Barney's Last Runout at Argaum?
Club President may be hanging up his playing boots after 43 years at Plymouth Argaum.
Last Saturday saw the end of an era as Club President Steve Barnes played what was probably his last game for the club before he leaves the area to work in the Orkney Islands. Fittingly it was the Presidents v Chairmans match which saw his swansong to a rugby career that began with Argaum in the 1973-1974 season. Countless players have come and gone during that time but Barney has remained a constant, fitting in matches when on leave from his work on the oceans of the world as a Master Mariner. Remarkably Barney (along with famous knitted socks) featured in a number of matches this season coming off the bench to appear for the club in the Cornwall & Devon League. He also found time to participate in recent RFU initiatives such as Return To Rugby and Pitch Up and Play.
Fixing the posts earlier this season
It is this spirit of service to the club that has seen Barney and wife Gerry hold most of the positions in the club at one time or other. This has ranged from the usual committee positions of treasurer and hon secretary to practical help such as fixing broken rugby posts or running the bar. Most recently it has been the vital role of liaising with the various organisations involved in the development of Roborough and the surrounding area as well as representative on Devon RFU committees. The executive committee have therefore asked Barney to continue in his role as Club President in order to keep the continuity with the organisations that he has established links with.
There has been massive change within the club in the last 43 years with perhaps the club now playing at about the same level they were back then. The intervening years saw many ups and downs and there is no doubt that the club owes a huge debt to Barney and Gerry for helping to steer the club through troubled waters. A prime mover in the club's past players association, PAPPA, he will be on the other side of that particular fence now in terms of catching up with club news. The wonderful thing about social media is that one can still be part of a club even from afar. So will he grace the turf at Bickleigh Down again? With the intention of taking up the whistle north of the border it is a possibility, perhaps as an exchange ref with Plymouth Referees Society; I'm confident The Combination would fund it!
Whatever happens we look forward to catching up with Barney in his new venture and also providing a warm Argaum welcome whenever he and Gerry are back in the area.
Barney in his infamous role as tour barber