For our fifth anniversary issue back in January 1995, we looked back at fifteen matches at Holker Street over that period that could be deemed to be either good, bad or ugly. Then we did five of each in one big chronological article. Here, for ease of use, we've split them into...
The GOOD...
Barrow 1 Darlington 1 (GM Vauxhall Conference, 1.1.90) And why not start here, with the very first match where Beans! ever went on sale. Obviously we chose this game as our launching pad for the sheer number of potential buyers (attendance was 4,244). It certainly wasn't because of the weather as it drizzled before the game and all through it. Why I chose to stand in the paddock for this match I'll never know! What was so brilliant about the game was that we didn't lose. As I recall, it was pure Darlington pressure from start to finish. We defended magnificently, giving way just the once. Then Billy Gilmour fluked the equalizer shortly afterwards to give us a draw to complement the 0-0 we gained at Feethams on Boxing Day.
Barrow 1 Colne Dynamoes 1 (FA Trophy semi-final, 14.4.90) Al Casey said it best in issue 003: 'Almost as satisfying as reaching Wembley was dumping Colne Dynamoes out in the semi-finals. On their showing over the two legs it seemed that their so-called professionals had no appetite for the battle when the going got tough, no new ideas when they went two goals down and no motivation whatsoever over the whole one hundred and eighty minutes.' True, this second leg tie wasn't a brilliant game, but it deserves its place here as the last hurdle towards Wembley. And what does make it memorable of course is Kenny Lowe's brilliant thirty yard lob after fifteen minutes that made the aggregate score 2-0. Paul Ferris could have put it well out of reach in the second half but then with about a minute remaining Colne did pull one back. That last minute was an eternity but we survived, as you all know. If I may indulge in one more reminiscence - before the game I remember the Colne players indulging in the sort of light aerobic exercises/fannying about that Barrow seem to employ now. I was dying to shout "Kingstonian did all that $#¡*! It didn't do them any good either!" but natural reserve got the better of me. But I was right!
Barrow 2 Macclesfield Town 1 (Bob Lord Trophy second round, 22.12.90) Oh, just another meaningless Bob Lord Trophy tie, you may think, but to me this typifies the best of what going to watch Barrow at Holker St. was all about in those days. The visitors arrived with a decent league position and a reputation for good football, but until Barrow eased off halfway through the second period after going two goals up, we made them look completely ordinary. At half time it was 1-0 thanks to Danny Wheatley, Cowps made it two in the second half and when a Cowps header went in for what we thought was a third two minutes later, the Macc goalie was shaking his head as if the rout was going to start here. But despite our letting Macclesfield back into it (another typical trait), by conceding one and then having to suffer a nail biting last quarter of an hour as they pressed for the equalizer, it was still a fine performance. A week earlier we had taken Northwich Victoria apart in a similar fashion, but only after granting them a two goal start, one a great Skiv own goal. Gary Messenger scored two crackers to bring us level and that's how it ended, though in the end only a great display by goalie Trevor Ball stood between Vics and a thrashing.
Barrow 6 Welling United 1 (GM Vauxhall Conference, 28.9.91) Considering it came just four days after being on the wrong end of the same scoreline against Northwich Victoria, this was an absolutely unhoped for result. But it didn't start that way as Barrow were one down after thirteen minutes. "Oh no, here we go again!" we all thought, but the strong wind against which we had made no headway in the first half was to change everything after the break. Slater, Hone (og), Wheatley, Doherty (2) and Proctor were the names on the scoresheet as Barrow realised that a shot from anywhere within thirty yards was likely to hit the target in the conditions. In the space of 25 minutes in this tenth game of the season Barrow practically doubled the number of goals they had scored in the previous nine. But if we thought then it was a turning point, it was not to be.
Barrow 2 Fleetwood Town 0 (HFS Loans League Premier Division, 26.12.92) This one was Richard Dinnis' first game in charge of the club as manager and he achieved a real coup by bringing Colin Cowperthwaite out of retirement just for this game. Stuart Todhunter also returned after a long lay-off due to a knee injury and almost capped his performance with what would have been a superb goal. However, the day belonged to Cowps and that's why we've included it here. About half way through the second period he ghosted onto the end of a Neil Doherty cross for a typical goal. Harry Wiggins had opened the scoring with a well taken free kick just after the interval to send the 1,711 crowd home for their Boxing Day mince pies well pleased. Issue 021 - January 1995