Barclay pens new Glasgow deal as Brown signs for Saracens

GLASGOW'S famous 'Killer B' back row will be broken up next season with Kelly Brown leaving to join Saracens in the Guinness Premiership this summer.

However, the club have managed to retain the services of John Barclay, the Scotland openside flanker who has agreed a new two-year contract to stay at Glasgow. The third member of the 'Killer Bs', Johnnie Beattie, is also out of contract and it is understood Glasgow face a major fight to keep him with a number of English and French clubs offering salaries believed to be more than treble what he receives at Glasgow. Lineen would not discuss Beattie's contract negotiations while they are ongoing, but admitted he was sorry to see Brown go.

"Kelly is in a rich vein of form at the moment and will be a loss to us," he said. "We had hoped to retain his services but understand his reasons for moving south. Even though Kelly is moving on, I know he'll give everything to help Glasgow win something this season. It's been a pleasure to work with him because he is a consummate professional and I wish him all the very best for the future.

"John has been around for a while now, but is still very young so I'm delighted that he's decided to secure his future with Glasgow. I've seen him grow into a classy international player and it says a lot about the character of the man that he wants to stay in Glasgow and win."

Brown, who can cover all three back-row positions, has been in fine form lately and given himself a real chance of being involved in the forthcoming RBS 6 Nations Championship, but the 26-year-old's decision is understood to be partly down to his wife's desire to move to London.

He said: "I've thoroughly enjoyed my time in Glasgow and will hopefully leave the club following their highest ever finish in the Magners League. I thank Sean Lineen and the coaching staff for their support and look forward to the new challenges that lie ahead with Saracens."

Barclay, the 23-year-old Scotland flanker, has begun to fulfil his early promise as a consistent performer for the national side and attracted much interest, but the SRU was desperate not to let him leave. His signing may also help in persuading others out of contract to pledge their immediate futures to Glasgow. The flanker, who is just two games short of the century for Glasgow, stated: "The club is definitely going in the right direction and very soon we will have an outstanding training facility in Scotstoun that will put us right up there with some of the best clubs in Europe.

"I have great friends and family in Glasgow and we have a very settled squad here at the Warriors. I feel the club can go on and win the Magners League, if not this year, then in the very near future."