Sheffield Daily Telegraph – Monday 11 October 1909
Don Valley “Bisley.”
Mexborough and Denaby Clubs’ Annual Shoots
Evidence of the continued progress of the rifle movement in the Don Valley was forthcoming last week-end, at the annual prize meetings of the Denaby and Mexborough Rifle Clubs.
The clashing of these fixtures did not prevent members who are associated with Doth clubs from at both meetings, as shooting in each instance started on Thursday, and was concluded on Saturday.
The Denaby Club’s programme was framed on the experience gained in former years; and, if Mexborough’s was somewhat less ambitious, constituted a good start as the first annual effort of a new and already flourishing club.
Both meetings were as successful could have been expected, considering the lateness of the season.
At the close of the Denaby shoot. Mr. W. H. Chambers (president of the club) presented the prizes to the successful marksmen, among whom G. West won the cup in Class 1 with the excellent aggregate of 188 points from 21 shots. The top scorer in the second class proved to be F. Cousins, with return of 166. L. Wright won the quickfiring competition, and in the third competition. W- Ramskill and J. D. Cunningham tied for first prize with scotes of 67.
After the presentation of the prizes, votes of thanks were passed to Mr. Chambers, Mr. Barnard (for his services as hon. secretary during the past year), and the donors of prizes.
At Mexborough, Messrs. M. Hulse and A. Patman were the judges on Thursday, and Messrs. J. Clayton and J. Rennie on Saturday.
On the opening day some of the Denaby Kelley Cup men turned up to compete, but only one, M, Hulse, got among the prizes. The competition classes on the Town range were follows:
Class 1, from scratch to five points start inclusive: Class 2, from to 6 to 10 inclusive; Class 3, from 11 to 16 inclusive.
This arrangement was made as encourage the beginners, who, through the ‘system adopted, had as good a chance of winning a gold medal in their own class as had the ‘‘cracks” and short start men in the first-class, and no better testimony to the good handicapping could be forthcoming than the fact that had all three classes shot in one competition, according to handicaps, less than five members would have tied for first place, two for third, two for fourth, and two for fifth, with only five points dividing the lot. As it was in Classes 1 and 2, re-shoots will be necessary for the allocation of the prizes concerned. In Class J. E. Mayor, A. Patman, and H. Woodhead tied for the gold medal, and in Classes 2 and this distinction went to W. Bell and T. Webster respectively. The best scores ‘‘off the gun” were made by M. Hulse and J. Clayton, the “old hands,” to whoso initiative the institution of the Mexborough Club was largely due. If may also be mentioned that J. Clayton holds the dual record having made the highest scores at both the Denaby and Mexborough ranges up-to-date.
The thanks of the Mexborough Committee are due to the donors of prizes, and the club can look back at its first annual prize-meeting with feelings of satisfaction. Owing to the shortness of the afternoons, the original programme was not completed, and it has been decided to hold the quickfiring competition as an extra contest, on Thursday and Saturday afternoons next.