2023-24 Prediction League; Game 3 v Barrow AFC (home)

[Div3North]

Accrington Stanley

V

Barrow AFC

2023/24 Prediction League; Game 3 (Tue 15.8.23) v The Barrovian Barrow Boys (home)

Back in the mid-80s there was a Birkenhead Band called “Half Man Half Biscuit” - described as “punk ethic purveyors of satire, social commentary, parody and angst” - who released their debut single (“The Trumpton Riots”) in, I think, about 1986; other masterpieces over the years included “National Sh1te Day”, “Dickie Davies Eyes The Video” and “Outbreak of Vitas Gerulaitis” ……… the ‘B’ side of “Trumpton Riots” was lauded as ‘the finest study of adolescent obsession, frustration, rivalry, violence and table football ever to grace the wrong side of a bit of vinyl’ …… the title was “All I want for Christmas is a Xxxxx Xxxxxx away kit”, referencing a very famous (in their day) eastern European (army) football team, and the joys of Subbuteo ……… Starter for Ten; which team was it?

And if you're that keen, the song’s all over YouTube

Barrow-in-Furness is a port town in Cumbria. Historically in Lancashire at the tip of the Furness peninsula, close to the Lake District, it’s bordered by Morecambe Bay, the Duddon Estuary and the Irish Sea. In 2011, Barrow's population was 56,745, making it the second largest urban area in Cumbria after Carlisle; in the Middle Ages, Barrow was a small hamlet within the parish of Dalton-in-Furness with Furness Abbey, now on the outskirts of the town, controlling the local economy before its dissolution in 1537.

Barrow's location and the availability of steel allowed the town to develop into a significant producer of naval vessels, a shift that was accelerated during World War I, and the local yards specialisation was submarines. The original iron- and steel-making enterprises closed down after World War II, leaving Vickers shipyard as Barrow's main industry and employer. Several Royal Navy flagships, the vast majority of its nuclear submarines as well as numerous other naval vessels, ocean liners and oil tankers have been manufactured at the facility.

The name was originally that of an island, Barrai, which can be traced back to 1190. In the late 19th century Barrow was nicknamed "the English Chicago" because of the sudden and rapid growth in its industry, economic stature and overall size. More recently the town has been dubbed the "capital of blue-collar Britain" by The Daily Telegraph, reflecting its strong working class identity. Barrow is also often jokingly referred to as being at the end of the longest cul-de-sac in the country because of its isolated location at the tip of the Furness peninsula.

Footie-related Second Starter for Ten, then: why is former defender James Cotterill famous - or more correctly, infamous - in the annals of Barrow AFC?

Barrow football club was founded on 16 July 1901 at the old Drill Hall (later the Palais) in the Strand, and played initially at the Strawberry Ground: the club was elected to Division Two of the Lancashire Combination in 1903, and in 1908 it was promoted to the first division. They moved to a new home the following year, and Holker Street (known as the SO Legal Stadium for sponsorship purposes) has been Barrow's home ground since 1910. It had previously hosted Hindpool Athletic Football Club, and had, it is said, also been a rubbish dump; they remained in the Lancashire Combination until after the First World War, winning the league championship in 1920–21. The victory preceded the formation of the Football League Third Division North in the 1921–22 season, and Barrow became one of that league's founding members.

In their early years as a league club, they were notable, frankly, for their lack of success. Their highest finish before the Second World War was fifth in the 1931–32 season: the club remained in the lowest tier of the Football League when football resumed after the war, and were founding members of Football League Division Four in 1958–59. The 1950s saw greater success in FA Cup competition, including a third-round tie in the 1958–59 competition against Football League champions Wolverhampton Wanderers at Holker Street (Wolves, captained by Billy Wright, won 4–2).

In the late 1960s they won promotion from Div 4 to Div 3, managing three years there before greasy-poling back again; if you don’t count one day in 1967/68 when they topped the table, their highest league position was 8th in the FL Third Division. On their return to the basement in 1970 financial difficulties and poor performances saw them twice up for re-election (1971 and 1972), and on the second occasion, at the end of the 1971–72 season, they were voted out of the Football League and replaced by Hereford United - the first vote producing a tie for the final place in the league, each receiving 26 votes; however a second vote saw Hereford win by 29 votes to Barrow's 20. Barrow then joined the Northern Premier League for the start of the 1972–73 season, only coming back to the EFL under Ian Evatt on a PPG basis by winning the Covid-shortened Bananarama in 2020. Barrow's first Football League game (Evatt by then having jumped submarine to Bolton) in 48 years resulted in a home half-Desmond draw with Stevenage, and the Bluebirds finally won their first match at their 9th attempt in the league, 4–2 at Mansfield Town.

