Holker Street Newsletter 293 - 19th February 1999

The decision is out, and the Conference will let us play until the end of the seasom, after that, well you decide? Perhaps it’s fair that the powers that be have decided that the new squaky clean Barrow AFC couldn’t walk away from the debts of the old club, after all how would you feel if a company did it to you?

The last few weeks could be described as character building for everyone connected with the club, and now some decisions will have to be taken over what happens next. As I see it, the club will continue on this season, and then who knows? I hope we will be permitted to stay in the Conference, it’s taken us an awful long time to get there, and be chucked out would be a bitter pill to swallow, relegation would almost be acceptable, deeply unpleasant of course, but being demoted when we don’t even finish bottom (again, remember 1972) would be too much to bear.

Having said this, it all depends on those backing the new Barrow continuing with their support. There is one final piece in the equation which may have a bearing, as you’ll be aware there are extensive investigations being carried out into the last six months’ operations of Barrow AFC, and they may find something which could cast a new light over matters. We shall see, and why not let me know what you think?


CONFERENCE SAY NO TO NEW CLUB
Consortiums plans rejected by League's management committee
By John Whittaker, Evening Mail, 18 February 1999

The consortium of local businessmen trying to save football in Barrow have been told that their new company cannot replace AFC in the Conference while the old club is in liquidation. That was what consortium representatives Brian Keen and Alan Dunn were told by the Conference Management Committee at the meeting at Hednesford Town at 11am this morning. The consortium had hoped the Conference would accept the new club but today said the fight to keep Conference football in Barrow continues. The Conference Management Committee said they were happy for the old Barrow AFC to fulfil the rest of this season’s fixtures while it’s in liquidation, and the consortium have said they are willing to underwrite those games which means the rest of this season’s fixtures should be completed. In the meantime, the consortium will continue negotiations with Barrow AFC’s liquidator Jim Duckworth as regards continuing football in the town after this season.

The consortium released the following press statement after emerging from the meeting: "Brian Keen and Alan Dunn from the consortium seeking to keep the soccer club in the Nationwide Conference today met the management committee of the Conference. The aspirations for the future of the game in Barrow were explained to the committee and were well understood by the members. No major points were made by the Conference chairman which reflected the outcome of the talks. Firstly, the Conference can only accept the old Barrow AFC Limited as the organisation competent to stage League football at Holker Street. This means that as long as the liquidator is satisfied that the consortium can run the club under his authority, then the Conference will leave Barrow as a member. Secondly, the committee clearly wants Barrow to complete its fixtures for the rest of the season. If that is done the position of the club will be reviewed. Subject to discussing these proposals with the liquidator it is the intention of the consortium to keep going, not just till the end of the season, but into the foreseeable future. We have to accept the ruling but we do not want it to signal the demise of Barrow Soccer Club."

Liquidator Duckworth of Freeman Rich, Lytham St Annes, said: "The agreement was that the consortium would finance the club on a game-to-game basis while waiting to hear whether the proposal to form a new club would be accepted, but that has now been rejected. The proposal was that the consortium would transfer the club’s debts by registering as a new club, but now it seems that the Conference are not prepared to accept this. I cannot comment further until I have spoken to the consortium. It is now a question of whether the consortium is prepared to keep on raising the funds on a week to week basis, if they are prepared to take that risk." Keen and Dunn were not allowed into the meeting of Conference chairmen which followed the management committee hearing at 11am this morning.

CONFERENCE TO LOOK AT BARROW AFC'S AFFAIRS
The Advertiser, 18 February 1999

The future of Barrow AFC was back in the melting pot today. The Nationwide Football Conference was due to look at the club’s affairs at their mid-season meeting at Hednesford. All that really mattered was that they be allowed to continue in the League under the banner of Barrow AFC (1999) Ltd now a new company has been formed following debts forcing the old regime into liquidation. There was still the lingering doubt that they might have to agree to meet the debts of the old company before they are allowed to continue, and with the bill possibly totting up to close to UKP500,000 there is no chance of the club’s new custodians setting off with a millstone like that round their neck. If the Conference said it was OK to keep playing and the debts matter sorted out at the end of the season, that would be a case of fudging the issue in the hope Barrow get relegated and the problem is handed on to another League, but it is easy to understand the concern of some of the Conference members as a club, saddled with enormous financial problems, goes into liquidation to shed the debts and then starts off again with a clean sheet. That Barrow’s followers want the new ‘trustees” to keep the club going was abundantly clear last Thursday when over 600 turned up at Forum 28 to voice their support.

