Holker Street Newsletter 22 - 8th December 1997

Oh dear, whilst the wheels haven’t quite fallen off, our League form is showing grounds for concern, we were beaten 1-0 at home by Leigh RMI at the weekend. Whilst Barrow are now only nine points clear at the top, Bishop Auckland have put in an excellent run of late and made up an awful lot of ground on us. (Barrow have taken only three points from their last three League games.)

Enclosed in this Newsletter is more news on fund raising efforts at Holker Street, including an original method of raising a few bob, League tables from the past, more memories and other bits and bobs await your perusal. BTW, does anyone know what the Barrow motto “Spatiari ut Progrediaris” means?

The next game is home to Winsford on December 13.

This one goes out to 71.


MATCH REPORT (OF SORTS) - BARROW 0 LEIGH RMI 1

Barrow were on top in the first half but went behind to a Rostron goal just before half time. The second half was poor and in the end Barrow didn't deserve any better.

Thanks to Jim Whitton.


SMILES BETTER
Brown praises fans as AFC go on Trophy goal romp, Evening Mail, 1 December 1997

A brilliant four goal blitz in the first half against Hinckley United sent BAFC into the First Round proper of the FA Trophy for the first time in five years on Saturday. A Coates double, and two superb efforts from Robertson and O'Keeffe made great entertainment for the 1011 spectators at Holker Street. AFC boss Brown was full of praise for the supporters after the game saying they lifted his players as well as contributing to several fund raising efforts in the ground. Brown said "I thought the support was superb today. It gave the lads a big lift. There seemed to be a different mood generally and perhaps the supporters’ meeting did some good last week. From the start the fans lifted the lads up and they responded to that. Even when Hinckley equalised they still lifted the lads back up." Brown was delighted with his side’s performance in the Third Qualifying Round clash and said the players believe they can go all the way in this competition. He added "They was four really good goals. The third from O’Keeffe was something else, wasn't it? After scoring four it was hard for the lads to lift themselves, but in spells we played some good stuff in the second half and had a couple of chances. All in all it was a very satisfactory day. It keeps us in the hunt and we want to progress and the squad are up for it. There is a realistic prize at the end of this for us. It's too early to say we can win it, but given the rub of the green we hope we'll progress."


BARROW 4 HINCKLEY UNITED 1 BLUEBIRDS HIT FAB FOUR!
Evening Mail, 1 December 1997

A four goal blitz in the first half was more than enough to put BAFC one game nearer to ordering some new suits for Wembley. After a couple of weeks of turmoil and upheaval at Holker Street this was the perfect tonic, a good win in the FA Trophy to book their place in January’s First Round. In a pulsating first half Barrow scored four belting goals to send Hinckley packing. The first came after just nine minutes when fit again Robertson produced a flash of magic. Cutting in from the right hand side he curled the ball into the opposite corner with a brilliant strike on his left. After an initial burst from Hinckley, it was all going Barrow’s way until a slip-up by Johnston in the 27th minute gifted United their goal. The defender missed a clearance in the bow and the ball went passed him letting in John Symmonds who drove the ball into the back of the net. Barrow came straight back though, and Coates had one cleared off the line the very next minute. However the Welshman didn't have to wait long for his first goal. He did superbly well getting on the end of a Higgins free kick, taken from midway in AFC's half. Coates took the ball down with his back to the goal, held off the close attention of a defender, then turned and blasted the ball home from just inside the area. Both of Barrow's opening two goals were something special, but O'Keeffe in the 40th minute was right up there with the cracker he got against Leek last season. It started with a great ball from in the centre circle which found McCauley on the right hand side. The wingback sent a great cross into the area that was meet by O'Keeffe. The Barrovian finished it off with a ferocious diving header, beating the keeper at the near post from at least 16 yards out. That made it 3-1 and Barrow were sailing with some really good attacking football, especially from Robertson.

