Barrow

Barrow are a professional football club based in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria. The club currently compete in EFL League Two, the fourth tier of English football. They have a nickname of the Bluebirds, and unsurprisingly they play in blue and white. For over 100 years, Barrow have played their home games at Holker Street. A former Third Division outfit in the late '60s, Barrow spent almost half a century in Non-League before returning to the EFL in 2020, where they have remained in the fourth tier ever since. At current, they are the only side who have been automatically promoted back to the EFL since losing their league status through the re-election process, which happened in 1972.

Barrow Updates

For the second consecutive campaign, Barrow narrowly missed out on the Play-Off places in League Two. It marks a remarkable turnaround from their two first campaigns back in the EFL when they just about regained their Football League status by finishing just above the relegation places.

For the first time this campaign, Barrow have settled into mid-table in the fourth tier. The Cumbrian outfit sit ten points above the bottom two in the sixteenth spot. But with a thirteen-point gap to the top seven, it would take several results in either direction for the Bluebirds' seasons to change dramatically. They have begun January with four points from four games, recording a victory over Grimsby in their most recent outing.

To keep up to date with news about Barrow throughout the season check out The Real Efl page.

Barrow Transfer News and Rumours

There was a fair upheaval in Cumbria over the summer, with the majority of incomings and outgoings from League Two. Following on from two campaigns on near misses in terms of playoff campaigns, additions would be necessary to get over the line and finish in the top seven.

Unfortunately, as in any window, there were going to be losses. Ben Whitfield was the big departure in the middle of the park to Burton, while Tyrell Warren (Grimsby), George Ray (Morecambe) and James Chester (Salford) were defensive outgoings. Rounding off the key departures saw Tom White also join the Shrimps, while forward Sam Bellis moved to Irish side Waterford.

Theo Vassell helped fill the void at centre-half, joining from Salford, while Chris Stokes also arrived in that position from Morecambe. Ben Jackson and Conor Mahoney were signed from Huddersfield, while Neo Eccleston too left the Terriers, on loan. Two temporary forwards were acquired in Chris Popov (Leicester) and Andy Dallas, while Kyle Cameron joins in the winter window on loan from Notts County.

Barrow Signings

With the winter window now open, Barrow have swooped to make loan signings. Aaron Pressley adds to the Cumbrians' forward line, while Leo Duru comes in a right back, both arriving from the bottom two tiers of the EFL. They have added to that with two exciting permanent captures from the non-League system. Isaac Fletcher left Spennymoor Town for the North-west, with exciting young forward John Shamalo joining from Barton Town before being immediately loaned to Eastbourne Borough for the remainder of the campaign.

Player	Age	Nationality	Left	Fee	Contract Duration
Connor Mahoney	27	English	Huddersfield Town EFL League One	Free	2 year
Theo Vassell	27	English	Salford City EFL League Two	Free	1 year
Sam Barnes	23	English	Blackburn Rovers EFL Championship	Free	1 year
Katia Kouyate	20	English	Everton Premier League	Free	3 year
Ben Jackson	23	English	Huddersfield Town EFL League One	Undisclosed	3 year
Wyll Stanway	23	English	Chester National League North	Undisclosed	2 year
Chris Popov	19	Welsh Bulgarian	Leicester City English Premier League	Loan	1 year
Charlie Kirk	26	English	Crewe Alexandra (Free agent) League Two	Free Agent	End of the Season
Kyle Cameron	27	Scottish	Notts County EFL League Two	Loan	6 month
Isaac Fletcher	22	English	Spennymoor Town National League North	Undisclosed	2.5 year
Aaron Pressley	23	Scottish	Stevenage EFL League One	Loan	6 month
Leo Duru	19	American English	Blackburn Rovers EFL Championship	Loan	6 month

Barrow Key Matches of the Season

This season has been Barrow’s toughest in a few years, but it is by no means over with half the campaign remaining. With the Bluebirds currently in mid-table, but closer to the bottom two than the Play-Offs at current, it is fair to say that games against sides lower in the table are more crucial at the moment.

Barrow had a mixed start to the campaign, with a loss to rivals Carlisle quickly overcome by thrashing Port Vale to record a third win in four in all competitions. The League Cup provided a cup set against Championship Derby, rewarded with a tie at Chelsea. The second meeting with their Cumbrian rivals is on the agenda in March, with two nearby trips to local Lancashire sides following in the final quarter of the season.

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To find out all of Barrow’s fixtures click here.

Barrow Key Achievements

Having only played in the lower league for much of their history, and never above Division 3, the Bluebirds honours are all in the lower leagues. They have numerous cup wins too, including the FA Trophy which is the biggest of the lot.

Below we will guide you through Barrow’s major achievements.

