Cumberland wrestling round-up

by Roger Robson

Richard Dixon, weighing in at around 11st, is improbably tall and strong for that weight, and he is clever, too.

At the first of the Carlisle Wrestling Club's Points Nights he was unbeatable.

True, most of his opponents were young callants feeling their way into the adult wrestling, as he won all three weight categories.

But he won with style and felled that other wrestling genius, John Harrington, twice en route.

Joe Coates is one of those natural wrestlers who know instinctively when to twist. Roger Robson

Once upon a time he would gain a good position and then hesitate, but that is all in the past.

Given a half chance, he explodes into generous curves of movement and action with swirling buttocks and hipes and twists.

Within the Juniors, meanwhile, a new name has demanded attention.

Joe Coates of Gilsland, a pupil at Haltwhistle Middle School, was voted the best junior wrestler of the night by the judges.

He is one of those natural wrestlers who know instinctively when to twist.

In the final of the Under 12 Years he twisted Philip Potts by the neck until he had to go down.

Then, in the second bout of the final, he feinted to go one way and then smartly changed direction to win the bout.

Shepherding and wrestling often go hand-in-hand, and Joe Coates maintains that tradition, for he is a keen breeder of Beltex sheep.

Watch out for him in 2009.

The first category of the Boys' Points, the 6st, was a walk-over for Kieron Miller, but he had to work for his money in the 7 stones where he was obviously at a weight disadvantage throughout.

On his way to winning he had to account for big brother David in the semi-final and then fell the steadily improving Philip Potts in the final.

Jack Brown, given a chance to compete at his own weight in the 8½ stones, won handsomely with a hipe in the last bout of the final against Jamie Nicholson.

Craig Naylor of Wasdale, currently a sports student at Newton Rigg, had kept under the 10st mark and reaped the reward by felling Paul Murray in the final.

Joe Thompson of Alston, as befits a world champion, blasted his way through the field in the Under 15 Years.

And Jack Ewart of Westward used his weight advantage to good effect, particularly a helicopter swing on Jack Brown in the first round.