For a long, long time, it seemed like Barrow AFC, almost half a century after being voted out of the Football League, would again be the forgotten men. For once, however, they will get their moment in the sun.
With talk of seasons being null and voided rife as coronavirus took hold across Europe, National League table toppers Barrow were left fearing the worst.
Nobody wants to travel this far north to a town situated 45 minutes after turning off the M6, and with their fate taken out of the hands and the National League struggling to decide on the best course of action, déjà vu was creeping in for Barrovians of a certain vintage.
In 1972, the Bluebirds were voted out of the Football League. In those days, teams that finished in the bottom four of the old Fourth Division had to apply for re-election. It came down to Barrow staying up or non-league Hereford United, who had famously just beaten Newcastle in the FA Cup, being voted in. Fans to this day insist Barrow’s relegation was due to teams wishing to avoid an awkward and tiresome journey.
With Covid-19 leaving leagues with another decision to make – how to decide the current season – the National League, England’s fifth tier, was weighing up all the options. Tier seven and down in the English football pyramid voided their campaigns, with no relegations or promotions.
That was back in March. Until last week, Barrow still remained a Non-League side. However, after a great deal of deliberation, their promotion back to the Football League was confirmed on Wednesday, with the National League decided on points-per-game. Cue relief all round.
“It has felt like three years not three months, with not knowing what is going to happen,” Barrow manager Ian Evatt tells i. “All the voiding talk was very worrying indeed. It has been challenging at times but we are delighted the decision has been made and it has gone our way.”
In a town that is no stranger to hardship due to its isolated location, coronavirus hit Barrow hard, with infection rates the highest in the UK in mid-May.
The football team, dubbed “Barrocelona” by fans in homage to their free-flowing style, had helped lift the gloom during the season, and last week’s news will provide a further boost at time when good news is in short supply.
“For me, the proudest thing is to see what it has done for the community and the town in general,” Evatt adds. “Not just our fanbase, the town itself has really picked up at a dark time, with coronavirus and just in normal circumstances.
“People around the town want to talk about the football club. There are less Manchester United and Liverpool shirts on the streets and more Barrow ones. This will lift a community that really needs a lift.
“There is a big catchment area around here that is untapped. We can now, as a Football League club, start to attract the best local talent that otherwise might go unnoticed. The list of positives is endless for a place like Barrow.”
Evatt is a young, ambitious coach. Having achieved a great deal in a short space of time, he is determined to not rest on his laurels and he believes Barrow, the club and the town, can really go places.
“We are going up there to compete and challenge,” he says. “We are a good side and want to show it. I hate mediocrity, and we want to give this town something to be proud of. We have the players and the determination to give them that.”
from Football – inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/2AXgKEv
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