By Alan Irving

Last updated at 13:52, Monday, 16 July 2012

JACKIE Reid, MBE, today stands at the pinnacle of the British Amateur Rugby League Association, the governing body of the junior game.

Proud and delighted: Jackie Reid

The stalwart from Egremont has been elected as BARLA’s president – his second major honour in six months.

At the turn of the year Jackie’s name was added to the Rugby Football League’s roll of honour which recognises outstanding service in both amateur and professional sides of the 13-man code.

Jackie began his rugby life at the grass roots with Egremont Rangers, serving the Gillfoot Park club with distinction for more than 30 years as a player and official. Between times he played professionally for Whitehaven, a member of the legendary team which beat Australia at The Recreation Ground in 1956.

Since hanging up his boots much of his life has been dedicated to BARLA, travelling the length and breadth of the country to promote the game as well as managing several BARLA international tours overseas and sitting on the BARLA Board as senior vice president

He says: “I attended the first meeting of BARLA when it was formed in the 70s and was elected to the Board a few years later. I’ve never been away.

“I am proud and delighted to be honoured in this way and I’ll continue to serve rugby league the best I can. My heart is in rugby league.”

As president and figurehead, Jackie aims to ensure that BARLA’s name will be to the fore wherever amateur rugby league is played - and in as many places as possible.

“Sometimes it’s not appreciated or realised exactly what BARLA has done over the years to help our game develop in all these different countries. I’ve just come back from Czechoslovakia - who’d have thought you’d get the game played there, our under-17 representative team has done just that; and the under-23s have recently returned from Jamaica.

“Apart from regular tours to Australia, South Africa and New Zealand, look at some of the other places we’ve sent teams to at different age levels – the Ukraine, America, Russia, really all over the world, it’s unbelievable and immensely satisfying.

“We have come a long way since those early days spreading rugby league, not just amateur, across the world, but what narks me a wee bit just at the moment is the problems in bringing kids through and the way they are having to pay their own way to go on tours.”

He blames the growing number of professional clubs forming their own Academy sides which is having an impact on grass roots junior clubs and this has seen a decline in BARLA sides throughout the north.

“Take the under-16s – I can remember a time when we had up to 12 teams playing in Cumbria, there are only four today. What people have to realise is that the professional clubs are cherry picking what they see at the time as the best youngsters but don’t realise the damage. Kids who don’t make the grade there and then can be lost to the game for good. All this is spoiling the game generally. Cumbria amateur RL is still strong, but not as strong as it was, so there is a message for the professional clubs generally to pay proper attention to youth development.

Jackie Reid is also chairman of the Trustees which runs the Cumbria Academy of Sporting Excellence - Copeland Stadium.

Along with fellow Trustees he continues to see the Hensingham venue as the best bet for further development as a community sports stadium and especially provide a new home for his old club - Whitehaven RLFC.

With another Pow Beck feasibility study set to be carried out to explore ‘all the options’, including other potential locations such as Copeland Stadium, Jackie says: “I just can’t fathom it – up here we have a rugby pitch, a soccer pitch, an all-weather pitch and an athletics track – the only one between Carlisle and Lancaster – plus gymnasium and changing facilities, with room still to build on.

“So why would anyone want to spend many millions of pounds on a new scheme when you see what we have here? Crazy.

“What’s also daft is that this stadium was built and financed by British Nuclear Fuels and Copeland Council. Just now we have interest from Cumbria FA to make it their HQ – its still in negotiations but tells you something. There’s no doubt that we have is a true community used by lots of local schools. Jericho Primary have just had their sports day here - and we’ve had lots of letters back from the kids showing their appreciation, which is what’s it’s all about. So tell me please and I’m sure a lot of other people why do we need another community sports stadium? There’s plenty of land – and no access problems!”

First published at 11:09, Thursday, 12 July 2012
Published by http://www.whitehavennews.co.uk