Holker Street Newsletter 321 - 19th March 1999

Congratulations are in order for Russell Dodd, a member of the mailing list of this Newsletter from the first few editions, for he has been appointed as a director to Barrow AFC. I’ve known Russell since we were at school together, and I feel this is due recognition for his tireless work over the years for the club.

I remember when I was still at school and working as a paper boy for the (then) West Cumberland Advertiser, I asked a member of the paper’s staff if they would be willing to carry Barrow AFC match reports in the weekly publication. They would and Russell wrote them, perhaps his career in the media can be traced back to this, and then, perhaps not. Anyway, well done.

As there are now over 320 people on the mailing list now, I’ve decided to run an update of the article explaining how the Newsletter started which appeared in the Barrow AFC fanzine, Give ‘Em Beans some months ago.

So, there’s quite a mixed bag for you today, including an article from the excellent Non-League on the Net web site which you might find interesting. Thanks to Alan Phillips, Graham Murphy, Peter Caldwell and Steve Grisdale for their invaluable help with today’s Newsletter.

Finally, if you are going to the Hereford game this weekend, as well as giving a cheer for all us ex-pats, how about a match report?


AFC AIM FOR UKP20,000 GOAL
Another big effort needed as supporters close in on soccer club target
By Phil Pearson, Evening Mail, Thursday 18 March 1999

Barrow AFC have raised UKP16,000 from their membership scheme and have now set a target of breaking the UKP20,000 barrier before the end of the season. Nine hundred supporters have paid UKP10 to become a member of the new scheme, which was launched just two weeks ago. The idea is for fans to pay a tenner to become a voting member of the newly-formed Barrow AFC (1999) Ltd and, in doing so, raise some cash to enable the club to fulfil the fixtures for the remainder of the season.

As well as the UKP9000 raised from membership fees there has been a further UKP7000 in donations taking the tally to an impressive UKP16,000. Speaking yesterday AFC director, Steve Leonard was pleased with the response, but said the aim now was to raise UKP20,000. He said: "We're really grateful to the people who have joined the scheme and made donations, but we really need all the forms we have issued to be returned to us within the next two weeks. If we could raise UKP20,000 we will know our costs will be covered into the next pre-season and we can concentrate on putting our plans in place, rather than just worrying about money. We have an average home gate of around 1500 so it would be great if we could get at least that many members of the club. A lot of the forms that have been returned are from people who don’t even go to the games. We have handed out thousands of forms, so hopefully we can get a lot of them back as soon a possible to guarantee we cover the cost of the remaining games and the expense of pre-season in May, June and July when there is no income at all. Completed forms can be collected and returned to any branch of the Furness Building Society, Poole Townsend solicitors, Duke Street, Barrow, or from the Holker Street ground.

Ralph’s note, if you’d like a copy of the application form, can you email me on and I’ll send you one.


HOPES STILL HIGH FOR AFC
The Advertiser, 18 March 1999

The signings and transfer deadline is just over a week away, yet Barrow AFC manager Shane Westley is still hopeful of doing more recruiting. He still has a dogfight on his hands as his side tries to pull itself away from the three relegation places, and with virtually a full team having left since the departure of Owen Brown as boss and the disappointment of playing for wages that didn’t materialise, Westley has worked wonders in all the recruiting he has done, but he still has his eyes on a couple of men who he feels could help him complete the rescue act.

He was disappointed that Barrow didn’t get more than a point at Farnborough who, thanks to the draw, lifted themselves off the bottom spot. "We didn’t get the luck of the draw with a couple of blatant penalties denied us and an air of offside about their first goal but that’s the way it goes when you are battling against the odds. Small disappointments can become major issues, but we know we have to learn to live with it and get on with our battle. We have to hope that in the end it will all even itself out, but considering the lads had had a seven-hour coach journey, with a 6.30am start, I was quite pleased." He knows there will be another tough game this Saturday with the trip to Hereford, but he says: "They won’t be relishing our visit. Our reputation is going ahead of us. We are getting known as organised, strong and tough. There are times when a team likes to play with expression but at the moment, considering the position we are in, it is a case of players working their socks off. No team is working harder." After Hereford, Barrow are at home to Kidderminster and Farnborough on successive Saturdays before a three week wait until their final home game, against Woking.


