Holker Street Newsletter 768 - 19th February 2001

Barrow won 2-0 at the weekend and with it have taken four points of Blyth Spartans in as many days, so we’ve got to be happy with that. I’ve almost caught up with everything so we’ll hopefully be back to normal tomorrow, as an aside, I believe there were some problems with the BT Internet addresses last week, so if you are missing a couple of editions of the Newsletter, email me on , and we’ll fill in the gaps.

Thanks to Geoff Northin, Jim Whitton, Stephen Mulrine, Graham Murphy and Terry Kendall for their help with today’s edition.


KEEN'S CASH PLEA TO FANS
AFC chairman seeks UKP15,000 after combination of setbacks
By Neil Lauderdale, Evening Mail, Friday 16 February

Barrow AFC chairman Brian Keen will tell supporters tonight he needs to raise UKP15,000 to help the club escape the current financial crisis. Keen was speaking prior to tonight’s fans’ forum with club directors and manager Kenny Lowe when the chairman plans to hammer home his message. Dwindling gates and postponed fixtures have not helped the club, which is operating while in liquidation, and Keen has warned the meeting won’t be for the faint-hearted. Barrow are desperate for this money as soon as possible and Keen said today: "Are the fans with us? Are they going to come and jump this last hurdle with us?" Referring to the last hurdle, Keen added: "All that’s been fought on the liquidation front is nearing completion, hopefully before the end of the season." At the start of the season the club, currently fighting a high court case over the ownership of the Holker Street ground, were attracting weekly gates of more than 1000 for every home game, but sadly that number has since tailed off. In fact, since the FA Cup First Round clash with Leyton Orient in November last year the home gates have only topped the 1000 mark once, and that, aligned to all the other factors is why Keen and the club’s board of directors have called this meeting, but he warned: "It’s not going to a meeting for the faint-hearted - we have got to raise this money. The idea behind it is that we have all these loadings on us. We have had the loss of fixtures also and this has got to be spelt out to the fans and the members. We have come to a serious cash flow crisis when we are just approaching the last hurdle. The rate at which the gates are dropping is quite drastic and, yes we understand that one or two of the games have been quite drastic in performance, but mid-season and early season the gates were fantastic. I’m going to spell it out because we are so close now and this could be all over and the club would then be in a very good position. We can’t believe some of the football early in the season and we can’t believe that the club has gone from 1200 to 500 gates." Keen is hoping the meeting will tempt fans to put their hands in their pockets once again and added that the club would be grateful for any donations. He said: "I am going to ask them to put their hands down, not in a big a way. I have got to try and raise UKP15,000." He also said the club may offer some kind of bonus for those that help out and suggested a prize draw for anyone who donates cash.

The meeting is to be held in the Crossbar, at Barrow’s Holker Street ground from 7.30pm when Lowe will firstly answer questions regarding football matters. When he is finished chairman Keen will then discuss the club’s financial problems with supporters.

BLUEBIRDS TRIO BACK TO FACE SPARTANS
Evening Mail, Friday 16 February

Barrow AFC welcome back Lee Warren, Steve Housham and Darren Roberts for tomorrow’s match with Blyth Spartans. All three missed the mid-week clash with Spartans at Croft Park as did Lee Rogers, Jason Ainsley and Mark Hume. Hume is suspended so he definitely sits out the return game at Holker Street, while Ainsley and Rogers are struggling to shake off injuries.

On Tuesday, Barrow managed to scrape a 1-1 draw, but their player shortage that night meant the substitutes’ bench included manager Kenny Lowe, his assistant Lee Turnbull and under-18 player Dave Round, but tomorrow should be a different story and Lowe acknowledges the importance of having his key players back in the squad. He said: "I think it’s important to play your strongest side on the day or the side that you feel will win you the game on the day." If Housham, Warren and Roberts go straight back into the starting line-up then three of those that ground out the draw on Tuesday will miss out, but Lowe accepts that is part of management. He said: "That’s football unfortunately, but I have not made my decision yet. It’s not about 11 players anymore, it’s about 16 or 18 or however many we have got available." Nicky Peverell grabbed Barrow’s goal in mid-week against the team which has reached the last 16 of the FA Umbro Trophy. Lowe added: "They are very, very enthusiastic, very, very competitive and very organised. They have got some good little players like Glen Robson, who I tried to sign myself from Harrogate when I first came here. They are a young side and that’s why they are up and down but if you can keep them together for four or five years you will have a cracking little team."

