Holker Street Newsletter 95 - 7th May 1998

PRIZEGIVING
It looks like we will call the trophy The Holker Street International Newsletter Trophy, as I agree with Tony Kavanagh, whose idea it was, it encompasses the international membership of the Newsletter. If you haven’t voted yet, please do so, and don’t forget to send a fiver to Paul Darragh.


SUSPENSIONS
Sid Blain has confirmed that any suspensions from this season will be carried over into next season.


STILL IN BARROW?

Tony Kavanagh has been in contact regarding players who continue to live in Barrow after they have finished playing for Barrow. He believes Jimmy Mulvaney has passed away, as has Alan Coglan, who Tony remembers as a policeman for many years and often gave him a lift to work when he saw Tony stood at the bus stop. Tony also asks if Billy Gordon is still alive.


STILL IN BARROW (PART II)

Peter Caldwell has been in touch regarding this topic and offers the following, George Stewart signed from Montrose in the 1959-60 (?) season, but Peter’s unsure if he ever played first team football, George now lives in Holker Street and after he finished playing football George ran a builder’s business, and Peter believes he ran the business with Pat O'Conner and perhaps Tommy McGlennon.

There's also Brian Arrowsmith, a local lad, who may still run his DIY shop on Walney, although Peter adds that the business was up for sale a few months ago. Brian still has his other business "Hi-Tiles" (suspended ceilings, etc).

To add to this Peter has sent Brian’s pen pic which appeared in the Barrow AFC 1964-65 Official Handbook, priced 2/-.

BRIAN WILLIAM ARROWSMITH

Brian, now in his early twenties, was born on Walney Island and has lived there the whole of his life. Educated at Walney Secondary Modern School he played local junior football for West Barrow Albion, Roose and Sub. Dock before being invited to sign as an amateur for Barrow. Played three years for the ‘A’ team and showed such distinct promise that he was signed as a professional in October 1961.

Brian plays at full back and made 46 appearances last season. A very keen sportsman, he has been a member of Vickerstown cricket team for nine years and also plays golf. Married recently he completed his apprenticeship as a sheetmetal worker at Vickers Armstrong before taking up full time professional soccer.

Height 5 ft. 9 ins. Weight 12 stone.


THE ZIGGER - BARROW AFC MAGAZINE, Vol 1 No.3, (1967-68)
SPOTLIGHT ON OUR PLAYERS

When Barrow gained promotion last season it was a happy occasion for the whole of the staff but it meant more to one individual than it did to the rest of the players. Centre half Brian Arrowsmith had obvious reasons for feeling happy. Walney-born, he was the only local to be a regular member of the side and had the distinction of captaining the team for the final three-quarters of the season. This is Brian’s ninth year with the club and he has come up through the ranks, starting out in the third string, graduating to the reserves and then finally establishing himself as a first team regular. He regards being a local as neither an advantage nor a handicap, but has to admit that he came in for some rough treatment from spectators at one time. "They gave me a roasting early on" he recalls, "but any footballer would be a fool to let it bother him. You can’t afford to let the crowd get on top of you or your game could suffer. I just used to laugh it off."

Some of those critics probably remember Brian from his junior footballing days and wonder why he, of all people, made the grade. Well one word provides the answer, dedication. He is prepared to work hard in training and also looks after himself when not playing football, sacrifices that not everyone is prepared to make. Despite his dedication to the game, he feels players should have other interests outside football, that’s why Brian is a keen golfer, plays cricket in the summer, enjoys tinkering about with his car and is a practical handyman.

He knows his height (he’s only 5ft 9ins) can be something of a handicap when facing a six-footer and that’s when his attitude is reflected as determination. By rights he shouldn’t have had a chance against Southampton and Wales centre forward Ron Davies, but Brian kept him in check in the FA Cup Third Round last season. He shouldn’t be capable of holding a man with the qualities of former England leader Johnny Byrne, but Brian kept him bottled up in the tie with Crystal Palace. "Big Ron Davies is easily the best man I have played against", says Brian, "but Frank Lord gave me some hard games when he was playing before his own crowd at Stockport, and while Hartlepools’ Ernie Phythian is only small, he is very smart."

Brian was one of football’s late starters, for while he accepted part-time terms, he wouldn’t become a full-time professional until he completed his apprenticeship as a sheetmetal worker, and even now he is continuing his studies with a full technological course. "Footballers who start out as apprentice professionals have a definite advantage", he says "for they get the chance to learn the game much quicker. But if I had my time over again, I would still train for another trade. I’ve seen too many boys not make the grade, and then they have nothing to fall back on. After all football can be a very precarious business. Some people say you are all right if you get the right breaks but from my point of view you make your own luck. In many cases it is just the difference between good and bad judgement."

