2023-24 Prediction League; Game 25 v Barrow AFC (away)

Div3North · 28-12-2023, 17:08

Barrow AFC

V

Accrington Stanley

2023/24 Prediction League Game 25 v The Barrow Boys (away)

Not so much “Season of Mists and Mellow Fruitfulness” on Boxing Day - much more “Season of missed opportunities and failure to park the bus”: Morecambe were two up after 18 at Bratfud, but only managed a Desmond; Barrow were two up at home to Stockpot, but gave them two back (in the True Spirit of Chrissymas) in the first ten minutes of the second half (another Desmond); Vegan Greenpeace (under Troy Deeney) were 2-0 up at Newport by halt time, but someone successfully spiked their orange quarters and they lost 4-2; Colchester were on for a decent point at MK Dons until they were breached on 89; and The Stanley - influenced by the Negative Vibes from He Who Doesn’t Always Keep the Faith - got their pockets picked on 93 mins for another defeat …… Bah Humbug!

14 entries again, 10 for a win, two for a draw, and Kiwi’s 0-2 prediction that got him five points, and Valairian’s 1-2 prediction that got him another TenfromLen ….. like the man said, “^$^%$%*&&*&%*%(%(*^(*^)*(^*(&*feck” ……………especially the “feck”

Barrow-in-Furness is a port town and civil parish (as just "Barrow") in the Westmorland and Furness district, in the ceremonial county of Cumbria: historically in Lancashire, it was incorporated as a municipal borough in 1867 and merged with Dalton-in-Furness Urban District in 1974 to form the Borough of Barrow-in-Furness. In 2023, the borough merged with Eden and South Lakeland districts to form a new unitary authority (the afore-mentioned Westmorland and Furness.). To the best of my knowledge, nothing has happened in Barrow since August, when I wrote the thread opener for the home game; I refer Honourable Members to what I then scribed for your edification

Briefly to recap, Barrow AFC was founded in July 1901 at the old Drill Hall 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 been a rubbish dump, and 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. However, at the end of 1971/72 they were unsuccessful in seeking re-election to Division 4, and were replaced by Hereford Bulls

Covid Season 2019/20 brought them back into the EFL under Ian Evatt, they having won the Bananarama on a PPG basis; Evatt went to Bolton in 2020, and is still there (making him the fourth-longest continuously-serving manager in the League, behind Simon Weaver at Harrowgate, Professor Coleman at Accie, and Mark Robbins at Coventry ….. in 20/21 the finished 21st on 50 points (5 above the DropSlots); in 21/22 they were 22nd, 6 points above Oldham and 18 above Scunthorpe: in 22/23 they managed 9th, on 62 points ………
Currently they’re fourth, off a record that reads P23W12 D8 L3 GF35 GA19 for 44 points …. their three defeats in the League have all been away from home (1-0 at Stockport, 1-0 at Mansfield and 2-1 at Grimsby), they last lost in the League on 3rd October, and prior to gifting a point to Stockport (see above) they’d won seven in a row ………. our first meeting of the season, you’ll recall, on a sunny August evening, resulted in a half-Desmond, our goal coming on 36 mins from Sean McC, and their equaliser on 87 (bolt the bloody back door!)

They beat the Cobblers 3-1 away in the FA Cup first round, before embarrassing themselves in Round Two at Maidstone (1-2) and thus missing a home tie with Stevenage in Round Three ………… in the EFL Cup they lost 1-0 at Ian Evatt’s boys ….. and in the Trophy they finished last in their group, behind Blackpool, Liverpool under 7s, and Morecambe. Leading scorer of their 35 goals is Emile Acquah (who they bought from Maidenhead in July 23) with five in the League and six in all; no new signings (except DMF Luca Stephenson from Liverpool on a season-long loan)

And in case you thought I’d forgotten a Starter for Ten, I hadn’t ………. So; name the League Two player who, on Boxing Day, broke the record for the greatest number of games played by one player for a single club, and name his club as well ………….

Deadline for entries is, as always, scheduled kick-off time, which is 7.45pm on Friday 29th December ………………. The Managerial Sack Race continues apace; in particular, the 19th December wasn’t a good day to be a manager (unless you really wanted Christmas at home with the Family) ………. Matt Gray left Sutton after their 8-0 thrashing by Stockport, and although they lost to Mansfield on 23rd they won at The Wombles on B’ing Day (1-0); on the same day (19th December) Steve Cooper got the Ho-Ho-Ho Heave-Ho from Notts Forest, and Steven Schumacher left Plymouth ……… and after their 5-1 home defeat by the Trannies on 26th, Salford Manager Neil Wood ceased to be Salford Manager; Happy Christmas to All our Managers - especially the recently-terminated

And the new holder of the “One Club greatest number of appearances” trophy is MK Dons’ skipper Dean Lewington, currently on 771 games and counting

Good Luck to everyone! ………….. Keep the Faith! (the Faithless will please note!) …And thanks for playing!

And a Happy New Year from Me!