Reclaim The Holker Street

8th E-Dition

Black Is Really White

If you rely on the tabloids for the latest news on what's going on at your club, then we think you can be forgiven for being a little confused at times.   This week, whilst doing some research for our Drive Time local radio programme - what d'ya mean, you didn't hear it? - we had the unpleasant experience of scanning through the Star to look for some quirky news items.   News, it ain't, but quirky it certainly is.   Especially if you're a Spurs fan.

On page 50, under the headline - George put in limbo - we read this item - "Until chairman Sir Alan Sugar hands over control to the ENIC consortium, George Graham is unable to spend on players or agree new deals with a number of first team stars."
We didn't realise the takeover had actually happened yet, but it must have taken place some time over the next three pages because on page 54 "Sol Campbell is selling Spurs short.   His refusal to discuss a new deal until the end of the season is basically sticking two fingers up to the supporters at White Hart Lane."

Stand Up & Be Counted

A couple of weeks ago, our fairly recently installed Soprts Minister, Kate Hooey was castigated in the national media for daring to voice out loud a proposal for the return of terracing to premiership games.   If, like us, one of the attractions of watching non-league football for you, is being able to stand at grounds, then you might have supported her views, or at the very least, you might have thought that she was entitled to a fair hearing.

But she didn't get one.  

The dreadful events at Heysel, Hillsborough and Valley Parade were once again trotted out as the reasons why we couldn't possibly have a return to terracing.   Those disasters scarred football, but for them to be used to stifle debate is an insult to the memories of those who died.   Germany - who some of you may remember beat England in the World Cup Bid - are intending to use retractable seats at one stadium in 2006, thus allowing fans to stand as they watch games.   This concept was more in line with Kate Hooey's proposals than the huge terraces of the seventies where crushes and surges were the norm.  

I haven't heard anyone at all proposing a return to those days.

And are all-seaters really safe?   Most of the trouble inside grounds has been eliminated since all-seaters were introduced, but this also coincided with the introduction of comprehensive CCTV systems. And it's fairly obvious that the increase in the possibility of detection and prosecution will lead to a reduction in violence.   This has been seen in city centres across the UK where town centres have become relatively violence free, but does anyone really believe that we live in a less violent society?   Isn't it just that the violence is now committed in areas where it isn't picked up on CCTV?   In the case of football, away from stadiums, and in society at large, away from city centres.

And last Saturday in an all seater stadium, Manchester United and Bradford City fans waged a verbal war for some seventy minutes, which finally erupted into violence, with United fans "invading" the Bradford end and ejecting stewards from the ground.   Coins were thrown, violence ensued for about a quarter of an hour, and our sources describe is like a return to the bad old days of the seventies and eighties.

This doesn't happen at all-seaters every week.   It doesn't happen on the terraces of league and non-league clubs every week.   So why is there no debate?   The above example shows that all-seater doesn't mean an absence of violence per se.  

Surely the debate isn't stifled just because fans wouldn't pay £40 to stand and watch a game.   It can't be as cynical a reason as that, can it?  

Runcorn at Home - 1-2

We came across this match report on the Runcorn site and this pushes those cheery chaps in yellow up to fourth in our Sore Losers/Ungracious Winners League, closing in on Alty but a better effort is needed between now and the end of the season for them to climb into the top three.

"Yet again and seemingly against the odds we have gone to Barrow and won!   That's three times in a row now.   Yesterday was thoroughly deserved and in truth should have been more.   It was great to see Liam getting them a bit riled and as usual they bit!   We were the better team and the tactical substitution at half time to bring on Moseley and McAllister was just perfect.   As soon as we went at them they couldn't cope. Well done lads. Keep it up"

It's that bit that we've highlighted that gets us.   It should have been more - Why was that then?   Because Runcorn didn't take their chances?   Because Bish made some good saves?   Because Runcorn play in a hideous shade of yellow?   Because of what exactly?   The contributor didn't expand on his reasons for saying why Runcorn should have won by more, but we suspect it was just because they won, we didn't and this fan felt the need to rub the opposition's nose in it.

