What has gone wrong, Who’s to blame

For all things Barrow AFC. Keep discussions civil and fair, we're all Barrow aren't we!
bluessupporter
Platinum Member
Posts: 3455
Joined: Thu Nov 19, 2020 2:23 pm

Re: What has gone wrong, Who’s to blame

Post by bluessupporter » Fri Sep 18, 2026 12:09 pm

Bigfathoss wrote: ↑Thu Sep 17, 2026 10:32 pm Because we are not allowed to know the truth (terrible case of mismanagement to let it get to the stage of an NDA being used) I can only guess, but I am of the opinion that the persons to blame are those who backed Iain Wood rather than Pete Wild.
That could be completely wrong but, in the absence of any fact from those involved, that's how it looks to me.
In my opinion how you were absolutely spot-on about Wood. He is at the root of it.

The other decision that I cannot fathom is bringing Wood onto the board. Absolute disaster.

The answer to me is to bring back Wild, but having seen the players we have, would he like to take on the challenge of getting them playing as they should and as we expect.
Last edited by bluessupporter on Fri Sep 18, 2026 12:19 pm, edited 1 time in total.

behind the goals
Gold Member
Posts: 2267
Joined: Fri Jan 24, 2014 9:44 pm
Contact:

Re: What has gone wrong, Who’s to blame

Post by behind the goals » Fri Sep 18, 2026 12:19 pm

We all want the board to keep paying out, wonder if we could find 100 fans to give the Club £10,000 to help, otherwise we are just dreaming that new investment will just appear, we are heading towards the NLN.

Hitthebar22
Silver Member
Posts: 1435
Joined: Mon Aug 03, 2015 6:40 am
Contact:

Re: What has gone wrong, Who’s to blame

Post by Hitthebar22 » Fri Sep 18, 2026 12:26 pm

We will just have grin and bear it, in the absence of any realistic alternative. other than sacking yet another manager.
All the above posts correctly identify the past difficulties, but none address an Identifiable way forward.
Underpinning our problems is money.
Firstly a lack of mega bucks, to buy players and get managers/coaches at a higher level.
Secondly a mismanagement of what funds have been made available.
1. Lack of mega bucks
With that in mind perhaps the club should be made available for sale? It’s a question not a suggestion.
See what’s available. Would mean Mr H and the board standing down. I repeat I’m not suggesting it.
Personally I think it highly unlikely that a reputable replacement would come forward in any event. 2.Mismanagement
In this sense, bearing in mind where our current income comes from (the board and parachute payments), the board have mismanaged a large proportion their own money by making several disastrous managerial appointments (possibly the current one included). That is compounded by poor players being brought in. If this is right, the board are likely to be acutely aware of it, or should be.

If the those two features are seen as crucial, is there any other way forward than to get rid of the board, or call for them to resign?

If so, it won’t happen.
And I repeat, we just grin and bear it in the absence of any realistic alternative.
Hope has never been a strategy.

User avatar
McMark
BarrowAFC Veteran
Posts: 11358
Joined: Tue Jun 04, 2013 8:09 pm
Contact:

Re: What has gone wrong, Who’s to blame

Post by McMark » Fri Sep 18, 2026 12:30 pm

Some clubs have a Series Of Unfortunate Events.
We seem to have an Encyclopaedia of them with several volumes, mostly Abridged.

Main Stand SeasonTct
Platinum Member
Posts: 3274
Joined: Sun Aug 06, 2017 5:05 pm
Contact:

Re: What has gone wrong, Who’s to blame

Post by Main Stand SeasonTct » Fri Sep 18, 2026 12:33 pm

behind the goals wrote: ↑Fri Sep 18, 2026 12:19 pm We all want the board to keep paying out, wonder if we could find 100 fans to give the Club £10,000 to help, otherwise we are just dreaming that new investment will just appear, we are heading towards the NLN.
I remember Bill McCullough doing similar many years ago. Then he asked for £500 and In them days that was a lot of money. In return those that handed over £500 were made life members giving them free admission for life.
I’m unsure how many of those supporters are still with us

Bingley Blue
Senior Member
Posts: 350
Joined: Thu Oct 21, 2021 4:16 pm
Contact:

Re: What has gone wrong, Who’s to blame

Post by Bingley Blue » Fri Sep 18, 2026 12:53 pm

Main Stand SeasonTct wrote: ↑Fri Sep 18, 2026 12:33 pm
behind the goals wrote: ↑Fri Sep 18, 2026 12:19 pm We all want the board to keep paying out, wonder if we could find 100 fans to give the Club £10,000 to help, otherwise we are just dreaming that new investment will just appear, we are heading towards the NLN.
I remember Bill McCullough doing similar many years ago. Then he asked for £500 and In them days that was a lot of money. In return those that handed over £500 were made life members giving them free admission for life.
I’m unsure how many of those supporters are still with us
There was also a debenture scheme in the immediate aftermath of Steven Vaughan’s tenure where fans bought debentures at a unit cost of £2,000.i think this was to cover running costs at a time when the club was in very real danger of going totally out of business.