It was all positive, there was virtually no looking back although solicitor Alan Dunn quite rightly pointed out that it was not Sterling Fabrication’s fault that the club had been forced into liquidation, and if the step hadn’t been taken by Sterling, the Inland Revenue and Customs and Excise were in the wings ready to go down the same path. It was made clear that the club needs gates of 1500 to just survive. It will be a case of living from hand to mouth for the remaining thirteen games. New trustees ‘leader’ Brian Keen thanked businesses JL Winder, Poole Townsend and Furness Building Society for the time they had allowed staff members to give to the resurrecting of Barrow AFC. He wanted to go forward with a club with a 'squeaky clean' image where everything was open and above board and available for all to see. In fact it is envisaged that the new Barrow AFC (1999) will have members, at possibly UKP10 a year, and they will have the chance to vote on issues and inspect records.

Obviously the club cannot be run by a committee but it would seem, if the green light was given today, that members could elect the people who will be running affairs, and while fans would be anxiously awaiting the outcome of today’s Conference meeting, just as anxious was manager Shane Westley. He and his mentor John Beck, Barrow’s 'consultant', are linked as the possible team to take over struggling Third Division outfit Scarborough. Westley says he has a job to finish at Barrow of course so to has Kevin Keegan at Fulham, but even if it may turn out to be only short-term, Westley wants to get some organisation into things at Barrow.

Once again it wasn’t a pretty performance against Hayes last weekend but he did bring four new faces into his squad. We were beaten by a soft goal because some players didn’t know their marking jobs at a corner." he said. That is the sort of organisation that he wants to get right. "Good organisation and a couple of good individuals, particularly up front, is what you need," Westley said, and in all truth there was very little between fifth in the table Hayes and third from bottom Barrow, and Barrow have seen seven new men come in the past two games. "I was happy with the effort," said the manager, "but we just lacked that catalyst to pull the side together. I will keep searching in the financial perimeters that exist at the club. I will crack on looking for players with a positive attitude. We have to plan for the future." Gary Lewis, the former Stockport player, looked the best of the four new men but while there was a crying need to try something different up front, it was a pity that the manager didn’t turn to sub Neil Doherty who has the experience and flair to turn games. As things are he is too big an asset to spend 90 minutes warming up, but then again, Westley might have more players up his sleeve for Saturday’s visit to Holker Street by third in the table Yeovil Town.


EDITORIAL FROM THE BARROW WEB SITE

A decision on Barrow’s future in the Nationwide Conference was again put on hold at a meeting held at Hednesford today. Instead of clearing the way for the future, the Conference decided to allow Barrow AFC to continue playing there games until the end of the season, when it will review the situation again.

As expected, the Conference ruled out the possibility of the new Barrow AFC (1999) taking the place of Barrow AFC. The only way in which Barrow can continue in the Conference is as the current club. The Conference has left it up to the liquidator to decide if the club can continue to operate without increasing the debt. The Conference has said it will look again at the situation at the end of the season.

This leaves Barrow in a situation they didn't want. A lot of questions remain unanswered and the future is still precarious. It appears as if the Conference will do anything not to tarnish their image at a time when they are trying to prove to the FA that they are a strong League by kicking out one of their members halfway through. After all, that would weaken any argument about how strong the League is. Where does it leave other clubs still to play Barrow, or more so, those who have already played us twice? If it looks (which it does at the moment) that there will be no Barrow AFC at the end of the season and Barrow AFC (1999) Limited cannot take the place, then what is there left to play for? It will be hard to motivate the players and management to try and fight relegation when, come the end of the season, even if we finish above the relegation we will be kicked out of the Conference. In which case, teams which have already played us will complain that the teams who will be playing us for the rest of the season stand more chance of winning than they did, and have an unfair advantage.

