Holker Street Newsletter 23 - 9th December 1997

SOME MORE DETAILS ON THE LEIGH GAME
As Carlisle weren't playing at the weekend there was more than usual on Radio Cumbria. Ron Duxbury, the Radio Cumbria commentator, said that most supporters would feel it was 'just one of those days'. Barrow played quite well and the visiting keeper was the best seen at Holker Street this season. Owen Brown said he was pleased with the performance and commitment, and couldn't really fault anyone. Still, as Winsford have a similarly good defensive record to Leigh, is next Saturday's match a 0-1 banker?

Thanks to Jim Whitton for this.


'WE DIDN'T DESERVE TO LOSE'
Brown Backs Players As AFC Taste Fourth Home Defeat of the Season, Evening Mail, 8 December 1997

'We was robbed' was the reaction of BAFC boss Brown after he watch his side go down 1-0 at Holker Street on Saturday. Brown was quick to jump to the defence of his players and said he couldn't fault their performance on the day despite falling to their fourth home defeat of the season. "I didn't think we deserved to lose" said Brown. "Perhaps we never played as well as last Saturday, but I thought we played well and we made chances. The work rate and effort to get us back into the game was tremendous. Right to the death we were putting them under pressure. They didn't give much away and they've snatched it, but to be fair it was a good goal. We had fallen asleep, the fella's got a run on us and he took it well. I'm pleased with the lads and I'm certainly not banging heads after that performance. Leigh's Eric Rostron got the only goal in the 41st minute, but Barrow came close to scoring on a number of occasions especially from the corners with the help of the strong wind. Losing three points has seen Barrow's lead at the top of the UniBond Premier cut to nine points as nearest rivals Bishop Auckland won at Hyde on Saturday. Brown added "We're still top of the shop half way through the season. We've just got to pick ourselves up and train hard this week. We're not despondent.”

Barrow are next in action at home on Saturday against Winsford in the League.


BARROW ARE KILLED OFF BY LEIGH-THAL JAB BARROW'S HOME HOODOO STRIKES AGAIN
Evening Mail, 8 December 1997

Releasing a CD 'Barrow Will Rise Once Again' is more or less inviting fate to slap you in the face, and that is exactly what happen to Barrow on Saturday when they suffered their fourth defeat of the season -- all of which have been at Holker Street. A single goal from Eric Rostron proved enough to send all three points on the coach back to Leigh. That goal came four minutes before the end of the first half, a half in which Barrow had four chances themselves to score. Leigh's goal lived a charmed life especially from a succession of corners that were only just about dealt with by the Leigh keeper. The game was only three minutes old when Robertson swung Barrow's first corner in. It looked like it was heading for the back of the net, but Dave Felgate just in so tipped it over for another corner. Bauress stepped up to take that one from the opposite side and the same thing happened again with Felgate only just managing to stop it from going in. Leigh's threat to Barrow came on the break when they used the width of the pitch well and got it forward quickly, but they had few shots on goal and the vast majority pf the chances were coming at the Holker Street end which Barrow were attacking with the wind at their backs. In the 18th minute Robertson did superbly well, getting a cross in under pressure from the left hand side. O'Keeffe rose well to meet it and his header was only just tipped round the foot of the post. From that corner the same thing happened as the third minute. Robertson's in swinger was going in without anyone getting a touch, but Felgate cleared with his finger tips. Morton was looking lively in patches, alongside O'Keeffe, McCauley and Robertson, but AFC could not find the first goal. That honour fell to Leigh's Eric Rostron who hit a great volley from a cross on the right that flew passed Farrelly and into the Barrow net from about 15 yards out. Barrow's defensive trio, for once, were caught out as Rostron was completely unmarked and got his shot in under no pressure.

In the second half Barrow continued to push forward despite playing into the wind. They created a few half chances, but Leigh were defending superbly and they were first to react to any lose balls against a sometimes sluggish looking Barrow side. The longer it went on the more frustrated Barrow got, and despite a couple of substitutions they couldn't find the spark to produce the goal which would of rescued a point from the match.