The truth is that Runcorn scored twice, Barrow scored once and therefore it was 2-1.

It should have kicked off at three, but it didn't!

And Frickley have run Runcorn pretty close this week as well.   It's not as we thought that they have played badly this season that they are in a relegation place.   Apparently it's more to do with the fixture list.   This contributor to the Frickley message board appears to think that it's games yet to be played, rather than results so far that have landed Frickley in the bottom two.

"If the league are responsible for fixtures,then clubs should be given a level playing field. Five away games out of seven as I write this is giving us a mountain to climb[Including 3 consecutively after the Leek game]. Sorry for bringing this up again,but I hope that officials at the club have burnt someones lugholes about this."

Given the fuel protests, flooding, and frozen pitches, we don't think a ratio of five away games to two home games is too bad.   And doesn't that mean that Frickley have probably played more at home than away.   And what happened to the points they should have gained at home - wouldn't that have given them a better chance of staying up.   And not losing to Worksop 12-0 would have certainly helped.  

Can we just suggest that if they really do want to burn any of the league's organisers' lugholes, then they telephone them whilst they are ironing.   That should really do the trick.

This result just leaves Frickley outside of the promotion places as regards the Sore Losers League.

There's Always Next Season

Stay With Us, Mate

Recent results have led to criticism of Kenny Lowe in certain quarters.   We say, stay with us, Kenny.   After eighteen months in charge, learning his trade, and yeah, maybe making a few mistakes along the way, Kenny has taken us a long way.   Perhaps he's at some kind of metaphorical crossroads where he has some difficult decisions to make - with one of those decisions being whether to stay at Barrow or not - but we believe that Kenny is the man to see Barrow through the difficult months to come.   And we're sure that the majority of Barrow's fans are with us on this one at least.

And just who would Barrow replace Kenny with.   A former England manager perhaps?   Welllllll, these are some quotes from Kevin Keegan that we came across recently, and we'll let you be the judge of who you want in charge at Holker Street.

"They're the second best team in the world, and there's no higher praise than that," - when asked to comment on Argentina's qualities.

"England have the best fans in the world and Scotland's fans are second-to-none."

"You can't do better than go away from home and get a draw."

"Gary always weighed up his options, especially when he had no choice."  

"The tide is very much in our court now."

"I came to Nantes two-years-ago and it's much the same today, except that it's totally different."

"I know what is around the corner - I just don't know where the corner is. But the onus is on us to perform and we must control the bandwagon."

"In some ways, cramp is worse than having a broken leg."

"The 33 or 34-year-olds will be 36 or 37 by the time the next World Cup comes around, if they're not careful."

"It's understandable that people are keeping one eye on the pot and another up the chimney."

"I'd love to be a mole on the wall in the Liverpool dressing room at half-time."

More from Kevin and some other footie stuff can be found at

Independence Day

We followed up yesterday's game with a trip to Windermere, and it was kareoke night in The Queens.   Difficult to say which was the worst result really.   Anyway, when waking up on Sunday morning, it all seemed like some kind of surreal nightmare.   A trip to the local newsagents soon put that right.   For some reason, one of our party bought an Independent - I think they were labouring under the illusion that quantity somehow represented value for money.