Unless the liquidator turns up something soon, to pay off the money owed to creditors, then we will be removed from the Conference at the end of the season. In which case we will have to apply down the Leagues to be accepted as Barrow AFC (1999). It’s a sad day for Barrow. A sad day for the Conference, but one which the Conference will come out of better than Barrow.


BARROW STILL FLAPPING
NLOTN, 18 February 1999

Barrow AFC Ltd can continue to be members of The Nationwide Conference providing they fulfill their remaining fixtures, failure to do that will mean expulsion from the League, and their record for the season being expunged. That was the unanimous decision at a specially convened meeting of fellow member clubs at Hednesford Town's Keys Park Stadium, yesterday. Barrow were put into liquidation last month, following the club’s failure to pay the company who carried out the safety improvements to bring their Holker Street Ground up to the required standards. Since then the liquidator has allowed the playing side of the club to continue its activities, but under the legal requirements of incurring no further debts, whilst he tries to unravel the complex financial affairs.

The Conference Club directors were informed that nearly UKP500,000 was possibly outstanding to creditors, and endorsed the Conference ruling that "A club must maintain the status held, on joining the Conference". Phil Ledger, the long standing director of Woking told NLOTN last night, "We all know about the pit-falls in our game, there was a great deal of sympathy and understanding from every one, but we would be acting irresponsibly if we allowed, eg Barrow AFC (1999) to take over the fixtures, the only way we can be certain Barrow remain members of the Nationwide Conference, is that at best, "All" their debts to creditors are to paid, or if the liquidator agrees to any secure rescue package".

As there are now NO directors remaining (Barrow are bankrupt), solicitor Alan Dunn, who acted for the club at the winding up hearing, tried to attend the Conference meeting, but was refused entry. However as a member of the "Rescue Barrow" consortium who have so far guaranteed the costs incurred to keep the team playing, Phil Ledger and other club directors held a private meeting with him, "He and a colleague could not be allowed into the official get together, it is purely for the Conference Board of member club directors and executives", we were told. Mr Dunn was not available to comment last night, but he was expected to report back to his fellow consortium members, with the decision of the Conference. Barrow are scheduled to host Yeovil at Holker Street tomorrow, we have every reason to believe that despite yesterday's meeting at Hednesford, the match will go ahead.

NLOTN can exclusively reveal that whilst Barrow AFC Ltd, are bankrupt, the recently announced sponsorship package from the Nationwide Building Society, prevented The Football Conference Ltd becoming insolvent themselves. The long running link up with General Motors/Vauxhall ended last June, and until Nationwide stepped in with their welcome investment, The Conference continued minus a main sponsor. We can reveal the Building Society are injecting just UKP600,000 spread over two seasons, plus an additional UKP100,000 to assist with the remainder of this campaign. Nationwide will also inject their expertise into marketing the game, and are certain to lift the image at Conference level, NLOTN believe this can only have a positive effect for the whole of football's pyramid structure, as will the long awaited re-vamp of the Football Association. When we know what that will be, we will let you know, but for now "it's game on", that hopefully includes Barrow v Yeovil Town.


BARROW GET GO-AHEAD TO PLAY ON
By Nicholas Harling, The Telegraph, 19 February 1999

