Holker Street Newsletter 6 - 17th October 1997

BITS AND BOBS
Whilst I was in the Palmerston North public library last night, I came across an interesting book about the round ball game, The Cassell Soccer Companion, by David Pickering, ISBN 0-304-34700-0. It contains anecdotes, facts and juicy tit bits of information about everything, or so it says. So I looked up Barrow AFC, and yes, we have an entry:

English non-League football club, nicknamed the Bluebirds. Strip white shirts and socks with navy blue shorts (slightly out of date, perhaps, ed.). Founded in 1901, the club (based at Holker Street) joined the League in 1921 but dropped out of it in 1972 when their eleventh application for re-election was refused and their place was taken by Hereford. Recent honours have included the FA Trophy (1990).

One of the most memorable matches involving Barrow was a fixture against Kettering Town in 1979; not only did the Bluebirds whitewash their opponents 4-0, but all four goals were scored by the same person, Colin Cowperthwaite. The first of Cowperthwaite's four goals came after 3.58 seconds of play.

Back in 1937, Barrow anticipated the signings of players from Argentina that was to dominate the English transfer market in the late 1970s when they bought Argentinian half-back Augustus Corpa and the inside left Casco Rinaldi.

Most impressive I thought, although elsewhere in the book it record the fastest (League) goal ever scored as one by Jim Fryatt (Bradford Park Avenue) after four seconds on April 1964 against Tranmere Rovers. Back in December 1995, Damien Mori scored for Adelaide City against Sydney United in the Australian A-League in 3.69 seconds, and this was claimed to be the fastest goal ever scored in world football, until Lee Hunt (a Barrow fan on this list put them all right and reminded everyone the record was Cowps'). Apparently the Association of Football Statisticians still recognise Cowps' goal as the record holder.

As you'll all be aware, FIFA have changed the rules and you can now score a goal straight from the kick off, so you don't need to pass the ball before you tonk it, so how long Cowps will continue hold the record is anyone's guess.

I was also interested by the piece about the Argentinians signing for Barrow, I had first heard this tale some time ago, and perhaps it would make an interesting article for Zigger or Give 'Em Beans?

Going back to the book, remember that? This is how we started, I looked up Zigger, sure enough there's an entry for Zigger Zagger, but not the one we would expect:

Title of Peter Terson's play (1967) about football, taken from the chant of Stoke fan J. Bageley. A view of life from the terraces, it is a rare example of football being treated as a suitable subject for the stage and was written specifically for the National Youth Theatre. The action mixes football motifs with an examination of the bleak prospects facing a football-obsessed teenager in a society which appears to have failed him.


Excuse me, but didn't Barrow AFC or its fans invent this nickname/chant? Doesn't it relate to a kit bag or some such item? I seem to remember Dave Leitch or John Woods telling me the tale years ago, can we confirm and then seek a formal apology, or at least a correction from the author. Over to you. The publishers are Cassell, of 125 Strand, London, WC2R 0BB


RECORDS
Reading of Cowps' record, started me thinking of other records Barrow AFC hold, I don't know how many of these are true, but any help confirming or denying them would be appreciated.

I believe the club holds a record for a player starting a game for Barrow, and at half time being transferred to the opposition. I was told this happened when we were in the Lancashire Combination in 1920 (?), and the opposition was either Burnley or Nelson.

Barrow hold the record for players who had trials and or played for the club, were released and when on to play for England: Emlyn Hughes, Keith Eddy, Tony Field, Peter Withe and I was once told Steve Heighway had a trial for Barrow only to suffer the same fate. Anyone help?

Barrow took part in the third longest FA Cup match on record in the 1924-25 season against Gillingham when a result was finally obtained after nine hours and 30 minutes of play.

There are some other peculiar records, one about the first substitute to score a penalty springs to mind, and some strange FA Cup Replay postponement records, but I'll have to do some digging to find out a bit more about these. Any help would be appreciated.


VIDEO TAPE
When Barrow joined the Alliance Premier League in 1979, incidentally when I first started supporting the club properly, I remember a chap who used to stand on the roof of the Sports and Leisure Club with a video camera filming the games. Does anyone else remember this chap? Do we know if the tape still exists? All I remember is being told it was shot onto black and white beta tapes. Anyone help?


MEMORIES
I just received this season's Barrow AFC home strip from my brothers in the UK, and with it was a note saying they couldn't understand the attraction of the club, this has started me thinking, I know why I started supporting the club, but do you? Drop me an email with the reasons you started and I'll include them in the next Newsletter.

BTW, if you remember seeing a Barrow AFC banner during last winter's tour of New Zealand by the England cricket team, you weren't dreaming. Guilty as charged, m'lud.


BARROW RUGBY LEAGUE
Not a subject I expect to bring up too many times, but I believe they are experiencing severe financial problems, and the spectre of ground sharing with AFC has reared its head again. Can anyone supply the latest on this one?


UNIBOND LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION, 13 - 15 OCTOBER
Now this makes great reading, yes, Winsford have games in hand on us, but I still feel confident:

13 October: Emley 0 Boston United 0.
14 October: Altrincham 5 Bamber Bridge 0, BARROW 1 CHORLEY 0, Lancaster City 0 Colwyn Bay 1, Leigh RMI P Winsford United P, Marine P Hyde United P, Runcorn 6 Radcliffe Borough 3, Spennymoor United 2 Blyth Spartans 1.
15 October: Bishop Auckland 4 Frickley Athletic 1, Gainsborough Trinity 0 Guiseley 1.

P W D L F:A Pts
BARROW......................14 8 4 2 24:11 28
Boston United...............15 6 7 2 20:14 25
Spennymoor United...........12 6 3 3 17:16 21
Colwyn Bay..................14 6 3 5 20:22 21
Altrincham..................13 6 2 5 25:12 20
Runcorn.....................12 6 2 4 24:18 20
Winsford United..............8 6 1 1 13:5 19
Guiseley....................12 4 6 2 19:16 18
Gainsborough Trinity........10 5 2 3 17:11 17
Bishop Auckland.............11 4 5 2 18:16 17
Frickley Athletic...........12 4 4 4 13:15 16
Emley.......................11 4 3 4 19:17 15
Hyde United..................9 4 2 3 14:10 14
Lancaster City..............12 4 2 6 21:25 14
Leigh RMI....................9 3 4 2 9:6 13
Accrington Stanley..........13 3 4 6 14:20 13
Marine.......................9 3 3 3 11:11 12
Radcliffe Borough...........13 3 3 7 18:28 12
Bamber Bridge...............11 3 2 6 18:25 11
Blyth Spartans..............12 2 4 6 10:15 10
Chorley.....................11 1 3 7 12:26 6
Alfreton Town...............11 1 1 9 7:24 4

Thanks to Stephen Mulrine for this.
UniBond League Premier Division results, tables, club information and archive:
www.scotnet.co.uk/skm/footy/northern.html

Before I go, does anyone know when the home game against Runcorn has been re-arranged to? And thanks to everyone who's sent me some bits and bobs for inclusion, can I have some more?


THE TIGHTEST LEAGUE IN THE WORLD?
If you thought the prize money up for grabs in the English non-League scene was miserly ......

There are no multi-million dollar contracts, prize money or gold championship medals in the Vietnamese soccer championship. The first-place team will win a dairy cow, runners-up will receive a (non-dairy) cow and the third place team will be blessed with a pig.