Barrow Association Football Club is a professional football club based in

Barrow-in-Furness Barrow-in-Furness is a port town in Cumbria, England. Historically in Lancashire, it was incorporated as a municipal borough in 1867 and merged with Dalton-in-Furness Urban District in 1974 to form the Borough of Barrow-in-Furness. In 2023 ...

, Cumbria, England. The club plays in EFL League Two, the fourth tier of the English league system. Since 1909, Barrow have played their home games at

Holker Street Holker Street ( known as the SO Legal Stadium for sponsorship purposes), is a sports stadium in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England. As well as being a football ground, it has also been used for motorcycle speedway.Barrow-in-Furness railway station Barrow-in-Furness is a railway station on the Cumbrian Coast Line and Furness Line, south-west of Carlisle and north-west of Lancaster, in the town of Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria. It is owned by Network Rail and managed by Northern Trains. H ...

. Having initially played in the Lancashire Combination, Barrow joined the Football League in 1921. They remained in the bottom level of the competition until 1967, when they achieved promotion to the Third Division by finishing third in the Fourth Division. The club's highest league placing was in 1967–68, when they finished eighth in the Third Division. They declined quickly, however, and at the end of the 1971–72 season Barrow were voted out of the Football League in the

re-election The incumbent is the current holder of an office or position, usually in relation to an election. In an election for president, the incumbent is the person holding or acting in the office of president before the election, whether seeking re-ele ...

process. They then spent 48 seasons in the top two levels of non-league football, with five relegations fromand promotions tothe Alliance Premier League (later the Football Conference and the National League), of which they were a founding member in 1979. Barrow won the FA Trophy (non-league football's most prestigious cup competition) in 1990 and 2010. They returned to the Football League as National League champions in 2020. Barrow's promotion back to the Football League made them the first, and to date only, club to have been promoted back to the Football League having previously lost their league place via the re-election process. The club colours are blue and white and their nickname is The Bluebirds. The record attendance at

History

Early history

Barrow were founded on 16 July 1901 at the old Drill Hall (later the Palais) in the Strand, and played initially at the Strawberry Ground before moving to Ainslie StreetBarrow
The Beautiful History. Retrieved 02–05–11. and Little Park in

Roose Roose or Roosecote is a suburb and ward of Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England. The word 'roose' is Celtic for "moor" or "heath" and the suffix 'cote' of Roosecote means "hut" or "huts" (the word 'cottage' is derived from 'cote'). Before the buil ...

.Yelland, Phil
Chapter 1: In The Beginning
A Brief History of Barrow AFC. Retrieved 02–05–11. The club was elected to Division Two of the Lancashire Combination in 1903, and in 1908 it was promoted to the first division. Barrow moved to

Holker Street Holker Street ( known as the SO Legal Stadium for sponsorship purposes), is a sports stadium in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England. As well as being a football ground, it has also been used for motorcycle speedway.First World War, winning the league championship in 1920–21. The victory preceded the formation of the

Football League Third Division North The Third Division North of the Football League was a tier in the English football league system from 1921 to 1958. It ran in parallel with the Third Division South with clubs elected to the League or relegated from a higher division allocated t ...

in the 1921–22 season, and Barrow became one of the league's founding members.

Football League years

In their early years as a league club, Barrow were notable for their lack of success. Their highest finish before the Second World War was fifth in the 1931–32 season. In the 1933–34 season, Barrow finished eighth. The club remained in the lowest tier of the Football League when football resumed after the war, and were founding members of

Football League Division Four The Football League Fourth Division was the fourth-highest division in the English football league system from the 1958–59 season until the creation of the Premier League prior to the 1992–93 season. Whilst the division disappeared in nam ...

in 1958–59. The 1950s saw greater success in FA Cup competition, however; the club's record crowd of 16,874 watched Barrow draw 2–2 with Swansea Town in the

1953–54 FA Cup The 1953–54 FA Cup was the 73rd staging of the world's oldest football cup competition, the Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup. West Bromwich Albion won the competition for the fourth time, beating Preston North ...