Then they further punished Hinckley by getting a fourth just before half time. A Bauress corner from the left eventually made its way to the far side where Morton was lurking. He flicked it up for himself and struck it sweetly on the volley. It was goal bound but Coates flicked it in with his head just to make sure. The second half was dull by comparison to the first. Barrow still created a few half chances, but never really threatened to score a fifth. Hinckley meanwhile never came close and they seemed to accept the game was over for them at half time.

MATCH RATING - Outstanding Entertainment.
THE PLAYERS -
FARRELLY 8 - Didn't have a lot to do, but his handling and kicking were superb again.
McCAULEY 9 - Got forward really well and created things for Barrow. Brilliant cross for O'Keeffe's goal.
ROBERTSON 9 - Back to his best in the first half running at the Hinckley defence. Excellent goal as well.
HIGGINS 8 - Solid performance holding the back line together.
JONES 9 - Another outstanding afternoon for the 19 year old. Won everything in the air, made some crucial tackles and used the ball well.
JOHNSTON 8 - Made one mistake for Hinckley goal, but gave a committed and battling performance.
BAURESS 8 - Dictated thing in midfield again. Nice patient build up and had time on the ball.
8 - Ran his heart out for Barrow and adapted from midfield to right wing back.
COATES 8 - Two goals in the first half. His first was especially good showing strength on the ball and then finishing well.
MORTON 8 - Only lasted the first half due to on-going back problem, but played a big part in Barrow's four goal blitz.
O'KEEFFE 9 - Worked really hard and scored a screamer of a goal for Barrow's Third.
THE SUBS - COOPER for MORTON 45 mins, BROWN for McCAULEY 62 mins,
MARGINSON for O'KEEFFE 73 mins.

THE STATS
GOALS - ROBERTSON 9, COATES 35 and 45, O'KEEFFE 41 (BARROW). SYMMONDS
27 (HINCKLEY).
YELLOW CARDS - JOHNSTON 20, MORTON 39.
OFFSIDES - Barrow 10 Hinckley 3.
FREE KICKS - Barrow 13 Hinckley 11
CORNERS - Barrow 5 Hinckley 2
SHOTS
ON TARGET - Barrow 9 Hinckley 2
OFF TARGET - Barrow 9 Hinckley 5
ATTENDANCE - 1011
REFEREE - Martin Atkinson (Morley)


RULE OUTLINES FUND RAISING PLANS
Evening Mail, 2 December 1997

BAFC Director Ged Rule has outlined his plans to raise UKP40,000 needed to pay the club’s pressing debts and to keep the current playing squad together. In a statement issued to Mailsport, Rule said he is currently negotiating possible loans from people and organisations who are willing to help the 96 year old club. Rule, who now works in Birmingham, said he is trying to secure a loan of UKP40,000 for Barrow AFC from someone who seeks no publicity. “The UKP40,000 I am seeking is not available overnight,” Rule said in his statement, “but I am also chasing a grant from the Football Association for UKP5000 which could be more immediate. I have spoken to one supporter who is willing to make a considerable contribution to the UKP40,000 needed, provided other people will come forward, and I am speaking to a company who are keen to help in the region of UKP5000. If UKP20,000 can be raised this coming week then the Council debt and the Company Voluntary Agreement can be cleared. These are the only two parties putting us under immediate pressure and this will then give another week or so to raise the other UKP20,000. It is right now that everyone’s help is needed and I am encouraged by the offers I know of and I hope more will now come in. At last Saturday’s home game the fans also played their part by showing a good response to various fund raising activities in the ground.”


