pillar of Barns- ley’s sporting community died in Weston Park Hospital in Sheffield in early June, aged 77. A well-known figure in local sporting circles, he was a talented cricketer, captaining Barnsley and playing for Stainbor- ough for several years. In a statement, Stainborough Cricket Club said: “Trelford was a man with cricket in his heart, and devoted much of his life to the great game, both at Barnsley and at Stainborough. After finishing playing he was heavily involved behind the scenes in local cricket, with coaching, committee work and fund raising.” His refereeing career began in 1965 in the Barnsley and District leagues before working his way up the ladder to the Central and Foot- ball League. In a career spanning more than two decades, Trelford became a well-respected and firm official, overseeing a UEFA Cup game in 1976 and an FA Challenge Trophy semi-final the following year. He became social secretary of the Barnsley and District Referees’ Association in 1978, becoming an honorary life member of the asso- ciation in 2005. Trelford will be well-remem- bered by a certain generation of Newcastle United supporters, who were convinced he had cheated them out of an FA Cup third round match win against Brighton in Jan- uary 1983, after he disallowed two goals. He and his assistants had to be escorted by police away from the stadium and 2,000 rabid Magpies fans. Coincidentally, one of the players denied on that day was Kevin Keegan, whose Newcas- tle debut Trelford had overseen earlier that season. Trelford’s final match as the man in the middle was a First Division clash between Tottenham Hot- spur and Southampton in 1990, after which he retired at 48. But he couldn’t leave the game complete- ly and in his later years, Trelford worked as match-day liaison officer for Shaw Lane AFC in the Evostik League and could often be found chatting to Barnsley fans in Oak- well’s Legends Suite on match days. • Trelford Mills was a visitor to the Wombwell Cricket Lovers’ Society in 1986. In that year he read a lesson at the Society’s Sports- men’s Service at Wombwell Church when awards from the junior coaching nets were given out. Trelford Mills (R) seen here with former footballer Matt LeTissier Photo courtesy of the Barnsley Chronicle (L to R) Brian Workman with Brian Sanderson, Bryan Stott and Norman Hazell