Holker Street Newsletter 1137 - 30th July 2003

The Barrow AFC first team have a slight respite from match football at present but I understand that they are hard in training. The next game takes place on Saturday against Darlington at Holker Street (kick-off 3pm). However, if you can't wait till then Barrow Reserves are tonight taking on Bootle at Holker Street, please note this is scheduled to be a 7pm start.

Also don't forget that with the start of the season approaching that if you'd like a short sleeve replica top to order one, with Barrow AFC members getting a discount. This can be done via visiting the Club Shop in Buccleuch Street or giving them a ring on 01229-823061.

My own opinion of the pre-season so far is that it's been quite positive and the signings that have been made will hopefully be that of a side that come April 2004 is challenging for the title. If anyone would like to send in any comments or views about the pre-season friendlies or new signings so far, then send a note to or reply to the Newsletter.


BARROW AFC PRE-SEASON FRIENDLY FIXTURES
Saturday July 12 Morecambe (H) 1-3 (Stevens)
Sunday July 13 Furness Cavaliers (A) 3-1 (Anderson, Knight, Stevens)
Tuesday July 15 Armthorpe (A) 2-1 (Campbell, Ridley)
Saturday July 19 Penrith (A) 2-0 (Hill, Stevens)
Thursday July 24 Carlisle (H) 0-0
Saturday August 2 Barrow v Darlington 3pm
Monday August 4 Barton Town v Barrow 7.15pm
Thursday August 7 Brigg Town v Barrow 7.15pm
Saturday August 9 Barrow v Workington 3pm - Chas Kendall Trophy


BARROW RESERVES
Thanks to Mark Ingham for the following.
Friendly match played on Monday evening: Furness Rovers 1 Barrow AFC Reserves 5.

AFC Team: Liddicott, McDonald, Treen (Bee), Hill, James, Graham (Ingham), Gill, Simpson (Hayley), Rutherford, Kewley(Staunton), Fiddler (Napier). Barrow AFC Scorers: Fiddler 2, Kewley 2, Simpson.

Next friendly for Barrow Reserves is Wednesday 30 July: Barrow AFC Reserves v Bootle (7pm kick off, Holker Street). The club are also trying to organise a friendly against Kendal Town with a side comprising of the majority of the reserve side and possibly a couple of first team players. The date and venue of this match is still to be confirmed but watch out for announcements.


STEVE HOUSHAM RUMOUR
It would appear that the rumour season is upon us yet again. The latest gossip is that Steve Housham is to sign for Gainsborough Trinity. As we have a few readers in the Lincolnshire/South Yorkshire areas I wonder if they or anyone from the club can confirm if there's any substance to this story. Steve Housham lives in Gainsborough and has only featured in one of the five pre-season friendlies so far.


KARL MARGINSON
The former Barrow AFC player now looks like he'll have the chance to get one over on us. The 32 year old forward has recently moved from Salford City to fellow UniBond Premier League side Radcliffe Borough. Barrow play away at Radcliffe on Tuesday 16 September, the return at Holker Street due to take place on Saturday 21 February 2004.


UNIBOND LEAGUE FANS WEBSITES
The existing Isthmian Fans site has now expanded to include the Dr Martens League and UniBond League with news, reports, fixtures, results and tables. The site can be found at

Another UniBond site can be found at and this is quite a lively message board for fans of UniBond teams.

UNIBOND PREMIER LEAGUE ODDS
From
These odds are to win the title with each way a fifth of the odds for first, second and third: Southport 7/2, Vauxhall Motors 5/1, Stalybridge Celtic 13/2, BARROW 7/1, Worksop Town 10/1, Burscough 14/1, Bradford Park Avenue, Harrogate Town and Wakefield & Emley 16/1, Alfreton Town and Lancaster City 20/1, Droylsden 25/1, Whitby Town 28/1, Spennymoor United, Ashton United, Gainsborough Trinity 33/1 Hucknall Town and Altrincham 33/1, Runcorn 40/1, Blyth Spartans and Marine 50/1, Radcliffe Borough 66/1, Frickley Athletic 100/1.


CONFERENCE DIVISION 2 - ADMISSION CRITERIA CONTD.

In the previous Newsletters I included some of the details required for admission into the new Conference set-up which is due to be implemented at the end of season 2003/2004. Here are some further requirements that finally complete the document that has been issued from the FA.

4. Conference North /Conference South - season 2004/2005

4.1 A club whose application for membership of Conference North /Conference South is successful will receive an invitation to be included in the constitution of the competition in writing on or by 10th May 2004 following an Alliance Committee meeting of 2nd May 2004.

4.2 An applicant club that is successful in being included in the Constitution for season 2004/2005 will be placed in either Conference North or Conference South based wholly on the club’s traditional geographical home location.

4.3 The final movement of any club within the restructuring process, whether promotion, relegation, or transfer between competitions will be determined by the Football Association in conjunction with the Alliance Committee of the Football Conference, Isthmian, Northern Premier, and Southern Football Leagues.

4.4 Clubs receiving an invitation for inclusion in the Constitution to become a member of Conference North/Conference South for season 2004/2005 will be required to be represented at the Annual General Meeting of the Football Conference Limited on Saturday 5th June 2004. The venue and full details of the meeting will be provided at least 14 days prior to the meeting.

5. Conference North and Conference South - Playing Season 2004/2005

5.1 At the end of the 2004/05 playing season, the clubs which finish in the championship position in Conference North and Conference South will be eligible for promotion to the Football Conference national competition, subject to the club(s) meeting in full the Criteria of Membership for that competition.

5.2 Clubs which finish the playing season in 2004/2005 in 2nd, 3rd, 4th, or 5th position in Conference North and Conference South will be eligible to enter an end of season play-off competition with the winner of the final match being eligible for the third promotion place to the Football Conference national competition.