. A few years later, it was followed by a third-round tie in the 1958–59 competition against Football League champions

Wolverhampton Wanderers Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club (), commonly known as Wolves, is a professional football club based in Wolverhampton, England, which compete in the . The club has played at Molineux Stadium since moving from Dudley Road in 1889. The club' ...

at Holker Street. The Wolves, captained by Billy Wright, won 4–2. The late 1960s finally saw Barrow win promotion, after a third-place finish managed by

Don McEvoy Don, don or DON and variants may refer to: Places *County Donegal, Ireland, Chapman code DON *Don (river), a river in European Russia * Don River (disambiguation), several other rivers with the name * Don, Benin, a town in Benin * Don, Dang, a v ...

in the 1966–67 Fourth Division.Yelland, Phi
Chapter 4: To Division Three And Back To Non League
A Brief History of Barrow AFC. Retrieved 02–05–11. McEvoy's successor,

Colin Appleton Colin Harry Appleton (7 March 1936 – 31 May 2021) was an English footballer and manager. He was captain of the celebrated Leicester side nicknamed the "ice kings" which chased the double in 1962–63 and he also captained the club to their ...

, lead Barrow to their highest final league position (eighth place) in the Football League Third Division the following season. The club topped the Third Division league table for one day during the 1968–69 season, the highest position they have ever held. During this period, defender

Brian Arrowsmith Brian Arrowsmith (2 July 1940 – 12 April 2020) was an English footballer and manager. Born in Barrow-in-Furness, he spent his entire professional career at his hometown club Barrow. He made 512 appearances for Barrow, including 378 in the F ...

made the most Football League appearances for Barrow. Barrow remained in the third flight of English football for three seasons, before returning to the basement in 1970. Financial difficulties and poor performances saw Barrow twice up for

in 1971 and 1972. On the second occasion, at the end of the 1971–72 season, they were voted out of the Football League and replaced by

Hereford United Hereford United Football Club was an association football club based in Hereford, England. They played at Edgar Street for their entire history. They were nicknamed 'The Whites' or 'The Lilywhites', after their predominantly white kit, or 'The ...

. The initial vote produced saw a tie between Barrow and Hereford for the last place in the league, with each receiving 26 votes. However a second vote saw Hereford win with 29 votes to Barrow's 20. Three factors were highlighted: Barrow's geographic isolation, Hereford United's FA Cup victory against

Newcastle United Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Newcastle upon Tyne, that plays in the Premier League – the top flight of English football. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End ...

, and the decision of the Barrow board to introduce a speedway track around the Holker Street pitch to offset financial difficulties. Barrow joined the Northern Premier League for the start of the 1972–73 season,Willis.S (2007
'Division Four 1971–72'
, ''When Saturday Comes'' no.244, June 2007. Retrieved 1 May 2011. and the club spent 51 years in the Football League, 44 playing seasons due to the wartime closedown.

Return to non-league competition

To gain access to the Northern Premier League, the club had to promise to remove the speedway track from Holker Street (although it remained until 1974). Barrow struggled in the league, with limited financial resources. The club were invited to join the new

Alliance Premier League The National League (named Vanarama National League for sponsorship reasons) is an association football league in England consisting of three divisions, the National League, National League North, and National League South. It was called the ...

in 1979, the first national division in

non-league Non-League football describes football leagues played outside the top leagues of a country. Usually, it describes leagues which are not fully professional. The term is primarily used for football in England, where it is specifically used to de ...

football. Barrow won the

Lancashire FA Challenge Trophy The Lancashire Football Association Challenge Trophy is an English football competition for senior non-league clubs who are members of the Lancashire County Football Association. The trophy was first played for in 1885, when it was known as the ...

in 1981 (their first success as a non-league club since winning the Lancashire Combination in 1921), but were relegated two years later. They won the Northern Premier League title the following season under manager

Vic Halom Victor Lewis "Vic" Halom (born 3 October 1948 in Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire, England) is a former footballer Biography Playing career Halom featured as a player most prominently for Sunderland and Oldham Athletic. He played as centre for ...

, but were relegated again by 1986. The club hired Ray Wilkie as a manager just before relegation, and Wilkie led Barrow to their most successful period to date in non-league football.Yelland, Phi
Chapter 7: The Wilkie Years
A Brief History of Barrow AFC After a number of near-misses, the club was promoted back to the renamed

Vauxhall Conference The National League (named Vanarama National League for sponsorship reasons) is an association football league in England consisting of three divisions, the National League, National League North, and National League South. It was called the ...

in 1988–89 after their Northern Premier League championship. Driven by

Colin Cowperthwaite Colin Cowperthwaite (born 16 April 1959) is an English former semi-professional footballer. He is best known as the overall top scorer and record appearance holder for Barrow, a club he played for from December 1977 till December 1992, where h ...