LET'S GO TO WORK!
AFC ready to see off Town in Holker Street Trophy tie, Evening Mail, 2 December 1997

Worksop Town, the form team of the UniBond Division One, are heading for Holker Street to face BAFC in the First Round proper of the FA Umbro Trophy. Barrow were the first name out of the hat in the draw made by England 1966 World Cup heroes Roger Hunt and Gordon Banks in London at 12.30pm yesterday. Worksop are currently eighth in the UniBond First Division, but they have just picked up the Team of the Month award for November having won six and drawn one of their last seven games. They have also won twice away from home in the FA Trophy this season, most recently beating Bromsgrove Rovers 2-1 in the Third Qualifying Round last Saturday. However, being drawn at home was the only thing AFC boss Brown wanted, and he was delighted his boyhood hero Hunt obliged by pulling ball 24, Barrow, out of the hat first. Brown said: "The first game I ever saw at Anfield, Hunt came on as a sub and scored a hat-trick. He was my first hero, and he certainly did the business for us yesterday. I hope he makes the draw ever round from now on and keeps getting us home draws! That was the only thing I wanted, to be at Holker Street. I’ve already spoken to someone about Worksop and they said they are a good side, but if we play anywhere near like we did in the first half against Hinckley I’m confident we can progress." The game will be played on January 10.


SUPER FAN ROBERT DOLES OUT HIS CASH.
Evening Mail, 2 December 1997

Unemployed BAFC fan Robert Rogers is going to hand over UKP5 of his dole money every week to help out his beloved club. Robert, a fan since 1979, felt moved to act after reading that the club needed cash to pay current debts and also keep the promotion chasing side together. He paid his first UKP5 into AFC’s account at the Royal Bank of Scotland and he is going to continue doing the same ever week, not only that, Robert, 34, said he is also going to pay UKP3 at the turnstiles every time Barrow play at home in the League, even though he is a season ticket holder at Holker Street. AFC Team manager Brown was bowled over by Robert's fantastic gesture when he was told this morning. "That's unbelievable," said Brown. “It's tremendous for Robert to do especially at this time of year, it just shows the depth of feeling some people have for the club. If everyone gets behind the club in that way the financial problems would soon be resolved.”


AFC AIM TO BE TOP OF THE POPS WITH NEW SINGLE TUNE ARMY!
Evening Mail, 3 December 1997

The Spice Girls, Oasis and the Teletubbies could have some unexpected competition for the Number One spot this Christmas as BAFC are releasing a record! Professional musicians have recorded four songs about BAFC and they are to be released on CD next week. The title song is 'Barrow Will Rise Once Again' and some of the players were in the studio when the recording took place in the studio in Greater Manchester two weeks ago. The fund raising project was the brainwave of director Ged Rule who is hoping to have the CD on sale next week at the Holker Street club shop. Speaking yesterday Rule explained how the Barrow record came about. He said "A friend of mine has been a session musician with top bands for a number of years. He introduced me to John King who is a record producer. We came up with the idea of releasing a single before Christmas to do something innovative and also to raise some money for the club. The songs were recorded in Hyde the weekend before last. There are session musicians and professional singers on the CD singing about BAFC. It's getting pressed this week and hopefully will be on sale in the middle of next week in the club shop. All the proceeds are going to BAFC.” The record promoter John King (not the Altrincham boss) thinks the Barrow song is going to be a winner with the fans. He said "This is not your typical football song it's a properly produced song in a stadium rock style. The fans will definitely be singing this on the terraces. There is also another song and two instrumentals on the CD. We had a few of the players in the studio. An initial run of 500 will be pressed, but if it goes well we'll get some more out. Hopefully other record shops in the area will want to stock it and I’ll be glad to supply them."


WE ARE FAMILY ' ALL THE LADS WANT TO STAY AT BARROW' SAYS WING ACE ROBERTSON.
Evening Mail, 5 December 1997

