Barrow

[roversdude]

Congratulations to Barrow - back in the league

[scawsby steve]

Congratulations to Barrow - back in the league

That's fantastic news. Let's just hope there's a new season for them to return to.

[Campsall rover]

Congratulations to Barrow - back in the league

Yes brilliant for them after 46 years out of the Football League. Well done to Sam Hird also.
Just hope Harrogate can now win the play offs.

[albie]

Article on Barrow;
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2020/jun/18/barrow-back-football-league-thanks-to-miracle-man-ian-evatt

Stadium upgrade going on;
https://www.barrowafc.com/holker-street-roof-plans-approved/

[Wiltshire Exile]

Yes, really great news for Barrow and their fans, that they have, at last, being promoted back to the Football League. They suffered a real injustice when they were voted out of the old Division 4 nearly 50 years ago, seeing as they finished 3rd from the bottom and Hereford, who were elected in their place, only finished second in the Southern League.

Has anyone got any memories of Rovers v Barrow games? I remember quite clearly watching us play Barrow in September 1959 at OBV. We went one up after 8 minutes...got stuffed 4-1. Then on New Year’s Day 1962 I travelled to Holker Street to watch us suffer another 4-1 loss. Not so happy days, eh?

[phil old leake]

Barrow back in the league. Brings back memories of when I was a kid.  They always seemed to struggle and were bottom of div 3 or thAts my recollection
I think it was them that lost their place for Hereford
Good luck to them

[elmsallrover]

Remember going there in our no league days and bricks getting thrown at the bus

[idler]

I was there on Boxing Day 1965. The town was freezing cold and we ended up in a WMC pre-match. We were two down after about three minutes and then Laurie Sheffield scored after about five minutes.
That was it then, a dull match where neither side did much and a boring 2-1 loss. An awful long cold away day.

[CGJ]

Also there on Boxing day 1965 and remember finding a pub it was so cold asking for a hot coffee. The bus windows inside were icing up on the way home.

[idler]

We drank in the club, no sandwiches just crisps and jars of mussels. We were freezing at the ground and I don't think that they would have played it nowadays you could hear the studs on the mud at times.
Barrow is at the end of a cul-de-sac that I'm not bothered about returning to.

[Dutch Uncle]

Never went to an away Barrow match, but wettest I have ever been at Belle Vue was when Rovers played Barrow in the season Alick was the top scorer in the country (1964-65). We were all desperately trying to get some cover under the roofs of any of the stands - we could move around easily in those days. It was actually a good game and we won 4-2.

[Batleyred]

Remember going there in our no league days and bricks getting thrown at the bus

I remember that, was it a Tuesday night ?

[elmsallrover]

Yep midweek

[Frankie Rennie]

Really good to see Barrow back in the league after all this time and a shame that by all accounts we’ll be taking their manager to the UniBol.

[IDM]

Unibol.?

Didn’t Hitler suffer from that.?

I invoke Godwin’s law and claim my £5.!!!

[sheffield exile1]

Remember going there in our no league days and bricks getting thrown at the bus

Are you sure it was Barrow? I think it was at the FA Cup game away at Workington but it might have been a different match. Holker Street is a tidy little homely ground if I remember... 

[Ldr]

Remember going there in our no league days and bricks getting thrown at the bus

Are you sure it was Barrow? I think it was at the FA Cup game away at Workington but it might have been a different match. Holker Street is a tidy little homely ground if I remember... 

Definitely Barrow, Nev Southall was in goal so 98, I was on the bus

[drfc1951]

Never went to an away Barrow match, but wettest I have ever been at Belle Vue was when Rovers played Barrow in the season Alick was the top scorer in the country (1964-65). We were all desperately trying to get some cover under the roofs of any of the stands - we could move around easily in those days. It was actually a good game and we won 4-2.

I think Alfie Hales brother Dixie played for them in that match,maybe got sent off but cant remember for sure.

[Dutch Uncle]

Never went to an away Barrow match, but wettest I have ever been at Belle Vue was when Rovers played Barrow in the season Alick was the top scorer in the country (1964-65). We were all desperately trying to get some cover under the roofs of any of the stands - we could move around easily in those days. It was actually a good game and we won 4-2.

I think Alfie Hales brother Dixie played for them in that match,maybe got sent off but cant remember for sure.

Just looked it up - Dixie had left Barrow by then, but made 35 appearances the season before, so maybe you are a year out for Alfie and Dixie playing against each other?

[BiargeBob]

Boxing Day 1965 it was a long journey on Leon coaches. I remember it was freezing, & that was the Leon coach.

[idler]

I’m sure Alfie left us before Laurie Sheffield signed or at least the same close season.
I could be wrong though, my memory isn’t what it was.

[Dutch Uncle]

I’m sure Alfie left us before Laurie Sheffield signed or at least the same close season.
I could be wrong though, my memory isn’t what it was.

They were two halves of a player swap plus cash exchange in the summer of 1965 - Alfie plus £5500 to Newport, Laurie to us. I hadn't realised until I just checked that Alfie actually scored 21 goals for Newport that next season.

[idler]

Cheers Dutch, I’d forgotten about that. I remember being pleased at Alfie’s value at the time.

[CGJ]

Boxing Day 1965 it was a long journey on Leon coaches. I remember it was freezing, & that was the Leon coach.

We were probably on the same bus then if it went from Waterdale. As cold inside as it was outside.

55 years ago - a lots changed since then!

[idler]

I think that there were about 4 or five coaches as Yorkshire Traction took about 3 as well.

[POD]

Congratulations to Barrow - back in the league

Yes brilliant for them after 46 years out of the Football League. Well done to Sam Hird also.
Just hope Harrogate can now win the play offs.

Think how we felt being out of the league for five years.  They have almost had a life sentence!  Many congratulations and respect to those fans who have stayed with them all that time.

[CGJ]

I think that there were about 4 or five coaches as Yorkshire Traction took about 3 as well.

Remember "We follow Donny Rovers
                   We're Rover's followers
                     We follow them all over on a Yorkshire Traction bus"  etc.

[idler]

We went on Leon coaches from 1962 but changed to Yorkshire Traction about 1965 but sometimes using Leon for the long overnight journeys. Some good times and some long painful journeys home, especially the 1966/67 season.

[Dutch Uncle]

We went on Leon coaches from 1962 but changed to Yorkshire Traction about 1965 but sometimes using Leon for the long overnight journeys. Some good times and some long painful journeys home, especially the 1966/67 season.

After 5 away games our record was won 1, drawn 2, lost 2. We then went on to lose all of the remaining 18 away games, many by large margins. We conceded 77 goals in our 23 away games. Horrific away form.

[idler]

Swansea away a 6-0 defeat was hard to take. I won 1st prize in the programme Half-time lucky number draw. Sold the programme for 2/6 as the prize was 2 stand tickets for the next home game. We then had a great night out with the locals in the town centre. A good laugh with the Welsh boys and the local lasses giving me and John good luck kisses. The chip shop then gave us double fish and chips for our journey home. The bus set off back at either 11pm or midnight.
Do you remember Rovers strip that day Dutch? It was a light red shirt with a very thin white pinstripe. I never saw it used again.