SHARP, SHORT AND SWIFT

I get about you know. This afternoon we visited the Holmfirth Art Festival which has adopted the town for the week. Lots a pots, paintings and other stuff beginning with "p". It was a pleasant interlude for me between garden clippings and car cleaning.

In the Methodist Hall, alongside the wood prints table was a pleasant lady who lived in Cawthorne, very much a Barnsley posh suburb. She knew where I lived and then mentioned a family she knew in Cawthorne that used to live in my "hamlet" (village with no functions), Carlecotes. I knew exactly whom she meant, it was Duncan Sharp and his family who used to live in the Hall at the top of the hill.

Duncan made his money after football in haulage, not having made enough as a Barnsley "star" professional in the 1950-60s. He was a bright schoolboy who did serious academic subjects at Barnsley GS (School Certificates in Greek and Latin) and his brain enabled him to do well in business so he put together enough money to buy up the 16th Century Carlecotes Hall and associated buildings, with land.

I met Duncan when he strolled down "the village with no functions" for his post lunch constitutional, with a cigar! We chatted about footballers of his era, Matthews, Finney and Wright but it was clear that he was ageing and eventually dementia got him. His charming wife moved him to Cawthorne into a smaller property to help him cope with his illness and then Duncan died.

He had a funeral in Cawthorne and many turned up including Dickie Bird, who was disappointed that Barnsley FC had not made more of celebrating Duncan's career. With 213 games under his belt, many as captain, Duncan played for the one professional club, between 1953-62, retiring sensibly at 29 years old.

He was born in March 1933 and died at 83 years old. The war interfered with his professional career but he made up for the loss of time by defending as one of the "hardest buggers" in the division. He was described as "one of the best defenders to play for the club", and "he always had a smile on his face and ate forrards for breakfast". At 6 feet tall and weighing 13 stone, he was a feisty centre half who had a crunching tackle. The crowd would shout out "was that murder or manslaughter then" as a visiting forward lay on the Oakwell turf.

 When any delivery lad visited his firm there was always a spam special with an egg at the canteen and when they spoke to Duncan, he was soft spoken and good natured.

Duncan Sharp played alongside right back John Short, signed from Stoke City and Colin Swift, a left back. Sharp and Swift came through the club's youth system.

Duncan Sharp is third from left at back