BAFC players are 'one big family' committed to staying at Holker Street, according to wing wizard Robertson. Speaking today, Robertson said the table topping squad want to remain together and win the UniBond Premier title this season, then go on and play in the Conference for Barrow next year. “No one wants to go anywhere else now,” said Robertson one of the star performers so far this season. “There's a good family atmosphere in the changing rooms. All the lads are really good with each other and there's a good buzz and camaraderie. We're all happy at the club. It is all set up to go into the Conference and that is what we intend to do. Robertson will be in tomorrow’s starting line up for the clash with seventeenth placed Leigh RMI at Holker Street. A win will at least guarantee AFC will stay twelve points clear of their nearest rival Bishop Auckland who travel to Hyde United. Robertson admitted Barrow need to improve there home performances, but he was in no doubt it will be another victory for AFC tomorrow. “We'll win 2-0", predicted Robertson. Our big aim is to improve our performances at home. The League is the most important thing to us and we're looking forward to tomorrow. Every game is going to be hard from now until the end of the season, especially at Holker Street when teams just shut up shop. We haven't really done that well at home and it needs improving. A few of the lads get nervous about playing at home, but I just hope everyone can be patient. We know we've got to keep on winning and I think we'll beat Leigh 2-0 tomorrow. Barrow will be without midfielder as he is now suspended for three games and Hennigan is also likely to miss due to a ankle injury.

Barrow's new CD will be played before the match and again at half time. Director Ged Rule described the title track 'Barrow Will Rise Once Again' as absolutely brilliant. The Spice Girls are worried he added.

Barrow: Farrelly, McCauley, Robertson, Jones, Higgins, Johnston, Marginson, Bauress, O'Keeffe, Brown. Grugel, Coates, Morton, Cooper.


WORD ON THE STREET
Evening Mail, 5 December 1997

BAFC boss Brown must be delighted with his players’ performance so far this season. At the half way stage the Bluebirds are twelve points clear at the top of the UniBond Premier Division. And last Saturday his side defeated Hinckley United 4-1 in the FA Trophy to book a place in the First Round proper. Here in his latest column Brown replies to your questions and comment.

I got a question from Carl of Walney who asked me 'What do you want for Christmas? And do you think you'll get it?” Well there are three things I want.

1. I'd like Kenny Dalglish and Graeme Souness aged 26 both playing in my side. Do I think I’ll get it? No.

2. I would like to maintain the standard we have set in the first half of the season. Do I think I’ll get it? Yes.

3. I'd like Father Christmas to bring me a sack full of money for the club. Do I think I’ll get it ? Well every one believes in Father Christmas don't they?

We had a meeting at the Sports and Leisure Club eight days ago to discuss the situation at Holker Street. Top of the agenda was raising money for the club and over the passed week or so we have seen a tremendous response from the supporters. I received the following phone call this week: The caller said 'Firstly, let me thank you and your players for the most entertaining game of football in the FA Trophy last Saturday. Also for the effort to get the team at the top of the League at the moment. I attended the meeting a week ago yesterday and found it very informative.

I listened to one of the supporters from the Whitehaven area who made some suggestions on how money could be raised to help the club. One the following Saturday I saw the same person working tirelessly selling Christmas books and quiz sheets which presumably he produced himself in less than 48 hours. I'm given to believe he has started a save the soccer quiz sheet which is hoped will raise a considerable sum of money for the club. This supporter did put his energy where his mouth was on Thursday night and he deserves any praise going. The fellow you are talking about is called John, and he referees in Cumbria. I spoke to him after the game and he told me he had sold 340 quiz sheets at UKP1 a time. This is a tremendous effort and everyone appreciates his dedication.

Graham Mutton and the Raise the Roof lads also received a tremendous response from the supporters with their collections. Also a fan called John Smith, who is in a wheelchair, is going to do a sponsored basket ball shoot. These are all fantastic gestures and there are a lot of good ideas about. It really is a big plus for the players and myself and we really appreciate the efforts the supporters are going to.

