Holker Street Newsletter 910 - 23rd February 2002

The Lancashire Cup Semi-Final against Clitheroe which was postponed earlier this week has been re-arranged for Tuesday 26 February, which means that Lee Warren's two match ban will be for the games at Hucknall and against Clitheroe, leaving him free to play when Burton visit in the League. This also means that a new date will need to be arranged for the away game against Burton Albion.

Barrow Reserves match with their Altrincham counterparts at Flixton's ground which was due to be played on Wednesday 20 February was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch. Keeping with the Reserves, there is a result to catch up on, on Sunday November 4 they beat Red House (Liverpool) 3-2 at home in the Lancashire Youth Cup. I don’t know how they got on in the next Round. If you do, can you email me on .

Hopefully I’ll be able to put out a Newsletter tomorrow.

Thanks to Stephen Mulrine, the Altrincham mailing list, A Quiet Man, John Laidlar, Phil Yelland, Flag Man, Peter Caldwell, John Little, Johnathon Wheeler and Terry Kendall for their help with today's edition which reaches 787 people around the Barrow empire.

MAIL WATCH - WEDNESDAY 20 FEBRUARY
Midfielder Lee Warren has received a two match suspension for accumulation of bookings following his yellow card in the game with Hyde and misses Saturday's trip to Hucknall Town. Its hoped that the Marsden Trophy clash with Clitheroe can be rearranged for next Tuesday which will mean Warren also misses that game but will leave him free to play in the crunch game against Burton a week on Saturday. The Burton game is one Barrow must win to stand any chance of catching the leaders and Kenny Lowe is hoping for a full strength side to play against the top-of-the-table side. Lowe said that the postponement of the Clitheroe game could have been a blessing in disguise as it may leave Warren free to play against Burton, particularly because Warren has been playing well recently. Nicky Peverell is still injured which means that Carl Waters and Gareth Jones are in contention for a place in the squad for Saturday’s game at Hucknall. Defender Anthony Hall is still waiting to hear if he is to receive a punishment for his part in an alleged clash with Lancaster when the sides met at the Giant Axe last month. Hall received a letter from the FA asking for him to give his story of what happened but as of yet the player has still to receive a response.


SOME THOUGHTS FROM JONATHAN WHEELER

I thought I had to reply to the following comment which featured in a recent edition of the Newsletter in the Mail Watch section from Monday 18 February: "Lowe defended his team selection in not picking Gareth Jones and Carl Waters together because they had a big guy in Martin Filson and as a result thought it was better to play Mark Hume up front with Lee Ellison."

Hume did play up front against Hyde on Saturday but to say he solved the problem of competing against their big guy would be untrue. Hume has scored some good goals for Barrow but most, if not all, have come from set plays when he would be in a position to contribute wherever his set position is. Hume is an excellent centre half but a forward or target man he is not, he can't bring the ball down and bring others into play and hasn't got the touch or technique any forward should possess.

Why was Jones not at least on the bench, if not on the field? The previous week I listened to Kenny's match comments on the Alty game. He was asked about Jones and the possible move to Kendal, and he said "You've more chance of getting a ride off Flipper" so why he still doesn't play him I cant understand as either Waters (who looked very lively) or Jones would be ideal to partner Holt. But as soon as Peverell is fit again he will walk straight into the side and continue his and our nightmare.

I understand Kenny has done a good job at Barrow but I feel, as do many others who I talk to that he might have taken the team as far as he can. Against Hyde he looked like he had no ideas to liven things up or how to spark the players into life, in fact there was no communication at all from anyone until Doherty arrived as sub. The Hyde game has got to be the worst Barrow game I have ever seen, including the Beck era. We were outplayed at home by the side who sit rock bottom of the UniBond Premier, and I left Holker Street wishing I had stayed at home.


