Buoyant Barney are thriving

WITH so many clubs struggling to raise a second team the question arises of how rugby is faring at grass roots level. In Barnard Castle's case it appears to be thriving.

With a clubhouse half a mile from their two exposed pitches, clubs don't come much more grass roots than this, but they have won three county junior cups this season and have 90 youngsters turning out on a Sunday morning.

Acklam are also surprisingly buoyant considering that they lost every match when obliged to play in Yorkshire One last season.

"We have kept the same team and they are wiser for the experience,"

said Acklam president Jim Ward. "There's still a good spirit in the club and we are regularly fielding three senior teams."

Acklam were reinstated to Durham and Northumberland at division two level and remain second after what Ward described as their worst performance of the season resulted in Saturday's narrow defeat.

They looked like winning when lock Tim Savage finished off a period of pressure with a converted try ten minutes from time for a 21-19 lead.

But with former Mowden Park player Sam Errington off the field, Barney turned to prop Adam Haynes to kick their goals and he obliged with a 25-metre penalty. Victory was assured when a strong driving maul was rewarded by a drop goal from Kirk Thompson.

He had replaced Errington, who for several years had been the heir apparent to Mowden's No 10 shirt. But when they signed two new fly halves following promotion to National One he decided to enjoy himself at the club in the town where he works.

His astute kick set up the first try for former Bishop Auckland winger Kieron Canavan and Errington scored the second himself after re-gathering a chip on halfway.

The third came from even greater distance when scrum half Adam Kicks took a quick penalty and raced 70 metres to go under the posts.

Acklam have a powerful No 8 in John Morgan, who drove over for a try, while fly half Danny Ashton kicked the goals, and to call this coarse rugby would be harsh considering the talent on view.

The coarsest part was the language when a Barney forward was kicked in the head and the Acklam player who copped the flak fiercely denied he was the culprit. There was a brief threat of mayhem, but tempers soon settled.

Barney have long been at this level and whether they can aspire to greater things might hinge on whether they can build pitchside changing rooms. They can't apply for grants until they sort out a lease on the land, which was donated to the town by Raby Estates 70 years ago but with the proviso that only a small "pavilion" could be built.

The club have occupied the town's former YMCA building for 30 years and now own it, with chairman David Jackson saying: "This is our bread and butter. We are a very hospitable club and even feed the players after training, but we have had three visiting second teams cry off this season, which does cause a problem.

"We have a strong team of junior coaches and we also send coaches into Staindrop and Teesdale Schools, so are building a strong relationship with them."

The head coach is former Mowden lock Luke Monument, who teaches at Barnard Castle School and had commitments to their team on Saturday.

But he should be available to play regularly in the New Year.