Michael O'Halleran of Barrow took the time to phone me and offered his congratulations on the season so far. This was what he had to say: "I would just like to congratulate you Owen and all the Barrow playing staff on the way the Barrow League results have been going this season. I hope you can keep it going to get more bums on seats at Holker Street. You, Steve Vaughan and all the backroom staff deserve a very big pat on the back, so well done lads. The very best of luck in the League and Trophy this season and we'll see you back in the Conference next season. "Thanks Michael for your support. It's always good to know the efforts of the players are appreciated. I too hope we can get the attendances up at Holker Street. If we all pull together and get behind the lads on the field we will be a real force to be reckoned with. And that’s just not in the UniBond this season, but like you say, also hopefully in the Conference next season. Once again cheers Michael for your encouragement and we hope we can give you a good win to cheer against Leigh tomorrow.


Thanks to Paul Darragh for these articles culled from the Evening Mail. If any of the international supporters on this list wish to put questions to Owen Brown for inclusion in the Word on the Street section in the Evening Mail, they can e-mail Paul direct at with your name, where you live, and question, and Paul will phone them in to Owen at the Mail, and send the reply via the Newsletter. What a good idea, Ed.


UNIBOND LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION, 6 DECEMBER 1997
Altrincham 2 Frickley Athletic 1, Barrow 0 Leigh RMI 1, Blyth Spartans 0 Boston United 1, Colwyn Bay 1 Gainsborough Trinity 1, Guiseley 1 Accrington Stanley 0, Hyde United 1 Bishop Auckland 2, Marine 2 Lancaster City 0, Radcliffe Borough 1 Chorley 2, Runcorn 3 Alfreton Town 1, Spennymoor United 1 Winsford United 1.

P W D L F:A Pts
BARROW......................22 14 4 4 34:13 46
Bishop Auckland.............21 10 7 4 41:29 37
Boston United...............20 9 8 3 26:18 35
Altrincham..................21 10 3 8 36:21 33
Runcorn.....................20 10 3 7 38:28 33
Guiseley....................21 8 9 4 31:26 33
Emley.......................18 8 4 6 31:26 28
Colwyn Bay..................19 8 4 7 27:29 28
Winsford United.............15 8 3 4 19:11 27
Spennymoor United...........18 7 6 5 24:24 27
Lancaster City..............22 7 5 10 33:40 26
Hyde United.................19 6 7 6 32:27 25
Gainsborough Trinity........17 7 4 6 22:18 25
Accrington Stanley..........23 5 9 9 26:31 24
Chorley.....................22 7 3 12 27:44 24
Leigh RMI...................14 6 5 3 20:12 23
Marine......................16 6 5 5 22:20 23
Frickley Athletic...........20 6 5 9 21:29 23
Bamber Bridge...............19 5 4 10 24:36 19
Blyth Spartans..............19 4 6 9 19:27 18
Radcliffe Borough...........20 4 4 12 23:41 16
Alfreton Town...............18 2 2 14 12:38 8


FA CUP SECOND ROUND
(Games involving non-League teams only)

Cambridge 1-1 STEVENAGE, Cardiff 3-1 HENDON, CHELTENHAM 1-1 BOREHAM WOOD, Colchester 1-1 HEREFORD, HEDNESFORD 0-1 Darlington, Lincoln 2-2 EMLEY, Northampton 1-1 BASINGSTOKE, Peterborough 3-2 DAGENHAM AND REDBRIDGE, Rotherham 6-0 KING'S LYNN, Scunthorpe 1-1 ILKESTON, WISBECH 0-2 Bristol Rovers.


FA CUP THIRD ROUND DRAW
(Games involving non-League teams only)

Leicester City v Northampton or BASINGSTOKE, Colchester or HEREFORD v Tranmere Rovers, West Ham United v Lincoln or EMLEY, Swindon Town v Cambridge or STEVENAGE, Crystal Palace v Scunthorpe or ILKESTON and CHELTENHAM or BOREHAM WOOD v Reading.


NEXT WEEK’S MID-WEEK FIXTURES
(May not be 100% accurate)

Monday 8 December: Emley v Guiseley
Tuesday 9 December: Alfreton Town v Hyde United, Frickley Athletic v Winsford United, Leigh RMI v Bamber Bridge, Marine v Accrington Stanley, Spennymoor United v Radcliffe Borough.
Wednesday 10 December: Bishop Auckland v Altrincham.