Lady Luck has smiled on Brian on several occasions to help him further his career. When he broke into first team football it was as a right back and he was only switched to that position in the reserves because the regular number 2 broke his leg, and then it was again through someone else being injured that Brian was switched to centre half as an emergency measure. "I'm glad that switch came" he says, "I'm just a stopper and now full-backs are expected to set up moves."


In closing Peter adds that after doing some homework, and yes, McEvoy did go to Grimsby from Barrow, must have been at the end of the promotion winning season 1966-67. (Ex-Barrow wing half Dave Worthington was already Grimsby then) However, he only stayed there until about December or January of the 1967-68 season, as he then took over at Southport.


FROM THE BARROW v SOUTHPORT PROGRAMME, 19 AUGUST 1968, FOOTBALL LEAGUE CUP, FIRST ROUND REPLAY

There’s bound to be some keen rivalry whenever, and wherever, we meet tonight’s visitors if only because Don McEvoy, our former manager who took Barrow to Division Three is now the boss at Haig Avenue. Tony Field, who followed McEvoy to Holker Street, also followed him to Southport and helped meet a need in the forward line when the new manager was team building. Tony made fourteen appearances for the seaside club last season and scored three goals.

Remember too that Southport came up from the Fourth to the Third Division with us in 1966-67 after a most interesting season. Stockport topped the League with 64 points Southport and Barrow each notched 59. Last season, playing in League games, we won our Holker Street match with them 3-1 and then went down at Haig Avenue 1-0. On Wednesday night we held them to a 2-2 draw in the First Round of the League Cup, and if we can hark back to last season’s First Round game, we played Southport in that, but at Holker Street and won 1-0. Obviously you cannot take anything for granted when the two sides meet, but having forced the replay our boys will be keen to repeat their performance of 1966-67 and get through to the Second Round.

In the League last season we finished well above Southport in the final table, yet there were only four points between us in the matter of records. We gained 50, Southport 46, which goes to show what a tussle there was for the places below eighth.

You will recollect that tonight’s visitors had their moment of glory too last season. They met Everton in the Third Round of the FA Cup and lost by the odd goal, yet the crowd that day was not the ground record. That was achieved in a Cup match with Newcastle United way back in January 1932, 20,010. The receipts from the match with Everton, UKP6170, were a club record.

Very few clubs can have signed as many players from the same professional outfit as Southport have from Everton, for while manager Don McEvoy has fifteen professionals on his Haig Avenue staff, no less than five of them have been signed from Everton, a sixth was also on the Goodison books at one time, while strong tackling pivot Fred Molyneux made the short move from Liverpool just four years ago.

Tricky right-winger Stuart Shaw is the former Everton man who moved to Southport via Crystal Palace, while the nap hand signed direct from Goodison is made up of full-back Eric Curwen, hard grafting wing-half link man Arthur Peat, Ambrose Clarke, a strong defender with a powerful shot, swift raiding left-winger Alex Russell and full-back David Pearson, who has missed the early games this season because of a groin injury, when Southport signed these players it wasn’t a case of them picking up former stars on the way out but because the club were swift to move when youngsters with potential were released by manager Harry Catterick because they had been unable to make the break through into first team football. McEvoy made no close season signings, although there was a lot of talk about the possibility of lively centre-forward Terry Harkin moving to Torquay during the summer, the clubs agreed terms at around the £12,000 mark, but the deal eventually fell through and Southport kept the man they signed from Notts County two years ago and who was capped by Ireland last season. This meant McEvoy starting the campaign with most of the players left by Billy Bingham when he moved to Plymouth, and in fact the only signing McEvoy has made was when he tempted Barrow into parting with Tony Field last March.

Their most expensive signing is big forward George Andrews, who moved from Cardiff for UKP6000 during the year the Haig Avenue club gained promotion and his attacking flair did a lot to keep them up in the top four. He struck up a good partnership with Eric Redrobe, who was on Bolton’s books until three years ago, and this pair form a deadly twin-spearhead attack which is capable of upsetting the best of defences when high balls are wafted up field for them to chase.