Barrow: Bishop, McKechnie, Maxfield, Hill, Hall, Gill, Anthony, Peverell, Bullimore, Doherty, Warren, Roberts, Housham, Ainsley, Rogers.
Blyth: Burke, Little, Martin, Lanes, Forster, Keegan, Dunkerley, Pepper, Robson, Chandler, Perry, Hay, Radigan, Williams.

KEEN'S CASH MESSAGE TO AFC FANS
Evening Mail, Saturday 17 February

Barrow AFC chairman Brian Keen issued a heartfelt plea for financial help to supporters last night in an effort to raise UKP15,000. Keen delivered his message to scores of supporters during a fans’ forum in the Crossbar at the club’s Holker Street ground. He told them that the money was needed as soon as possible as a drop in home attendances and several postponed fixtures had left them with a serious cash flow crisis. The club’s chairman began by out-lining the current state of affairs surrounding the club and then he opened the meeting up to the floor. He said: "The money will come back at the end of the season when the gates start coming through. The lump sum we have not got now will come back." But he added: "We have got to think of ideas or do the best we can to raise funds." One idea that Keen himself suggested was that each of the club’s 1000 Barrow AFC (1999) members donate UKP10. He said: "We want to spread the load to as many people as we can. You are looking from 1000 members, say, UKP10 apiece, and then you are well on the way. We need to raise this money between us all, just to get us through to the end of the season." The idea was met with a favourable response by the majority of those at the meeting and club directors were planning to start collecting at today’s match with Blyth Spartans at Holker Street. Another idea suggested was that the club’s season ticket holders could pay UKP100 towards their next ticket now and pay the rest off in the new season. Meanwhile, fans were also told they can begin to renew their membership now as the need for instant funds becomes a matter of urgency. On the night itself the club collected several hundred pounds as a number of supporters gave their full backing to Keen by handing over UKP10 and UKP20 notes. Early in the evening AFC boss Kenny Lowe also listened to fans, when the main topic of conversation was the use of local talent, but he told them: "I want this club to go forward and whether that’s with 16 lads from Barrow or 16 lads from Mars, I ain’t bothered. I just want to get this club into the Conference."

SOME THOUGHTS FROM GRAHAM MURPHY

Tendrils of mist snaked over the grass. Visibility was down to barely 50 yards. The lights struggled to penetrate the gloom and an icy chill seemed to press down on us from above. The faint cries of an eerie howl came drifting over the shrouded landscape as ghostly figures danced in and out of the swirling mist.

Yes, it was Saturday afternoon at Holker St. Another weird weather day as brilliant sunshine gave way to a massive fog bank which drifted in from the Irish Sea in the space of five minutes at half-time. But despite the gloomy weather, it was a great game. Goals (Pev could have had at least five), a penalty, disputed decisions, some good football (though not too much) and, more to the point, three points for Barrow. The first half took a while to get going. When it did it was full of nasty tackles, niggles and the type of nasty play that would have made Hannibal Lecter proud. Maxfield was the first victim after 15 mins when the perpetrator escaped with just a lecture. Shortly afterwards, Pev tried to lob the goalie as he broke through Blyth's rather square back four, but he got the height wrong and the ball went over the bar. The wrestling came back to the fore as Hall was pulled back and floored just outside the area. The ref let it go, but Hall ran after his opponent and clocked him on the back of the neck. The linesman saw it and Hall got a yellow card. Blyth's first booking went to Martin for a foul on Doherty. From the free kick, wide on the right, Hall nodded the ball back across goal from the far post for Pev to head into the net, but he was offside.

Blyth's no 7 escaped a booking when he took Bullimore's legs from under him and after that the niggles died down and both sides tried to play football. Barrow were dominant in midfield and after 35 mins from Housham's cross, a superb diving header from Pev came off the goalie's foot and went out for a corner. Blyth's defenders went to sleep as they allowed Pev to take up a position at the far post unmarked. Bullimore spotted him and from the corner sent the ball directly to his head for Barrow's first goal.

Two minutes later at another corner the ref spotted a push and awarded Barrow a penalty from which Pev made no mistake to make it 2-0. Blyth nearly reduced the arrears within two minutes when a 15 yard shot came back off the crossbar, but Barrow managed to hang on to their two goal lead until half-time.