MATCH RATING - Average.
FARRELLY 7 - Usual confident and assured performance. Didn't have much to do.
McCAULEY 8 - Looked lively and got forward well. Also got on the end of a couple of things in the box.
ROBERTSON 8 - Came close to scoring direct from the succession of corners Barrow had in the first half and tried to get AFC going down the left.
HIGGINS 7 - Not his usual assured self. Made a couple of mistakes and looked a bit sluggish.
JONES 7 - Made a couple of crucial tackles in the box and did his best to get forward as AFC pushed for an equaliser.
JOHNSTON 8 - Battled hard for Barrow and threw himself into the game.
BAURESS 6 - Very quiet game from Bauress. Never really got involved and eventually was replaced by Cooper.
BROWN 7 - Also quiet in midfield but played one or two good balls forward in the first half.
COATES 7 - Tried to hold the ball up for Barrow, but a lot of things weren't falling for him.
MORTON 7 - Showed some flashes of skill round the box, but was well marked by the Leigh defenders.
O'KEEFFE 8 - Worked tirelessly and had some impact with his runs forward. Also came close with a header in the first half.
THE SUBS - COOPER for MORTON 45, BROWN for McCAULEY 62, MARGINSON for O'KEEFFE 73 mins.

Goals - Eric Rostron (41 mins)
Yellow Cards - Graham Hill 39, O'keeffe 63
Offsides - Barrow 3 Leigh 7
Free Kicks - Barrow 10 Leigh 8
Corners - Barrow 11 Leigh 1
Shots
On Target - Barrow 10 Leigh 3
Off Target - Barrow 8 Leigh 5
Attendance - 1012
Referee - Wright Shaw (Blackburn)

Thanks to Paul Darragh for these reports from the Mail.


RMI TURN OVER BARROW
Match report from the Bolton Evening News

Leigh RMI produced their best performance of the season when they travelled to UniBond Premier Division leaders Barrow, and came away with all three points. It was an Eric Rostron first half thunderbolt that pegged back the table-toppers and provided the Railwaymen with their eleventh clean sheet of the season. Now they have only two defeats in the last fifteen outings. "It was the best I have seen since I joined Leigh, both in terms of performance and results," said manager Steve Waywell. "And after our draw at Hyde, and our victory at Altrincham it is now clear we can compete with the best. The test will come tonight at Bradford when the atmosphere won't be the same as we have experienced in our last three games, but we still have to rise to this particular challenge."

RMI soaked up the early Barrow pressure and had a couple of good chances on the break. Keith Evans blasted well over and Rostron was unlucky when his goal-bound drive from 20 yards was deflected wide, but he made no mistake four minutes before the break. Once again he made a run from deep and was well picked out by Peter Smyth and, as the ball dropped over his shoulder, Rostron unleashed an unstoppable left foot volley. Leigh were again solid at the back with Dave Felgate making one superb save to deny McCauley and Graham Hill marshalled his defence well, although he did receive another yellow card. Waywell has named the same team again for tonight for the re-arranged FA Trophy Third Round tie at Bradford Park Avenue with the winners away to Grantham.


CLASSY BARROW ON A ROLL
From The Hinckley Times, FA Umbro Trophy - Third Qualifying Round Barrow 4, Hinckley United FC 1

With Barrow riding high, fourteen points clear at the top of the UniBond Northern Premier League and United making the long journey to Cumbria with half a dozen players missing through injuries and suspensions, the outcome of this game was somewhat inevitable, writes Andy Gibbs. Yet there was no disgrace for Hinckley in going out to an excellent side who's exciting approach play was matched by some clinical finishing. Barrow are surely destined for Conference football next season providing they can steady their ship off the field following the walk-out of their Chairman. In contrast, John Hanna and Dean Thomas must simply be hoping for a let up in the injury crisis that looms over Middlefield Lane to allow them to field the sort of settled side that looked so promising six weeks ago when they dumped Kettering out of the FA Cup.

A series of patched up sides since then has reflected the results they have achieved and it will take something special now for promotion to become a realistic hope. Despite the number of absentees, the injury situation had little bearing on this result as the gulf between the sides was too great. The result was never in doubt from the moment Barrow wing back Paul Robertson cut inside stand-in captain Nicky Platnauer and curled a perfect left foot shot into the top corner. The influential Robertson was behind much of Barrow's good work as they threatened to over-run United during the early stages, but the Knitters stood firm and shocked the home side by levelling after 26 minutes when John Symonds capitalised on a mistake by Eddie Johnson and gave the large travelling contingent of Hinckley fans something to cheer about.