"Flipper" Field isn’t the only ex-Barrow man on their books for they still enjoy the services of ex-Holker Street keeper whom they signed a little over twelve months ago from Portsmouth on a free transfer. He had First Division experience with Nottingham Forest, whom he joined from Barrow, but now he has to play second fiddle to Brian Reeves who joined Southport from Scunthorpe and was understudy to Fred Else at Blackburn for a time.

Peter asks who are they talking about here?

Barrow: Else, Mallon, Edwards, Harrison, Arrowsmith, Appleton, Riley, Hartland, McClean, Mulholland, Storf, Bebbington.

Southport: Reeves, Alty, Curwen, Russel, Molyneux, Clarke, Shaw, Field, Harkin, Redrobe, Andrews, Spence.

Final Score: Barrow 1-3 Southport. (Mulholland for Barrow)
Attendance: 6044


FROM THE BARROW v WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS PROGRAMME, 10 JANUARY 1959, FA CHALLENGE CUP THIRD ROUND

Pen pictures of the players from whom the Barrow team will probably be selected.

KNOWLES, Jim. Goalkeeper. With only one goalkeeper available when Alan Coglan broke his leg, Manager Brown turned to his old club, Preston North End, as a result, Knowles joined Barrow. He took over in the first team goal when Armstrong was transferred and after a first rather hectic game, has settled down and now promises to take his place among the many top-notch keepers who have played for Barrow.

FRASER, Jim. A young right-back who, like John Armstrong, was signed from Belishill Athletic, Matt Busby’s old club. A tenacious player who never knows when he is beaten.

JACKSON, Maurice. Full Back Joined Barrow as a wing-half from Barnsley was moved to full-back in an emergency, and has stayed there ever since. His career has been interrupted by a nagging injury, and his main interest is "the dogs."

McCREDIE, Norrie. Full back. Another of manager Brown’s signings, he joined Barrow after playing a trial game. He has had considerable experience with Accrington Stanley and Southport, and his younger brother played well for Stanley Reserves against Barrow Reserves.

CAHILL, Tommy. Full back. Signed from Newcastle United by Joe Harvey, Tommy Cahill settled down as one of the leading left-backs in the old Third Division. Then, on 13th April almost two years ago, injury struck. There is no need to re-tell the long struggle he has had to find fitness, but the help he has had from the board, managers, trainer, players, other staff and spectators is typical of the good spirit which there is in soccer.

PROCTOR, Dave. Right half back and club captain, Proctor joined Barrow after service with Blackpool (where he understudied Harry Johnston) and Norwich. At his best a strong tackling player, capable of subduing most inside forwards. Few who saw it will forget his magnificent display that helped to win the Cup game at Crewe some years ago.

WILSON, Peter. Centre half. What can be said other than that Wilson is one of the finest servants Barrow has ever had. A consistent centre-half, he was unlucky never to play for the old Division Three representative side. A gentleman on and off the field, his great interest is bird-watching and he is an expert on all forms of wildlife holds the club’s appearances record.

KEEN, Jackie. A local boy who has shown his enthusiasm for soccer, and Barrow AFC, by turning out at inside-forward, wing-half and full-back in recent months. Approaching 300 games for the club, he is a non-stop trier. Father of three daughters.

TORRANCE, Andy. Inside right. A quiet, likeable Scot, Torrance was signed by Norman Dodgin from Yeovil as an inside forward, but he has established himself at outside-right.

McILVENNY, Bobbie. Inside forward. One of soccer’s wanderers, McIlvenny has been with Southport, Oldham, Bury, and always has worked his heart out. Has the happy knack of bringing others into the game and of bringing the best out of them.

RICHIE, Tom. Inside forward. Signed by Manager Bill Brown from his old club, Grimsby, Richie has been with Manchester United, Reading, and in non-League football. Has a reputation as a hard worker.

ROBERTSON, Jackie. Centre forward. Spent some time in Canada and was signed by Barrow from York. Will go down in the record books as the player who scored the two goals that beat Hartlepools United and gave Barrow the chance of playing to-day’s game against Wolves.

ROBERTS, Don. Inside forward. Came to Barrow as a wing-half from Workington Reds played centre half in the first team when Wilson was injured and then popped in a few goals from inside forward. Popped in a few more when he got a first team chance.

MURRAY, Matt. Outside left. A former Scottish amateur international, Murray was signed by manager Brown when Bill Ormond asked for his transfer. Missed the early games through a training injury, but has since become a firm favourite and his willingness to shoot and look for the ball make him a potential match-winner.

