I put this article on my blog
www.dropkickbooks.co.uk in 2011. A few changes since and quite a lot in the last 44 years!
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.
The situation as it was in 2011/12HEATH 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, YORKSHIRE FIVE
LEEDS CHIRONS, NO LONGER IN EXISTENCE
SHEFFIELD TIGERS, NATIONAL LEAGUE 2 (NORTH)
WEST PARK OLD BOYS,
WEST PARK LEEDS, YORKSHIRE TWO
BEVERLEY, NATIONAL LEAGUE 3 (NORTH)
OLD WATHONIANS,
WATH UPON DEARNE, YORKSHIRE TWO
YARNBURY, YORKSHIRE TWO
HUDDERSFIELD YMCA, YORKSHIRE ONE
CLECKHEATON, NORTH ONE EAST
OLD RISHWORTHIANS, YORKSHIRE THREE
LEEDS CORINTHIANS, YORKSHIRE FOUR
BAILDON, YORKSHIRE THREE
LEEDS ENGINEERS, NO LONGER IN EXISTENCE
BURLEY, YORKSHIRE THREE
HALIFAX VANDALS, YORKSHIRE THREE
OLD GRAMMARIANS, NO LONGER IN EXISTENCE
EAST REFORD, MIDLAND FOUR EAST (NORTH)
YORK, YORKSHIRE ONE
The clubs still in existence and their current name is in bold
Barnsley currently play in Yorkshire Two and in 2011/12 only have fixtures against three of the twenty three clubs listed above.