, holder of club records for appearances and goals, Barrow had two respectable finishes in the conference: 10th in 1989–90 and 14th the following season. In addition to league success, Wilkie had a number of successful cup runs. Barrow reached the 1988 FA Trophy semi-final, losing to Enfield after two replays: the first at Aggborough, Kidderminster and the second at Marston Road, Stafford. The first leg, at Holker Street, attracted 6,002 supporters (a club non-league record). Enfield won the first leg 2–1, and Barrow won the second 1–0. Enfield went on to win the trophy against Telford United in a replay at the Hawthorns in West Bromwich after a goalless draw in the final at Wembley. Barrow reached the first round of the FA Cup the following season, losing 3–1 to Rotherham United. They won the 1990 FA Trophy, their first major trophy as a

club, defeating Leek Town in the final at Wembley. Kenny Gordon, not ordinarily a goal-scorer, scored the first and third goals in his final game for his hometown club before emigrating to Australia. Other notable members of the squad included

Kenny Lowe Kenny Lowe (born 6 November 1961) is an English association football manager and former player. He is the current manager of Australian side Perth RedStar. Kenny played for ten clubs in England, and had a stint in Australia also. He later mana ...

, who was sold to Barnet for £40,000 (a club record at the time) after the final. The following season (benefiting from direct entry to the first round), Barrow made the third round of the FA Cup for the first time as a non-league club before losing 1–0 away to Third Division high-fliers

Bolton Wanderers Bolton Wanderers Football Club () is a professional football club based in Horwich, Bolton, Greater Manchester, England, which competes in . The club played at Burnden Park for 102 years from 1895 after moving from their original home at Pike's ...

. Wilkie was forced to step down during the 1991–92 season due to health problems. Barrow were relegated back to the Northern Premier League and Cowperthwaite retired after fifteen seasons with the club, 704 appearances and 282 goals.The highlight of my career
, ''North West Evening Mail'', 6 May 2010. Retrieved 1 May 2011. Wilkie died in December 1992 at age 56, and the road outside the Holker Street ground was later named Wilkie Road in his honour.

1990s turmoil

After Wilkie's departure and Barrow's relegation, the club had three mediocre seasons in the Northern Premier League. In February 1995, Barrow were purchased by boxing promoter and businessman Stephen Vaughan.Conn.D (2009
'Chester City owner told by FA to surrender his majority shares'
, ''The Guardian'', 18 November 2009. Retrieved 1 May 2011. Vaughan invested in the club, building an

all-seater An all-seater stadium is a sports stadium in which every spectator has a seat. This is commonplace in professional association football stadiums in nations such as the United Kingdom, Spain, and the Netherlands. Most association football a ...

grandstand and signing conference-standard players.Conn, David (2002
'Barrow's hate figure moves in at Chester'
, '' The Independent'', 2 November 2001. Retrieved 18 July 2020 The Bluebirds were promoted to the Conference in 1997–98 under manager Owen Brown. Vaughan (who had connections with Liverpool drug-dealer

Curtis Warren Curtis Francis WarrenBarnes, Tony; Richard Elias; Peter Walsh. 2003 ''Cocky: the rise and fall of Curtis Warren, Britain's biggest drug baron'' (also known as Cocky; born 31 May 1963) is an English gangster and drugs trafficker who was formerly I ...

