Barrow vs. Cheltenham Town

Ten years ago, I embarked upon a journey to visit all the 92 grounds in the English professional leagues – and write about them. The result was ‘Playing Offside’, a five-volume football groundhopping book series that was completed in the early part of the 2020-21 season. Obviously, time has seen clubs move in and out of the 92, while some clubs have moved to new grounds entirely. So, an update to get me back on the full complement of grounds is in order, and I figured the tenth anniversary was a good place to kick off from. This is why I’m on my first leg of update today as I’m on the Furness Peninsula to see Barrow take on Cheltenham in League Two.

The journey to Barrow is a picturesque one – the train I’m on rattles around the North West coast, with glimpses of the Irish Sea, Morecambe Bay and the Duddon Estray visible from your window. The positioning of the town has seen it referred to as a ‘cul-de-sac’ due to it being tucked away at the tip of the Furness Peninsula and as such, it’s relatively awkward to get to. This has seemingly put it at a disadvantage in post-industrial Britain – although many other towns like it have suffered from industry decline and decimation, they at least are located within easy reach of a city so are able to retain their populations and foster business connections. Barrow has struggled in both these aspects – and this situation has even seen the football club decide to train a hundred miles away to build a competitive team.

After previously training in Lancaster and Rochdale, the club agreed a deal to train in Salford at De La Salle Sports & Social Club two years ago, citing that it was an opportunity to have good facilities in a location that would be easier to get to for prospective players. It’s seemingly worked so far as Barrow have managed to establish themselves as a League Two side – and are probably pushing to be involved in a promotion push this year. As of summer 2023, they moved on to train at FC United’s ground at Broadhurst Park in Manchester, where they remain to this day. It’s a difficult situation – while the idea to train in a more ‘central’ location does offer more opportunities to retain and recruit players, it will definitely have an impact on the community aspect of the club when the players who play for it have no connection to the area.

Some supporters have voiced their concerns about this, while others have been more accepting, saying it’s necessary for the club to have a long-term future in the EFL. I can see both sides and without knowing much about the ins and outs of the club, I can’t really comment either way – but what I do find concerning is that the club have also abandoned their academy, like several clubs in the EFL. EPPP, which has been criticised for being perceivably weighed in favour of the bigger clubs to hoover up the best young talents, no doubt having an effect.

Barrow AFC were founded in 1901, playing at several local grounds, including the evocatively-named Strawberry Ground before moving to Ainslie Street and then Little Park. By the time of their move to Holker Street – the ground they play at today – they were playing in the top division of the Lancashire Combination. Remaining there on either side of the First World War, Barrow went on to win the league title in 1920-21 which coincided with the formation of a Football League Division Three North – they were invited to become founder members and duly took their place amongst the professional clubs.

They were to remain in the Football League for 51 years, the highlight being promotion to the third tier of English football (after the two Division Three’s were combined and divided into two nationalised divisions) in 1967, going on to spend three seasons playing there. They had several interesting moments in the FA Cup as a league club – in the 1953-54 competition, a still-record crowd of 16,874 packed into Holker Street to see them draw 2-2 with Swansea, while a few years later, they hosted reigning Football League champions, Wolverhampton Wanderers. The side, containing England captain and all-time great, Billy Wright, were given a scare by Barrow, persevering 4-2 in front of another 16,000 crowd.

By the 1970s, the club was in dire financial trouble; relegated back to the Fourth Division in 1970, they finished bottom of the 92 the season after but survived in the re-election. However, despite finishing third-bottom the next season, they failed to be re-elected and were replaced with Hereford United. The vote was close, going to a second round after a tie between the two, but three factors ultimately put paid to their status as a Football League club – their isolated location in the far North West, Hereford’s performances (notably their famous FA victory against Newcastle United), and the Barrow board’s decision to offset the club’s losses by laying out a speedway track around the Hoker Street pitch.

Their return to the 92 in 2020 was a result of several years of solid building on-and-off the field – including a change of ownership. A consortium, made up of local businessmen and supporters purchased the club from Texan millionaire (yes, you read that right!) Paul Casson in 2018. New chairman, Paul Hornby, cited that the opportunity to run the club in a more democratically, was the way forward. And so far, he’s been proved right – Barrow won promotion a mere 18 months later and have since settled into the EFL, finishing just outside the play-off places last term. With the centralised training base in Greater Manchester offering an attractive workplace for new players, it’s not beyond the realms of possibility that they may go on to reach the third tier of English football again after a 55-year absence.