The goal proved merely an irritation for Barrow who struck back immediately when Mark Coates restored his side's lead on 35 minutes with a sharp turn and shot which nestled in the bottom corner. There was no respite for the visitors who fell further behind five minutes later to a marvellous goal as Carl McCauley's cross seemed to be drifting behind Lee O'Keeffe, until he twisted acrobatically and got enough power on his header from 15 yards out to beat Dale Belford who was again left helpless by a tremendous finish. Just before half-time, Barrow scored their fourth and Coates claimed his second by touching home Morton's cross to complete a devastating burst of three goals in ten minutes. With their mission accomplished, the Bluebirds eased up after the break and they can now look forward to the First Round proper. For United though, the exciting runs in FA competitions are over and it looks increasingly like a season of consolidation for the Knitters.

United: Belford, Nolan, Platnauer, Thomas, Blake, White, Walker, Quincey (Ginetta 70 mins),Symonds, Martin (Partridge 80 mins), Spencer (Hamilton 80 mins)

Attendance: 1011


SOME THOUGHTS ON THE ATTENDANCES
Graham Murphy has offered some thought on the low attendances at Holker Street.

Bearing in mind the poor home form, it’s no wonder the crowds at Holker Street are down. Of the five League home games which have attracted the best (more than 1150) crowds at Holker Street this season, (Marine, Accrington Stanley, Colwyn Bay, Guiseley and Spennymoor United) three were lost, one was drawn and only one was won. The six League games which have attracted the lowest (below 1150) home attendances (Radcliffe Boro, Bishop Auckland, Chorley, Alfreton Town, Frickley Athletic and Leigh RMI) saw five wins and only one defeat.


Barrow always seem to drop their game when there is a full(ish) house at Holker Street, why I don’t know, perhaps it’s stage fright, or maybe the away side are psyched up by the big crowd, Ed.


BARROW MOTTO - WHAT DOES IT MEAN?
John Idle has been in contact over the meaning of the Barrow motto, and offers the following:

'Spatiari ut progrediaris' means something like 'Expand in order to progress' or 'Spread in order to progress'. John looked that up after his first Barrow game in about 1979, when he was doing O or A level Latin. John admits he’s a bit rusty on the form of the first verb, and asks if it is really an instruction? It looks passive but he can't see what it would mean, it also looks irregular so he’s need to check further.


THESE ARE THE BEST OF TIMES ...............
In a previous Newsletter, David Ingham asked now Barrow have reached the half way stage of the season, how this season’s League performances compared with the Championship winning sides of 1983/84 and 1988/89 at the same stage. Well, Clive Roddie has supplied the following information:

Year Pl W D L F A P Final Points Tally
1983-84 21 12 7 2 46 22 43 97
1988-89 21 11 5 5 n/k n/k 38 87
1997-98 21 14 4 3 34 12 46 ??

(Three points for a win.)
Time to put the champagne on ice? Thanks to Clive Roddie for those figures.


ALLIANCE PREMIER LEAGUE 1979-80

Pl W D L F A Pts
1 Altrincham . . . . 38 24 8 6 79 35 56
2 Weymouth . . . . . 38 22 10 6 73 37 54
3 Worcester City . . . 38 19 11 8 53 36 49
4 Boston United . . . 38 16 13 9 52 43 45
5 Gravesend & Northfleet 38 17 10 11 49 44 44
6 Maidstone United . . 38 16 11 11 54 37 43
7 Kettering Town . . . 38 15 13 10 55 50 43
8 Northwich Victoria. . 38 16 10 12 50 38 42
9 Bangor City . . . . 38 14 14 10 41 46 42
10 Nuneaton Borough . . 38 13 13 12 58 44 39
11 Scarborough . . . . 38 12 15 11 47 38 39
12 Yeovil Town . . . . 38 13 10 15 46 49 36
13 Telford United . . . 38 13 8 17 52 60 34
14 BARROW. . . . . . 38 14 6 18 47 55 34
15 Wealdstone . . . . 38 9 15 14 42 54 33
16 Bath City. . . . . 38 10 12 16 43 69 32
17 Barnet. . . . . . 38 10 10 18 32 48 30
18 AP Leamington . . . 38 7 11 20 32 63 25
19 Stafford Rangers . . 38 6 10 22 41 57 22
20 Redditch United. . . 38 5 8 25 26 69 18 Relegated to SL

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