Fartown ace's niece in memorabilia row.

Byline: DAVE HIMELFIELD

THE NIECE of Fartown rugby and wrestling legend Douglas Clark is involved in a grapple of her own.

Memorabilia of Dougie, who played 485 times for Fartown between 1909 and 1927, is split between two museums in his birthplace Maryport, Cumbria - to the annoyance of his niece Joyce Dempsey, 80.

A huge bronze bust of the rugby league great, unveiled last year, is currently sitting in Maryport Wave Museum.

Meanwhile memorabilia including a medal and posters of Dougie, is in Maryport Maritime Museum, which is undergoing refurbishment.

Now Mrs Dempsey has issued an ultimatum to the Maritime Museum to provide her uncle's memorabilia with a suitable home.

Or, says Joyce, from Ayr, Scotland, the Rugby League Heritage Centre (RLHC) at Huddersfield's George Hotel, can have the artefacts.

Douglas, who helped Fartown take three Challenge Cups and seven Yorkshire Cups, is one of 17 men featured in the Rugby League Hall of Fame, at the George Hotel.

Joyce said: "I want his bust out of The Wave Museum and in the Maritime Museum with all his memorabilia.

"I'm giving them the opportunity to put things right and then it's going to Huddersfield."

Mike 'Stevo' Stephenson, RLHC director and Sky Sports Rugby League commentator, said his museum would be delighted to receive Dougie's memorabilia.

He said: "We would love to have Joyce's memorabilia. The only problem we will face is where to put the big statue. It's enormous and won't fit in the George Hotel but I'm sure Kirklees Council would be interested in putting it somewhere.

"We are more than happy to take his memorabilia. Huddersfield is where it should be. That's where the game of rugby league came from and we're very proud to take anything historical to do with it."

Charles Holmes, head of regeneration at Allerdale Council, who run Maryport Maritime Museum said: "We fully appreciate the contribution Douglas Clark made to Maryport's historical context and heritage, and we would not wish to see the memorabilia and bust removed from Maryport, where the items are best placed to tell the story of this remarkable man.

"We have already spoken to Mrs Dempsey to assure her and the people of Maryport, that we are making arrangements to move the bust back into the Maryport Maritime Museum to display alongside the other Douglas Clark artefacts once repairs have been completed, which we hope will be by early autumn."

Joyce is currently seeking a publishing deal for her biography of Douglas.

CAPTION(S):

HERITAGE: Joyce Dempsey with Rugby League Heritage Centre manager Keith Burhouse and director Mike Stephenson at a fundraising dinner for Fartown legend Douglas Clark, who is pictured in his heyday with Lord Lonsdale at Grasmere in the early 1900s