Biggest Scalp in 121 Years?

[pjdaly]

"Little old Barrow" have been rolling along for 121 years and the question might be asked as to whether that is the greatest single victory in our history! I certainly don't mean the most "important", because at the end of the day it's just an early-rounds cup match and not a final or a crucial promotion clincher; but maybe as a one-off match it's arguably our greatest-ever scalp?

Well, I believe the history books show that the highest ranked teams we have ever beaten in a proper competitive match have been teams from the 2nd flight and I believe it's only ever happened twice in our entire history. The first was in this competition when we beat Crystal Palace in the second round of this same League Cup in September 1967. And now we have this win over Blackpool to sit alongside it!

Detractors might say it was a weakened Blackpool side but the facts wouldn't strongly back that up as there were as many as 9 who featured for Blackpool last night as appeared last Saturday in their previous league game. Plus, the victory against Crystal Palace was at Holker Street whereas last night was on away turf. So maybe, just maybe, August 9th 2022 marked the most prestigious scalp we have ever claimed in 121 long years? The sort of scalp to make Stanley Matthews, Stan Mortensen, Jimmy Armfield and Alan Ball turn in their graves?

However the magnitude of last night's win is weighed in the balance of our history, it certainly continues our shocking start to this season - - - shocking not in the familiar sense of dreadful, but shocking in the Meldrewesque "I don't believe it" sense.

[mickmike wilson]

I suppose the old Lancs cup is a lesser comp but we have beaten Liverpool & Man U previous haven’t we, going off faded memories & no I’m not old enough to have seen it.

[sempre contigo]

I think there's genuine hope that these sorts of scalps can be a regualr(ish) feature as long as we remain in the league.

If you look at the sides Blackpool beat and then lost to in their opening two games (Reading and Stoke), they both went out to lower league opposition last night. One to a side that was battling relegation with us last year (Stevenage) and the other to a bunch of pathetic losers who can only muster up 1800 fans at home (Morecambe).

So we should go into these ties with some confidence... Roll on the draw!

[Jonty]

We shouldn’t be so surprised with last night’s performance and result. I don’t think the team will be. So in the context of biggest scalp? I’m not so sure. Our competitiveness on the pitch has risen so much in the short time Pete Wild has been here and with that he is instilling a culture and professionalism that we have been missing since, let’s be honest, Evatt was at the wheel. We want more of these results and maybe we’ve finally found the manager who can build something here so that we can rid ourselves of that millstone of “Little old Barrow” that has held us back for too long.

[xerxes]

I suppose the old Lancs cup is a lesser comp but we have beaten Liverpool & Man U previous haven’t we, going off faded memories & no I’m not old enough to have seen it.

I've seen wins against both Manchester clubs in that competition, but they were definitely reserve squads.

[Suffolk Blue]

Biggest scalp was almost certainly beating Crystal Palace in the League Cup (1968??).

That win against Blackpool doesn’t even register. It was a great experience to be there but was a poor game against a hodgepodge of a Blackpool side who’s work ethic looked off until late in the game.

What stood out for me was our desire, resilience and never say die attitude. That made a better team on paper look lazy.

[Kieran]

That win against Blackpool doesn’t even register.

Doesn't even register? What planet are you on?

As a one off result it is undoubtedly one of the biggest in our history taking into account the level Blackpool play at.

[Adam29]

1967/68 barrow were a 3rd division side Crystal Palace were a midtable 2nd division side

2022/23 barrow are a league two side tipped by many for relegation and Blackpool are in the championship

Please tell me how that isn’t a bigger upset than beating a side 1 division above?

[HenneysKnee]

That win against Blackpool doesn’t even register

This is why people prefer discussing awful painted walls on here, saves discussing awful football opinions such as this one

[Suffolk Blue]

1967/68 barrow were a 3rd division side Crystal Palace were a midtable 2nd division side

2022/23 barrow are a league two side tipped by many for relegation and Blackpool are in the championship

Please tell me how that isn’t a bigger upset than beating a side 1 division above?

Sorry for my "awful" opinion Adam. I was at the game and I was as happy as anyone else at the outcome.

You are usually very specific when you pick others up on their comments. This thread mention no specific criteria on which you could ever make a decision on how significant that was. And significant what? Performance? Result? Other than being 2 divisions higher. Is that our criteria for how big an upset is? Blackpool played half a first team side and included some unblooded loanees. They then made five substitutions after 60 minutes. Tactically they got it wrong. We were fantastic in our own half but posed no threat in theirs.