) was investigated for money laundering,Conn.D (2001
David Conn: Barrow's case exposes hole in ownership rule
''The Independent'', 23 November 2001. Retrieved 1 May 2011.Horrie.C (2002
Footie goes back to drawing board
, ''The Observer'', 28 April 2002. Retrieved 1 May 2011. although no charges were brought.Sweeney.J (2000
'Cocky'
, ''The Observer'', 14 May 2000. Retrieved 1 May 2011. He left the club at the end of 1998, withdrawing the financial support which had kept it afloat. It was learned that the Holker Street ground (Barrow's main asset) had been sold for £410,000 to Northern Improvements, a company in which Vaughan had a financial interest.Robson.K (1999
'Unfair dismissal'
, ''When Saturday Comes'', vol.149, July 1999. Retrieved 1 May 2011. In January 1999, the club were the subject of a compulsory winding-up order and a liquidator was appointed to run it while efforts were made to establish the ground's legal owner. A members' company was formed to provide financial support for the club, with the long-term intention of taking it over. Although Barrow avoided relegation in the summer of 1999, they were expelled from the Football Conference for improper administration. With support from the Football Association after a long dispute, the club were admitted to the Northern Premier League for the 1999–2000 season almost a month after the season had begun. Barrow survived in the league under manager

, despite an almost-entirely-new squad. The team improved over the next few years, remaining in administration. They narrowly missed promotion to the Conference twice, finishing second and third in 2003–04 and 2004–05. The legal disputes over the ownership of Holker Street were resolved in August 2002, and the members' company bought the stadium from the liquidator. In 2003, the Football Association allowed Barrow's "football membership" to be transferred to the new company. The club defeated local rivals Workington in a two-legged April 2004 final in the UniBond Presidents (League) Cup. The game finished 6–6 on aggregate, with Barrow winning on away goals. After their failure to gain promotion to the Conference in 2004–05, Barrow became founding members of another division: the

Conference North The National League North, formerly Conference North, is a division of the National League in England, immediately below the National League division. Along with the National League South, it is at the second level of the National League Syst ...

, which replaced the Northern Premier League one level below the Conference National.

Return to the Conference National

The club had poor form over the following two seasons, narrowly escaping relegation at the end of 2006–07. Manager Lee Turnbull, who succeeded Lowe when Lowe had work commitments, was sacked in 2005 and replaced by Phil Wilson. Defender

James Cotterill James Cotterill (born 3 August 1982) is a former professional association football, footballer. He plays as a Defender (association football)#Centre back, central defender for Handsworth Parramore F.C., Handsworth Parramore. Footballing career ...

was jailed for an assault committed on the pitch. In a first round FA Cup game, Cotterill punched

Bristol Rovers Bristol Rovers Football Club are a professional football club in Bristol, England. They compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. They play home matches at the Memorial Stadium in Horfield, they have been c ...

striker

Sean Rigg Sean Michael Rigg (born 1 October 1988) is an English former professional footballer who played on the wing or as a striker. In a 13-year career in the English Football League and National League he scored 57 goals in 477 league and cup appear ...

. The incident was missed by the

referee A referee is an official, in a variety of sports and competition, responsible for enforcing the rules of the sport, including sportsmanship decisions such as ejection. The official tasked with this job may be known by a variety of other tit ...

but was caught by the Match of the Day cameras, and Cotterill was the only English player in recent history to be jailed for an offence on the pitch. After two years as manager, Wilson was dismissed on 12 November 2007. Although the sacking came two days after a good 1–1 draw in the FA Cup first round against

AFC Bournemouth AFC Bournemouth () is a professional association football club based in Kings Park, Boscombe, a suburb of Bournemouth, Dorset, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest division of English club football. Formed in 1899 as Bo ...

, the club's continued poor form was the cause. Barrow's team affairs were shifted to players Paul Jones,

David Bayliss David Anthony Bayliss (born 8 June 1976) is an English football scout. He previously played in defence, and was manager at Barrow. Career Born in Liverpool, Merseyside, Bayliss joined Rochdale and progressed through the ranks, making his Footba ...

and

Darren Sheridan Darren Stephen Sheridan (born 8 December 1967) is an English former footballer and manager. As a player, Sheridan played as a centre midfielder. He had one spell as a player-manager, with Barrow, before managing Salford City. After a career i ...

. Following a decent run of results, Bayliss and Sheridan were appointed player-managers, and Jones became club captain. Bayliss and Sheridan led Barrow from 20th place in the league in December to fifth, ensuring a place in the playoffs for promotion to the

Conference National The National League, known as the Vanarama National League for sponsorship reasons, is the highest level of the National League System and fifth-highest of the overall English football league system. It is the highest league that is semi-professi ...

