BRIAN KEEN The new hero of Barrow AFC
You could say that sport is in Brian Keen's blood. In his youth, he was a good enough footballer to appear in Charlton's reserves as a right winger, so it was perhaps inevitable that his love of the game would lead him to Holker St. when he moved to Barrow in the late sixties. His son, Tony, played for Barrow in the seventies and Keen himself turned out for Ulverston Cricket Club, Furness rugby union (where he was also club president), and on into the eighties when he became president of Furness Catholic Amateur Boxing Club. Brian Keen is now, of course, the prime 'mover and shaker' behind the consortium which set itself the task of saving football at Holker St., following the winding up of the old club in January 1999. It was thanks to the tireless efforts of him and his team that a non-profit making trust, Barrow AFC (1999) Ltd, was formed to take over the affairs of the football club, with the declared aim of running the club for the benefit of the people of Barrow. What are the principles you want to establish concerning the new operation? On a personal level I believe that what we are trying to set up here is going to last. Barrow AFC will survive for another year, and for many years afterwards, I'm convinced of that. But Barrow AFC (1999) represents a clean break from the past and it is important that people understand that. Everything is being done in a professional and businesslike manner. All financial transactions will be clean, transparent and above board. I coined the phrase 'squeaky clean' to describe the way we are setting about things so that people would have some reassurance and confidence about what we were doing. Why set up a new company? Wouldn't it have been easier to make the receiver an offer for the old one? Making a bid for the old company was never a realistic option. Setting up the new company was the best way forward. There was the liquidator's report and various happenings, the Fraud Squad were looking at things connected with the old company, so we had to keep things separate. That does give us certain complications. Whilst the receiver is still winding up the old company, we can only act under his jurisdiction and with his permission. We can't incur one penny of additional debt and as a guarantee of that, three or four of us have got together to put up a financial guarantee in the form of a personal bond so that the receiver will allow the games to go ahead. When the new company gets going, that personal bond is recoverable, we are all agreed on that. You and your colleagues have risked your own money to keep Barrow AFC going. How long will it be before the new company can take over? The receiver is trying to wind up the old company as quickly as he can, then the way will be clear for us to take over the running of the football club. At the moment we can only act for and on behalf of the receiver. However, the issue of the ownership of the Holker St ground may be left floating for some while longer while the true legal ownership is established. We are trying hard to get Asda along with us. If we do, then we will be in a strong position to make an offer to whoever turns out to be the owner [Note: Asda paid the old Barrow AFC, now in receivership, £100,000 three years ago for first option to buy Holker St should it ever come up for sale. Last December the previous chairman, Stephen Vaughan, announced that the ground had been sold to a Liverpool property developer, James Olivier. So not only was Asda's option ignored, but a clause requiring a shareholders meeting to approve any sale of the ground was also overlooked.]. Do you have any regrets about getting involved? All this has really come at a bad time for me professionally, though I really don't mind the extra pressure. Business at the shipyard and in the oil and gas in Morecambe Bay is picking up so it's a very difficult time with my own company being so very busy. The biggest challenge has been trying to control, get on with and deal with the constant demands from the media. It's non-stop from 7am until 10pm. Fifty per cent of the calls I get are about the football. This is the biggest challenge of all, but I welcome the burden. I wanted to get involved and I don't mind at all. There must have been a few eye openers in the last three months? I've learnt a lot about the business of football since the end of January. The Conference has been helpful but people from other clubs have told me that managing a football business is not the same as managing a commercial company. But I don't see why there should be a difference. That's why I want everything to be squeaky clean. That has to be the only way. People get confidence from it. I don't want any dodgy deals and as long as I'm in charge there won't be. Assuming we avoid relegation, what are the chances of the Conference allowing Barrow AFC to stay in under the new company? We are nurturing contacts with half a dozen potential sponsors and things are looking good. The membership scheme is well and truly under way and thousands of fans have sent us their £10 membership subscription. This gives us the financial backing to approach the FA and Conference with confidence. They know what happened with the old company and that it had nothing to do with the fans or the people who are running the club now. They've got the accounts of the old company and they know what they are like. I'll be asking them what sort of club they want; the old Barrow or the new one where everything is clearly accountable, up front and transparent? So what was the deal with John Beck. Why, having appointed him as advisor to manager Shane Westley was he dismissed at the end of March? The previous board appointed John and Shane in the week before the old company went into receivership. The FA and other people didn't understand the arrangement. They were always asking me who was really the manager. The vibes I was getting weren't good. Then when the Scarborough job came up John left and there were rumours that he was going to be appointed there and that he wanted Shane to join him. I spoke to Shane and he could see the potential at Barrow so he decided to stay. But when the Scarborough job went to someone else, John turns up again, unannounced, without telling me or anyone on the board. So we had to do what you might call a bit of tidying up. Shane's in our plans for next season and is very keen, but one thing I've learned is that you can't take anything for granted in football. So let's just see what happens in the close season. Brian Keen is quietly spoken and has a friendly demeanour. But underneath is a man of steel, a principled man who knows exactly what he wants and is determined to get it. He deserves the opportunity to run the club without being restrained by the receiver. Let's hope the FA and the Conference see it that way and give him that chance. If they do, the future of Barrow AFC is safe in his hands. Reformatted from issue 040 - May 1999