Maryport looks to have a bright sporting future, thanks to the efforts of the town’s football and rugby league clubs.
Both Maryport Athletic, based at Milltoft and Maryport ARLFC who play at the Athletic Ground, are doing things right and starting to enjoy the fruits of their efforts.
Athletic and their rugby league neighbours have put lots of effort into encouraging, nurturing and coaching youngsters from a tender age.
The football club have the kids at Under 6 and from there they run two teams of Under-7’s, Under-8’s, Under-9’s, Under-10’s, Under-11’s and Under-12’s. They then have a team in four other age groups – Under-13’s, Under-14’s, Under-16’s and Under-18’s.
The senior side are within a win of clinching the senior County League Championship and are still involved in three Cup competitions.
Assistant coach Justin Booty said: “As a club we want to progress as far as we can. Manager Karl Skillen has done a great job since he started the club back in in 2023 and the way the club has developed has been fantastic.”
Although they play in the Cumberland County League, Athletic have applied to join the Westmorland League for the last four years in which they would play a reserve team, but have so far not been successful.
Maryport rugby league club have a similar youth set-up starting with the tots, which they call Mini-Marras and then going through the age groups – 6’s, 7’s, 8’s, 9’s, 10’s, 11’s, 12’s, 13’s, 14’s and 16’s with the senior side in the Holmen Iggesund Cumberland ARL.
Typical of the youth set-up are the Under-10’s, with coach Steve Newton-Lister in charge.
He says: “To say this Under-10’s side has been built from the ground up is an under-statement. Only two and a half seasons ago, a year after coming back from Covid we ended that 2021 season with only three active players out of the seven we registered.
“Those three have proved to be the cornerstone of today’s team and if we fast forward to today we have 20 kids signed on and turning out.
“Some are fairly green, some are now well-established but every single one has great skill, ability and an unbeatable desire to succeed.”
Maryport ARLFC were Club of the Year in the West Cumbria Youth League last season and continue to set a great example.
At the moment Maryport looks splendidly placed to accommodate youngsters at either football or rugby league, and the town probably has never had it so good. Long may it continue.
