Holker Street Newsletter 1726 - 18th August 2006

WILSON SIGNS EX TRANMERE WINGER
From www.barrowafc.com, 18 August

Phil Wilson, last night, signed ex Tranmere wide man, Paul Brown on non contract forms. The 21 year old was recently released by the Prenton Park outfit and spent a spell on loan last season at Conference champions, Accrington Stanley. He can play on either flank or up front and is signed in time to be eligible to join tomorrow’s squad to Hucknall.

GAVIN KNIGHT TRANSFER GOES THROUGH
From www.barrowafc.com, 18 August

The paperwork has now all been tied up to allow the transfer of Gavin Knight to Guiseley to proceed after the clubs agreed a small fee earlier this week. Barrow AFC would like to thank Gavin for all his efforts while at Holker Street and wish him well for the future.


HUCKNALL OUT FOR FIRST WIN
By Matt Halfpenny, from www.thisisnottingham.co.uk, 18 August

Kevin Wilson is hoping that a change of luck will help his Hucknall side pick up their first win of the season against Barrow at Watnall Road tomorrow. The Yellows were beaten 2-1 in their first home game of the campaign on Tuesday night by Wilson's old club Kettering - favourites for the Conference North title. But the visitors were helped by a big slice of good fortune as the visitors' first goal was a hotly-disputed penalty and their winner a deflected shot. "We were robbed against Kettering," said Wilson. "The penalty was debatable to say the least as people on that side of the ground said it was a yard outside the box. Even from where I was standing it didn't look like a penalty, but the linesman has instructed the referee to give it and he is not going to change his mind. Their second goal was a deflection that we couldn't do much about either, so I think it's fair to say that we haven't had much rub of the green. But, hopefully, our luck will change for the better tomorrow because we have put in two decent performances so far." Wilson knows it is a good opportunity for the Yellows to register their first victory but is also well aware that the Cumbrians will be striving desperately to get back on track. "They have invested quite a lot of money into their team over the summer so we know it will be another good test for us. But we have to be looking to get our first win and the squad is confident." Central defender Peter Handyside broke his finger in the clash with Kettering but should be available for selection. Liam Hearns and Oli Olanipekun both came through fitness tests to give Kevin Wilson a full squad to pick from.

Hucknall (from): Smith, Powell, Hanson, Colkin, Winder, Piercewright, Cooke, Handyside, Wilson, Dempsey, Fox, Olanipekun, Williams, Hearns, Nangle, Ricketts, Moore, Brown.


IN RESERVE
With thanks to Stuart Klosinski

Barrow Reserves will again be playing in the Lancit Haulage Lancashire League this season, but for the 2006-07 season, it will be split into two Divisions.

East Division: Altrincham, Farsley Celtic, Goole Town, Guiseley, Hyde United, Ossett Albion, Ossett Town, Rossendale United, Wakefield, Woodley Sports

West Division: Atherton Collieries, Bamber Bridge, Barrow AFC, Burscough, Fleetwood Town, Lancaster City, Leigh RMI, Morecambe, Skelmersdale United, Workington.

The aim is to complete ten fixtures by mid November, with the remaining League fixtures being played in early/mid February and being completed by the first Saturday in May. During mid- November to mid-February, the first stages of a Cup competition will be contested, based on a League formula. With 20 teams involved it has been decided to run with four Divisions of five, played on a home and away basis, making eight games in the League group stage. This would then give all teams 26 matches during the season, this is a figure that we know most, if not all clubs are happy with. The competition would again be split geographically, a, b, c, d. Winners of a, would play runners up of b, winners of b would play runners up of a, with c and d likewise. The winners of each group would be at home in the Quarter-Finals. Semi-Finals would be an open draw, one game only, on the ground of team drawn first. The Final would be on a ground and on a date to be decided. The Quarter-Finals, Semi-Finals and Final would take place between mid February and the end of the season.

Groupings are
A: Barrow, Fleetwood Town, Lancaster City, Morecambe, Workington
B: Atherton Collieries, Bamber Bridge, Burscough, Leigh RMI, Skelmersdale United
C: Altrincham, Farsley Celtic, Hyde United, Rossendale United, Woodley Sports
D: Goole Town, Guiseley, Ossett Albion, Ossett Town, Wakefield

Last season’s final table:

P W D L F A Pts
Morecambe Res* 30 21 4 5 91 31 64
Marine Res 30 21 1 8 80 30 64
Fleetwood Town Res 30 19 5 6 82 43 62
Altrincham Res 30 18 5 7 101 48 59
Southport Res 30 17 3 10 84 49 54
Leigh RMI Res 30 14 6 10 47 44 48
Bradford (Park Avenue) Res 30 14 5 11 56 68 47
Bamber Bridge Res 30 14 3 13 66 67 45
Guiseley Res 30 12 4 14 51 77 40
Burscough Res 30 12 1 11 65 71 38
Lancaster City Res** 30 13 3 14 67 58 35
BARROW RES 30 8 8 14 54 68 32
Workington Res 30 8 3 19 52 82 27
Ossett Albion Res 30 6 7 17 38 62 25
Chorley Res 30 6 6 18 47 88 24
Clitheroe Res 30 3 3 24 34 132 12
3 points deducted for breach of registration regulations.
7 points deducted for breach of registration regulations.