CONFERENCE CLUBS IN DRUG MONEY PROBE
NLOTN, Friday 19 March 1999, .

At least two current Nationwide Conference clubs are the subject of a major police investigation into the laundering of drugs money, NLOTN can reveal. We believe also that the National Crime Squad are close to making arrests that will end the speculation surrounding one club's "naive" involvement, but far too late to prevent it from continuing at the top of the pyramid.

Detectives are looking into the way an off-shore company gave one club a UKP300,000 loan even though the "company" does not appear to have ever traded. We have also been informed that the wide-ranging enquiry has also shown just how vulnerable football clubs in the lower Leagues are, and that many of the players have been targeted by the press, who are "getting excited". A respected and concerned player told us "The press have been virtually camping at my door, trying to get information, they know only as much as me which isn't a lot". From our enquiries it seems apparent that the crime squad have centred their investigation on the missing millions of Curtis Warren, allegedly one of Britain's most notorious drug barons. They believe that Warren, who is serving a 12-year jail sentence in Holland for drug trafficking, amassed a personal fortune of over UKP40 million which cannot be fully accounted for. However there is no suggestion that the directors of the clubs, (we know of a First Division side under scrutiny as well) or those involved with their management knowingly assisted possible "laundering" of any monies that may or may not have been "illegitimate". Curtis Warren's father-in-law Philip Glennon is involved in a court case, to try and get returned the UKP1 million of cash that Police found buried in the garden of his Merseyside home last year. It has been alleged in court that he had become a wealthy man as a result of drug dealing. Mr Glennon, NLOTN understands, has no convictions, however it is reported that the police are contesting the case.

Football, like any business is vulnerable - especially at Conference status, where the pressures to meet the ever increasing demands to up grade "stadia", and to pay increased wages and transfer fees, make the clubs ideal targets for money launderers. We have deliberately not named the clubs involved, nor could we get "official comment" from the crime squad.


NO CHANGE FOR SEMI-PRO SQUAD
NLOTN, Friday 19 March 1999, .

England's semi-professional team scheduled to play Holland at FC Genemuiden on Tuesday 30 March, shows no changes from the squad who convincingly beat Italy 4-1 at Hayes two weeks ago. Dagenham & Redbridge keeper Paul Gothard is the only player of the 16 chosen for the trip who is not with a Nationwide Conference club. He will hope to get the nod for the jersey ahead of Steve Book.

England manager John Owens will select from the following: Steve Book (Cheltenham Town), Paul Gothard (Dagenham & Redbridge), Simon Shaw (Doncaster Rovers), Andy Comyn (Hednesford Town), Mark Smith (Stevenage Borough), Tim Ryan (Southport), Michael Danzy (Woking), Simon Wormull (Dover Athletic), Paul Underwood and Gary Butterworth (Rushden & Diamonds), Mark Yates (Cheltenham Town), Gary Patterson (Kingstonian), Lee Charles (Hayes), Dale Watkins and Neil Grayson (Cheltenham Town) and Warren Patmore (Yeovil Town).


BIG HURDLE AHEAD FOR CHELTENHAM
By Nicholas Harling, The Telegraph, 19 March 1999

Cheltenham stage the biggest Nationwide Conference game of the season when Kettering visit tomorrow. With all due deference to Rushden & Diamonds, the third side in the race, this is the game that could have a huge bearing on which one of the top two are promoted to the Football League. For three possible debut-makers, the meeting between the top two in front of what may be a 6100 capacity crowd at Whaddon Road could be an unnerving occasion.

Cheltenham, who have signed Dennis Bailey from Farnborough for UKP15,000, will almost certainly give the 33-year-old striker a first game as Neil Grayson's partner in attack. Behind them, the suspension of Mark Freeman means that Neil Howarth, a recent signing from Macclesfield, could make his first full appearance at centre-half after coming on as substitute three times.