. They won the semi-final against Telford United 4–0 on aggregate before defeating

Stalybridge Celtic Stalybridge Celtic Football Club is an English football club based in Stalybridge, Greater Manchester. They are currently members of the and play at Bower Fold. The team traditionally plays in a blue and white strip. In 1921 Stalybridge Celtic ...

in the playoff final at Pirelli Stadium in

Burton upon Trent Burton upon Trent, also known as Burton-on-Trent or simply Burton, is a market town in the borough of East Staffordshire in the county of Staffordshire, England, close to the border with Derbyshire. In 2011, it had a population of 72,299. The ...

. Barrow topped the Conference National table during the first few weeks of the following season before the club began to struggle, finding themselves just above the relegation zone by January 2009. They defeated

Brentford Brentford is a suburban town in West London, England and part of the London Borough of Hounslow. It lies at the confluence of the River Brent and the Thames, west of Charing Cross. Its economy has diverse company headquarters buildings which ...

2–1 with goals from David Brown and Matt Henney in round two of the FA Cup, their first victory over

Football League The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional association football, football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, the league is the oldest such competition in Association football around the wor ...

opposition since their 1972 elimination from the league. Barrow drew an away match against Middlesbrough (a Premier League team) in the third round, losing 2–1.'Barrow boys are brought back to earth'
, ''The Guardian'', 4 January 2009. Retrieved 1 May 2011. More than 7,000 Barrow fans travelled to Riverside Stadium in Middlesbrough, the highest away attendance in Riverside's 14-year history to date. The cup run earned Barrow about £250,000, allowing investment in playing resources.Nothing sheepish about Barrow's approach to Sunderland despite Shaun'
, ''The Guardian'', 1 January 2010. Retrieved 1 May 2011. The club retained their place in the Conference, finishing twentieth. Following alterations to the squad during the summer, Barrow began its second season in the Conference National in August 2009. The club had a good run after a poor start, losing once in 16 games and reaching the FA Cup third round. They were defeated 3–0 by Premier League side Sunderland at the Stadium of Light on 2 January 2010, watched by 7,500 travelling supporters.Brave Barrow AFC give their all in Sunderland defeat
, ''North West Evening Mail'', 4 January 2010. Retrieved 1 May 2011. On 13 March 2010, a

Gregg Blundell Gregg Steven Blundell (born 3 October 1977) is an English retired footballer who played as a striker. He is now a physiotherapist for Liverpool. Prior to his appointment at Tranmere he combined playing football and being the club's physiotherap ...

goal gave Barrow a 1–0 win at Salisbury City in the first Leg of the FA Trophy semifinal. One week later, a Jason Walker double secured a 2–1 victory in the second Leg to send the Bluebirds to Wembley. After securing their position in the

in the last home match of the season, Barrow won the

2010 FA Trophy Final The 2010 FA Trophy Final was the 40th final of the Football Association's cup competition for levels 5–8 of the English football league system. The match was contested by Stevenage Borough who won the competition in 2007 and 2009, and Barrow w ...

against

Stevenage Borough Stevenage Football Club (known as Stevenage Borough Football Club until 2010) is a professional association football club based in the town of Stevenage, Hertfordshire, England. The team competes in EFL League Two, League Two, the fourth tier o ...

2–1 at Wembley Stadium with an extra-time goal by Walker; this made Barrow the only club to win the FA Trophy at the old and new Wembley Stadiums. The 2010–11 season was less successful, although the club finished in 18th place and remained in the Conference National with a 2–0 victory against Hayes & Yeading on the last day of the season.Barrow 2–0 Hayes & Yeading
BBC sport, 30 April 2011. Retrieved 1 May 2011. Barrow failed to retain the FA Trophy, however, losing 2–3 to Conference North side

Guiseley Guiseley ( ) is a town in metropolitan borough of the City of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. Historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, it is situated south of Otley and Menston and is now a north-western suburb of Leeds. It sits i ...

.It's a knockout – Trophy holders Barrow crash out
, ''North West Evening Mail'', 13 December 2010. Retrieved 1 May 2011. The side was more successful the following season, finishing 13th. Darren Sheridan left the club by mutual consent in February 2012, and Dave Bayliss remained as manager. The following season, Barrow were relegated from the

after losing 2–1 at

Cambridge United Cambridge United Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Cambridge, England. They compete in EFL League one , the 3rd tier of the English football league system. The club is based at the Abbey Stadium on ...

on 13 April 2013. Bayliss left the club by mutual consent on 5 November 2013, and Barrow reappointed former caretaker manager

Darren Edmondson Darren Stephen Edmondson (born 4 November 1971) is an English football coach and former player who currently manages Penrith. Edmondson spent around half his professional playing career with Carlisle after signing as a youth player in 1990, la ...

on 10 December of that year. That season, the club failed to win promotion to the Conference Premier and finished 11th in the Conference North.