Accrington Stanley Reserves resigned from the League on April 13 2006, and their results were expunged.


HUCKNALL TOWN’S PRE-SEASON FRIENDLIES
Wednesday July 11 Greenwood Meadows 0 Hucknall Town 10
Saturday July 15 Hucknall Town 1 Notts County 1
Tuesday July 18 Hucknall Town 3 Dunkirk 1
Thursday July 18 Hucknall Town 1 Chesterfield 5

Saturday July 22 Stamford 1 Hucknall Town 1
Wednesday July 26 Hucknall Town 1 Derby County XI 2
Saturday July 29 Eastwood Town 2 Hucknall Town 3
Wednesday August 1 Quorn 1 Hucknall Town 3
Saturday August 5 Hucknall Town 3 Ilkeston Town 1


FROM THE BARROW v WORCESTER CITY PROGRAMME (PART TWO)
On This Day - 12 August by Phil Yelland.

1972: Northern Premier League, Ellesmere Port 4 Barrow 0

After 51 years in the Football League, Barrow began life as a non-League club in the NPL with a trip to Thornton Road to play Ellesmere Port, once of the Cheshire League. The game was always going to be a severe test for a Barrow side under new player manager Peter Kane as there were just three survivors from the side that lost the club's final League game at Exeter 7-1. They were Harry Thomson, Steve Calvert, Bobby Knox and Ian McDonald. Another player from the 1971-72 season, Bert Patrick returned after a lengthy injury absence. The remainder of the team was made up of promising young Scots recruited by Kane and Neil McDonald, Ian's brother who had featured with the reserves the previous season. Manager Kane was unable to make his playing debut because of a groin injury. The experienced Ellesmere Port team had one selection problem. They had to persuade 38 year old goalkeeper Brain Caldwell to come out of retirement to overcome an injury crisis.

It was obvious from the kick off that Barrow were going to be under severe pressure. Experienced home strikers Mickey Brooke and the giant Leo Skeete carried a significant physical presence which David Grant and Jim Logan struggled to cope with. The Barrow midfield struggled to cope with the experience of Joe Worrall and Barry Ashworth and Barrow's few attacking ideas came from Steve Calvert but he created no clear cut opportunities. There seemed to be a gulf in class and pace between the teams and the fact that Barrow held out until five minutes before the interval was a credit to the effort put in the team. However, they fell behind on 40 minutes. The scorer was Mickey Brooke who collected a pass from strike partner Skeete, held off challenges from Grant and Knox and slipped the ball home. Barrow might have levelled matters on the stroke of half time but Mulgrew missed Sweeney's cross with the goal at his mercy. The hope of a Barrow revival after the break was dashed within just over a minute. A cross into the box from Skeete found Joe Pritchard and his header found its way into the net with a cruel deflection off Bob Knox with Thomson stranded. Worse followed only two minutes later when Casey played the ball into the box and the lively Mickey Brooke turned Grant inside out before sliding the ball home. However, the ball finished up behind the net and after protests from the home players, the referee awarded a goal after finding a hole in the netting which the ball had passed through. It was now a case of a damage limitation exercise. A rare Barrow attack saw Lyall send in a good cross but Caldwell collected without even a challenge. The Barrow defence worked hard but conceded a fourth goal on 79 minutes when Jim Logan fouled Brooke in the area and Barry Ashworth stepped up to convert the penalty. At the end of 90 minutes, the team had learned some harsh lessons - a lot more were to be learned in the coming weeks and months.

Ellesmere Port: Caldwell; Worrall, Casey, King, Dempsey; Ashworth, Scott, Gill, Pritchard; Brooke, Skeete. Sub: Jones - unused.
Barrow: Thomson; Patrick, Grant, Logan, Knox; I. McDonald, Lyall, Sweeney, Calvert; N. McDonald, Mulgrew. Sub: Brown for Knox - 50 mins.
Referee: Mr R. Chadwick (Darwen).
Gate: 250.