Rumours of Glasgow Hawks' demise are premature

by Neil Drysdale,Sports Journalist

Kenny Hamilton and Hugh Barrow are two of Glasgow rugby's more genial characters, and as far removed from some oval-ball Statler and Waldorf as it would be possible to envisage.

Yet both these fellows were unhappy yesterday, following what they described as "mischievous" and "inaccurate" reports that Glasgow Hawks might be in danger of folding, after the Anniesland side were relegated for the first time in their history last weekend.
Yes, as the duo observed, it is hardly an ideal situation when the city with the biggest population base in Scotland will not have a single representative in the elite tier of the Premiership next season – whereas Edinburgh has four clubs in the mix (if we include Currie in that number), the Borders two, and Aberdeen and Dundee one apiece, with Ayr and Stirling completing the 10-team complement. But Hamilton, in particular, suggested that indulging in doomy talk painted a misleading picture.
"The best way forward for Glasgow rugby is to ensure that a strong Hawks can re-emerge in the top league as quickly as possible, and the unhelpful, unattributed speculation [that they might go to the wall] is groundless," said Hamilton, a former Hawk. "I am confident Hawks will play in the second tier next season, and will be challenging for promotion."
Hamilton, who also dismissed the notion that the various organisations who perform at the grassroots in the Anniesland area, might consider pooling their resources in future campaigns, added: "There is no doubt that Hawks have lost their way a bit, but they are not the first rugby 'powerhouse' to have been relegated and they will not be the last."
"We have seen the effects of mergers in the past, where a short-term influx of players brought a temporary boost, but, in the medium term, always produces a net loss of sides/players. In any case, the constituent parts of the rugby structure here have never been stronger.
"GHK and Accies are both in good positions [within the West Regional League] and have decent player numbers, quality and strong club identities. The under-15s and under-16s are very strong and it is expected that an under-18 team will take the field next season, without conflicting with the school sides, for the first time."
Nobody should pretend that there aren't problems with the general health of the sport in the west of the country. Apart from Hawks' recent slump, the only other clubs from the region who have qualified for the second flight are Hamilton and Whitecraigs and it seems depressing that an institution with the history and tradition of West of Scotland should be missing from any Premiership hierarchy.
So, too, there have to be fears that the arrival of Gregor Townsend – a man with no Glasgow connections – at the helm of the Warriors structure will do little to improve relations between the amateur and professional tiers of the game, while Hawks, who have no shortage of youthful talent, might have to face up to the prospect of losing some of their brightest luminaries to their rivals who have qualified for such competitions as the British & Irish Cup.
In short, the summer promises to be a fraught period of transition for Hawks, who are searching for a new coach with the departure of the former Scotland prop, Peter Wright. And, in this instance, they have to make sure they find another Mr Right.
"We haven't been in this position before, so it is a new experience, but we hope we emerge from it together and this isn't the time to get over-emotional," said Barrow.
"Every club in Scotland is facing financial problems and we are no different, so we will have to take some tough decisions when our board meets next week. But we have a good spirit here, and a determination to take things forward. There are always winners and losers in sport, and sometimes it is how you react to being the latter which shows your mettle. Of course, we are disappointed and we are not going to make excuses but we also love rugby and we are confident that Hawks can become a force to be reckoned with again."
The message from the Anniesland environs could scarcely be clearer. Namely, that the progressive organisation which brought so many titles and silverware to the Dear Green Place has no intention of slipping into disrepair. Instead, they will look to appoint the right mentor to plot their path back to the highest echelon as quickly as possible.[./i

This article was posted on 27-Mar-2012, 08:51 by Hugh Barrow.