Barrow v Crewe promotion battle, 24th April 1967

[pjdaly]

To ensure this one doesn't get mixed up in the thread about Crewe's LAST visit to Holker Street in 1971 I decided to create this extra thread which details Crewe's visit on Monday 24th April 1967, when the two teams were locked in deadly rivalry for a promotion place to Division 3. As Blue Nige was asking me for a bit more info about this match in the "last visit" thread I am responding here, not with a "bit more" but a lot more! Hope you're happy with this, Nige! Further below is the Evening Mail match report by Bob Herbert.

If anybody is wondering why I am putting so much detail in, the reason is simple . . . the match on 24th April 1967 is not just the greatest Barrow AFC match I have ever seen but the greatest football match I have ever seen, period. Nothing I have ever seen elsewhere, whether it was on TV or at other venues, has ever topped the drama of 24th April 1967 for me. We didn't clinch promotion that night but we took one giant leap towards it. Yet it wasn't just about almost wrapping up promotion, it was the very dramatic nature of the match that made it stand out like nothing else.

Back on 24th April 2017 I put something on this forum under the heading "50 years ago today" about this match but as old rivals Crewe are heading our way this weekend it was likewise a good time now to recall the match from what is now a distance of more than 55 years.

Two days earlier we had beaten Southend 1-0 at Holker Street in what I remember was a fairly dull encounter. Two days later, the word "dull" had to be replaced by "coruscating" as the best game of football ever played on this planet took place (and on possibly the wettest night ever at Holker Street) . . . . .




By BOB HERBERT

The success-starved followers of Barrow AFC can go ahead with their celebration plans. Promotion is as good as in the bag.

It was just about clinched at Holker Street last night with a storming success over fellow top four aspirants Crewe.

And this time the Barrow side that has always seemed to save its best performances for away games suddenly provided the best in front of their own followers. It was their FA Cup third round tie with Southampton all over again.

They served up great football on a rain-sodden pitch that should have dampened the spirit of any side and if some spectators left before the end it was only because they couldn’t stand the tension of what might turn out to be Barrow’s greatest moment.

However, there was an early danger that it would be Crewe and not Barrow who would go striding forward to Third Division football next season.

They were ahead inside two minutes when a spinning ball beat Brian Arrowsmith as it went out to the right. The winger had his shot blocked but fastened onto the rebound to lift the ball over to the unmarked Gowans on the left for a simple goal.

It was obvious that Barrow didn’t know what had hit them and all that the out-of-position Mallon could do was make a feeble protest at Gowans having possibly been off-side.

It was a good goal but was cancelled out three minutes later as McGarry stood back to let Mulholland go through to meet a Harrison pass and level.

But while this goal might have given confidence to the home attack it did little to settle the unsure Barrow defence. They were made to look very ragged by the stylish, swift moving visitors and conceded another goal in the 14th minute.

Once again it came from a cross by right winger Dearden, who got possession when Edwards “sold” himself in an unsuccessful bid to cut off a long raking pass. The ball was put back into the middle and Matthews was there to see this impressive Crewe side into a 1-2 lead.

But then there was a sudden transformation of the pattern of the game as Barrow found their stride. Edwards cracked in a couple of shot-cum-centres that went far too close for comfort as far as Crewe were concerned.

A Tony Field shot had keeper Hickson sprawling full length before he managed to turn the ball away with a flap of the hand – and Barrow were still warming up.

They were made to wait for their second equaliser but the way George Smith, Eric Harrison and Ron McGarry kept moving up to rip apart a once-sure defence with smartly pumped through passes it just had to come.

POWERFUL
And it was the powerful shooting of full-back Edwards that produced it. His low 48th minute drive was deflected by pivot Barnes as it went through his legs to hit the inside of the post. The ball spun across the face of the net and the industrious Field snapped on it to tap it home.

Would Crewe have the ability to hit back? It seemed likely for their strongly built men were made for the stamina-sapping conditions – but they weren’t given the chance to get another look in.

One moment of danger came when Gowans carved out a chance for Bradshaw but the inside forward sliced his attempt. Otherwise, Barrow’s skilful and enthusiastic performance kept them on top.

On and on they surged until the points were finally clinched seven minutes from time. And what a goal it was. If it turns out to be the key to promotion then it did justice to the occasion.

Roy McCarthy, showing the form that can make him look like a world-beater, moved down the left. He rounded two men with calm casualness before providing a spot-on pass for Jim Mulholland and Barrow’s leading goalscorer showed his craft to add another to his tally.

And while it was the centre-forward’s name that went on the score-sheet, it was really McCarthy’s goal. He created it out of nothing at all and the young fans showed their appreciation by mobbing the winger. If he had asked for the town-hall clock at that particular moment I bet he would have been given it.