Sponsors in the lower leagues are always interesting – away from big brands and betting companies that dominate Premier League shirts, the EFL often has a wide variety of interesting businesses and causes sponsoring their teams. Barrow are one such club. The Canadian Province of Newfoundland and Labrador are the shirt sponsors of Barrow. Not a company, not a charity, but the local government of Newfoundland and Labrador! One of the reasons why they chose Barrow could be the town’s shipbuilding history – several Canadian ships were built here, including the HMHS Newfoundland (a hospital ship used in the Second World War), as well as a cargo ship, the Geraldine May. Officials say that the two-year deal would allow them to be ‘showcased on a global stage’. With it being public money, they’re bound to reveal how much they’re spending and it turns out the deal is worth $171,000CAN – just under £100k. It’s an amusing story to talk about, but that’s the point – it’s unique enough to get people talking and get the name of Newfoundland and Labrador (which is a very interesting name already!) out there.  All for £50k a season. Tax money well spent, in my opinion!

Holker Street is a short walk from the train station and the centre of town – you just turn out of the station and walk down the road for ten minutes, it’s that simple. The ground lies next to another football ground – that of Furness Rovers of the Furness Premier League. There’s a match going on there right now, in fact, so I slip into the Barrow ‘fan zone’ for a beer and soak up the action. I’ve been seeing an increasing number of these outdoor fan zones outside grounds in recent years and the one here is great – not only does it have relatively-cheap beer (where else in the EFL can you get a pint for £4 these days?), but much of it is under cover which is very helpful in times of adverse weather. On the walls of the outdoor bit of the fan zone are boards, chronicling the club’s history which I think is a nice touch – charting the highs and lows up until the 2020 season and their return to the 92. Naturally, I love such educational additions such as this and I think many of our clubs could do with something similar – a reminder of history informs us that we too will be part of it, potentially inspiring us to make a difference from the stands, helping to create new entries on those same boards?

There’s a long queue at the turnstile and I just about manage to get in as the game kicks off – in my rush to get to my seat, I almost bump into Barrow mascot, Bluey (the bluebird, featured on the club insignia) as they appear from a doorway. I give Bluey an awkward thumbs up and I get one in return – my day has been made already! I don’t know what it is, but I find interacting with mascots funnier as an adult than I did when I was a child – I used to think they were very uncool and not all hip, so maybe age has made me more cringe, I don’t know. On taking my seat in the Brian Arrowsmith Stand, named after the former player and manager, who played in the Football League for the club, making well over 500 league appearances, I’m immediately impressed by the sight of the interior of the ground. All the stands are mismatched, obviously all built at different times, so they offer a unique aesthetic. The stand I’m in (nor the one opposite) runs the full length of the pitch, so three smaller stands have been added to the side of it; two on one side, one on the other. The Brian Arrowsmith Stand has been built above the pitch, so you have to walk up a set of stairs just to get to the first row.

Barrow were top of League Two this time last week, but two defeats in a week has seen them slip to fourth. We’re still very early into the season but getting into a bad run at any point could potentially derail any ambitions your team has, so the supporters are onto their side right away, expectant of a better performance. Lining up in goal for the home side is Wyll Stanway – not only a Furness lad but also the younger brother of Euro 2022 winner (and arguably one of the best midfielders in the women’s game), Georgia Stanway. Wyll started his career playing next door at Furness Rovers before a spell at Holker Old Boys earned him a move to Chester where he made over fifty appearances. He also spent time on loan at various non-league clubs, most notably Macclesfield who apparently wanted to sign him permanently but couldn’t agree a fee. After a stellar season back at Chester (where he was voted Supporters Player of the Year), Barrow brought him home in this summer. This is a lad who was playing on the pitch next door just three years ago. What a story!