PORTER, Derek. Wing half back. Born in Ulverston, Porter was signed by Joe Harvey in the face of competition from Derby County and has graduated through the three Barrow teams. A good ball player, is now gaining confidence. Has played in several positions.

PURDON, Ted. Inside forward and centre forward. Burly, blonde South African, who arrived at Barrow by way of Birmingham, Sunderland and Workington Reds. Signed by Norman Dodgin in exchange for Billy Gordon and Joe Armstrong.


BARROW AFC PLAYING STAFF 1 AUGUST 1960

GOALKEEPERS
HEYS, Michael. (5ft. l0in. 11st. 8lbs.) Signed from Preston North End in 1959 played 32 first team games last season born at Preston.
COGLAN, Alan. (6ft. 1in., 11st. 7lbs.) A local player who was signed in 1954 after two years as amateur has just completed his National Service.
FULLERTON, George. (6ft. 1in. 13st. 7lbs.) Born at Ballymena and played with Glentoran before having trials with Leeds United and Scunthorpe United.

FULL-BACKS
STANIFORTH, Ron. (5ft. 11ins. 11st.) Signed as player-manager from Sheffield Wednesday in October last year. Former English international who started his career with Stockport before being transferred to Huddersfield Town. A fully qualified coach, born in Manchester.
CAHILL, Thomas. (5ft. 8ins. 11st. 6lbs.) Born at Glasgow now in his sixth season with the club, having joined Barrow from Newcastle United has played regularly in the first team.
ROBINSON, Richard. (5ft. 9mins. 11st. 7lbs.) A long service player with Middlesbrough from whom he was signed at a substantial fee in June, 1959 also plays centre half. Born at Whitburn Colliery.
STEWART, George. (5ft. ins. 10st. 6lbs.) Joined Barrow last season from Montrose born at New Monkland.

HALF-BACKS
CLARK, Ben. (5ft. 8ins. 11st. 7lbs.) born at South Shields played in 43 League games last season, a strong player who was signed from Derby County in February, 1959.
McNAB, Thomas. (5ft. 10ins. 11st.) A Scottish product of Partick Thistle transferred to Barrow from Wrexham in March last year, and played in 25 first team games. Born in Whitinch.
McGLENNON. Thomas. (5ft. ins. 11st. 8 lbs.) played with Rochdale before signing for Barrow in October last year. Born in Whitehaven.
McEVOY, Donald. (5ft. 10ins. 14st. 7lbs.) a new signing from Lincoln City played with Ron Staniforth at Sheffield and Huddersfield Town has been appointed player coach and is a fully qualified FA Coach.
WEBSTER, Terence. (5ft. ins. 1st.) A young player of 18 who hails from Retford and played with Sheffield United before joining Accrington Stanley last season.

FORWARDS
MUNRO, William. (5ft. ins. 1st. 6lbs.) Born in Glasgow and joined Barrow from Kilmarnock last season.
ROBERTSON, John. (5ft. 8ins. 11st. 9lbs.) Leading goalscorer with Barrow for the past two seasons signed from York City in 1958, born in Aberdeen.
KEMP, John. (5ft. ins., 10st. 8lb.) Played 42 League games last season, joining Barrow from Leeds United in March, 1959 born in Clydebank.
BANNAN, Thomas. (5ft. 7ins. 11st.) An experienced forward who has been with Lincoln City and Wrexham born at Lanark.
HUNTER, John. (5ft. 7ins. 10st. 10lbs.) Has been signed full time professional following completing his National Service played previously with Rotherham United and King’s Lynn. Born at Coalburn.
GORDON, William. (5ft. 8ins. 13st. Born at Carlisle, from whom he joined Barrow in 1949 transferred to Workington in 1958 and re-joined Barrow last season he is coach to the third team.
LOWES, Barry. (5ft. 7ins. 1st. 10lbs.) A local boy with a good turn of speed signed professional in January last.
PASHLEY, Robert. (5ft. 7ins. 11st. 9lbs.) A close season signing from Scunthorpe United hails from Sheffield.
EMERY, James. (5ft. 8ins. 10st. 7lbs.) An Irish boy who played with Exeter City last season born in Lisburn, Northern Ireland.

