PLAYER WALL OF FAME VOTE 1- THE FIRST 20 YEARS

[barrowaberdeen]

Please take part in our Wall of Fame survey,

https://s.surveyplanet.com/05c_U0T1Uk?f ... SaBMLGPfQc


Please choose from the players identified in the survey (6 points or your favourite then in descending order)

This period's players have been complied and selected by Phil Yelland, Club Historian. Further details are in the survey. If anyone has any info and pictures to add, that would be fantastic too. This week we are focusing on the years up to 1972 and it would be great to read any info or memories (later on!) people have.

[barrowaberdeen]

James “Daisy” Bell - Daisy had two spells with the club. The first was between 1906 and 1908 when he scored thirty four times in seventy six games when the team was in the Lancashire Combination First Division, playing at Little Park, Roose. His first goal for the club came in September 1906, in the 5-4 defeat away at Blackpool Reserves In 1908, he joined Exeter City. He re-joined the club from Portsmouth in the summer of 1911. Club records for that period are not complete but he continued to be a regular goal scorer until the club’s final game before a break caused by World War One It is reckoned based on the records that that spell saw him score at least seventy eight times in one hundred and forty six games where the records are known. “Daisy” was the first player to score over one hundred goals for the club.

Bob Findlay - Brought in from Scottish side Arbroath, Findlay featured over the first five seasons for the club in the Lancashire League and Lancashire Combination and was a member of the side that won promotion from the Lancashire Combination Division Two at the end of the 1904- 05 season. Findlay played on the right side of defence and scored just once as he made over 100 appearances for the club. He was the first player to achieve that landmark for the club.

Pat Gallacher - Gallacher was a central defender who joined the club in 1910. He came with experience with a number of club’s before joined our Cumbrian neighbours including Hibernian, Tottenham Hotspur and Luton Town. He soon established himself as a strong central defender and a leader. He present four seasons for the club making just short of one hundred and fifty appearances which included playing in the famous FA Cup ties against Bradford Park Avenue and Stoke City.

Duggie McFarlane - Duggie joined the club during its first season in the Lancashire League and scored twelve times that season including the club’s first goal haul in a game in the 11-1 win over Haydock on 1 st January 1902. He scored twelve times again the following season and that earned him a move to Burnley. He spent two years at Turf Moor and then played for Tottenham Hotspur before returning to Barrow in the summer of 1910. He was a member of the side that won promotion from the Lancashire Combination Division Two at the end of the 1910-11 season with seven early season goals.

Michael Nimmo - Michael joined Barrow in August 1920 and he made his first team debut for the club in an FA Cup Preliminary Qualifying Round win over Vickerstown on 25th September. He was also a member of the team that two weeks later recorded the club’s biggest ever FA Cup win – 12-0 at home to Cleator Moor Celtic. Michael’s first goal for the club came at the end of October when he scored in the 2-1 win at South Liverpool and he scored a further five goals that season – all from the penalty spot as he skippered the team clinched the League title by six points from Eccles United. Michael led Barrow out for their first ever Football League game on the 27 th of August 1921 in Division Three North at home to Stockport County.

Moses Saunders - One of the club’s founding fathers. A former Preston North End Player (over 200 appearances), Moses attended the meeting that agreed to the founding of the club on 16 th July 1901 and he played a key role in bringing players to the club as it looked to build towards joining the Lancashire League. Moses played in the club’s first game – the 3-1 friendly victory over Blackpool on 2 nd September and featured regularly during that first season, scoring six times. He subsequently joined Dartford.

[pjdaly]

I was in touch earlier with Phil and we think you might be interested in the attached two photos from our distant history.

One is a photo of a match at our old ground, Little Park, Roose. Unfortunately it's NOT Barrow you see playing but nevertheless it's amazing to see a picture of what was the club's stadium (???) for four years before moving to Holker Street. On the back there is writing in pencil and it is very, very faded and difficult to make out but it says something like the following:-

"The third goal scored by ??? against St Mary's in the final of the N.W. Cup, April 18th 1908. Match played at Little Park, Roose before a record attendance"

I believe Little Park was situated just beyond the Ship on the stretch that is now Yarlside Road. I would speculate that this photo would feature the Ship off to the right hand side of the camera, the railway lines some distance downslope behind the camera and what is now Yarlside Road running roughly where we see the crowd gathered on the far side behind the barriers. Well, that's my best guess! If you know better the angle we are viewing from then please tell us!

The other photo features J (John I think ?) Fildes and again there is very faded pencil writing on the back which says:-

"Jn Fildes, Barrow inside-right, season 1910-11, January 22 1911"

This would have been taken in our second season at Holker Street. The Michael Gardner book "The Definitive Barrow AFC" suggests Fildes just played in that one season, 1910-11, for us, and chipped in with a few goals. I had been struggling to place where this photo was taken. Along the touchline there are no signs of any goalposts which suggests we are likely to be looking along one of the two long touchlines. But I was still puzzled. If it's the Holker Street stand on the left (and that seems favourite as I am not sure that in those days they would have had more than one covered area) then I would expect the far horizon to be rising up where we see Cemetery Hill, Newby Terrace, Highfield Road etc but it seems maybe too flat on the horizon? But there again, if it was taken by what is now the Ray Wilkie stand, you would expect to see Steelworks buildings and chimneys in the distance. Baffled by this, Phil told me that the day before 22nd January we had played away at Rossendale and perhaps it was taken there.

