Netball
A BARNEY student is set for her first international cap as teams vie for honours at the European championships.
Barnard Castle School’s Carla McKnight has been selected to play goal and wing attack for Scotland at the International Netball Federation event, from March 1 to 3, in Huddersfield.
The year 11 pupil was born in England but qualifies for Scotland as her parents are from north of the border.
She will square up on court against former team and schoolmate Ella Bowen who will compete in the same U17s competition – but for England.
Carla, of Lartington, has been playing for the past eight years and has enjoyed considerable success at regional level and for her club Oakways Hartlepool.
“I am really excited to be selected for Scotland and my family is delighted,” the 16-year-old said.
“This could be an important pathway to Strathclyde Sirens, one of the best sides in the country, who play in the Super League.”
Barnard Castle School’s master in charge of Netball Tanya Broadbent said: “Carla is a very talented goal shooter who will now be playing at the highest level.
“We are thrilled that she has been selected.”
She added: “Her sporting potential was clear from an early age and she excels in netball, hockey and athletics. She has worked so hard and we wish her all the luck at the Europeans.”
Head of PE and games Rachael Masterman – a premier division netballer with Stockton, South Durham and Cleveland – said: “Carla’s success is typical of what we are trying to achieve with sport at Barnard Castle School.
“Our aim is to engage students in as many sports as possible, whether that is rugby, badminton, athletics, hockey, swimming, rounders or tennis.
“There is no better role model than a pupil who is competing at this level of competition.”
![A COUNTY councillor is backing a campaign to get a pedestrian crossing in Staindrop. Frustrated parish councillors in the village summoned their county council representative Cllr George Richardson to their latest meeting to discuss several issues, including the call for a safe way to cross the A688. Earlier this year their request for a crossing was turned down by the county council’s highways officers. Parish council chairman Jonothan Raper described the reasons for the refusal as “spurious” and called on Cllr Richardson to support their campaign. He added: “One of the arguments they made was there is no clear line of desire when they studied the village – well this isn’t a clear line of desire because there isn’t a crossing, people cross whenever they can. “When the lollipop person was there, one of the things I noticed was people would walk all the way down to the lollipop person to cross the road to go to the shop or to go to the school.” He added a problem of parking at the primary school is exacerbated because people are too afraid to walk their children across the road. Cllr Richardson said he had supported previous attempts for a crossing point with the first being made about 15 years ago. He added: “We went fairly well down the road with that and they looked into it. The only recommended place was where the bus stop is and to get the visibility splays, people on the other side of the road would lose their parking. “That didn’t go down well so it just died a death.” Cllr Raper said he suspected the real reason for the officers’ refusal was the cost of installing a crossing. He added that much of the cost could be recovered from savings made on not having to employ a lollipop patrol. Cllr Raper said: “A lollipop person only provides a benefit of crossing for three hours of the day. You are getting 21 extra hours of crossing time [with a pedestrian crossing].” Cllr Richardson said he would raise the issue with the county council’s cabinet member for highways, Cllr John Shuttleworth.](https://teesdalemercury.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/georgeR-120x86.jpg)