The consortium attempting to save Barrow were told yesterday that the club can carry on playing at least until the end of the season. "You could say that an uneasy compromise was reached," Alan Dunn, a solicitor for the consortium said after the Nationwide Conference's mid-season meeting. Although the consortium's attempt to continue with immediate effect under their proposed new banner of AFC Barrow (1999) Ltd was rejected, the liquidator's sympathy with Barrow's plight should enable the club to fulfil the rest of their Conference fixtures. "The rules do not allow for a new club to be taken on board while the old one is still in liquidation," explained Dunn. "But the Conference are still supporting our efforts to keep Barrow going at the highest level possible under the flag of the liquidator rather than the flag we're flying. "The liquidator seems prepared to go along with us until the end of the season as long as no more debts are incurred." Barrow, who were wound up three weeks ago with debts of almost UKP500,000, have since lost three games after being forced to field increasingly patched-up teams. They are now back in the bottom three and new manager Shane Westley has lost the bulk of last season's UniBond League championship side. At Holker Street tomorrow, Westley will be looking to gain his first point at the expense of a Yeovil team still unbeaten away from home. This record is something of an anomaly as the Somerset side could have sustained a late title attempt had they not lost for the sixth time at home on Tuesday.


RE-ARRANGED GAME

Barrow’s away game at Telford will now be played on 27 February 1999.


FAX NUMBERS

Whilst it’s now late to contact Telford United, their correct fax number is (01952) 640021, +44-1952-640021.


FA TROPHY FOURTH ROUND

Stevenage 0 Cheltenham 0 (aet), Cheltenham won 5-4 on penaties.


REVISED DRAW FOR THE FA TROPHY FIFTH ROUND

Hitchin Town v Forest Green Rovers, Northwich Victoria v Colwyn Bay, Boston United v Altrincham, Kingstonian v Yeovil Town, Emley v Whitby Town, Cheltenham v Hendon, Woking v Southport, Dagenham & Redbridge v St Albans.


CONFERENCE NEWS
From Teletext, sent in by Ray Stanton

Southport End Long Wait
Southport ended their dismal record of fifteen Conference games without a win with a 2-1 victory at Northwich Victoria. The win was Southport's first on the Conference stage since September 15 and the much needed points lifted them out of the bottom three. Manager Paul Futcher said, "We have won three Cup ties in the past couple of weeks and the players have gained confidence from that."

Carruthers Drops in on Stags
Mark Carruthers has done enough during his short spell at Dover to earn a contract with Third Division Mansfield until the end of the season. Carruthers, 24, a member of the 7th Parachute Regiment, joined Dover in December and scored five goals. Dover manager Bill Williams said, "If pace, strength and willingness count for anything, then he must have a chance of carving out a League career."

Statham Joins Boro on Loan
Former Tottenham and England under-21 defender Brian Statham has joined Stevenage Borough on a month's loan. The 29-year-old Gillingham player made an unfortunate start to his Broadhall Way spell when he was sent off for handball after 62 minutes of Saturday's 3-3 draw with Kingstonian. Statham has played over 250 League games in a career which has also taken in spells at Reading and Brentford.

Doncaster Pulling in the Fans
Doncaster are heading for the highest attendance figures this decade after the visit of Yeovil on Saturday attracted a crowd of 4413. The gate, the third biggest in the Conference this season, raised Rovers' average to 3456, a 122% increase on the corresponding stage last season. The increased gates owe much to Rovers' "Quid for a Kid" scheme. Over 500 children took advantage of the offer on Saturday.

Harding Appoints Number Two
New Farnborough boss John Harding has wasted little time in strengthening his managerial team. Harding, who succeeded Alan Taylor last weekend, has made Nick Crowther his number 2. Crowther held similar posts at Crawley, Tooting & Mitcham and Hampton. On the playing side, Harding has signed Danish goalkeeper Tony Henriksen on a match-by-match basis from Rushden & Diamonds.

Hayes Get Planning Boost
Hayes have won planning permission to bring their Church Road ground into line with Nationwide League criteria. The work will include the construction of a new main stand to increase the ground capacity to 6000. In a separate development, the local authority has thrown its weight behind Hayes in their battle to move to a new 90-acre site adjacent to the Hayes by-pass.

League leaders Kettering have increased their attacking options by the loan signing of 20-year-old striker Phillip Eastwood from Burnley.

John Beck, football consultant at Barrow, is the bookies' favourite for the vacant managerial post at Third Division Scarborough.

Kidderminster have made their fourth signing in three weeks with 30-year-old Barnet defender Jon Ford joining Harriers until the end of the season.