for those travelling from Cardiff and the Rhondda Valleys. 1908-1909 season Barry's first game under the Northern Union rules was against fellow newly formed Welsh team, Treherbert, on 5 September 1908. The game was played at home, and a 'large crowd' watched Barry win their first match 6-3. A week later the team travelled by train from Barry to West Yorkshire to face their first Northern team, Keighley. Barry were outclassed, and lost the match 31-0, though the eight-and-a-half-hour journey to reach the venue may have had an effect. The next match was played at home, and Barry faced another major team from England, this time Leeds. Barry lost the game 17-3 in front of just 2000 paying spectators; and this number generally declined as the season progressed. Barry lost their third game in a row when they faced Ebbw Vale, but then managed their second Northern Rugby League win when they defeated Aberdare 13-5. However, on 17 October, in an away fixture to Ebbw Vale, a depleted Barry lost 37-0 and then a 'very weak team' lost 6-31 to Widnes. Despite 'probably the best gate of the season', Barry's home encounter with Oldham was a terrible result, losing by 54-0. Then in an away fixture to Merthyr, Barry could only field 11 players, with their club secretary having to fill in at full-back. Results continued to be poor, with defeats to Mid-Rhondda, Aberdare, Keighley and Treherbert. On 12 December the team was drawn to play Aberdare in the first round of the Challenge Cup, and managed to acquire a few new players, leading to a rare 9-5 home win. Barry then failed to show for a Welsh League encounter with Ebbw Vale, and their progress in the Challenge Cup was halted by a home defeat to Mid-Rhondda. This was the start of a seven-game losing streak. Their losing run was broken on 20 February 1909, when the team would first beat Northern opposition, Widnes. The match, played at Trinity Street, saw a large crowd assembled to see the club's newest recruit, Dickie David. David, an ex-Cardiff and Wigan player who had been capped for the Wales rugby union team, failed to show for the game, saying he could not appear due to business. Even without their new star player Barry were victorious winning 12-6 despite trailing 2-6 at half time. This would be Barry's final win, as their last