ADDITIONAL STAFF SIGNED AFTER 1st AUGUST
WARBURTON, George. (5ft. 9mins. 11st. 8lbs.) Born in Lodge, Nr. Wrexham on a month’s trial with Barrow after playing four seasons with Wrexham, whom he served also as an amateur right full back.
CROWE, Michael. (5ft. 8ins. 10st). A local promising player of 17 years of age, who has been signed full time professional hails from Ulverston, inside forward.
ARMSTRONG, James. (5ft. 8ins. 10st. 5lbs.) Another Ulverston boy who has been signed as an apprentice professional at the age of 16 and plays on either wing.


INFORMATION FROM THE BARROW PROGRAMME

Richard Ingham has been sending me the Barrow programme, and I’m a little late in putting some of the material in the Newsletter, so this s from the Northwich FA Trophy programme.

Previous Meetings Between Barrow and Northwich
By Phil Yelland

Season Comp Home Away
1913-14 LC1 0-1 0-1
1914-15 LC1 4-1 1-1
1972-73 NPL 3-0 1-4
1973-74 NPL 1-4* 0-5
1974-75 NPL 1-1 0-1
1975-76 NPL 1-6 2-1
1976-77 NPL 3-1 1-5
1977-78 NPL 4-2 0-1
1978-79 NPL 2-4 0-3
1979-80 APL 1-0 3-6
1980-81 APL 2-1 0-0
1980-81 FAT1 N/A 0-3
1981-82 APL 6-1 0-2
1982-83 APL 0-0 0-1
1984-85 GL 0-0 0-1
1985-86 GL 1-2 1-0
1989-90 VC 1-0 0-1
1989-90 BLT3 N/A 1-3
1990-91 VC 2-2 2-2
1991-92 VC 0-2 1-6
1997-98 FAT3 1-0 N/A

* Played at the Drill Field
LC1 Lancashire Combination Division 1 NPL Northern Premier League
APL Alliance Premier League GL Goal League
VC Vauxhall Conference FAT FA Trophy
BLT Bob Lord Trophy


FA TROPHY THIRD ROUND RESULTS
By Phil Yelland

1979-80 H Hastings United 4-0
1982-83 H Harrow Borough 1-1
1982-83 H Harrow Borough 1-1 (AET)
1987-88 H Harrow Borough 0-2
1988-89 A Runcorn 1-0
1989-90 A Altrincham 3-5
1989-90 A Yeovil Town 1-1
1989-90 H Yeovil Town 2-1
1997-98 H Northwich Victoria 1-1


LANCASHIRE COMBINATION 1904/5 - FIRST DIVISION

P W D L F A Pts
Stockport County 34 21 7 6 63 27 49
Liverpool Res 34 18 6 10 88 54 42
Southport Central 34 17 8 9 59 41 42
Manchester United Res34 19 1 14 74 50 39
Darwen 34 14 10 10 55 49 38
Manchester City Res 34 13 11 10 64 56 37
Accrington Stanley 34 16 5 13 57 55 37
Bury Res 34 15 5 14 58 63 35
Everton Res 34 13 8 13 49 41 34
Nelson 34 13 7 14 57 43 33
Bolton Wanderers Res34 13 7 14 67 65 33
Preston North End Res34 12 8 14 50 48 32
Rossendale United 34 12 8 14 54 68 32
Earlestown 34 12 5 17 50 71 29
Blackburn Rovers Res34 11 6 17 53 75 28
Ashton Town 34 7 11 16 36 50 25
Stalybridge Rovers 34 10 2 20 34 63 24
St Helens Town 34 7 9 18 38 77 23

LANCASHIRE COMBINATION 1904/5 - SECOND DIVISION

P W D L F A Pts
St Helens Recreation 34 22 6 6 91 32 50
BARROW 34 22 2 10 73 43 46
Oldham Athletic 34 19 6 9 80 38 44
Atherton Church Hall 34 20 4 10 81 55 44
Brynn Central 34 17 8 9 69 44 42
Hyde St Georges 34 14 12 8 86 49 40
Oswaldtwistle Rovers 34 17 6 11 81 56 40
Chorley 34 15 7 12 68 56 37
Workington 34 15 7 12 56 60 37
Turton 34 15 6 13 80 69 36
Blackpool Res 34 13 6 15 62 63 32
Skelmersdale United 34 12 7 15 56 53 31
Colne 34 13 3 18 59 66 29
Padiham 34 11 7 16 53 85 29
Newton-le-Willows 34 7 7 20 54 84 21
Bacup 34 6 7 21 43 92 19
Bolton St Lukes 34 7 4 23 38 98 18
Lytham 34 8 1 25 38 125 17

Thanks to Ray Stanton for this.