User avatar
McMark
BarrowAFC Veteran
Posts: 11358
Joined: Tue Jun 04, 2013 8:09 pm
Contact:

Re: What has gone wrong, Who’s to blame

Post by McMark » Fri Sep 18, 2026 1:12 pm

Bingley Blue wrote: ↑Fri Sep 18, 2026 12:53 pm
Main Stand SeasonTct wrote: ↑Fri Sep 18, 2026 12:33 pm

I remember Bill McCullough doing similar many years ago. Then he asked for £500 and In them days that was a lot of money. In return those that handed over £500 were made life members giving them free admission for life.
I’m unsure how many of those supporters are still with us
There was also a debenture scheme in the immediate aftermath of Steven Vaughan’s tenure where fans bought debentures at a unit cost of £2,000.i think this was to cover running costs at a time when the club was in very real danger of going totally out of business.
And more recently the shareholders scheme in which we bought a 10% share in the club through the Bluebirds Trust. And has been continually topped up by supporting projects along the way.

User avatar
Adam29
BarrowAFC Veteran
Posts: 7315
Joined: Wed May 28, 2008 5:57 pm
Location: Barrow-in-Furness
Contact:

Re: What has gone wrong, Who’s to blame

Post by Adam29 » Fri Sep 18, 2026 2:39 pm

McMark wrote: ↑Fri Sep 18, 2026 1:12 pm
Bingley Blue wrote: ↑Fri Sep 18, 2026 12:53 pm There was also a debenture scheme in the immediate aftermath of Steven Vaughan’s tenure where fans bought debentures at a unit cost of £2,000.i think this was to cover running costs at a time when the club was in very real danger of going totally out of business.
And more recently the shareholders scheme in which we bought a 10% share in the club through the Bluebirds Trust. And has been continually topped up by supporting projects along the way.
Yep best way to help the club in this way is join the trust

If you want to pay a bit extra to the normal membership fee I’m sure the guys and girls would be appreciative of it

Hendoblue
Senior Member
Posts: 250
Joined: Thu Oct 22, 2020 10:03 pm
Contact:

Re: What has gone wrong, Who’s to blame

Post by Hendoblue » Fri Sep 18, 2026 3:48 pm


MisterPleasant
BarrowAFC Veteran
Posts: 5270
Joined: Fri Aug 28, 2020 10:29 am
Contact:

Re: What has gone wrong, Who’s to blame

Post by MisterPleasant » Fri Sep 18, 2026 4:55 pm

Hendoblue wrote: ↑Fri Sep 18, 2026 3:48 pm https://russraffle.co.uk/buytickets/russraffle/

Grab yourself some tickets
Yep, only after I'd purchased my usual allocation on Tuesday did I discover there was to be no draw so it'll be double-dos in the at tomorrow.
Don't let the old man in.

BlueAngel
New Member
Posts: 19
Joined: Mon Dec 01, 2025 7:28 pm
Contact:

Re: What has gone wrong, Who’s to blame

Post by BlueAngel » Sat Oct 10, 2026 10:57 pm

Crikey.. What A Turn Around. After that Very Upsetting display @ Solihull .. This is Fantastic.. Adam and his staff have Really addressed the past problems and seemingly are working matters out .. It’s a different team. So Blxxdy well done. The action on the field is exciting. Rekeem is my Grand daughters Hero I can’t see anyone being able to be beat us…..(Maybe Boreham Wood at their place) ) but the energy (fitness) and raw desire to fight for us all at the moment is above anything Ive ever seen in over 50 years…

olbarrafancumbak
Gold Member
Posts: 2498
Joined: Tue Aug 26, 2008 8:41 pm
Contact:

Re: What has gone wrong, Who’s to blame

Post by olbarrafancumbak » Sun Oct 11, 2026 1:01 pm

BlueAngel wrote: ↑Sat Oct 10, 2026 10:57 pm Crikey.. What A Turn Around. After that Very Upsetting display @ Solihull .. This is Fantastic.. Adam and his staff have Really addressed the past problems and seemingly are working matters out .. It’s a different team. So Blxxdy well done. The action on the field is exciting. Rekeem is my Grand daughters Hero I can’t see anyone being able to be beat us…..(Maybe Boreham Wood at their place) ) but the energy (fitness) and raw desire to fight for us all at the moment is above anything Ive ever seen in over 50 years…
And to think people were calling for heads to roll only a few weeks back.

You could see from the off Murray's intent, he could see what we were all feeling and he's turning the whole place around!