Takeover

On 1 May 2014, it was announced that club members had voted to allow Dallas businessman Paul Casson to complete a takeover. Barrow were 2014–15 Conference North champions, with a 2–3 win away at

Lowestoft Town Lowestoft Town Football Club is a semi-professional football club from Lowestoft, Suffolk, England. They are currently members of the and play at Crown Meadow. History The club was established in 1887 as Lowestoft F.C. by a merger of East Suf ...

on the final day of the season. Casson aimed for promotion in the club's first season back in the top flight of non-league football. In November 2015, Barrow parted company with manager

after a poor run left them mid-table and a 1–0 loss to

AFC Fylde AFC Fylde is a professional football club based in Wesham in the Borough of Fylde, Lancashire, England. They are currently members of the and play at Mill Farm. Originally known as Kirkham & Wesham following a merger of Kirkham Town and Wes ...

knocked them out of the FA Cup. The club appointed former Mansfield and

Torquay Torquay ( ) is a seaside town in Devon, England, part of the unitary authority, unitary authority area of Torbay. It lies south of the county town of Exeter and east-north-east of Plymouth, on the north of Tor Bay, adjoining the neighbourin ...

boss Paul Cox manager the following day. On 20 September 2017, Barrow appointed Micky Moore as first-team manager. Moore was sacked after the club's FA Cup defeat in the fourth qualifying round away at Shaw Lane on 15 October of that year. Former Forest Green Rovers boss Ady Pennock was appointed manager on 27 October, accompanied by assistant manager Jamie Day and player-coach

Grant Holt Grant Holt (born 12 April 1981) is an English former professional footballer who is currently a scout at West Ham United. During his football career, Holt played for a number of non-league and professional clubs, making nearly 100 league appeara ...

. Barrow narrowly avoided relegation, finishing in 20th place, and Pennock and the club parted company on 18 May 2018. Former

Blackpool Blackpool is a seaside resort in Lancashire, England. Located on the northwest coast of England, it is the main settlement within the borough also called Blackpool. The town is by the Irish Sea, between the Ribble and Wyre rivers, and is ...

and Chesterfield defender

Ian Evatt Ian Ross Evatt (born 19 November 1981) is an English professional football manager and former player. He is the current manager of Bolton Wanderers. Evatt began his career as a central midfielder, but was later converted to a central defender. ...

became the club's manager on 15 June. On 24 October 2018, Casson announced that he was stepping down as chairman and selling the club; director Paul Hornby would take over as interim chairman. The 2018–19 season was much more successful under Evatt, finishing in 10th place this time. The following 2019–20 season was even more successful. The Bluebirds were top of the league for the vast majority of the season before the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The final league table was decided on a points per game basis, meaning Barrow returned to the EFL as champions for the first time since 1972.

Return to the Football League (2020–)

During pre-season, manager

departed for newly relegated

and was replaced by

David Dunn David John Ian Dunn (born 27 December 1979) is an English former professional football player and manager; he is now a coach at club Port Vale. Dunn played as an attacking midfielder and spent the majority of his playing career representing ...

. Barrow's first

game in 48 years resulted in a 1–1 draw with Stevenage at

Holker Street Holker Street ( known as the SO Legal Stadium for sponsorship purposes), is a sports stadium in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England. As well as being a football ground, it has also been used for motorcycle speedway.Mansfield Town Mansfield Town Football Club is a professional football club based in the town of Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, England. The team competes in , the fourth tier of the English football league system. Nicknamed 'The Stags', they play in a blue and ye ...

. After 22 matches, the last 9 without a win, and with the team 21st in the table, Dunn was sacked on 13 December 2020. Following Dunn's dismissal, assistant manager

Rob Kelly Robert Anthony Kelly (born 21 December 1964) is a former English footballer and manager who is currently the assistant manager at Wigan Athletic in the Championship. He is best known for his spell as manager of Leicester City, as well as bein ...

was appointed as caretaker manager.

