Mexborough & Swinton Times, September 26, 1908
The Mexboro’ – Barnsley Football Match.
Sad Sequel.
Windle Dies from Lockjaw.
A Pure Accident.
Arthur William Windle.
Perhaps the saddest happening in the local world of athletics since the death of the International, Walter Bennett, last spring, took place on Tuesday, at the Barnsley Beckett Hospital, where Arthur Wm. Windle, erstwhile Mexborough Town footballer, succumbed to injuries received on the 12th of September, when he broke him leg during a match between Mexboro’ Town and Barnsley Reserve on the Oakwell ground. The cause of death was exhaustion and heart failure due to lockjaw, the injury having gone the wrong way.
Windle was a capable full back, and the sad affair made a profound impression on the football-following public of the district, to whom the sad experience of a footballer meeting his death in the game is fortunately rarely given. Windle was 28 years of age, and had played football for seven or eight seasons, one of which he had spent with the Mexborough Town Club, and one or two with the Parkgate and Rawmarsh club in the Sheffield Association League. He was a spring smith, employed by Messrs. Steel, Peech and Tozer, and lived in Fernham. Road, Masborough. The saddest aspect of the whole sad affair was the fact that Windle only married a few weeks ago.
The Inquest.
The inquest took place in the Town Hall, Barnsley, on Wednesday, Mr. P. P. Maitland conducted, the inquiry.
Albert Windle of Wortley Road, Masbro’, brother of deceased, said the deceased ‘was a spring smith, employed at Messrs Steel, Peech and Tozer’s Works, Rotherham, and resided in Ferham Road, Masbrough.
He had played football for eight or nine years, latterly, with the Mexboro’ Town club. Witness did not see the accident and knew nothing of it until he read of on the following day, when he came at once to the hospital at Barnsley. Witness asked him how the accident happened. He told me he could not say how it was done, but it was a complete accident.
The Coroner : How did he say it happened? —He told me that he and Biggins got the ball, which slipped awray, and Biggins’ foot caught him and pulled him over.
Did he say he slipped, or that Biggins slipped?–He said the ball slipped away, he did not know how it slipped away and then Biggins trod on his foot.
But he satisfied you that it was a pure accident ?—Oh, yes he told us all that it was.
Story of The Accident.
Henry Long, glass-blower, Mexboro’, secretary of the Mexboro’ Town Football Club, said he was present at Barnsley on the occasion of this match, and saw the accident, which occurred about 15 minutes from the close, when Barnsley were leading by three goals to one. Biggins was coming along the right wing with the ball. Windle came out to meet him, and they trapped the ball between them. With trapping, the ball slipped away, with Biggins after it, and Windle fell. Witness went to the assistance of deceased, who was in great pain, his leg being obviously broken, and with his trying to get up he broke the skin, the bone coming through. The game was at once stopped and deceased’s leg bandaged up on the field, there being one young man there who did the work very well. The ambulance was there promptly, and deceased was taken to the hospital.
Witness asked deceased subsequently at the hospital what was his version of the affair, and he replied that as he was trapping the ball Biggins’ foot caught his leg.
The ‘Coroner : You have had a good deal of experience of football matches?—Yes.
Was the match a good, decent game, or was it a rough game?–There was very little rough play.
And from what you saw, you think, yourself, it was a pure accident?—Yes, sir
Francis Joseph Biggins, professional footballer, outside right for the Barnsley Club, also gave evidence. Asked to describe the accident, witness said he got the ball about bait-way from midfield, and was running and was running down when Windle came across to meet him, “I was trying to touch the ball past him when I caught his foot. This caused him to come over on a bit of a twist, and that did it, I think. The speed that he was coming caused him to twist and fall.”
The Coroner: He would be going a, good deal faster than you at that moment?- We were both going at a good speed.
Did it throw you down?-0h, no, I went clean by.
Did he call out or make any exclamation? He said, ” Oh, dear.” I stopped then.
Witness expressed the opinion that the game was a perfectly fair one, not rough, adding that he went to see deceased in the hospital on Wednesday last, and deceased then expressed the opinion that the affair was the outcome of a pure accident.
As witness was leaving the box, the Coroner said he would like to say that he was quite satisfied Biggins had given a very straightforward account, one quite satisfactory to him, of what had occurred.
Referee’s Story.
Frank Ilife, insurance agent, of 20 Central Avenue, Worksop, who was referee on this occasion, also gave his version of the accident, adding that he thought Windle must have caught the ground with his foot, judging by the way he fell.
The Coroner to: Do you think it seemed to be quite an accident ?—Yes.
There was no carelessness—No, I should not have given a foul for it, and we are supposed to foul rough play.
The House surgeon at the Beckett Hospital said Windle was admitted suffering from a compound fracture of the right ankle. This was’a serious injury, there being always the risk of amputation. On. Saturday deceased developed symptoms of tetanus (look-jaw), and growing steadily worse, he died on Monday morning from heart failure and exhaustion.
Witness expressed the opinion that at the time of the injury some soil containing the tetanus microbe must have got into the wound. He thought, had not the tetanus come on, that deceased would have lost his leg.
A verdict that deceased “Died from tetanus following an accidental injury to his right leg, caused whilst playing football,” was returned, the Coroner observing that it was some satisfaction to know that the game was a fair game.
Mr. Arthur Fairclough, on behalf of the Barnsley Club, and Mr. Long, on behalf of Mexborough each expressed deep regret at the unfortunate occurrence, and sympathy with the relatives of the deceased.
The Coroner observed that he was glad to hear these expressions, repeating that the only satisfaction one could feel in an unfortunate affair of this so was that it had evidently been purely accidental.
A Kimberworth correspondent- who signs himself “One Who Knew Him” sends us the following appreciation of the unfortunate Windle:—By the sad, timely end of Arthur Windle (known to his intimates as “Billy “), the Kimberworth Wesleyan Young Men’s Bible Class has lost one of its most valued members. Quite an unassuming in disposition, Windle gained many friends, and those who knew him best probably loved him the most.
He was a young man of good, sound Christian principles, a regular attendant at the Kimberworth Wesleyan Chapel, where he was a member of the choir and assistant organist at the Young Men’s Class. He captained the Kimberworth Wesleyan cricket team last summer with conspicuous success.. He was a keen enthusiast in every branch of sport which he undertook, and he always played with his whole heart and soul. He has given his life to the sport he loved so well, and one feels constrained to say: “It wasn’t worth it.” A loving son, an affectionate brother, a devoted husband (he was only married three months ago), one feels that the Kimberworth district is all the poorer for his loss. May the earth rest lightly upon his ashes !
The funeral will take place on Sunday afternoon, the ccortege leaving the deceased’s residence 89, Ferham road, Masbro’, at one o’clock.