Barrow hit with severe punishment

Following an Operational Rules Tribunal, Barrow Raiders RLFC have been deducted 29 points and former Chairman Des Johnston has been banned from involvement with rugby league for eight years.

It was revealed at the beginning of September that the club had been charged with misconduct and a series of breaches of RFL Operational Rules, mainly to do with salary cap breaches and failure to record player payments correctly.

The club was found guilty by an RFL Operational Rules Tribunal for the offences that took place over a four year period between 2007 and 2010 and the deducation of 29 points from this season’s total means they will be relegated to Championship One.

Former club chairman Des Johnston, who has been seen by many as the driving force behind Barrow’s recent success years, has been banned from any kind of involvement with the game of rugby league for eight years.

Both the club and Des have taken legal advice and have been advised to not make any comment until the reasons for punishment are revealed.