The ground was shrouded in the mist as the second half started and we knew how shaky Barrow are with a two goal lead to defend. But the fans could hardly believe it when, within three minutes of the re-start, our obliging team stood off the visitors and allowed them a free go at goal. Not just one, but three! Three headers, all superbly saved by Bishop. But it looked like we'd struggle to keep the lead. Kenny sensed the danger and brought himself on for Roberts, only to be pole-axed by a terrible tackle within 60 secs of coming on. Jenkinson exacted revenge by following through with a nasty body charge and got booked for his pains. Ainsley got his own yellow card after an off the ball incident as the game fell back into the ugly phase we had endured in the first half. The chief culprit in Blyth's team was the no 2, Little, but he got his booking with ten mins left. And quite possibly Pepper and Robson followed him into the ref’s book, but I'd lost count. Fortunately all this niggly stuff meant that Blyth weren't playing football and they never looked like scoring for the last twenty minutes. But then neither did we.

The most bizarre incident came right at the end. Kenny had the ball on the left in Blyth's half in front of the Wilkie Stand. He tried to goad the defender by going to sit on the ball, then standing up to dribble it round him. The Popular Side loved it but the defender didn't and he took Kenny's legs from under him and bowled him over the touchline. If the fans could have got to him, that defender would have been strung up from the cross bar. Barrow's players came in to defend their boss, though nothing serious came of it. Once order had been restored the ref allowed twenty more seconds play, then finished it. Blyth's manager came storming out of his dugout and wagged a stubby finger in Kenny Lowe's face as stewards tried to separate the jostling group around them.

I felt sorry for the ref and the linesmen. Mr Caterall had been in charge for our game against Altrincham when he'd done quite well. I thought he did well again in this game. If both sets of players are set to take it out on one another how can the ref hope to control it? And why do some fans persist in persecuting the linesman when he gives a correct offside decision? It's a mystery to me. But at least we got three points. Maybe we will be top six after all.


FROM JIM WHITTON’S TRUSTY TRANNY
Barrow 2 Blyth Spartans 0, attendance 954

Barrow ended Blyth's unbeaten run thanks to two goals from their former striker, Nicky Peverell. A suspension for Hume, and injury or illness for Rogers and Ainsley, meant that Leigh Jenkinson was again drafted into the side.

The first half was mostly Barrow and in the 13th minute Peverell was put through by Roberts but shot just over the bar. Hall was fouled in the 17th minute but was booked for retaliation, then Martin went into the book for the visitors. Peverell had the ball in the net on 20 minutes but it was disallowed for a foul by Hall, who had headed the ball on, but Barrow took the lead in the 36th minute when Peverell headed in a Bullimore corner. Two minutes later, another Bullimore corner led to the second goal. Jenkinson was pushed in the box and Peverell netted from the penalty spot. Just before half-time, there was a scare when Martin hit the bar and Bishop scrambled away Pepper's follow up.

Blyth nearly pulled one back in the 48th minute when Bishop turned a Perry header onto the woodwork. Lowe replaced Roberts and Jenkinson was then booked for a clumsy foul. Anthony and Dixon also went into the notebook soon afterwards as Barrow resisted the Blyth fight back. Little then balanced the figures in the referee's little black book. Peverell nearly got his hat trick with five minutes to go when he was put through, but the keeper parried his shot. Just before the whistle, Kenny Lowe was fouled in an incident which led to Pepper and Radigan being booked, and the altercation appeared to continue in the tunnel after the whistle.

Barrow team: Bishop, Warren, Maxfield, Hall, Housham, Anthony, Jenkinson, Roberts, Peverell, Bullimore, Doherty. Subs Hill, Lowe, McKechnie.


UNIBOND LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION, 13 FEBRUARY
Blyth Spartans 1 Barrow 1, Frickley Athletic 3 Altrincham 3, Leek Town P Worksop Town P, Stalybridge Celtic 3 Hyde United 1.

UNIBOND LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION, 17 FEBRUARY
Accrington Stanley 4 Hyde United 1, Altrincham 0 Bishop Auckland 2, Bamber Bridge 1 Emley 1, Barrow 2 Blyth Spartans 0, Colwyn Bay P Spennymoor United P, Droylsden 2 Worksop Town 5, Frickley Athletic 1 Leek Town 3, Gateshead 3 Marine 0, Hucknall Town 3 Burscough 2, Runcorn 1 Gainsborough Trinity 1, Whitby Town 1 Lancaster City 5.

