GOING UP

[slippy]

Otrolig! Bra jobbat alla på Barrow AFC. Jag ser fram till en besök nästa säsong. Lycka till från Sverige

[Cubbins Paratrooper]

Congratulations to everyone at Barrow on your return to the Football League from a life-long Plymouth fan.

As someone who has worked at Devonport Naval Base for many years, I have spent a lot of time in Barrow whilst visiting BAE and during that time I developed a real liking for the town and the people.

Your club has been through some very tough times over the last 4 decades and no doubt many fans will have thought that they would never see League football at Holker Street, but that is about to be put right. I am sure many of you are thinking of family and friends who would have loved to see this day but sadly, are no longer with you.

No disrespect, but there is not a lot to do in Barrow of a winter evening when you are on your own so when I had the rare opportunity, I was glad to be able to go along to Holker Street and watch football under the lights in a ‘proper’ old fashioned, Northern ground. The ground certainly needs a bit of money to be spent on it and hopefully, that will happen over the next few years. But I hope you don’t end up relocating to one of those characterless, atmosphere-free, out of town stadiums. If you visit Colchester next season, you will understand exactly what I mean, a concrete Lego stadium miles from anywhere, with very little parking near to the ground.

Although we are at opposite ends of the country, it’s nice to know that we are not the only Football League club who are out on a limb. Like us, you are probably used to feeling a little bit cut off.

Finally, in recognition of your welcome return to the Football League and on behalf of everyone at Plymouth Argyle, I think we can now forgive you move on from the events of 50 years ago when Plymouth last played at Holker Street in the old 3rd Division and you beat us 1-0 courtesy of a goal actually scored by the Referee, something which lead to a change in the laws.

Welcome back.

There has been a lot of discussion on this board about said goal, scored by referee Ivan Robinson, courtesy of a George Mclean wayward effort. If I knew how to find the thread quickly, I would, though am sure somebody can point you in the right direction, 'Argylefan'. It was one helluva an effort and the chants of 'sign 'im on, sign 'im on' when he refereed another Barrow game very soon after are legendary.

Thanks for your congratulations, much appreciated. You must be feeling pretty pleased yourself about Argyle's promotion. All the best to you.

[Arvo]

There has been a lot of discussion on this board about said goal, scored by referee Ivan Robinson, courtesy of a George Mclean wayward effort. If I knew how to find the thread quickly, I would, though am sure somebody can point you in the right direction, 'Argylefan'. It was one helluva an effort and the chants of 'sign 'im on, sign 'im on' when he refereed another Barrow game very soon after are legendary.

Here you go Argyle fan:

https://www.barrowafc.net/viewtopic.php ... on#p421641

[Argylefan]

I remember all of that Argyle team and I also remember some of the Barrow players.

Fred Else played for Blackburn for several seasons before dropping down the League. Didn’t he go on to be a School teacher after he retired from football? Colin Appleton was a decent player who played for Leicester in the old 1st Division and had a decent Managerial career after he retired from playing.

Respectable crowd at the game, 5,500-odd.

Post-COVID, what sort of gates do you think you will get back in the Football League? The average away attendance will obviously increase which should help with the finances.

[prague bluebird]

Congratulations to the Team, Management and Directors. Its been such a long time waiting for this day to arrive.

[Hadrian]

I remember all of that Argyle team and I also remember some of the Barrow players.

Fred Else played for Blackburn for several seasons before dropping down the League. Didn’t he go on to be a School teacher after he retired from football? Colin Appleton was a decent player who played for Leicester in the old 1st Division and had a decent Managerial career after he retired from playing.

Respectable crowd at the game, 5,500-odd.

Post-COVID, what sort of gates do you think you will get back in the Football League? The average away attendance will obviously increase which should help with the finances.

Thanks for the good wishes in the earlier post.

Fred Else, who was a first-rate 'keeper, did indeed go into teaching locally after leaving football.

Hard to guess what attendances might be once the first flush of warm autumn afternoons and evening games has passed. As you will remember from your time here, there can be the odd breeze and it does rain a little from time to time... Naturally, performances and results will have an effect. At the end of the season, I would be very happy if the average attendance was 2850 plus.