• Fourth Division (Promoted) once in 1966/67
• National League Champions – 2019/20
• FA Trophy Winners Twice – 1990 & 2010
• Conference North (Promoted) Twice – 2014/15 (Champions) & 2008
• Northern Premier League Champions x3 – 1983/84, 1988/89 & 1997/78
• Lancashire Senior Cup Winners Twice – 1955 & 2024
• Northern Premier League President’s Cup Winners x2 – 2002 & 2004
• Lancashire Combination Division One & Two Promoted x4 – 1920/21 & 1913/14, 1904/05, 1910/22
• Peter Swales Shield Winners 1985
• Lancashire Junior Cup Winners 1981

Barrow Current Squad

Barrow have made a few new signings to strengthen their squad ahead of the second half of the campaign, including a couple for the future. In the meantime, new head coach Andy Whing has an array of players at his disposal to choose from in their remaining League Two games.

Barrow Attackers

The forward line has already been strengthened this month, with Aaron Pressley arriving on loan from Stevenage. John Shamalo departed on loan immediately after joining from the eighth tier, while Andy Dallas has returned to Barnsley. That leaves a void that current forward players Connor Mahoney and Emile Acquah will have to fill, along with Pressley.

Barrow Midfielders

Isaac Fletcher was signed this month from Spennymoor Town following 11 goals in 22 games this season, hoping to bring that sort of form to fire the Cumbrians up the division. He joins the likes of Robbie Gotts and Sam Forley in the engine room, accompanied by Elliot Newby and Ben Jackson out wide.

Barrow Defenders

Vassell is rumoured to have been the subject of interest from third-tier outfits Bristol Rovers and Shrewsbury Town. Chris Stokes has left following his summer arrival from Morecambe, meaning that if Vassell were to leave, then Kyle Cameron would help to fill that void having joined from Notts County. Skipper Niall Canavan joins them in a back three.

 Barrow Goalkeepers

The Bluebirds have two keepers this campaign. Both have donned the keepers' shirt this campaign, with Paul Farman playing fifteen times and keeping six clean sheets. Wyll Stanway had a tougher time inbetween the posts, conceding a similar amount but failing to keep a shut-out. Defender Rory Feely has also played in goal after Farman was sent off in September, with Stanway not on the bench.

Barrow Managing and Coaching Staff

The current head coach of Barrow is Andy Whing.

The former right-back had a wealth of experience behind him from his playing career, reaching a century of appearances for both Coventry and Oxford. The Brummie then moved into management with Banbury United in 2020, five years after he had retired from the game.

He left the club to promotion from the Southern League Premier Division Central in 2022, earning a spot in the National League North for the first time ever. After Whing had guided the club to survival at that level, he departed for Solihull Moors in the summer of 2023. The Moors finished inside the Play-Offs last term, making the Final before falling to an agonising defeat against Bromley at Wembley.  

Stephen Clemence has recently been dismissed from Barrow, after only taking charge of the Bluebirds in the summer.

Barrow Former Managers & Key Coaches

Previous Barrow successes have come over the past few decades, experiencing much joy as they battled in the lower reaches of the English Football League. Two of the names below led the club during the 1960s, while Don McEvoy took the Cumbrian side down to a certain stadium in the capital for the first time. In much more recent times, Pete Wild has written a new chapter in the club's history.

The Bluebirds have just appointed Andy Whing as their new head coach, and he will be looking to join the illustrious list of past managers that are listed below.

Colin Appleton 1967 – 1969

• Took on a player-manager role with the Bluebirds.
• Achieved legendary status despite only managing for a couple of seasons.
• 3x FA Trophy winner with Scarborough after leaving the Cumbrians.

Don McEvoy 1964 – 1967, 1970 – 1971

• Led Barrow to their only promotion during their Football League spell, into Division Three.
• Played over 70 times for the club at the start of the 60s.
• Came back to manage the club for a second time the following decade.

Ray Wilkie 1986 – 1991

• Led Barrow to one of their greatest days at Wembley, winning the FA Trophy in 1990.
• Won the Northern Premier League title a year earlier.
• Took the club into the FA Cup 3^rd Round for the first time as a Non-League outfit.

Pete Wild 2022 – 2024

• Joined from Halifax and led the club to a ninth-place finish in his first term.
• Again had Barrow on the cusp of the Play-Offs, unfortunately missing out at the end of the campaign.
• 2x Manager of the Month award that season, also climbing into the automatic promotion places by November 2023.

Barrow Legends

There have been some very successful players to have played for Barrow over the years, a few of them coming during their Non-League days. In more recent times, there have been some very steady players play for the Bluebirds in Non-League, with some playing an integral part in guiding the club back into the EFL.

