Andy Whing has said that his sides 2-1 win away at Crawley at the weekend was his sides best performance since he joined the club.
The Bluebird won 2-1 thanks to goals from Josh Gordon and Isaac Fletcher.
Young Coach
Andy Whing’s coaching career began at Coventry City’s Academy, followed by roles in non-league at Hereford and Banbury United. Joining Solihull Moors in 2021, he led them to a National League playoff final. He was then appointed of the head coach of Barrow AFC in January 2025. Whing has been aiming to instil resilience, guiding the Bluebirds clear of League Two relegation and pushing the club even further.
A Turbulent Time
Andy Whing’s tenure as Barrow AFC head coach has been a tale of resilience amid League Two’s rigours since his arrival in January. Appointed on a two-and-a-half-year deal after guiding Solihull Moors to a National League playoff final, Whing inherited a Bluebirds side flirting with the relegation zone. His debut delivered a morale-boosting 3-0 home win over Grimsby Town, with Robbie Gotts, Tyler Smith, and Theo Vassell on target, propelling Barrow 10 points clear of danger come the end of the season.
Pre-season teething issues gave way to a challenging start to the campaign, marked by narrow defeats and an injury crisis sidelining up to five key players, including Rekeem Harper. Despite failing to score in five of seven fixtures at the start of the term, Whing’s tactical tweaks now deploying a robust back-five, yields grit. September’s 1-0 loss to Fleetwood was soured by captain Niall Canavan’s red card, but back-to-back victories followed.
Whing’s Comments
In an interview with The Mail, Whing said:
“I’d actually say it’s my best win here.”
“If you look at the circumstances we’ve had. It’s probably the worst I’ve ever felt on the sidelines, I was almost throwing up.”
“We’ve had lads almost throwing up in the dressing room, lads really struggling.”
“Shippers [Lewis Shipley] was obviously really bad in the morning and has had to come out of the squad. Scotty [Scott Smith] was left at home as well.”
“Second half you could see the lads were tired, a bit jaded and ran out of legs a bit.”
“I’m absolutely delighted for the players. They’ve gone through the ringer. Some of them have been really bad like myself and some of the staff as well.”
“We shut the training ground down on Thursday. We were all together on the coach on Friday, Shippers wakes up in the morning and has to come out of it.”
Writers View
Andy Whing’s gritty leadership could be the turning point for Barrow. His underdog spirit may propel the Bluebirds beyond survival, sparking a potential push for play-offs in the near future.