Peter Morris, the Kettering manager who transferred the 17-year-old striker Ben Wright to Bristol City this week for an initial UKP30,000 payment, was still hoping yesterday to sign a possible replacement. The identity remained a mystery but if the newcomer is a forward, he could line up alongside Brett McNamara, assuming that McNamara is fit after limping off at Woking in Tuesday's goalless draw. Both sides have stuttered in recent weeks but after their visit to the races on Wednesday, Cheltenham believe they are in fine enough fettle to end a run of four draws.

Taunton, dismayed at the prospect of missing out on the FA Vase Final in successive seasons, hope to be inspired by the memory of their Screwfix Western League double over Tiverton when they visit the Vase-holders tomorrow, aiming to make up a 3-0 First Leg deficit. Bedlington Terriers defend a 5-0 lead in the other Semi-Final Second Leg at Thame.


ROBINS AIM FOR THE TOP
By Rupert Metcalf, The Independent, 19 March 1999

Whaddon Road will tomorrow host a fixture which will have a big say in deciding the destination of the Nationwide Conference title. Second-placed Cheltenham Town entertain the leaders, Kettering Town, knowing that a victory will take them to the top of the table on goal difference. With four games in hand on their Northamptonshire rivals, the Gloucestershire club are the bookmakers' favourites to lift not just the title but the FA Trophy, in which they visit Emley in the Quarter-Finals tomorrow week. Indeed, the greatest threat to the Robins' hopes of promotion to the Nationwide League may come not from Kettering but from third-placed Rushden & Diamonds, who are three points adrift of Cheltenham having played the same number of games.

All three title hopefuls were in action on Tuesday, and all had to settle for draws. Cheltenham were held 0-0 at home by struggling Farnborough Town, while Kettering's trip to Woking also saw neither goalkeeper beaten. Rushden, who visit Morecambe tomorrow, let a two-goal lead slip in a 2-2 draw at home to Dover Athletic. Steve Cotterill, Cheltenham's manager, was not surprised that the top three all dropped points. "It's a tough League," he said, "there are no easy games. Whoever wins the League will deserve it. "I'm up for it, but I'm not tense," Cotterill added. "I've got to keep my head so that the players keep theirs."

While Kettering have sold their promising 19-year-old striker Ben Wright to Bristol City for UKP30,000, Cheltenham have been adding to their options up front. They paid a five-figure fee to Farnborough on Wednesday for Dennis Bailey, who once scored a hat-trick for Queen's Park Rangers against Manchester United at Old Trafford. The 31-year-old striker, who watched Tuesday's encounter between his old and new teams, has scored 21 goals in all competitions this season.

Whoever loses out in the Conference title race this term may still be facing Nationwide League opposition next season. Rumours are circulating that Conference clubs may be invited to compete in the Auto Windscreens Shield.

It will require the biggest shock in the tournament's history if Bedlington Terriers are to be denied a trip to Wembley for the FA Carlsberg Vase Final. The Northumberland side travel to Thame United for tomorrow's Semi-Final Second Leg with a 5-0 lead from the First Leg last weekend. The Terriers' top scorer John Milner, who scored a hat-trick against the Oxfordshire outfit despite missing a first-half penalty, said: "This was even better than our result against Colchester in the FA Cup because it gives us a real chance of playing at Wembley." Like Thame, the Essex men found Bedlington too hot to handle, going down 4-1 in a first-round Cup tie in November. Keith Perry, the Bedlington manager, said: "We are in the driving seat now, and if we don't get to Wembley then we don't deserve to. I will never forget this season. It's a roller-coaster ride that just keeps on getting better."

In the other Vase Semi-Final, the holders, Tiverton Town, are almost as well placed as the Terriers. The Devon team enjoy a 3-0 advantage over their Screwfix Direct League title rivals, Taunton Town, after the first leg in Somerset. Russell Musker, Taunton's manager, remains positive against the odds, however. "We've left ourselves a mountain to climb but we won't give up hope," he said, "as an early goal could prove vital."


HOW THE HOLKER STREET NEWSLETTER STARTED

One of the most common questions I’m asked about the Newsletter is how on earth do I manage to run it from New Zealand, so I thought I’d run this piece which appeared in a recent copy of the Barrow AFC fanzine Give Em Beans, produced by Graham Murphy (I’ll give you details of the most recent edition and how to obtain it in the next Newsletter).