HOME THOUGHTS FROM ABROAD
Andy Greenhow, a Barrow supporter, who now lives in the Middle East has been in touch with some more memory matches and some thoughts on the financial predicament the club have found themselves in.

Firstly, regarding Fulham in the 1967-8 season. They were one of the first visitors to Holker Street when Barrow were promoted to Division Three (he believes Fulham they had just been relegated), and he confirms Barrow beat them 3-1. Whilst he didn't attend the game, he remembers the result caused a bit of a stir in London because Fulham were expected to go straight back up and of course nobody rated Barrow.

A season later Luton town visited Barrow for an early season fixture. Andy was at this game and it ended 0-0 with Barrow being rather thankful for the draw. However, Luton's centre forward that day was one Malcolm MacDonald who Andy thought was rather impressive - but the Barrow defence kept him out that day!

By the next season Andy’s family had moved to Kent and Barrow had the first of their three nightmare seasons which led as we know to our loss of League status. One of Andy’s proudest moments in that bleak season was when he took a trip across Kent to watch Barrow play at Gillingham who were also fighting off relegation. Barrow won 1-0, and Andy believes Jim Mulvaney scored after about 15 minutes. However, Andy remembers Barrow's performance being brilliant as they defended and counter attacked well. Andy was left scratching his head as to why Barrow were in the position they were in. In fact a couple of Gillingham fans Andy and the friend he was with (who he converted to the Barrow cause) that Barrow had deserved to win. Andy wore red and white scarves that day as Barrow second colours were Red and White that season - that's something else for the Barrow history books!


I remember Barrow playing in red, but red and white. Was this a one off? The away colours I can remember are black and white (this season), green and white (last season), white and blue, blue and white, and red. Any others?

Talking about Barrow's financial crisis. Andy remembers yet another one in the mid 1960s before we went up to Division Three. It was probably around 1963 or 1964. Barrow had been involved in a titanic FA Cup Second Round tussle with Grimsby Town drawing the first two matches. The second Replay was at my beloved Old Trafford (Andy was born in Stretford, but his mum and dad were from Barrow as were the rest of my family, and he makes no apologies for being a fanatical MUFC fan as well as an equally fanatical Barrow one!!) and to top it all his beloved Barrow were playing there.

Unfortunately we lost 2-0 but he dragged a number of his school mates along to support Barrow which they did and in deepest Manchester in the mid sixties Andy helped to create a cult type of following for Barrow. Anyway to get back to the financial crisis Barrow were in at the time, he remembers a bag being handed around at Old Trafford for people to donate money to our survival which he thought was a nice gesture. Andy remembers quite a number of Grimsby fans contributing. He remembers the gate being around 5 or 6000.

Andy remarks that one lesson is very clear from the present crisis is that no club like ours should (if possible) try to rely on one man to save the club. He admits Stephen Vaughan was a great benefactor but he is not there now and we have a real problem. The club must become a proper private limited company with the money coming into the club is from a number of sources.

Andy will contribute his little bit through donations but we all know it will take more than that to get the situation back on an even keel. Andy can’t understand why ever since Vickers became privatised they have contributed little or nothing to local sport - look at the state of the rugby League club - and mentions that we too could end up like that. He believes the club must get local businesses involved in local sport in Barrow, particularly the biggest business of them all Vickers.

Andy adds he'll try and get a rich sheikh to invest in Barrow - some hope they're all interested in horseracing anyway and they're likely to withdraw their money at a moment’s notice which would put us back to square one.


NORTHERN PREMIER LEAGUE 1978-79
A new League, the Alliance Premier League, was formed in season 1979-80 as the senior competition outside the Football League. The constituent teams were taken from the Northern Premier League and the Southern League.