They finished last season in 9th place with a record that read P46 W18 D8 L20 GF47 GA53 for 62 points, 13 behind 8th placed Mansfield and the playoff spots as well. Oddly, they also lost in the FA Cup to the Stags, and they beat Blackpool on pens before losing in the same manner to Lincoln in the Carabao, and departed the Troffy 3-2 at Bolton in Round Two. They parted company with 16 players in the summer, including Wayne Rooney’s little brother John, and Offrande Zanzala to Newport, ProperSigning nine, among whom were Jamie Proctor (ex PNE) and David Worrall, who played four times for us in 2008 before making a stellar career at Bury and then Portly Value (plus Southend, Millwall and a few more). By the way, did you see that Southend are atop the Bananarama after two games?

Famous ex-managers include Andy Beattie (once of PNE, and the first Scottish National team manager (1954)), Colin Appleton, GK Fred Else (for five games), Liverpool legend Ron Yates, and Man U’s Brian Kidd - and they’ve never, it seems, made the 4th Round of the FA Cup ………. Famous ex-players include Tom Aldred, Paul Bowles (Stan’s cousin), Eddie Gray (ex Stanley in 1960), Liverpool and Hammers’ Mike Marsh, Thomas Cobley, Pugh, Pugh, Barney McGrew, Cuthbert, Dibble and Grubb ………..

Season’s started well for them; currently second, after 2-1 wins over Tranmere and Sutton United, although they lost by the odd goal in one to Bolton in the EFL Cup ……. Troffy group is Blackpool, Morecambe and Liverpool u21s

Head-to-head is only two FL Trophy games (bear in mind that we went out of the League in 1962 and they followed in 1972, before we got back in); November 2020 we won 1-0 at theirs, and August 2021 we drew 2-2 chez nous, but we won the penalty shoot out 5-4 for the extra point

Deadline for entries is, as always, scheduled kick-off time, which is 7.45 on Tuesday 15th August … three points would be good, you might think; yes? No? We’ll see…..

And the ‘B’ side of HMHB’s debut record was “All I want for Christmas is a Dukla Prague away kit” ………… and the James Cotterill story reads thus;

“Barrow defender James Cotterill, 24, pleaded guilty to punching Bristol Rovers striker Sean Rigg during a first round match on 11 November last year (2006). He was sentenced to four months at Preston Crown Court after admitting grievous bodily harm (but only served about five weeks). Cotterill is thought to be the first player in recent history in England to be jailed for an offence on the pitch. The incident took place at Conference North club Barrow's Holker Street Stadium. Cotterill hit Mr Rigg from behind so the striker had no idea what had happened to him.
He told police that, earlier on in the game, Mr Rigg had "barged into him". Defence Counsel said: "The defendant thought this was about to recur so he said he struck out and punched him to get him away."

The off-the-ball incident wasn't seen by the referee, linemen or any other players, however BBC TV cameras captured the assault, which was shown that evening to millions of viewers on the BBC's Match of the Day.

Ooopsie!

Good luck to everyone! …....... Keep the Faith! ….. And thanks for playing!

[Div3North]

Ossy Kid pre-predicted Stanley 2 Barrow 0 on account he's going fishing. In Alaska!

[VALAIRIAN]

Mike Marsh played for us also

[mab]

Accrington Stanley 2 - 1 Barrow AFC Please for me

[Watchdog]

Accrington Stanley to win 2-1 please

[choirboy]

Stanley 2-1 Barrow for me please.

[Lord Stiffupperlip]

Think this will be tougher than we think
A half Desmond for me please, 1-1

[AccyMad]

2 - 1 to Stanley please

[cashman]

2 0 stanley fro me.

[Reamer]

'All I Want for Christmas is a Dukla Prague Away kit' - Half Man Half Biscuit. Think I still have the track on an obscure mixtape somewhere.

2-2 draw

[andyd]

Stanley 1-1 Barrow.

[Taypot]

Stanley 0 Barrow 1

[accytom18]

Accrington Stanley 2-2 Barrow

[Chimer]

Stanley 2 Barrow 1 Fingernails 0

[teach]

Stanley 1 Barrow 1 for me please