I note that you were disappointed by Barrow's evening offer when you were here. Out of interest, beyond the pubs, restaurants, cinema, walks, fitness clubs and swimming, what would you have hoped to find?

[Wintergreen]

I remember all of that Argyle team and I also remember some of the Barrow players.

Fred Else played for Blackburn for several seasons before dropping down the League. Didn’t he go on to be a School teacher after he retired from football? Colin Appleton was a decent player who played for Leicester in the old 1st Division and had a decent Managerial career after he retired from playing.

Respectable crowd at the game, 5,500-odd.

Post-COVID, what sort of gates do you think you will get back in the Football League? The average away attendance will obviously increase which should help with the finances.

Thanks for the good wishes in the earlier post.

Fred Else, who was a first-rate 'keeper, did indeed go into teaching locally after leaving football.

Hard to guess what attendances might be once the first flush of warm autumn afternoons and evening games has passed. As you will remember from your time here, there can be the odd breeze and it does rain a little from time to time... Naturally, performances and results will have an effect. At the end of the season, I would be very happy if the average attendance was 2850 plus.

I note that you were disappointed by Barrow's evening offer when you were here. Out of interest, beyond the pubs, restaurants, cinema, walks, fitness clubs and swimming, what would you have hoped to find?

Speedway obv.

[pjdaly]

A juxtaposition of despair and joy . . .

The Evening Mails from Saturday 3rd June 1972 (Sports Final version of the EM) and the one from today, 18th June 2020.

Sad though to see that the local "journal" only sees fit to put such a seismic moment on the BACK page of today's paper . . .

[Yanto]

pjdaly, that would probably be because the news came through too late to do too much and make the deadline for todays edition. Any other paper would have had everything ready to go the day before at the latest so all they needed to do was "push a button"
Lets see what they serve up tomorrow.

[mrsenario]

Well done to Ian Evatt, the players, the Board, Everyone involved in making this happen.

Anyone who has been touched by Barrow AFC, all those loyal fans down the years, going everywhere following the team and all those fans and ex players who have sadly passed and who didn't make it to see this happen, my thoughts are there too at this very special moment.

48 years and back in the football league. I’m lost for words.

All those discussions Jonty in the MEO canteen will we won’t we.....we did it

[mrsenario]

Well done to Ian Evatt, the players, the Board, Everyone involved in making this happen.

Anyone who has been touched by Barrow AFC, all those loyal fans down the years, going everywhere following the team and all those fans and ex players who have sadly passed and who didn't make it to see this happen, my thoughts are there too at this very special moment.

48 years and back in the football league. I’m lost for words.

All those discussions Jonty in the MEO canteen will we won’t we.....we did it

[Holkerbird]

GET THE LEAGUE CHAMPIONS FLAG ALOFT HOLKER STREET AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. THE WHOLE TOWN SHOULD KNOW !!!!

We don't have a flagpole Graham. Got snapped off by the wind a couple of seasons ago.
Apparently we have a new one but might have just been told that to stop me from going on about it.

[GTBLUE]

GET THE LEAGUE CHAMPIONS FLAG ALOFT HOLKER STREET AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. THE WHOLE TOWN SHOULD KNOW !!!!

We don't have a flagpole Graham. Got snapped off by the wind a couple of seasons ago.
Apparently we have a new one but might have just been told that to stop me from going on about it.

Ian said so yesterday. Just put it on a floodlight for now. Or on my chimney

[NUFFSAID]

To the McCulloughs, Keens, Cassons, the current forward thinking board and every director who served under them ......I thank you. All very surreal, someone pinch me .

[Holkerbird]

We don't have a flagpole Graham. Got snapped off by the wind a couple of seasons ago.
Apparently we have a new one but might have just been told that to stop me from going on about it.

Ian said so yesterday. Just put it on a floodlight for now. Or on my chimney

I have missed seeing the flag flying on match day whilst walking to the ground.
Send some young buck up on the stand roof to wave it around like someone from Les Mis.
The revolution is here and now.