The Northumberland County Show at Corbridge...............

had a wrestling success on its hands: a bigger ring, bigger crowd, bigger entry, and big performances throughout the wrestling programme.

An important element of this excellent event was the arrival in the ring of the first products of the recently re-formed Rothbury Academy. Their coaches, Jason Davidson and Darren Whitfield, had kept the club going right into the wrestling season, in case they lost contact with the lads who had trained throughout the winter. The success of that policy was a big turnout in the boys' events and success, particularly for Jack Haile and Scott McKenzie who wrestled out the Under 14 Years final, and Andrew Ord who wrestled up to Joe Harrington of Kirkbampton in the Under 18 Years.

Northumbrians had other successes unrelated to the new academy: James Raine of West Woodburn began the wrestling programme by giving a passable imitation of Heavyweight Champion Robert McNamara, lifting his opponents high on his chest before twisting them to the ground; and Richard Younger of Ponteland showed immense power in flicking the huge Darren Whitfield up and back from an unpromising position in the semi-final of the All Weights.

The Northumbrian heavyweights had eliminated each other one by one whilst Richard Dixon of Lessonhall made his skilful way up the other side of the draw, buoyed by winning against John Harrington in the first round after a series of hard bouts with him in the previous two weights. The result was that Dixon, the lightest in the field weighing in at around 10st, came face to face with Richard Younger who had tested the scales at 17½st. Faced with this weight and power Dixon tried the hank but was felled off it. Youger relaxed in the next fall, giving Dixon a good ride out on a swinging hipe before grounding him.

Three Carlisle trained wrestlers took the rest of the spoils. Joe Harrington gave a master class in the Under 18 Years, hiping all the way, and rounding it off with a big lift and twist back on Andrew Ord, one of the talents from Rothbury. The Carlisle wrestlers cancelled each other out in the 11½ stones. Richard Dixon took three falls to beat Andrew Carlile in the first round. Then John Harrington had to be at his very best to fell Dixon in the semi-final. Dixon was riding the swings and hipes, but Harrington got him at the third attempt in their final bout. Harrington of Bewaldeth then won the 11½ stones by cross-clicking and inside-hiping Simon Hamilton of Belsay.

John Harrington was also involved with the final of the 13½ stones when he felled Richard Fox of Longtown  with a hipe for the first fall. After a dog-fall for the second hold, Fox got into gear and buttocked spectacularly - twice.

Results: Northumberland County Show

Under 12 Years: 1, J Raine; 2, J Brown; 3, M Palmer.

Under 14 Years: 1, J Haile; 2, S McKenzie; 3, J Brown.

Under 18 Years: 1, Joe Harrington; 2, A Ord; 3, F Healey.

11½st: 1, John Harrington; 2, S Hamilton; 3, R Dixon.

13½st: 1, R Fox; 2, John Harrington; 3, A Carlile.

All Weights: 1, R Younger; 2, R Dixon; 3, D Whitfield

 

(Roger Robson is Author of the book 'Cumberland & Westmorland Wrestling' published by Bookcase 1999 )