Barrow AFC.net

This could well be the last game we have the keens in charge
And regardless of what some people think we wouldn't of had a club without them.
I really like tony and Brian as people and think its shit that there going to lose money
I understand why thay want out and I as would many others like to thank them.
I would hope that at some point tomorrow thay get a round of applause for what thay've done
And the bod for the work and effort thay've put in as well. THANK YOU

+1 Well said

+ another one.

Pity I can't make tomorrow's game.

Thanks for saving the club and all the good times.

Well done Tommy, I was thinking of doing a similar post if/when the vote confirms the takeover but seeing as you've started it & the outcome looks pretty positive anyway...........

I'd also like to add my thanks to all the others who helped this club out when we needed them, too many to list, but without them we probably wouldn't have a club at this level to follow & apart from those directors at the beginning (post Vaughan) there have been many others who have stepped in to do their part.
Anyone who follows this club (whether they agree with all the decisions directors have made in the past or not) owe a lot to them & I'm glad they were the people we put in charge when we've had some of our greatest day's in our football history.

It'll no doubt be a very emotional day for quite a few people tomorrow.



I'm sure PJ or Wintergreen will put it far better.

Little bit disappointed with a few who've been on here
And not thanked the keens for what thay've done
As let's face it no one else steped up did thay !
Some folk think there better then others 'fair play'
You mite be ! Can't help voice how I feel as it boils my [SwearFilter]
At how others think. There's a load of us feel the same
But won't say nowt 'I will' sir Brian keen legend

Yes I echo the thoughts on here.if it wasn't for Brian the club would be gone....the wembley trips and the fantastic run in the league will NEVER be forgotten.THANKYOU Brian and Tony and tomorrow I will be shaking both your hands if I can.it would be nice to get a standing ovation at some point to say thankyou to ALL who have done their bit. Roll on tomorrow and anticipation , excitement for next season.

Totally agree with all above. In 1999 I'd reached 40 years a fan. I thought it was 40 and out.What Brian Keen did was inspired. My memory may have faded but I honestly don't remember anyone else who didn't just shrug their shoulders and think 'thats it'
Of course they have made mistakes.Everybody does. I would defy any subscriber on this forum to say they havent in the last 15 years. A lot has been made of their loans and the fact they didn't approach the members first. Possibly a degree of false pride that they'd got us into the mess and would get us out of it without putting the begging bowl out to the fans. Who knows. To my mind their one major mistake was over the membership. Why were membership forms not handed out with Wembley tickets. With euphoria at an all time high they could have trebled (or more) membership overnight. Anyway thats history and we now look forward (hopefully) to a new era.Thanks for all you've done Brian and there may eventually be a lasting commemoration in the future, perhaps naming the new 'lid' on the HSE after you and your family

The Keens saved this club from oblivion and have served it well. If what I read on here is true they're still helping out by taking less money than they are owed from the new owner (assuming everything goes well). It has become pretty obvious that they can no longer sustain the losses and there is no shame in that. Nobody has or could have done more for the survival of this club.

russell_anderson wrote:The Keens saved this club from oblivion and have served it well. If what I read on here is true they're still helping out by taking less money than they are owed from the new owner (assuming everything goes well). It has become pretty obvious that they can no longer sustain the losses and there is no shame in that. Nobody has or could have done more for the survival of this club.

Agree in total what with what Russel has written above, we will always be thankful for their input both financial and long man-hours for our great club. However I think there will be plenty of opportunity to thank Brian and Tony along with other hard working board members and club personnel in person over the coming days and weeks and I am sure that is what many people will be doing! Perhaps playing Day's by the Kinks when they come out at the start, would be an Apt gesture!

Well said ABC, can't argue with that at all. There may have been mistakes but we cannot forget ever 1999 and the fact that we would not be here but for them stepping in. It's just a bit premature for me, I'm not counting my chickens over this vote. It gives me the collywobbles to hear that some (how many???) have voted against the Casson takeover. Also, I just wonder how many have simply not voted at all??? Hard to believe as it could be argued that in some ways it's possibly the most important moment in our entire history coming up any day now (oh, apart from the Keen intervention in 1999 that is). If the Casson takeover does go ahead then I assume at some point a proper gesture of thanks will be made in some sort of official way.

Just to add to this. If the takeover goes through, I'd like to place on record my thanks to Brian. He saved this club from certain oblivion, and I believe we remain the only club to have traded it's way out of liquidation. No mean feat.

As a relatively new director, Brian has been on hand to give me guidance and support.

It's not going to far too say that I think he's a Barrow legend in his own right.

So, cheers Brian!

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Today has I promised I shook both Brian and Tony s hand , brian appeared to be emotional as he should be, Tony thanked me..again with emotion.. it must be gut wrenching to let it go after so many years. Lets hope something can be done.

It goes without saying that life for Barrow AFC would have been very, very different if Brian & Tony Keen had not stepped up to the mark in the dark days of the post-Vaughan era. That first season, when we didn't know until well after other clubs had a number of games under their belt, whether we still had a place as a senior non-league club was one of the most troubled times and the easy option would have been to give up. But perseverence won the day, and we survived.

Whilst life hasn't always been a bed of roses and there have been bad times, there have been so many happy memories.

The superb run to the play-offs, then that night at Burton Albion when we beat Stalybridge to regain our Conference Premier place.

Going so, so, close to knocking Bournemouth out of the FA Cup when they had home advantage in the replay.

Beating a Football League side - Brentford - for the first time as a non-league club; particularly satisfying for me as Brentford are local to where I live and a number of my friends support them.

The mass Barrovian exodus to Middlesbrough (where, for a few moments at the end, we thought that we might just snatch a replay) and then the next year to Sunderland, where we braved atrocious weather conditions. Whilst we lost both games, we came away with our heads held high.

And of course maintaining our 100% record at Wembley by beating Stevenage. Just look at the DVD and the shot of the Directors' box after the game to see the width of the smile on Brian Keen's face to realise what it meant to him.

We will have a better idea within the next few days what the future holds for Barrow AFC, but whatever the outcome of the takeover vote, there is another big vote we need to take. And that is a big vote of thanks to Brian & Tony Keen and the other Directors for all they have done for the club over the years they have been in charge at Holker Street.

Steelworks End wrote:
We will have a better idea within the next few days what the future holds for Barrow AFC, but whatever the outcome of the takeover vote, there is another big vote we need to take. And that is a big vote of thanks to Brian & Tony Keen and the other Directors for all they have done for the club over the years they have been in charge at Holker Street.

Agree 100%. I remember talking to Brian in the very early days of AFC 1999 and his determination was a joy to behold. He wanted to do the right thing by the club and boy oh boy did he do that!

Thanks to Tony too but particularly to Brian.

It would be nice if they were made Life Presidents to recognise the work (and money!) they've put in over their stewardship.