P W D L F-A Pts
Emley.....................30 21 6 3 58-27 69
Stalybridge Celtic........25 19 5 1 64-19 62
Bishop Auckland...........25 16 4 5 51-28 52
Lancaster City............27 14 7 6 57-43 49
Altrincham................31 13 8 10 58-44 47
Worksop Town..............26 13 7 6 72-43 46
Accrington Stanley........30 12 7 11 48-44 43
BARROW....................27 11 6 10 44-41 39
Hucknall Town.............24 10 7 7 32-30 37
Whitby Town...............29 10 6 13 41-51 36
Gainsborough Trinity......30 9 9 12 32-42 36
Burscough.................24 10 5 9 40-40 35
Gateshead.................25 10 4 11 46-38 34
Droylsden.................28 10 4 14 34-48 34
Hyde United...............24 9 6 9 44-41 33
Bamber Bridge.............27 9 6 12 38-44 33
Runcorn...................25 9 5 11 32-42 32
Blyth Spartans............28 8 6 14 32-38 30
Marine....................29 7 8 14 38-54 29
Leek Town.................26 6 7 13 24-36 25
Colwyn Bay................24 6 7 11 36-52 25
Frickley Athletic.........28 4 9 15 30-63 21
Spennymoor United.........26 2 3 21 22-65 9

UNIBOND FIRST DIVISION TABLE,17 FEBRUARY
Ashton United 0 North Ferriby United 0, Belper Town 0 Ossett Town 1, Chorley 3 Eastwood Town 1, Congleton Town 0 Stocksbridge Park Steels 3, Farsley Celtic 2 Gretna 0, Kendal Town 0 Harrogate Town 0, Lincoln United 3 Witton Albion 0, Radcliffe Borough 0 Guiseley 1, Trafford 1 Matlock Town 2, Vauxhall Motors 2 Winsford United 0, Workington 2 Bradford Park Avenue 5.

P W D L F A GD Pts
Vauxhall Motors 25 17 4 4 67 30 37 55
Ashton United 26 16 5 5 61 28 33 53
Bradford PA 27 17 2 8 50 27 23 53
Stocksbridge PA 24 13 8 3 47 30 17 47
Ossett Town 30 12 8 10 54 44 10 44
Chorley 28 11 9 8 47 38 9 42
Witton Albion 24 10 9 5 32 28 4 39
Farsley Celtic 27 11 5 11 39 37 2 38
Trafford 29 11 5 13 36 48 -12 37
Lincoln United 30 10 6 14 43 57 -14 36
Belper Town 25 10 5 10 44 44 0 35
North Ferriby United 28 9 7 12 41 48 -7 34
Eastwood Town 29 9 6 14 29 39 -10 33
Harrogate Town 26 9 5 12 36 45 -9 32
Guiseley 26 8 6 12 18 31 -13 30
Matlock Town 22 8 5 9 40 38 2 29
Winsford United 28 8 8 12 35 47 -12 29
Workington 25 6 10 9 31 33 -2 28
Gretna 26 8 4 14 49 63 -14 28
Kendal Town 28 6 10 12 39 57 -18 27
Radcliffe Borough 20 7 2 11 39 42 -3 23
Congleton Town 23 6 3 14 27 50 -23 21


NATIONWIDE CONFERENCE, 17 FEBRUARY
Dagenham & Redbridge 5 Kettering Town 1, Doncaster Rovers 1 Dover Athletic 1, Hayes 1 Woking 2, Hereford United 1 Nuneaton Borough 1, Kingstonian 0 Stevenage Borough 2, Morecambe 0 Hednesford Town 0, Northwich Victoria 1 Chester City 1, Rushden & Diamonds 1 Scarborough 0, Southport 1 Forest Green Rovers 1, Yeovil Town 2 Boston United 1.