Michael Jolley Michael Jolley (born 30 March 1977) is an English professional football manager who is the current manager of Vélez. Jolley is a Cambridge University graduate with an MA in economics and also has a postgraduate diploma PGDip/MSc in sports ...

was named as the new manager on 23 December 2020. However, on 21 February 2021, after 7 games in charge, Barrow parted company with Jolley. Following the departure of Jolley, assistant boss Kelly was once again named as Barrow's caretaker manager, this time until the end of the season. Kelly saw an upturn of form and on 27 April 2021, with two matches remaining, Barrow secured their Football League status for the following season with a 2–0 win at Forest Green Rovers. At the end of the season, Kelly chose not to remain as manager on a permanent basis and left the club. On May 28, 2021, former Forest Green Rovers manager Mark Cooper was appointed as manager. On 24 August 2021, Barrow hosted Premier League side

Aston Villa Aston Villa Football Club is a professional football club based in Aston, Birmingham, England. The club competes in the , the top tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1874, they have played at their home ground, Villa Par ...

in an EFL Cup 2nd-round tie, losing 0–6.

Colours and badge

Barrow's kit for the 2022/23 season is manufactured by Puma with the design boasting a crisp white through the body, incorporating vibrant dual shades of blue across the front to create a stylish Bluebird effect in a nod to the club's nickname. The shirt is paired with blue shorts and white socks which have a blue trim. The 2022/23 away shirt consists of a black body with a Puma seasonal dot graphic to the front, a shell crew neck and Raglan sleeve construction to the back. Both shirts are manufactured with 100% recycled polyester mesh and utilises Puma's dryCELL moisture-wicking technology. JF Hornby & Co are the club's front of shirt sponsor once more. A

kit Kit may refer to: Places *Kitt, Indiana, US, formerly Kit * Kit, Iran, a village in Mazandaran Province * Kit Hill, Cornwall, England People * Kit (given name), a list of people and fictional characters * Kit (surname) Animals * Young animal ...

with blue shirts and white shorts was in use by 1912, although Barrow's original colours were black-and-white stripes. From 1939 to 1959, a blue shirt with a white "V" was the design. Barrow's kit has varied from predominantly-blue to predominantly-white, with occasional stripes or hoops. For the 2001–02 season, Barrow played in black-and-white stripes to celebrate the club's centennial. Although Barrow's away colours have varied, the team wore a yellow kit with blue trim for the 2010 FA Trophy final. Barrow's second kit from 2011 to 2013 was sky blue; for the 2013–14 season, however, they opted for a yellow away kit and a blue-and-white-hooped home kit. After a year, the club reverted to a white home kit with blue sleeves for the 2014–15 season. The kits were manufactured by Puma, who had a four-year deal due to expire at the end of the 2015–16 season. The deal was reduced by a year, since the club announced on 30 December 2014 that its kit would be manufactured by PlayerLayer for 2015–16. The club badge has a bee and arrow ( B-arrow) as on the

coat of arms. It features an

Astute-class submarine The ''Astute'' class is the latest class of nuclear-powered fleet submarines ( SSNs) in service with the Royal Navy. The boats are being constructed by BAE Systems Submarines at Barrow-in-Furness. Seven boats will be constructed: the first of cl ...

(representing the town's shipbuilding industry), a red rose (symbolising Lancashire), and a football. The badge was created by Thomas Minnican, who at the time worked at Vickers ship yard (Now known as BAE systems) as a painter. He won the Competition to design the badge after it was advertised in the local paper.

Stadium

Holker Street Holker Street ( known as the SO Legal Stadium for sponsorship purposes), is a sports stadium in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England. As well as being a football ground, it has also been used for motorcycle speedway. It had previously hosted Hindpool Athletic Football Club, and had been a rubbish dump.Pioneering Days at Holker Street
07–09–09. Retrieved 10–05–11. The first game at the stadium was a 5–2 win for Barrow against Eccles Borough. The ground was gradually developed, so by the resumption of football after World War Two it had four fully-covered, terraced stands. Its record attendance was in 1954, when 16,784 fans watched an FA Cup third-round tie against Swansea Town. Floodlights were installed in 1963, and the ground hosted speedway meetings during the 1970s which necessitated the demolition of the "Steelworks End" (previously damaged by fire), the re-positioning of the pitch and the removal of the front rows of terracing. After the speedway track was removed, the pitch was moved back to its original orientation and a new leisure centre with

squash Squash may refer to: Sports * Squash (sport), the high-speed racquet sport also known as squash racquets * Squash (professional wrestling), an extremely one-sided match in professional wrestling * Squash tennis, a game similar to squash but pla ...