NO HYDING PLACE
From Kieran Robson

In the last edition of the Newsletter, there was a report on the Hyde match by Graham Murphy titled "No Hyding Place". I'd just like to comment on some of the points made in it. Firstly I'd agree that 4-3-3 hasn't worked and we've looked overrun in midfield whenever we've tried to play it. But I don't agree with some of Graham's suggestions of how the problem should be solved, it was suggested that against Hyde, Hume should have been re-called to defence and Rogers pushed up into midfield. Rogers is however a defender and always has been and would look out of place playing in midfield. I agree that Lee Warren would be of more use playing in the back four rather than midfield (even though he's never let us down in either position) but he has played in both positions for long periods of his career and isn't just a defender. At the end of the report it is suggested that a back four of Shaw, Hall, Hume and Warren would be the best option. If that's the case then who plays left back? Shaw, Hall and Warren are all right sided, not sure whether Hume's strongest foot is his right or left but he most certainly isn't a left back! I know there is such a thing as a right footed left back but we've got far better options available. In my opinion our best back four would be Shaw, Warren, Hume and Maxfield. With a midfield of Anthony, Housham or Gaughan, Bullimore and Doherty.


NATIONWIDE CONFERENCE, 18-20 FEBRUARY
18 February: Boston United 3 Hereford United 4.
19 February: Barnet 0 Farnborough Town 3, Nuneaton Borough 1 Chester City 3, Stalybridge Celtic P Leigh RMI P.
20 February: Forest Green Rovers 2 Dover Athletic 1.

P W D L F-A Pts
Dagenham & Redbridge......27 15 10 2 51-32 55
Boston United.............27 16 6 5 59-30 54
Yeovil Town...............31 14 10 7 53-43 52
Doncaster Rovers..........29 12 12 5 48-30 48
Southport.................31 11 12 8 38-30 45
Northwich Victoria........29 13 5 11 47-49 44
Farnborough Town..........29 12 5 12 38-35 41
Margate...................30 10 11 9 36-36 41
Morecambe.................27 12 5 10 45-49 41
Hereford United...........29 10 9 10 38-31 39
Telford United............29 9 12 8 46-42 39
Nuneaton Borough..........30 11 6 13 44-45 39
Stevenage Borough.........29 10 8 11 37-34 38
Barnet....................28 10 8 10 39-39 38
Forest Green Rovers.......30 8 13 9 39-55 37
Leigh RMI.................28 10 4 14 45-46 34
Chester City..............30 9 6 15 36-42 33
Stalybridge Celtic........27 8 9 10 31-39 33
Woking....................28 9 4 15 35-47 31
Hayes.....................30 9 4 17 40-57 31
Scarborough...............28 7 9 12 34-48 29
Dover Athletic............30 8 2 20 29-49 26
Scarborough: 1 point deducted



ALL IN A GOOD CAUSE
The latest edition of the WBA fanzine, Grorty Dick, will be a special edition titled The Jeff Astle Grorty Dick (issue 121), and features an interview with the King, plus paying respects at Netherseal, rarely seen pictures of the King and stories galore about the great man. So many stories that even after holding over most regular features, there wasn’t room for all. Remember, all profits go to the Jeff Astle Memorial Fund. No other Albion publication will do this. To boost revenue, cover price is £1 and there are no complimentary copies for anyone including the editors (Laraine Astle excepted). If you’re never bought a Grorty Dick before, buy this one! Copies are available by post by sending a cheque for £1.30 payable to Grorty Dick) to 34 Vicarage Road, Wednesbury, Staffs, WS10 9BA.

LOOK BACK AT THE 1977-78 NPL SEASON
From Terry Kendall

August 30 1977, Barrow 3 Morecambe 3, NPL Cup First Round.
Second half Cup turnabout means Barrow have to start again.
Barrow: K. Thomas, Wilson, Wynn, Graham, Foster, Martin, Cook (Gill 67), Harvey, R. Thomas, Balm, McManus.
Morecambe: Coates, Gregory, Gallagher, L. Walsh, Street, Taylor, Helliwell, Done, S. Walsh, Parry, Reynolds. Sub: Yzendoorn.
Goals: Jeff Street 7 (og), Brian McManus 18, Steve Walsh 26, Robbie Thomas 40, Simon Gallagher 60, David Helliwell 67.
Ref: K. Fawcett (Kendal). Half-time: 3-1. Att: 501.