[capman]

Great bit off are History there

[ben_026]

The national library of Scotland has old maps on it's website which show a football ground east of Yarlside Road between where Yarlside Stores and the scout hut are now

I think the photo angle assumed above is correct

little park map.PNG (376.83 KiB) Viewed 18927 times

[pjdaly]

Thanks, Ben, that's a sensational discovery. Before Little Park, Roose, our ground was "Ainslie Street" for a couple of years . . . any chance of a map for that? Most recently (thanks due to Hadrian) the suggestion was that "Ainslie Street" might have referred to the Newby Terrace football field above Ainslie Street, which is still a football field to this day, although I have always been given to believe that at some point long ago it was a reservoir (certainly looks that way). Any map would be greatly appreciated! And of course, before Ainslie Street, our very first home was the Strawberry Grounds; I assume this is the playing fields behind the Valley Drive area, which are still playing fields? Again, any maps would be much appreciated.

[Hadrian]

You will enjoy the National Library of Scotland side-by-side maps! The 6" and 25" maps are the most useful historical resource but unfortunately are identified for the date range of the series rather than the specific year for a particular map. There is nothing pre-dating Holker Street as a football ground but it was apparently formerly the ground of a Hindpool Athletic so would likely show on maps as a ground pre-Barrow AFC. The early maps don't indicate where a ground off Ainslie Street might have been although the space where Cheviot Green and Longmynd Avenue are now was vacant at that time (but would you describe that as Ainslie Street - probably not?)

Newby Terrace was previously the Long Reins (sic) reservoir. Was it covered then or has it subsequently been filled in?

The Barrow 1906 thread had a link to this item.

[Holkerbird]

Thanks, Ben, that's a sensational discovery. Before Little Park, Roose, our ground was "Ainslie Street" for a couple of years . . . any chance of a map for that? Most recently (thanks due to Hadrian) the suggestion was that "Ainslie Street" might have referred to the Newby Terrace football field above Ainslie Street, which is still a football field to this day, although I have always been given to believe that at some point long ago it was a reservoir (certainly looks that way). Any map would be greatly appreciated! And of course, before Ainslie Street, our very first home was the Strawberry Grounds; I assume this is the playing fields behind the Valley Drive area, which are still playing fields? Again, any maps would be much appreciated.

You are right in that Newby Terrace was an open reservoir. I remember they had a deep sea diver in full suit, boots and helmet go down to attach a chain to a massive plug and must have had some mechanical winch to release it when it was drained. Must have been around 1950. There were millions of frogs in the area for years due to that!!!!!

[Cubbins Paratrooper]

Known as simply 'The Rezza' during my childhood and youth and with a bow to Holkerbird's reference re. 'millions of frogs', it also spawned the well-known 'Rez Gang' during the late sixties, early seventies. The wall stretching from the boundary of St. Mathew's up to what appeared to be an old school canteen was emblazoned with the names of associates and their respective favourite League One football teams. The graffiti was not produced with spray cans either (even though they were very much in vogue) but traditional paintpots and brushes (very much like the original 'Barrow Rule the Third'). Those lads took pride in their work.

[dodger]

Your right Jamie! It was in fact painted by the same Artists. Aerosols were not easy to get hold of in the late 60’s but paint was readily available from unlocked sheds in the area. Victoria school did use this as a football pitch for a time rather than the earlier thorncliffe playing fields. You would get games with 30 or more kids playing there at weekends and even cricket in the summer.

[Cubbins Paratrooper]

I thought that you may put in an appearance, 'Dodger'! 'Simmy' of 'Rezza' wall fame still goes to Holker Street. Whatever happened to 'Noddy' (was it Carter)?
Blimey, they are all 'artist's' now are they? How times change.

All great stuff.

[pjdaly]

Okay, Jamie, seeing as it's you – and at the risk of being yellow carded by the mods for deviating this thread into a tangentially bizarre orbit – here's what you were looking for. Like you, I was fascinated by the "artistry" (?) daubed on those walls and got this picture sixteen years ago before it all faded away. Of course this was just a small part of it. I seem to recall Sheff Wed loomed large on the brickwork. As for Noddy . . . . Alan Carter, still around, last bumped into him just a year or two back. Who's Tim? You tell me! As for you, I hope this puts a smile on your face. As for me? Get a life, I guess.

[pjdaly]

Ben, looking at your map again, I take it that must be old Yarlside Road to the left of the ground as we look? The Holebeck Road and Yarlside Road that we know today must be on the right hand side of The Ship as we look and that suggests the old ground must have been more or less slap bang in the middle of the modern day Yarlside Road. Never has it occurred to me, every time I've driven down Yarlside Road with The Ship to my left, that I was driving over the ghost of Barrow AFC's old football ground, where Daisy Bell used to tuck away all those goals for us. Sobering thought.

[Cubbins Paratrooper]

Okay, Jamie, seeing as it's you – and at the risk of being yellow carded by the mods for deviating this thread into a tangentially bizarre orbit – here's what you were looking for. Like you, I was fascinated by the "artistry" (?) daubed on those walls and got this picture sixteen years ago before it all faded away. Of course this was just a small part of it. I seem to recall Sheff Wed loomed large on the brickwork. As for Noddy . . . . Alan Carter, still around, last bumped into him just a year or two back. Who's Tim? You tell me! As for you, I hope this puts a smile on your face. As for me? Get a life, I guess.

Ha, brilliant, Paul. Hardly think a yellow card will be the consequence here. There again, it is modern football!
Wish that brother Tim was still around for me to show him the picture (just for the record, of course). 'Sheff Wed' did loom large as did Burnley, as I recall. Also recollect a tribute to George Eastham on one of the sections towards St. Mathews. Russ (Jardine) and Jimmy (Blanshard) were among other local names that appeared though am trying hard to recall a 'Stu' or a 'Stuart'!

[Stephen Leonard]

I think that the modern day view looks a bit like this - Yellow Shaded area is the football ground - red outline the tennis court