If we progress to the third round and end up at Anfield, I doubt they'd play a single first team squad member. If we prevailed against Liverpool Under 23s would that be the greatest result in our history? Is we beat Man Utd in the Papa Johns against their U23s would that be the greatest result in our history?

I was probably wrong to say the Blackpool result didnt register. It clearly did but for me not at the top. By the way Pete Wild has not come out in his many public utterances and claimed this as one of the clubs greatest results. I dont think he even rates this as important as the result on saturday v Bradford.

If you are going to make claims fair enough. But at least use some criteria that we can all agree or disagree with.

[Adam29]

Where in my comment does it say “awful opinion”
Two other people said that but you never picked on their comments you just went straight for mine where I asked a question of how beating a side 2 divisions higher wasn’t considered a big upset when you said a game against a side just one division above was?

[Alley_Cat]

1967/68 barrow were a 3rd division side Crystal Palace were a midtable 2nd division side

2022/23 barrow are a league two side tipped by many for relegation and Blackpool are in the championship

Please tell me how that isn’t a bigger upset than beating a side 1 division above?

Sorry for my "awful" opinion Adam. I was at the game and I was as happy as anyone else at the outcome.

You are usually very specific when you pick others up on their comments. This thread mention no specific criteria on which you could ever make a decision on how significant that was. And significant what? Performance? Result? Other than being 2 divisions higher. Is that our criteria for how big an upset is? Blackpool played half a first team side and included some unblooded loanees. They then made five substitutions after 60 minutes. Tactically they got it wrong. We were fantastic in our own half but posed no threat in theirs.

If we progress to the third round and end up at Anfield, I doubt they'd play a single first team squad member. If we prevailed against Liverpool Under 23s would that be the greatest result in our history? Is we beat Man Utd in the Papa Johns against their U23s would that be the greatest result in our history?

I was probably wrong to say the Blackpool result didnt register. It clearly did but for me not at the top. By the way Pete Wild has not come out in his many public utterances and claimed this as one of the clubs greatest results. I dont think he even rates this as important as the result on saturday v Bradford.

If you are going to make claims fair enough. But at least use some criteria that we can all agree or disagree with.

Jesus - the bickering here is as if we are in a relegation dog fight and everyone is miserable. Chill out SB

[behind the goals]

We have never beaten a 1st Division Club/Premier League Club or 2nd Division Club/Championship Club in a competitive match before the Blackpool game, we have played against Clubs from the top two Division on many occasions but never won, so yes the win at Blackpool is the biggest scalp in 121 years in a competitive first team fixture no question, whether the game was good or bad makes no difference, if anyone can find a victory over a side from the top 2 divisions in a first team fixture please tell.

[saltcellar]

I think the biggest upset was not a win but a 2-2 draw.
4th division Barrow against 1st division Southampton.
A 3 division gap, great performance and unlucky not to win against a side full of international players.
Top teams then played their best elevens when playing against lower league opposition.
Southampton included, amongst others, internationals Terry Paine, Ron Davies and Martin Chivers, plus a youngster by the name of David Webb who moved on to Chelsea and scored the winner in the 1970 FA Cup Final.

[pjdaly]

We have never beaten a 1st Division Club/Premier League Club or 2nd Division Club/Championship Club in a competitive match before the Blackpool game, we have played against Clubs from the top two Division on many occasions but never won, so yes the win at Blackpool is the biggest scalp in 121 years in a competitive first team fixture no question, whether the game was good or bad makes no difference, if anyone can find a victory over a side from the top 2 divisions in a first team fixture please tell.

Behind the Goals - - -as mentioned in my lead article, we beat 2nd Division Crystal Palace 1-0 at Holker Street in the second round of the League Cup in September 1967, in the very early weeks of our time as a 3rd Division club. Jim Mullholland got the only goal of the game at the Holker Street end in, I think, off the top of my head, the 57th minute. I remember parts of that game almost like it was yesterday, such was the majesty of our performance. And I can clearly see, in my mind's eye, the highly skilled Mulholland actually scuffing his strike for the winner and throwing the Palace keeper off guard! Obviously, Blackpool are likewise "second division" now, and that's why I raised the debate as to which might be the better result. I do believe they are the only two teams from the "second division" that we have beaten in a properly competitive fixture.

I suppose it might have been clearer if I had said "highest ranking scalp" because then it is down to either Crystal Palace or Blackpool. If I had said "biggest gulf scalp" then you could bring occasions such as our win away just a few short years ago at 3rd Division Bristol Rovers into the debate as there were many rungs on the whole footballing ladder separating us and Rovers that day (but don't ask me exactly how many rungs because I don't know!)