P W D L F-A Pts
Yeovil Town...............26 19 3 4 49-28 60
Rushden & Diamonds........28 17 6 5 56-26 57
Southport.................28 15 6 7 42-30 51
Hereford United...........29 12 10 7 44-26 46
Stevenage Borough.........27 10 13 4 50-39 43
Doncaster Rovers..........31 11 9 11 30-33 42
Telford United............26 12 5 9 30-31 41
Chester City..............25 10 10 5 32-21 40
Leigh RMI.................26 10 10 6 35-29 40
Scarborough...............28 10 10 8 41-38 40
Dagenham & Redbridge......25 11 5 9 39-33 38
Dover Athletic............28 10 7 11 43-40 37
Boston United.............29 8 12 9 46-40 36
Woking....................28 8 10 10 33-41 34
Nuneaton Borough..........27 8 9 10 35-39 33
Morecambe.................23 7 8 8 36-31 29
Northwich Victoria........27 7 7 13 29-45 28
Hayes.....................29 8 4 17 28-53 28
Forest Green Rovers.......29 5 11 13 28-44 26
Kingstonian...............24 6 4 14 31-45 22
Hednesford Town...........29 4 10 15 38-60 22
Kettering Town............26 3 7 16 24-47 16

RYMAN LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION, 17 FEBRUARY
Billericay Town 2 Basingstoke Town 2, Chesham United 1 Canvey Island 1, Croydon 2 Aldershot Town 2, Dulwich Hamlet 1 Carshalton Athletic 0, Farnborough Town 4 Maidenhead United 1, Harrow Borough 1 Grays Athletic 2, Heybridge Swifts 2 Enfield 0, Hitchin Town 2 Hampton & Richmond 0, St Albans City 0 Purfleet 2, Slough Town 1 Hendon 0, Sutton United 1 Gravesend & Northfleet 4.

P W D L F-A Pts
Farnborough Town..........26 20 2 4 53-14 62
Canvey Island.............24 16 4 4 49-22 52
Gravesend & Northfleet....24 15 4 5 40-24 49
Aldershot Town............23 13 6 4 41-21 45
Hampton & Richmond........27 13 6 8 52-43 45
Basingstoke Town..........23 12 6 5 39-24 42
Heybridge Swifts..........24 11 9 4 43-30 42
Chesham United............24 13 2 9 47-33 41
Hitchin Town..............24 11 3 10 37-32 36
St Albans City............26 11 2 13 36-39 35
Billericay Town...........22 10 5 7 31-36 35
Sutton United.............23 9 6 8 33-32 33
Purfleet..................24 7 8 9 37-32 29
Hendon....................18 7 5 6 32-28 26
Harrow Borough............23 6 7 10 36-49 25
Maidenhead United.........25 8 1 16 30-43 25
Slough Town...............27 7 4 16 24-39 25
Enfield...................26 6 7 13 30-47 25
Grays Athletic............24 6 5 13 21-44 23
Croydon...................23 5 4 14 25-42 19
Carshalton Athletic.......27 5 4 18 25-61 19
Dulwich Hamlet............25 2 6 17 23-49 12

DR MARTENS LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION, 17 FEBRUARY
Clevedon Town 2 Newport County 3, Dorchester Town 4 Merthyr Tydfil 0, Folkestone Invicta 1 Weymouth 2, Halesowen Town 3 Salisbury City 0, Ilkeston Town 1 Crawley Town 1, King's Lynn 0 Worcester City 0, Moor Green 0 Cambridge City 0, Stafford Rangers 6 Bath City 2, Tamworth 2 Fisher Athletic 0, Welling United 1 Burton Albion 2.

P W D L F-A Pts
Burton Albion.............28 16 10 2 53-26 58
Margate...................24 16 3 5 45-18 51
Worcester City............29 12 7 10 38-36 43
Salisbury City............27 12 5 10 47-46 41
Moor Green................27 12 5 10 30-29 41
Welling United............29 10 11 8 35-35 41
Crawley Town..............26 11 7 8 42-33 40
Bath City.................27 11 10 6 51-46 40
Ilkeston Town.............27 11 7 9 38-43 40
Stafford Rangers..........26 11 6 9 45-39 39
Weymouth..................26 10 7 9 45-38 37
Newport County............25 10 6 9 46-43 36
Tamworth..................29 10 5 14 39-46 35
Havant & Waterlooville....21 11 1 9 44-32 34
King's Lynn...............27 9 7 11 39-42 34
Cambridge City............26 9 6 11 38-41 33
Merthyr Tydfil............27 6 10 11 37-46 28
Dorchester Town...........24 7 6 11 27-41 27
Folkestone Invicta........27 7 5 15 29-49 26
Fisher Athletic...........24 7 4 13 34-47 25
Clevedon Town.............27 6 6 15 39-51 24
Halesowen Town............27 5 8 14 32-46 23

Bath City: 3 points deducted