Barrow Raiders head coach Paul Crarey believes bringing back the club’s under-19 team is the best thing that’s been done during his second spell in charge at Craven Park.

The Furness Raiders, who are run in partnership with Furness College have not only been very successful on the pitch - winning last season’s AoC National Cup - but they’ve also provided a pathway into the first team.

Ryan Johnston, Jake Carter and Adam Ford have already made the step up to senior level and Connor Terrill is set to do the same next season after the powerful young prop signed his first professional deal last month.

It's been a successful start to the current campaign for the team coached by David Cairns, as they've won all three of their league fixtures so far and have shown themselves to have considerable strength in depth.

Crarey said: "I think it's the best thing we've done. We did it the last time we were here and we got the Finches (Liam and James) out of it, Scotty Kaighan and players like that.

"All those players came through at that time and then it got stopped, for whatever reason. We started it again and it's bearing fruit."

The trickle of talent through to Barrow's first team could become a flood in future, if the recent England Community Lions v Scotland under-19s fixture is anything to go by, as nine players from Furness Raiders across the two teams took part.

Crarey said: "They're good players and we've got to thank the amateur game because that's where it all starts, not at the professional game.

"A lot of junior coaches in the area are outstanding - what Kev Kyte has done with Hindpool under-14s is nothing short of a miracle and there are a lot of good under-14 coaches in the area.

"They put a lot of work in and we work with them through our development programme, with David Cairns and Darren Carter before that, and we're down to see them every Monday.

"It's the way forward for the club, it gets players integrated, they play at a good standard and they learn how to operate in a professional environment.

"It's a very, very strict environment, but there are over 30 kids in the academy programme at this present time and it's just a pleasure to do down, work with them and come away refreshed."