As it was, the first fifteen minutes of the match are quite even – as in not much happened. Well, except Stanway almost let Cheltenham in – he attempted to clear the ball from inside his six-yard box, missed it, it hit his standing leg, and he just about corrected his positioning to boot it clear as an attacker was closing in. Relieved gasps from most inside the ground. Just as it seems like we're heading for an uneventful, scoreless half, Cheltenham grab a goal. Ethon Archer has a shot that Stanway does well to beat away, but it falls to the edge of the area where Ryan Bowman smashes it into the top corner. It was a great finish, to be fair – I’ve seen Bowman knocking about Leagues One and Two for several years now, and he’s one of those players who always seems to be a good bet for a goal. Barrow then immediately go up from kick-off and make Owen Evans, the Cheltenham keeper, produce his first save of the match. Makes me wonder why they couldn’t have put this much pressure on them earlier, seeing as they did it straight from the restart? It was comfortable enough for Evans – a low shot straight at him, but it nevertheless represented Barrow's first chance of the match. Something to build on.

I can only assume that it was the gameplan to take it easy in the first half, as Barrow come out flying as the second began. Just a matter of seconds after a ball across the Cheltenham penalty area was blocked, it’s crossed back in where Emile Acquah is on hand to power a header into the same corner of the net that Bowman did earlier! That move came down Barrow’s left side, and they continue to find some joy down there – another cross is put into the area, another header goes up but this time, Evans does well to catch and hold on.

The supporters, although muted for the majority of the mostly-uneventful first half, have been growing in volume throughout the second, as their team continue to dominate the ball and look for space behind the opposition defence. They create another chance when a last-ditch block inside the area prevents a clear shot at goal – this animates more of the supporters around me, who continue to will their side on, desperate for a goal that could send them back to the top of the league. I have noticed that there are quite a lot of young people here – I don’t know if that’s because I’m getting towards middle age now (as well as being cringe), but it seems that there’s been a concerted effort to appeal to the younger end of the Barrow population to fill these seats. Encouraging for the future of this club.

The home side are probing down both sides, playing the ball with increasing pace – and Cheltenham are struggling to contain them. With barely five minutes left, a move down the right is blocked out to the left, where full-back, Ben Jackson, is waiting. Skipping inside, he finds space just inside the area and fires the ball across towards the penalty spot where an on-rushing Andy Dallas is there to sidefoot into the corner – a great move and finish. It’s fully-deserved for their performance in the second half – with the shackles off, they’ve looked like a different side. I did have to laugh at Bluey though, who was standing on the opposite side of the ground, going crazy; jumping up and down with their arms in the air. Amongst all the other Barrow white shirts in the crowd, all I could see was a giant bird’s head bopping up and down – would look quite frightening if this was a night game, with darkness surrounding the bopping bird’s head!

Speaking of scares, Barrow look jittery at the back – especially now we’re in added-on time. Just before the goal, a free-kick into their area was just inches from being turned in by a Cheltenham player. Nevertheless, they just about hold on and celebrate three points that takes them back into the automatic promotion places – I check the table later, and they’re just a single goal from being top, in fact! I’ve really enjoyed my visit to Barrow today, the match aside, they seem to be doing things ‘the right way’ in regard to the supporter experience – which isn’t a coincidence, seeing as their shareholders are supporters! Hopefully, they’ll be able to balance the need to train at a more central location in the North West with fostering a community feel around the club, because it’s vital – the number of young people here today is proof that there is a future for this football club at this level.

I have a pint in the nearby Supporters Club (or ‘Soccer Bar’, as the sign outside says!), after the match. It’s a smart social club-type environment, the sort that most grounds used to have, but have sadly faded away. I plump for a decent pint of mild for three quid, which again, is relatively cheap in 2024. What a lovely place – I’m considering moving here if the value for money is this good!

Barrow 2
(Acquah, 47. Dallas, 86)

Cheltenham Town 1
(Bowman, 41)

Attendance: 3,518

‘Playing Offside – The Complete Collection’ will be an updated, refreshed and expanded collection of all five volumes, plus updates of new clubs and grounds like this one that I’m visiting. It will be released during the 2025-26 season. In the meantime, you can grab all five volumes of the original Playing Offside – which contains all clubs that were in the 92 as of the 2019/20 season – from Amazon Kindle for just £6.97