Only concern when up and coming managers have their heads turned like evatt did and I really hope that we have a decent clause if he continues to do well for us that if anyone comes sniffing, we don't just get a golden handshake!

I like the guy, his attention to detail is bang on and his desire is mirrored through the players and the determination they show.

It's still early days but I do think we will finish top 3 so long as we keep the players fit and maybe the odd addition if needed. He doesn't seem to bring in donkeys, he knows what he wants and has an ability to identify that person which got us, is brilliant.

Hope for this season is an immediate bounce back up and I don't see why we can't!

Oh.. and I genuinely hope we give Carlisle a bloody good hiding on the pitch, it's about time we shoved their "own the north" right back down their throats!!

User avatar
McMark
BarrowAFC Veteran
Posts: 11358
Joined: Tue Jun 04, 2013 8:09 pm
Contact:

Re: What has gone wrong, Who’s to blame

Post by McMark » Sun Oct 11, 2026 1:49 pm

olbarrafancumbak wrote: ↑Sun Oct 11, 2026 1:01 pm
BlueAngel wrote: ↑Sat Oct 10, 2026 10:57 pm Crikey.. What A Turn Around. After that Very Upsetting display @ Solihull .. This is Fantastic.. Adam and his staff have Really addressed the past problems and seemingly are working matters out .. It’s a different team. So Blxxdy well done. The action on the field is exciting. Rekeem is my Grand daughters Hero I can’t see anyone being able to be beat us…..(Maybe Boreham Wood at their place) ) but the energy (fitness) and raw desire to fight for us all at the moment is above anything Ive ever seen in over 50 years…
And to think people were calling for heads to roll only a few weeks back.

You could see from the off Murray's intent, he could see what we were all feeling and he's turning the whole place around!

Only concern when up and coming managers have their heads turned like evatt did and I really hope that we have a decent clause if he continues to do well for us that if anyone comes sniffing, we don't just get a golden handshake!

I like the guy, his attention to detail is bang on and his desire is mirrored through the players and the determination they show.

It's still early days but I do think we will finish top 3 so long as we keep the players fit and maybe the odd addition if needed. He doesn't seem to bring in donkeys, he knows what he wants and has an ability to identify that person which got us, is brilliant.

Hope for this season is an immediate bounce back up and I don't see why we can't!

Oh.. and I genuinely hope we give Carlisle a bloody good hiding on the pitch, it's about time we shoved their "own the north" right back down their throats!!
Other orifices may be available.

olbarrafancumbak
Gold Member
Posts: 2498
Joined: Tue Aug 26, 2008 8:41 pm
Contact:

Re: What has gone wrong, Who’s to blame

Post by olbarrafancumbak » Sun Oct 11, 2026 5:56 pm

McMark wrote: ↑Sun Oct 11, 2026 1:49 pm
olbarrafancumbak wrote: ↑Sun Oct 11, 2026 1:01 pm And to think people were calling for heads to roll only a few weeks back.

You could see from the off Murray's intent, he could see what we were all feeling and he's turning the whole place around!

Only concern when up and coming managers have their heads turned like evatt did and I really hope that we have a decent clause if he continues to do well for us that if anyone comes sniffing, we don't just get a golden handshake!

I like the guy, his attention to detail is bang on and his desire is mirrored through the players and the determination they show.

It's still early days but I do think we will finish top 3 so long as we keep the players fit and maybe the odd addition if needed. He doesn't seem to bring in donkeys, he knows what he wants and has an ability to identify that person which got us, is brilliant.

Hope for this season is an immediate bounce back up and I don't see why we can't!

Oh.. and I genuinely hope we give Carlisle a bloody good hiding on the pitch, it's about time we shoved their "own the north" right back down their throats!!
Other orifices may be available.
Nows the time to do it... 😂

Scott5
Veteran Member
Posts: 580
Joined: Sat Apr 27, 2024 9:19 pm
Contact:

Re: What has gone wrong, Who’s to blame

Post by Scott5 » Sun Oct 11, 2026 6:27 pm

I don’t think anyone actually called for Murray to be sacked the general consensus was see where we are at 10-12 games and judge. It has to be said though Solihull was an awful performance and result, made even worse by their results since then and at that point I was worried. Murray has added a few footballers since then though to add to the big strong boys he recruited and that has transformed us. I can only think he asked for more money or by moving rose and Whitfield on it freed up substantial wages and allowed the new boys to come in.

Full credit to him after that Solihull match I had my doubts but he’s turned it around and results speak for themselves. Not only that but seems to a very good team spirit and togetherness, something that was sadly lacking last season. Maybe not the most skilful of teams we’ve had but certainly have the fight and desire which should take them a long way and which is all we really ask for as paying fans.

Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 22 guests