courts was built. Under Stephen Vaughan's ownership, an all-seater main stand (named the Brian Arrowsmith Stand in 2017) with a capacity of about 1,000 was built on the Wilkie Road side; the only significant change since then was the removal of an unsafe roof over the Holker Street-end terraces. Described as having "a traditional, old fashioned feel", the ground has three sides of terracing. The Brian Arrowsmith Stand is raised above the centre of the pitch, with flat standing on either side. The Popular Side, opposite the Brian Arrowsmith Stand, consists of an area of covered terracing.Barrow AFC
conferencegrounds.co.uk. Retrieved 10–05–11. In the summer of 2020, a roof was added to the Holker Street End of the ground after the club had won promotion back to the Football League. In July 2022, a deal was put in place with SO Legal Ltd to rename the stadium. The stadium name was changed to the SO Legal Stadium in a deal that will initially run until the end of the 2023/24 season.

Players

Current squad

Out on loan

Management

As of 27 July 2022

Managers

. Only league matches are counted.

Honours and achievements

* Football League Fourth Division **Promotion (1): 1966–67 *

National League The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team s ...

: **Winners (1): 2019–20 * FA Trophy: **Winners (2): 1989–90, 2009–10 *

**Winners (1): 2014–15 **Play-Off Winners (1): 2007–08 *

Lancashire Senior Cup The Lancashire County Football Association Cup (commonly known as the Lancashire Senior Cup) is a football knockout tournament involving teams from Lancashire, England. It is a County Cup competition of the Lancashire County Football Associati ...

: **Winners (1): 1954–55 * Northern Premier League: **Winners (3): 1983–84, 1988–89, 1997–98 **Runners-up (1): 2002–03 * Lancashire Combination Division One: **Winners (1): 1920–21 **Runners-up (1): 1913–14, * Lancashire Combination Division Two: **Runners up (2): 1904–05, 1910–11 *

Northern Premier League Challenge Cup The Northern Premier League is an English football league that was founded in 1968. It has four divisions: the Premier Division (which stands at level 7 of the English football league system), Division One East, Division One West and Division ...

: **Runners-up (1): 1987–88 *

Northern Premier League President's Cup The Northern Premier League is an English football league that was founded in 1968. It has four divisions: the Premier Division (which stands at level 7 of the English football league system), Division One East, Division One West and Division ...

: **Winners (2): 2001–02, 2003–04 *

Peter Swales Shield The Northern Premier League is an English football league that was founded in 1968. It has four divisions: the Premier Division (which stands at level 7 of the English football league system), Division One East, Division One West and Division ...

: **Winners (1): 1984–85 *

Lancashire Junior Cup The Lancashire Football Association Challenge Trophy is an English football competition for senior non-league clubs who are members of the Lancashire County Football Association. The trophy was first played for in 1885, when it was known as the L ...

**Winners (1): 1980–81

League history

Records

* Record attendance - 16,874 vs Swansea Town, 9 January 1954 * Best league performance (Football League) – 8th in

Division Three The Football League Third Division was the third tier of the English football league system in 1920–21 and again from 1958 until 1992. When the FA Premier League was formed, the division become the fourth tier level. In 2004, following the fo ...

1967–68 * Best FA Cup performance – Third round, 1945–46, 1947–48, 1953–54, 1955–56, 1958–59, 1963–64, 1966–67, 1967–68, 1990–91, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2016–17, 2021-22 * Best League Cup performance – Third round, 1962–63, 1967–68

References

External links

Official website
{{Authority control Barrow A.F.C. Football clubs in England Football clubs in Cumbria 1901 establishments in England Association football clubs established in 1901 Furness Barrow-in-Furness Lancashire League (football) Lancashire Combination English Football League clubs Northern Premier League clubs National League (English football)