SPORTS SHORTS
NORTH Tyneside’s Blue Flames Sporting Club is shaping up well for the future - after clinching a five-figure grant from the Banks Community Fund.
The club, celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, has around 170,000 visitors every year with activities offered ranging from netball, football and cricket through to badminton, fitness bootcamps and a gym.
The £15,000 grant will enable the club to purchase two new sets of lightweight full-size goals, as well as new sets of five-a-side goals, netball posts, tennis nets, gymnasium mats and badminton nets.
■COMPANY teams from across County Durham went head to head in the County Durham Workplace Games.
The competition, organised by County Durham Sport, saw teams compete in a variety of sports including dodgeball, softball, fencing, athletics and Sports Day races.
The winning team was Metro Mail Tigers.
■TWO County Durham men who have worked tirelessly to promote grassroots sport have been honoured for their achievements.
Alan Watson and John O’Connor were awarded the Chairman’s Medal by the Chairman of Durham County Council, Councillor Edward Bell.
Watson has been involved in junior sports clubs for more than 35 years while O’Connor has been a committee member of Consett Rugby Cub since the early 1990s.
■TYNEMOUTH’s King’s Priory School’s under-15 rugby team missed out on a place in the final of the prestigious Natwest Bowl.
The squad lost 24-0 to Yorkshire’s Pocklington School in their last-four clash at Percy Park RFC.
■BEDLINGTON Netball Club and the Northumberland County Netball Association have gained two more newly-qualified umpires in Ian Storey and Rebecca Croft.
Storey becomes only the second male umpire in the North East while Croft has been a Bedlington club member since her schooldays.
■GOLF starlet Rio Jones enjoyed a round with Hartlepool professional Graeme Storm - a year later than planned.
Houghton Golf Club’s Jones secured the get-together as part of his prize for winning the inaugural Graeme Storm Junior Open last year.
Jones - who will defend his title on April 8 - missed out on meeting Storm after picking up an injury but the round has now been played at Rockliffe GC.