Wednesday 23 October 2019


Where are they now? (Updated)

My first season playing for Barnsley was 1969/70 and when I recently looked again at the fixture list for that season and compared that fixture list with  the 2019/20 fixture list I was struck by how many things have changed in rugby union over the past 40 years.
1969/70 season 


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? Rugby union has suffered, as have many other team sports, a significant decline in playing numbers. Clubs that once organised four or five teams now only organise two or three. Players can now move freely between both codes of rugby but that doesn’t appear to have had a significant impact on player numbers.
The reality is that the reasons for the changes are obviously 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
2019/20 LEAGUE
HEATH OLD BOYS
HEATH RUFC
YORKSHIRE ONE
YORKSHIRE COPPER WORKS
NO LONGER IN EXISTENCE
ROTHERHAM
ROTHERHAM TITANS
NATIONAL LEAGUE ONE
BRAMLEY BARBARIANS
BRAMLEY PHOENIX
YORKSHIRE FOUR
RODILLIANS
STANLEY RODILLIANS
YORKSHIRE FOUR
STOCKSBRIDGE
NO CHANGE
YORKSHIRE FOUR
LEEDS CHIRONS
NO LONGER IN EXISTENCE
SHEFFIELD TIGERS
NO CHANGE
NATIONAL LEAGUE TWO (NORTH)
WEST PARK OLD BOYS
WEST PARK LEEDS
YORKSHIRE TWO
BEVERLEY
NO CHANGE
YORKSHIRE ONE
OLD WATHONIANS
WATH UPON DEARNE
YORKSHIRE TWO
YARNBURY
NO CHANGE
YORKSHIRE TWO
HUDDERSFIELD YMCA
NO CHANGE
NORTH ONE EAST
CLECKHEATON
NO CHANGE
NORTH ONE EAST
OLD RISHWORTHIANS
NO CHANGE
YORKSHIRE TWO
LEEDS CORINTHIANS
NO CHANGE
YORKSHIRE THREE
BAILDON
NO CHANGE
YORKSHIRE THREE
LEEDS ENGINEERS
NO LONGER IN EXISTENCE
BURLEY
NO CHANGE
YORKSHIRE FOUR
HALIFAX VANDALS
NO CHANGE
YORKSHIRE THREE
OLD GRAMMARIANS
NO LONGER IN EXISTENCE
EAST RETFORD
NO CHANGE
MIDLAND FOUR EAST (NORTH)
YORK
NO CHANGE
NORTH ONE EAST


Barnsley in Yorkshire Two in 2019/20 only have fixtures against four of the twenty three clubs listed above.