Are you sitting comfortably? Then, I’ll begin, once upon a time, in a land far, far away, no, you haven’t picked up the wrong magazine, this is half right, this is written in a land far, far away, New Zealand, and it’s the history of the Holker Street Newsletter. An idea which, I was suppose, was mine, but is now in danger of becoming an all encompassing, but still thoroughly enjoyable, hobby. If you haven’t seen a copy, it’s a free email Newsletter similar in some ways to the one put out by the National Supporters’ Club, The National Zigger, except it comes out at least twice a week, sometimes more frequently (it’s now daily). It’s full of news, match reports and other bits and bobs about Barrow AFC.

So where do I start? I suppose the beginning would be the best place. I moved to New Zealand with my family in October 1991 and was unsure what to expect in the football sense of the word so I traveled with an open mind, and my boots just in case. I arrived at the end of the NZ football season, so the first Saturday I was here I began to wonder how on earth do I find out the Barrow score? Ring my parents? Too dear. Check the papers? Then I’ll have to wait a week for the English papers to arrive, and as I didn’t have internet access back then, I was stumped. So I had no choice but to wait for the papers to arrive in the local library.

I assumed there were a number of Barrovians in this neck of the world, but how do I find them? I’d bumped into a couple of Barrovians since I’ve been here, but they didn’t really follow the soccer. League yes, but soccer no. Then I started the Kiwi Blues, an informal Barrow AFC (International) Supporters’ Club, and put an advert in British Soccer Week, an Australian magazine, and Sitter! a New Zealand fanzine, and very slowly people contacted me, an ex-player in Australia, John Simmonds in Napier, Jim Martin in Stratford, ....

So I would send them the programmes and videos I had brought over with me and the new ones I was sent out. Then eighteen months ago I discovered the internet, and things have never been the same. It was wonderful, I found out the score within hours. Wonderful, what more could I want out of life? I registered my email address with the Barrow web site and one day Richard Ingham emailed me out of the blue saying that would I be interested in receiving emails from him about the club, scores, gossip, etc as he assumed information might be a touch difficult to obtain? Does Pinnochio have a wooden doo-dah?

This carried on for a few months as we emailed each other, and then I came across a York City supporter in Auckland who was setting up a NZ York City Supporters’ Club. He had heard that the UK based club only had 60 or so members and he wanted to start one here that would have more members than the UK based one, something he has now managed. Anyway, we got talking, and I sent the UK Winger magazine an article about the perils of setting up such a scheme and following a club from 12,000 miles.

Then the old synapses starting working, there must be people like myself around the world who followed Barrow when they lived in the UK and had now lost touch. How do I find them? The BAFC web page had the answer, as they had a listing of Barrow fans around the world, so I contacted everyone asking them if they’d be interested. The first few editions were relatively low key affairs with Richard’s comments and some memories from me. Word got around, and the proverbial snowball took over. I had enquires from everywhere, and the list started to grow.

Then I came across a web page about Barrow which showed photos of the town and the rest of Furness, and there was an email list of Barrovians around the world. Why not, I thought? I contacted everyone on the list, and from that many more people came on board, including Tony Kavanagh in Norwich, of which more later.

Now the only problem was finding things to put in the Newsletter, I’m not what you would call an anorak, but I have followed Barrow for years, I started going to each home match in the first season of the Alliance, 1979. I’d been many more times before that, but the visits were somewhat sporadic. My first game was in 1972 when my late father took me to Holker Street to see them play Hartlepool when Barrow were in the League. I can remember a certain amount about the visit, especially the programme, the wooden stand, now gone of course, although my most vivid memory is going into the ground for the first time through the turnstiles in the old stand. I can still see the wooden corridor leading to the pitch, smell the wintergreen and hear the noise. When I saw Fever Pitch here in New Zealand there is a scene where the young lad first goes to Highbury and walks up the steps to see the inside of the ground for the first time, it was a bit like that, but Holker Street had a better atmosphere!

