North Gawber Colliery FC founder Nick Bedford would have been delighted with his club’s treble success that culminated with the Sheffield Senior Cup trophy being lifted at Bramall Lane, says his son Jake.
Nick was manager of the Woolley-based club when he died in late 2015 after being attacked in Barnsley town centre. The club nearly closed but continued and the team has now completed an unprecedented treble of their league, league cup and the Sheffield Senior Cup.
Jake, who plays for the team, said: “My dad would have loved this season and especially to see us lifting the trophy at Bramall Lane. It just shows how far we have come because we were very, very close to folding after he died. It was a very tough time for us all but it shows the togetherness we have as a club that we’ve achieved the treble this season.”
Gawber added the county cup to the trophy cabinet which already contains this season’s County Senior Premier Division and League Cup. Their opponents for the final Frickley Athletic pulled out because it was scheduled a month after their league season ended. Instead Gawber played a County Senior XI and lost 5-2 before lifting the trophy.
Jake said: “We really enjoyed the occasion. It wasn’t the final we wanted but we’re glad that the Sheffield FA managed to put something together for us. We’ve got those medals and those memories now and no one can take them away from us. The season has been way beyond our expectations. Last summer we got together and said we would have a really good go at the league title and we improved our fitness a lot, but we never thought we would win the treble.”
Gawber’s Woolley Cricket Club ground is not at the required standard for them to join the Northern Counties East League, the division above their current level. Jake said: “It’s a shame we can’t get promoted but the facilities aren’t quite good enough. It would take quite a lot of investment and time to get the ground up to that standard but we are going in the right direction.”