Ernie Ackerley 1963 – 1964

• Came through the academy of Manchester United.
• Move further into the North-West with Barrow, playing over 50 times.
• The Scottish forward scored twelve times before moving to the other side of the world to play in Australia.

Jimmy Abrines 1923 - 1924

• First Bluebird player on this list by some distance, playing for the Cumbrians in the 1920’s.
• Was an inside forward, playing seven times for the club when they were a Third Division (North) outfit across a two-month period.
• Scotsman played for a couple of other clubs in his native country.

Billy Adams 1927 – 1928

• Smethwick-born defender joined Barrow following almost a ton of games at West Brom.
• Made 23 appearances for Barrow during his brief stint with the club.
• Was said to have been a landlord in his later days at a pub in the Black Country.

Ted Adams 1931

• Had been a Liverpool player in his early days before playing locally in the Manchester region.
• The goalkeeper revived his career though following his spell at Barrow.
• He went on to feature over 80 times at Wrexham, then surpassed a century of appearances at Burnley.

Emile Acquah 2023 – Present

• Scored nine goals in debut campaign, including eight in League Two in 23/24.
• On course to equal that tally with five so far this season.
• Signed from Non-League side Maidenhead following thirteen goals and winning the club's POTS award.

Danny Livesey 2014 – 2017

• Won the National League North in his debut campaign.
• Took the captaincy for his final year.
• Played over 300 times for rivals Carlisle, along with 135 games in three seasons for Barrow.

Brad Abbott 2016

• Joined Barrow from Barnsley on loan until the end of the season in 2015/16.
• Played five times for the club in the National League.
• He has been a predominant figure in the lower leagues, only playing five times in the EFL and is currently at Cleethorpes Town.

Barrow Team Metrics and Performance

This is Barrow’s fifth campaign at League Two level, since ending their 48-year drought from the Football League in 2020.

Last term, Barrow agonisingly finished outside the playoffs on the last day, having started the day inside the top seven. A run of five losses in their final seven ultimately derailed the campaign and put a sour end on what was a hugely impressive campaign which saw them pick up 69 points.

In 2022/23, Barrow finished a place and seven points further back on 62 points. It did though mark a huge turnaround from the previous campaign in Pete Wild’s first campaign in charge.

The previous two seasons following the National League title win in 2020 were spent in the lower reaches of the table. After a 21^st-place finish in their first League Two campaign in 2020/21, Barrow finished six points and a place worse off the following year but regained their EFL status.

Having taken 70 points from 37 games in 2019/20, Barrow ended their EFL exile on PPG. The Bluebirds had dropped into the sixth tier during their 48 years in Non-League.

Watch Barrow’s Latest Highlights

Barrow Pitch and Amenities

Barrow play their home games at Holker Street, where they have played since 1909. The ground has a capacity of 6500, of which the majority is terraces bar 2249 seats. And yet back in January 1954, 16874 crammed into the ground for an FA Cup 3^rd Round tie against Swansea City, the Cumbrians record attendance.

The ground has remained fairly unchanged since the main stand was developed in the 1990s, although there have been minor changes in recent years. A roof was added in the summer of 2020 to one of the stands, while both home and away supporters saw changes in the off-season in 2023 when renovating a stand to add 923 seats.

Holker Street has four stands, named:

• Main Stand
• Holker Street End
• Ray Wilkie Popular Side
• Crossbar End

The main stand is the only all-seater stand in the ground, with a capacity of around 1000 seats. Added to this are two smaller stands on either side, one of which houses away supporters as is required in the EFL. Behind the goal is the Holker Street End, which houses a combination of home and away fans, with the Ray Wilkie Popular Stand being fully terraced. The final end behind the other goal, the Crossbar End, mainly houses offices.

Barrow Fan Base and Support

Attendances have almost doubled since the Bluebirds won the National League in 2020. With an average crowd of just over 2000 that campaign, in last season's fourth tier season that had risen to 3920. Even the first season post-covid had seen an increase to 2936, further growing to around the 3.5k mark in 22/23.

The club have twice seen attendances exceed 5k since returning to the EFL, both coming last term. The Boxing Day encounter drew a crowd of 5866 against Stockport, while the final day game against Mansfield saw 5668 come through the turnstiles against promoted Mansfield.

The record attendance for a Barrow game won’t be broken any time soon, mainly because it is 2.5x higher than the current capacity. 16874 supporters packed into the ground over 70 years ago for an FA Cup 3^rd Round tie in January 1954 to face Swansea City.

Barrow Rivalries and Notable Matches

Barrow’s main rivals are considered to be Carlisle United, with the two clubs battling it out for the pride of Cumbria. Workington have also been considered rivals, with 60 miles separating the two clubs along the North-west coast, meeting 35 times across 20 years. But with the last meeting over half a century ago, Carlisle are certainly their main rival since they returned to the EFL, after going 56 years without an encounter before meeting BCD in lockdown.

