COWLEY: WE OWE FANs A FINIsH
BARROW fans don’t need telling that football isn’t a matter of life and death.
According to figures published last week by Public Health England, the town that cushions the Lake District from the Irish Sea has the worst coronavirus infection rate in the country.
And on April 28, Barrow AFC’s most revered former player was buried after having succumbed to the disease at the age of 79.
So it’s fair to say that the devastating impact of the pandemic is being well and truly felt.
But despite the lockdown, illnesses, funerals – and the knowledge that Covid-19 will have far-reaching economic consequences for a place described as “the capital of workingclass Britain” – football still matters.
Barrow are top of the National League, with a Football League place – that 48 years ago was cruelly taken away from them by a vote – now theirs for the retaking.
“The role the team has played in giving this great town a sense of pride this year should not be underestimated, even in these terrible times,” said Steve Herbert, chairman of the supporters trust that owns a 10 per cent stake in the club.
Steve is also a local headmaster, who now spends his days delivering packed lunches to his school kids.
Samantha Wright is a staff nurse in the Acute Care Unit at Furness General Hospital. The club crest pinned to her NHS lanyard leaves patients in no doubt where her loyalties lie.
“I’d managed to arrange all sorts of crazy shifts so I could make it to every game in the run-in,” she said.
But then the world changed.
Brian Arrowsmith was born and bred in Barrow. He died there too, in hospital.
A defender who played 580 games for his club in two spells spread over 17 years, Arrowsmith was captain of the team that was promoted to the old Third
Division in 1967.
He later returned as player-manager and saw his son follow him into the first team.
By then Barrow had been voted out of the
Football League after a second ballot, despite finishing the 1971/72 season above Stockport and Crewe in the old
Fourth Division.
Barrow fans repaid the unstinting service
HUDDERSFIELD TOWN manager Danny Cowley believes football owes it to the fans to finish the season.
The Terriers have not played since March 7 when they were beaten 2-0 away to Championship leaders Leeds United.
But even though his side of Arrowsmith by naming a stand after him.
‘Arrer’ was a season-ticket holder as Ian Evatt’s (left) side produced a style of football so thrilling that fans started turning up in numbers not seen for half a century to see ‘Barrowcelona’ play.
Paul Daly, who has supported the club through thin and thinner, explained: “Brian was the local lad who captained us during our most glorious years.
“He was the steady rock of the side at centre-half and are at serious risk of relegation with nine games remaining, Cowley wants the chance to avoid the drop on their own accord.
Cowley said: “The season has to finish, for the integrity of football.
“But football is nothing without people watching.
“We must do everything had the qualities of bravery, commitment and wholeheartedness by the bucket-load.”
National League clubs get £85,000-ayear for playing in the competition. A return to the Football League would bring a £1million windfall.
Now the fear is there could be no promotion from the National League this season, even though Barrow have been top since November.
Yet, with League Two Bury going out of business at the start of the season, there is also a possibility the Bluebirds will be promoted to fill that gap.
Barrovians know how to look after themselves. Fans have raised over we can to make sure we put provision in place that, even if they can’t watch it in a public arena, the fans are still able to support and watch games.
“In our current position I suppose if we had a personal agenda then it might be to just finish the season now given the precarious position that we’re in. But for me I love football and I believe it should be finished and it needs to be finished.”
The misfiring Terriers are hovering just three points above the drop zone, but Cowley would love the chance to win that relegation battle in his first season in charge. He added: “I really £135,000 to help a board of directors, all from local stock, put the club back on the path to the promised land.
One fan, Joan Barnes, asked for donations to be made to the supporters trust when asked what she wanted for her 90th birthday.
Her request was worth £700 – and a similar sum was raised when the family of the late Tony Lewis asked mourners at his funeral to spend their money on Barrow rather than flowers.
“Football needs to take a back seat at the moment,” said Herbert. “But our view is that any decisions should be driven by performances in the matches that have actually taken place.” hope that we can find a way to do that, ideally in front of supporters, and if that’s not possible then behind closed doors.
“My hope is that we can find a way to finish it. We have a brilliant football pyramid, the strongest in the world in my opinion, and we should be very proud of that.”