BARROW Raiders director Peter Hornby has been appointed Vice President of the Rugby Football League.

But the former Craven Park chairman thought it was a wind-up when he got the official call inviting him to take on the role for the 2015/16 season.

Hornby becomes the first person from the club to receive the appointment and will attend his first meeting in his official capacity next Tuesday.

He said upon receiving the news from RFL senior director Sue Allan: “To be truthful I thought it was a wind-up. I thought I would never get that job.

“I had just come in the phone rang and I knew the lady on the other end and she said, ‘is that Peter Hornby?’

“I said yes, and I thought ‘what the hell have we done wrong now’, because you don’t get calls off that side of it unless it is something important.

“She said, ‘I am just ringing up to see if you would accept the vice presidency of the RFL’.

“Well it was a hell of a shock to me, I stopped dead in my tracks and I took a deep breath and I thought this must be a wind-up so I said yes.”

Hornby stayed silent about his appointment, but news filtered out when a notice of the RFL AGM arrived at the club, with the good news then shared.

The 72-year-old feels the position is an honour not only to him but to the club and the Barrow community.

“I am very proud,” he said.

“Not only that, I think it is a good recognition for Barrow Rugby League and the area.

“To be fair, we are out on a limb, we are at a geographical disadvantage and this just brings us closer into the rugby league.”

The retired businessman has had two spells on the Barrow RL board.

He became a director for the first time in 1999 and was chairman of Barrow RL for three years during that spell, overseeing promotion from National League Two in 2004.

He returned to the board in 2011 as the club restructured and his role is to represent them at the Rugby Football League meetings.

His first meeting among other

things will be to discuss a Championship format for next year.

Hornby said of his appointment: “It comes to you for your loyalty and the length of time you have been on the rugby league council. It is for services rendered.

“It just means that Barrow will get a bit of publicity and distinction and the area as a whole.”

Asked if he would be banging the drum for Barrow, he added: “I am hoping, now I have got a little bit more power to my elbow.”

Long-serving Huddersfield Giants director Dr Paul Morgan was elected as RFL President.

l Barrow Raiders are taking bookings from fans who want to go to Keighley for the League One match on Sunday, August 16. The coach leaves Walney Prom at 10.30am. Tickets are priced £15. To book your seat and for further details contact the club’s Scott Street office.