Thursday 1 December 2011

Where are they now?

1969/70 was my first season at Barnsley and when I recently looked at the fixture list for that season I was struck by how things have changed in rugby union over the past 40 years. Exactly why some clubs have disappeared, while others have improved their status and still another group has declined is hard to explain. Was the reason the impact of leagues, professionalism or the increasing range of leisure activities available? Notably, rugby union has suffered a decline in playing numbers. Clubs that once organised four or five teams now only organise two or three. Players can now move freely between the two codes but that hasn’t had a significant impact on player numbers.
The reality is that the reasons for the changes are complex. There isn’t just one reason for clubs disappearing, improving their status or declining. I have listed below the clubs that were in the 1969/70 Barnsley fixture list, the name they go by today and, if they are still in existence, which league they are in.

1969/70
CURRENT CLUB NAME
2011/12 LEAGUE
HEATH OLD BOYS
HEATH RUFC
NORTH ONE EAST
YORKSHIRE COPPER WORKS
NO LONGER IN EXISTENCE

ROTHERHAM
ROTHERHAM TITANS
THE CHAMPIONSHIP
BRAMLEY BARBARIANS
BRAMLEY PHOENIX
YORKSHIRE THREE
RODILLIANS
STANLEY RODILLIANS
YORKSHIRE FOUR
STOCKSBRIDGE
NO CHANGE
YORKSHIRE FIVE
LEEDS CHIRONS
NO LONGER IN EXISTENCE

SHEFFIELD TIGERS
NO CHANGE
NATIONAL LEAGUE 2 (NORTH)
WEST PARK OLD BOYS
WEST PARK LEEDS
YORKSHIRE TWO
BEVERLEY
NO CHANGE
NATIONAL LEAGUE 3 (NORTH)
OLD WATHONIANS
WATH UPON DEARNE
YORKSHIRE TWO
YARNBURY
NO CHANGE
YORKSHIRE TWO
HUDDERSFIELD YMCA
NO CHANGE
YORKSHIRE ONE
CLECKHEATON
NO CHANGE
NORTH ONE EAST
OLD RISHWORTHIANS
NO CHANGE
YORKSHIRE THREE
LEEDS CORINTHIANS
NO CHANGE
YORKSHIRE FOUR
BAILDON
NO CHANGE
YORKSHIRE THREE
LEEDS ENGINEERS
NO LONGER IN EXISTENCE

BURLEY
NO CHANGE
YORKSHIRE THREE
HALIFAX VANDALS
NO CHANGE
YORKSHIRE THREE
OLD GRAMMARIANS
NO LONGER IN EXISTENCE

EAST RETFORD
NO CHANGE
MIDLAND FOUR EAST (NORTH)
YORK
NO CHANGE
YORKSHIRE ONE


Barnsley currently play in Yorkshire Two and in 2011/12 only have fixtures against three of the twenty three clubs listed above.

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