Whilst I had some memories of the club, I also had a raft of questions I had always wanted answers to, I knew Barrow held a number of records, some of which were downright peculiar and I wanted to confirm what they were. As these have featured in a previous edition of Give ‘Em Beans, I won’t go into any more detail, and from then on people emailed me their memories, thoughts, questions and answers and it took off again.

Originally the Newsletter was meant to be an occasional missive, but shortly after we started in October 1997 the Inland Revenue’s interest in Stephen Vaughan began, and things moved very quickly with friends in the UK emailing me the details from the Evening Mail which in turn were passed on to everyone on the list. This perhaps gave the Newsletter its first chance, I knew there were people around the world who cared passionately about the club, so I asked if they could consider sending some money to the club to help, this could take the form of donations, buying items from the club shop or taking up a square or two in the turf sponsorship scheme. I know some people did send some cash, the NZ contingent helped out, have a look at the Kiwi Blues in the turf sponsorship page in the programme, and whilst I knew it was only a drop in the ocean, I hoped it could have an effect at the club when they had money coming in from around the world.

So how does it stand at the moment? At last count there are 120 people on the list, including at least three ex-players, and we are up to edition number 70. I still edit the Newsletter but due to the sheer logistics of the number of people on the list, I couldn’t continue to send over 300 emails a week through my work server, and Tony Kavanagh has very kindly stepped in to help out in the short term to distribute the Newsletter for me, something I am very grateful for. Theoretically there is no limit to the number we can have on the list, so if you know of anyone with an email address contact me on .

Other people who deserve special thanks for their regular contributions are Peter Caldwell, who sends me the articles from the local paper, easily the most popular part of the Newsletter, Jim Whitton for his match reports obtained courtesy of Radio Cumbria, Richard Ingham for sending me the Barrow programmes and the non-League magazines, Graham Murphy for sending me Give ‘Em Beans, and everyone else who sends me the occasional bit of news. The most regular comment I hear from list members is “How do I get all this information?” It’s easy, people send me it, I edit into the Newsletter, and out it pops. There have been occasions where list members in the UK have find out the Barrow score via New Zealand before they have done through the normal channels. When I think back to how I used to find out the score for Barrow away games from going past the Soccer Shop and seeing a note on the window, modern technology really is wonderful.

What of the future? I have no concrete plans for the Newsletter, I have thought about changing the name to something snappier, Graham Murphy, the editor of Give ‘Em Beans, came up with the best ones, the Electronic Zigger, or my favourite, but we couldn’t do it for copyright reasons, the North Western E-Mail, so we’ll carry on with the name we have. I am trying to set up an official link with the club so ideas and comments raised in the Newsletter reach the club’s Directors, and hopefully by the time this copy of Give ‘Em Beans appears this will be in place. Apart from that, I’m happy with a couple of late nights at work a week coming in to edit the Newsletter. I do hope people enjoy it as much as I do producing it.

So that’s how it all started and how it works, so why not join us on the A590 branch of the information superhighway?


OK, time for an update, the Newsletter now reaches 325 people in the four corners of the globe. As well as New Zealand, there are list members in the States, South Africa, Belize, Canada, Australia, Hong Kong, and of course the UK, goodness me there are even people on the list from Barrow! I have had a number of people contact me to say they have had to ask their father to stop sending the Barrow AFC cuttings from the Evening Mail as they now receive them via New Zealand, and it’s quicker than the normal post from Barrow. I assume this one takes a bit of explaining.

As well as the normal mix of supporters, the mailing list for the Newsletter also includes two directors of the new Barrow AFC (1999) Ltd, a member of the local media, senior officials from the Barrow AFC (National) Supporters’ Club, a number of those with the Barrow AFC Survival Fund, and most of important, you. Welcome aboard.


ANOTHER BARROW WEB SITE

Peter Caldwell has been in touch with details of a site that may be of interest, it's run by Phil Watson, a Barrovian now working at Sheffield University and .

Whilst it's still in its early days, it does have an interesting history of Barrow and for former students of the Barrow Grammar School for Boys there is a surprise, a school photo from 1978. The words of the school song, Homeward Bound are also there, with it a sound file!