IF you look closely enough, you can see Niall Barry's influence everywhere.

From the youngsters wearing replica team shirts in the city centre, to a website visited by tens of thousands, to a clubhouse appeal which has already raised more than £500,000.

As chairman of York RUFC, Barry has set himself the task of taking the club into the 21st century. And, now into the second year of his term, it's an objective he seems well on the way to meeting.

It took 22 years before Barry, 50, was able to pull on the famous green hoops of the Clifton Parkers. Following a regular berth at scrum-half at Ireland's Clongowes Wood School, he first stepped into the Shipton Road clubhouse in 1973 but a recurring dislocated shoulder stopped him from representing the club.

Not until a rugby tour in 1995 did he finally get to fill the shirt but, despite unfulfilled playing dreams, Barry has taken a key role in the development of the York club.

He's coached a number of the club's youth sides helping to bring through first-team regulars such as centre Sam Arkle, flanker Stu Davies, full-back Neil McClure and Otley back-row stalwart Matt Stockdale. In fact, at some point, he's coached nine of the present first team squad.

But after running the rule over the young charges, Barry, who runs pharmaceutical recruitment company Gem Resourcing, swapped his tracksuit for a club tie and took on an administrative role at the club - where he's arguably made his biggest impact.

"My rugby highlight was playing and winning at Lansdowne Road in an Under-18 sevens competition," Barry said. "I coached right the way through the youth section and, when my days of being in tracksuits and T-shirts were drawing to a close, I decided to go into a more administrative role.

"When I became chairman I wanted to modernise the club so we have a new match-day programme, a website which is enormously popular - having more than 30,000 visitors - and a partnership deal with Canterbury for our shirts.

"One of the best things has been to see youngsters walking around wearing their local shirt."

The club is feverishly raising cash for a new clubhouse - a £1million three-storey development with new bars and modern changing facilities. It's a big project, but Barry and the club committee rightly see it as their legacy.

"The objective is to have a team and a squad which we know can survive in the divisions ahead. The infrastructure is there. There's interest in the next generation while the older members are interested in legacy," Barry added. "I think everyone will be very proud of Clifton Park in a new clubhouse.

"I'm just a cog in the wheel and there's a big group behind the plans who are doing a phenomenal job. For the present, promotion and North 2 East is the aim and I'd love to think we can get there."