There are local games with Morecambe that Barrow partake in, but that is a more friendly affair, with some Shrimps welcoming Barrow back to the EFL following their promotion on a message displayed on an aeroplane. 

Some notable matches between these two teams include:

• February 8^th, 1930 – Division Three (North): Carlisle United 7-1 Barrow
• January 3^rd, 1931 – Division Three (North): Barrow 7-2 Carlisle United
• December 15^th, 1945 – FA Cup: Carlisle United 3-4 Barrow
• January 31^st, 2023 – League Two: Carlisle United 5-1 Barrow

Barrow Facts

Barrow History

Barrow were founded at the start of the 20^th century, fluctuating between the divisions of the Lancashire Combination divisions before being invited to the Third Division North in the Football League. This was after winning the Lancashire Combination title in 1921, and they spent almost 40 years in the same division before eventually dropping to Division Four.

This was due to a league restructure, with Barrow soon returning to Division Three without the regional split in 1967. But following three years at this level, they dropped back into the lowest division of the Football League, and then down into Non-League.

Amid ownership troubles, the Bluebirds returned to the newly named Conference after winning the Northern Premier League title on three occasions. They last played regionalised football in 2015, returning to the National League that year. After four seasons as a fifth-tier outfit, Barrow finally won promotion to the Football League where they have remained ever since.

Barrow Social Media Links

To see any regular updates on Barrow, the club's social media pages, particularly X, is the best possible way. The club have just under 40k followers on that particular platform, where you can find all the latest news.

Below are the links for the clubs' Twitter, and the website:

https://x.com/BarrowAFC
https://www.barrowafc.com/

Barrow Outlook and Forecast

Barrow should be expected to have their first season of mid-table solidity this campaign after two near-misses with relegation were followed by two years of falling just short of a top-seven spot. After they moved in a different direction with Stephen Clemence, which proved unsuccessful, Andy Whing will be hoping for a more successful second half of this season.

His reign certainly began positively, easing past Grimsby 3-0 in his first game in charge, which should be a blueprint for how he wants his team to perform for the rest of this campaign. With a ten-point buffer to the bottom two and a thirteen-point gap to the top seven, then the Bluebirds are well set for a relatively stress-free final twenty games.

Only a run of positive or negative results would see a shift in their league position, and otherwise should keep them in good stead for next season.

Frequently Asked Questions on Barrow

How much would it cost to buy Barrow Association Football Club?

It is extremely difficult to say how much Barrow are worth, given their ownership situation. The market value of the club is estimated to be close to £4m, but this only represents the value of the players so cannot be used as a cost of the football club themselves. But, the Bluebirds Trust purchased a 10% stake in the club back in 2019 for £50k, giving them an estimated value at the time of £500k. So, it could perhaps be gathered now the club are worth a few times more that, as a result of their promotion into the Football League.

Why does Barrow AFC have a submarine?

The use of the submarine on the badge has a fitting origin, with Barrow launching them for the Royal Navy in the year 1901. This was the same year that the Bluebirds were formed, and represents the shipping industry from which the town has a history of building them, given their proximity to the coast.  

What is the capacity of Barrow AFC Stadium?

Holker Street has a capacity of 6500, with the club twice close to reaching that figure last season in games against Stockport and Mansfield. There are approximately 2250 seats, with the rest terrace across two stands, while the end behind one of the goals houses offices as opposed to supporters.

Who owns Barrow AFC?

Barrow AFC are owned by board members Tony Shearer, Paul Hornby, Kris Wilkes, and Mark Hetherington, along with the Bluebirds Trust. Shearer is the leading stakeholder with 45%. They took over the club in 2018, with the prospect of regional football a possibility having narrowly avoided relegation the previous year. But the Cumbrian outfit went in the other direction, ending a 48-year absence from the Football League and are looking like a stable League Two outfit at current.

Is Barrow AFC a big club?

In the region of Cumbria, Barrow can be considered a big club. But relative to the rest of the country, no, the Bluebirds are not a big club. That isn’t to say though that they haven’t enjoyed a varied history, taking them on a journey through Non-League football before their return to the Football League at the beginning of this decade.

Where to watch Barrow AFC?

To watch the club live, you would have to attend a home game at Holker Street. Alternatively, you could watch one of their 23 league games away from home. As part of the new Sky Sports deal for the EFL, at least 20 Barrow games will be available to watch on TV too. That includes their midweek encounter against Doncaster at the end of January, their early kick-off against Crewe late in February and both their fixtures over the Easter Bank Holiday weekend.