STOLE GLORY
This goal stole the glory but it was the tremendous team effort that took the points. The manager wasn’t there to provide a confidence-boosting interval pep-talk for Don McEvoy was away doing more scouting but trainer [SwearFilter] Robinson made sure that there was nothing lacking in the solidity of the second-half covering.

It’s hard to pick out individuals after such a great display but that glutton for work, Smith, was always looking for the ball and Harrison gave his best-ever display in a Barrow shirt, even though he committed a few minor indiscretions when he let brawn take over from brain.

Edwards was just a shade above the other defenders and Mulholland had to be admired for his attacking work, but not a single player could be faulted on this display.

That gave the good-sized crowd, on a terrible night, more than value for their money, and if this doesn’t ensure a bumper gate when Barrow complete their home programme by entertaining Brentford a week on Saturday, then the Furness area won’t deserve Third Division football.

Barrow 3 Crewe 2

BARROW : Else, Mallon, Edwards, Smith, Arrowsmith, Harrison, McCarthy, McGarry, Mulholland, Field, Pilkington.

CREWE : Hickson, Lowry, Leigh, Stott, Barnes Gannon, Dearden, Archer, Matthews, Bradshaw, Gowans.

Referee : Mr. J. A. Cattlin (Rochdale)

Attendance : 6,425

After last night’s matches, places at the top of the Fourth Division now are :

Pl W D L F A Pts
Stockport 41 24 10 7 56 33 58
Southport 44 21 13 10 66 41 55
Barrow 44 22 11 11 74 54 55
Tranmere 42 20 13 9 59 44 53
Southend 43 22 8 13 70 47 52
Crewe 42 19 11 12 65 52 49

[pjdaly]

Below are the first and third goals from the match . . . . .

[blue nige]

THANKS Paul it really was brilliant, you have to be at these occasions to appreciate them, maybe just maybe Pete Wild can push us close to these occasions again and what a lot of supporters won't realise is we used to play night games on a Monday!

[xerxes]

Brilliant. My memory wasn't playing tricks, I remember the bit about McCarthy being given the Town Hall clock, as I mentioned on the other thread.

Unfortunately I missed this game - living in Seascale I could only get to Saturday games as there was no train that departed late enough to get home from evening matches.

[SKIPPER]

Never forget this game. Stood in the queue on Wilkie Road in biblical rain when the game kicked off. Still there when someone leaned over the wall and said " You might want to go home,they've taken the lead " I got in and had barely walked halfway along the HSE when we equalised. It was the prelude to a game that lived up to its billing. Had we lost it could easily have cost us promotion and who knows what might have happened in the ensuing years.

[behind the goals]

Never forget this game. Stood in the queue on Wilkie Road in biblical rain when the game kicked off. Still there when someone leaned over the wall and said " You might want to go home,they've taken the lead " I got in and had barely walked halfway along the HSE when we equalised. It was the prelude to a game that lived up to its billing. Had we lost it could easily have cost us promotion and who knows what might have happened in the ensuing years.

Well we won promotion and still ended up in the Northern Premier League in 1972.

[Dexter]

I still remember this game and rate it as one of the best and most exciting Barrow games I have seen.

[Jim]

I was there! What a match. I have a press cutting from the Daily Mail headlined “Night of the little clubs”. I am on holiday in NZ at the moment otherwise I would post the report.

[saltcellar]

THANKS Paul it really was brilliant, you have to be at these occasions to appreciate them, maybe just maybe Pete Wild can push us close to these occasions again and what a lot of supporters won't realise is we used to play night games on a Monday!

Also local midweek Crown Green Bowling matches were also played on Monday nights.
I think it was because overtime in the shipyard was on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights so supporters could still work and go to matches.

[Matty]

Noticed in that report it says that the manager was absent as he was off on a scouting mission. Was that common-place? You wouldn't hear of that at all in the modern day game.

[pjdaly]

Yes, Matty, you've picked up on something that has intrigued me over the years whenever I have looked back at this particular match report. I even asked Bob (Herbert) about the remark a couple of years ago but he didn't recall his comment in his report so couldn't shed any light on it.

Personally I think the manager must have been covering up if he said he was going to be away "scouting". I mean, think about it . . . why would you be scouting at the end of April when the season was almost finished and your team is playing an absolutely crucial promotion-decider? It's insane. You've built a team over a period of about three years to get you to the threshold of glory and then you go awol for the night to go "scouting"!

Methinks it's more likely McEvoy was probably away finalising terms with Grimsby, who he joined the moment the season was finished. I can remember standing in the crowd that gathered on the pitch after we had clinched promotion by beating Brentford . . . the rumours were already circulating and various supporters were calling out for McEvoy not to go. And why would he bother to be away "scouting" when he probably already knew he was going to be leaving the club that he was supposedly trying to recruit players for? That wouldn't make any sense. Were we all born yesterday? (I certainly wasn't . . . and in more senses than one).

[MisterPleasant]

He might have been 'scouting' at Brentford - running an eye over the next opposition (that's me trying to see the best in people )