Pl W D L F A Pts
1 Mossley. . . . . 44 32 5 7 117 48 69
2 Altrincham. . . . 44 25 11 8 93 39 61 To APL
3 Matlock Town . . . 44 24 8 12 100 59 56
4 Scarborough . . . 44 19 14 11 61 44 52 To APL
5 Southport . . . . 44 19 14 11 62 49 52
6 Boston United. . . 44 17 18 9 40 33 52 To APL
7 Runcorn. . . . . 44 21 9 14 79 54 51
8 Stafford Rangers. . 44 18 14 12 67 41 50 To APL
9 Goole Town. . . . 44 17 15 12 56 61 49
10 Northwich Victoria . 44 18 11 15 64 52 47 To APL
11 Lancaster City . . 44 17 12 15 62 54 46
12 Bangor City . . . 44 15 14 15 65 66 44 To APL
13 Worksop Town . . . 44 13 14 17 55 67 40
14 Workington. . . . 44 16 7 21 62 74 39
15 Netherfield . . . 44 13 11 20 39 69 37
16 BARROW . . . . . 44 14 9 21 47 78 37 To APL
17 Gainsborough Trinity 44 12 12 20 52 67 36
18 Morecambe . . . . 44 11 13 20 55 65 35
19 Frickley Athletic . 44 13 9 22 58 70 35
20 South Liverpool . . 44 12 10 22 48 85 34
21 Gateshead . . . . 44 11 11 22 42 63 33
22 Buxton . . . . . 44 11 9 24 50 84 31
23 Macclesfield Town . 44 8 10 26 40 92 26

New entrants for 1979-80:

Witton Albion, promoted from the Cheshire County League
Marine, promoted from the Cheshire County League
Burton Albion, transferred from the Southern League
Grantham, transferred from the Southern League
Oswestry Town, transferred from the Southern League
Tamworth, transferred from the Southern League

[2 points for a win and 1 for a draw ]

Source: Rothmans Football Yearbook 1979-80
Copyright (C) Russell Gerrard and the RSSSF

Barrow were promoted to the Alliance Premier League after Southport declined the invitation to join the new League. Now without looking at any programmes or the like, can you remember who the founder members of the Alliance Premier League were? Answer in the next Newsletter.

Writing of the Alliance Premier League, reminds me of a joke. In the early 1980s, when Terry Venables was manager of Spurs, and the club were in a deep financial mire, Terry Venables was knocked down by a car as he was crossing Enfield High Street. He was knocked unconscious and was taken into a building society to recover. When he came around he asked where he was. “In the Alliance” he was told. “Hell, what happened to the Second, Third and Fourth Divisions?”

When I lived in the UK, there was a non-League fanzine called One Step from Heaven, (OSFH), dedicated to the Alliance, Gola and GMVC League. Does anyone else remember it? Is it still going?


ON THE MOVE
Whilst this is unrelated to Barrow, I thought you might find it of interest. Bishop's Stortford are set to play their final game at the George Wilson Stadium, Rhodes Avenue on Saturday 20 December v Yeading. The club is moving to a new ground on the outskirts of town, and the ground will be ready for the start of the 1998-99 season. In the meantime, Bishop’s Stortford will play all their home games at Clarence Park, St Albans.


FA TROPHY UPDATES
Third Qualifying Round: Solihull 2 Emley 1. Solihull are away to Morecambe.
Third Qualifying Round Replays: Winsford 0 Matlock 0 (aet; Winsford win 5-3 on pens) Winsford are away to Southport. Raunds Town 3 Wisbech 2 (aet; 1-1 after 90min) Raunds Town are away to Bashley. Cambridge City 6 Merthyr 3 (aet; 2-2 after 90min). Cambridge City are away to Hayes.


REARRANGED GAMES
Do we know when these two rearranged games will be played? Blyth Spartans (H) and Winsford United (A).


Right that’s it for another couple of days, thanks to everyone who has contributed to the this edition. If you have bought the Barrow AFC CD, can you let me know how much it was? Is it any good? Where can we buy them from? And does the Soccer Shop have copies?