5.3 If any club completes the playing season in 2004/2005 in the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, or 5th highest positions in Conference North and Conference South on or after 5th June 2004;

? have a manager, receiver, or administrative receiver appointed in respect of that club or any part of its undertaking or assets;
? have an administration order made in respect of that club;
? pass a winding-up order made in respect of that club;
? pass a resolution for the winding-up of that club; or
? enter into any arrangement with its creditors or some part of them in respect of the payment of its debts or part of them as a Company Voluntary Arrangement under the Insolvency Act 1986 or Scheme Arrangement under the Companies Act 1985;

then that club shall, immediately after the club's final Conference North or Conference South championship fixture (excluding Play-Offs and Play-Off Final), automatically forfeit sufficient points to ensure that they shall attain a final Conference North or Conference South position immediately below that which would otherwise have rendered them eligible to participate in and qualify for promotion through the Play-Offs and Play-Off Final and/or automatic promotion the Football Conference national competition as champion club.

5.4 The Football Conference Limited, the Isthmian Football League Limited, Northern Premier League Limited, and Southern Football League Limited will all submit appropriate amendments to its current Articles of Association, Rules, and Regulations for season 2004/2005 and for subsequent submission and approval by the Football Association no later than 31stDecember 2003.

5.5 Rule changes submitted to the Football Association will provide for new promotion and relegation agreements between the Football Conference Limited and the Isthmian Football League Limited, Northern Premier League Limited, and Southern Football League Limited in order to comply with the new structure of each competition as defined and sanctioned by the Football Association Council Meeting on 21stJune 2003.

6.Appeal Process

The decisions of the Alliance Committee will be final in all matters regarding Constitution and Membership qualifications for Conference North and Conference South. Clubs have the right of appeal in accordance with Football Association procedures. Such appeals must be made in writing and, accompanied by the appropriate appeal fee, lodged with and received by The Football Association at 25 Soho Square, London W1D 4FA within 7(seven) days of a notification of a decision being posted in writing in respect of their membership of the competition.

7.Competition Management

In season 2004/2005, the Competition will be governed by a Management Board consisting of the following:
2 Representatives from each of the four competitions
4 club representatives who will be co-opted (two each from the North and South)

That the Chairman of the Football Conference be the Chairman. In subsequent years, the club representatives would be elected on an annual basis by the clubs in membership of Conference North and Conference South.

Timetable for the Restructured National Leagues Conference North /Conference South

21st July 2003
The Alliance will issue the Criteria of Membership and Ground Grading Documents to all Clubs currently in the Premier and First Divisions of the Isthmian, Northern Premier and Southern Football Leagues, with a copy to the Secretary of each competition.

16th August 2003
Clubs in membership of the Premier Divisions of the Isthmian, Northern Premier, and Southern Football Leagues must by noon on 16thAugust 2003 have completed an application form and returned it to the Football Conference Offices in order to be considered for membership of Conference North and Conference South for season 2004/2005.

19th August to 30th October 2003
Clubs will be visited by a Grading Party appointed by the Alliance Committee to Ground Grade a club which has not previously received or been subject to a Football Conference Grading Visit and/or report within the past two years.

1st September and 30th November 2003
All applicant clubs that have been visited should receive a full report on the Ground Grading visit made by 30th October 2003.

30th November 2003
Appropriate rule changes to be agreed between the respective Alliance Member Competitions

31st December 2003
All Alliance Member Competitions to submit appropriate Rule changes to the Football Association for approval and sanction for season 2004/2005.

January to April 2004
Clubs will receive progress bulletins on the Conference North and Conference South structure and the new structures in the Isthmian, Northern Premier, and Southern Football Leagues.

1st February 2004
Clubs in the First Divisions North and South of the Isthmian, Eastern and Western Divisions of the Southern, and First Division of the Northern Premier Football Leagues must have made an application for membership of Conference North and Conference South for season 2004/2005.

1st April 2004
All applicant clubs must meet in full the Criteria of Membership requirements as specified in Criteria and Ground Grading Documents issued to all clubs on 14thJuly 2003.

2nd May 2004
The Alliance Committee together with representatives of the FA National Leagues Systems Committee will meet and form the constitutions at each step of the new national structure and confirm movement of clubs.

4th May 2004
Correspondence will be issued by the Alliance Committee to all clubs to confirm each club's position in the national structure for season 2004/2005.

25th May 2004
Clubs who receive a written invitation for inclusion in the Membership of Conference North or Conference South must have returned all completed documentation together with a cheque for UKP3000 plus VAT (UKP3525) being the Membership (UKP1000) and Annual Subscription Fees (UKP2000) for season 2004/2005.

5th June 2004
All clubs invited to be included in the Constitution of Membership for Conference North and Conference South to be represented at the Annual General Meeting.

16th August 2004
The Conference North and Conference South competitions commence their playing season fixtures.

John’s Note: The fate of what happens to clubs in UniBond League First Division and the relegated clubs from the UniBond League Premier Division is still to be decided and I hope to include a summary of these details as and when they are published.


LOOK BACK AT SEASON 1979-80

November 10 1979, Barrow 1 Altrincham 3
Fight back but let in a third.
Barrow: K. Thomas, Richmond, Whittle (Gerrard 64), Skivington, Gordon, McDonald, R. Taylor, Eatough, Hubbold, R. Thomas, Worswick.
Altrincham: Stepney, Allan, Davison, Tobin, Owens, Barrow, Whitbread, Heathcote, Johnson, Rogers, Howard. Sub: Crossley.
Goals: Barry Whitbread 13, Barry Howard 47, Neil McDonald 62, Graham Tobin 86.
Ref: P. Willis (Tyne&Wear). H/t: 0-1. Att: 785.