Away to Lancaster - 0-1

Anarchy Football

But first off it's time for a first hand report on this week's thirteenth Anarchy Football Competition that took place earlier on this week in Millom.   And you took part in that didn't you Skunk?
Yeah, only it's not a competition, it's a festival, we don't believe in competition.   Co-operation not competition, that's our slogan.
Well it says here on this advertising leaflet that you wrote that it's a competition.
Yeah well, I wrote that before Big Eric told me to change it..... I mean before we had a democratic meeting with everyone involved having a full and equal say, and then we unanimously decided that it should be called a Festival.
Okay.   And how does Anarchy football differ from ordinary football.
Well, first off, there's no white lines.   In the anarchy movement we don't believe in boundaries, but we do believe in goals.
Any other differences?
Yeah, it's only ten a side.   We can never get anyone to play right wing.    And we all take a turn in goals, because we believe that doing manual work is just as important as any other task.   It is the team that counts, the collective.
Any hassles getting a volunteer to referee?
Referee?   That's another difference.   We don't have a referee.   It's a bit like the right wing, we can't get anyone to put on a black shirt.   It reminds us too much of fascist connotations.   And anyway Big Eric reckons that we don't need any kind of authority figure.
So other than only being ten a side, having no white lines, no referee and no-one playing on the right wing, then it's pretty much the same as ordinary football.
And there's no offside rule.
No offside!!?!
Well, we feel that rules only place limitations on our ability to express ourselves as individuals.   And we couldn't find anyone to act as linesman........linesperson.
Yes, Moonbeam told me about there being no offside rule, and about how it caused quite a few problems.
Yeah well, Elk didn't really agree with Big Eric chopping him down and then waving play on.   A couple of us staged a sit down protest in the centre circle, and it was then that Stig's brother wanted his ball back.   Stig tried to tell him that personal ownership of property didn't really have any place in the anarchist movement, and someone who was out walking their dog called the police when Big Eric forget about his oath of non-violent direct action.
And so the game finished a bit early.
Yeah, but it wasn't a total disaster.   As organiser of the competition ......festival, I was quite proud when the magistrate said that what had started out as a friendly kick about had somehow descended into total anarchy.
Right on.   And I understand that you're now taking part in an innovative legal scheme.
Yeah, cool.   The magistrate said I had the choice between a fine and tagging.   I chose tagging straight off and now I'm looking forward to picking up a spray can, colouring a few walls and tagging my name on as many walls as possible.
And all in the name of community service
Yeah, cool.
Wicked
Crucial
Excellent
Critical
Pratt.

Nancy:


Skunk:

Nancy:
Skunk:


Nancy:
Skunk:

Nancy:
Skunk:


Nancy:
Skunk:



Nancy:

Skunk:
Nancy:
Skunk:

Nancy:

Skunk:





Nancy:
Skunk:


Nancy:

Skunk:


Nancy:
Skunk:
Nancy:
Skunk:
Nancy:
Skunk:
Nancy:

They're Playing Our Tune

"If I had my way, I would have had seven or eight local amateurs in the squad for the Unibond Challenge Cup game against Gretna last tuesday...................I need to see what the barrow area has to offer so I will be having another go in getting some of the locals in my line-up for the game against Workington."

The above quote came from Kenny Lowe in yesterday's programme.   Here, here!   Some time ago, probably around issue three we were advocating the same thing.   There isn't all that much interest in the Unibond Cup, it isn't so prestigious as to make defeat a disaster, if handled properly a heavy defeat isn't going to destroy these players confidence.   And right now, Barrow probably needs a local hero more than it has ever done before.   Andy Hill and the Doc have done brilliantly this season, and Mike McKechnie hasn't let us down.

A lot is made of Barrow's geographic isolation and the fact that this means higher wages, losing out on the best players, increased travelling costs, but there are pluses as well.   Some of the fight for survival in 1999 was based around Barrow AFC being a community resource, and about how the area as a whole would suffer if Barrow went bust.   These were binding factors and the utilisation of local players can only add to this sense of belonging.   Community links need to be built up, and this is a brilliant way of doing this, and maybe, just maybe, Kenny Lowe might find the next Kevin Proctor or even (gulp) another Cowps.

And it needn't just be the Barrow area either.   Having visited Windermere at the weekend, there is an awareness there of Barrow as a football club and this potential for players and supporters alike needs to be tapped into.

p.s. And it'll probably save on wages as well, but visit the Barrow website forum if you wanna get into that discussion.  

Too Great Expectations?

Five defeats in a row.   Rumours circulating that Kenny Lowe offered his resignation following the Runcorn game.   Gates dropping and much needed income lost at the turnstiles.   Criticism and flak beginning to get thrown about on a regular basis.

And all this seems to based around the expectation that Barrow should be an established Conference team.   But is that expectation realistic?   We reckon it isn't.   Since coming out of the league, Barrow have spent ten seasons in the Conference - or its predecessor, the Gola League.   And let's be honest, Barrow only got into the newly formed Gola League because they were an ex-league team, Barrow finished 16th the season before, so it wasn't performances on the pitch that earned Barrow's position rubbing shoulders with the elite in non-league centre circles.

Over the past 10 seasons, Barrow have spent three seasons in the Conference, one was a relegation season, another we escaped relegation (on the pitch) on the last day of the season, and in the other season, Barrow finished 10th, mid-table respectability.   In the seven seasons in the NPL, Barrow have been champions once, and have won no other silverware.   They haven't finished in the bottom half of the table, but have only put in a realistic championship challenge on a couple of occassions, and that wasn't sustained throughout the season.

There now seems to be a growing number of fans who are willing to accept Conference football, and Conference football only, unless you look at the small minority who have the even higher expectation of a return of league football to Holker Street. So why are fans now expecting greater things?  

There are two main things - as far as we can see - that are different now.   One is that we are now in liquidation, and thus subject to even tighter financial restrictions than ever before.   A lot of fans of other clubs consider that Barrow bought the title in 1998.   We don't accept that view, well paid or not, players still have to go out and do the business on the pitch.   However, it must be accepted that Barrow's championship winning team did have a lot of money thrown at it, so why should Kenny Lowe be expected to achieve the same, when he has a much smaller pot of money at his disposal.

The other difference is that when Barrow nearly went to the wall in 1999, the fans came together, rallied round and a great spirit was engendered at the club.   This wealth of good feeling from the supporters about the club seems to have led some fans to thinking that their support will be immediately rewarded with success on the pitch.   From little acorns do great oak trees grow as they say.   And the success last season was that we were able to put a team out at all, let alone compete with Conference club Southport in the Trophy last season, and third division Orient in the F.A.Cup this season, and reaching mid-table respectability on both occassions.

The reality is that Barrow aren't and never really have been an established Conference club, certainly not since the Conference "professionalised" itself in the early nineties.   It will take time to set us up as such a club.   We are travelling in the right direction, but it's probably gonna be a long journey, but let's all stick in there together - players, fans, and officials - and most importantly of all let's enjoy the ride.

Packing a harder punch than Lee Warren

No goals tonight so that saved us a few quid on our Give it a Lash for the Cash sponsorship scheme.   And don't forget, for those involved, next week is time to cough up for the month of january, so we'll be letting you know how much we've raised in Issue 9, due out next Thursday - or possibly Friday, depending on our work committments and enthusiasm after this Saturday's result against Marine.   Even Kenny Lowe introducing himself as sub couldn't earn barrow any cash this week, but there's always Saturday.
And remember you can join in as well.   We're sponsoring Barrow for a quid a goal up 'til the end of the season, and if you wanna do the same just click on the ball and get in touch.

Wellllllllll, it did in a way.   Back pages first, and there it was, no match report but clear as day - Unibond Premier League, Barrow 1 Runcorn 0.   So, it really had all been a nightmare.   The police directing us off the 590 at the bottom of Lindale Hill, only for everyone to get back on at the top and come across a tailback from an accident at High Newton!!?!   I can imagine that football hooligans everywhere are quaking in their boots if this is the breadth of police intelligence.   Liam Watson getting punched.   Not once but twice apparently.   If you count the afters in the tunnel, and why wouldn't we wanna do that?   It couldn't have happened to a nicer bloke.   Those who lead with the elbow deserve a lot of what they get; according to an old proverb.

Soooooo, that 1-0 win should have put us up to about eighth.   That top six finish doesn't seem so far off now.   And our cup run seems even better now as well.   According to the same page, Orient have been promoted twice since they knocked Barrow out of the Cup.   On page 23 of The Independent - independent of the truth that is - Orient are due to play Rochdale in the first division next Sunday.

Someone else though had bought the Non-League Paper (hey, we only saw one picture of Warren Patmore this week) and there it was after the third division match reports in the ?Non-League Paper? Barrow 1 Runcorn 2.   The hangover kicked in again at that stage.   Still, we can concentrate on the Cup.