Away to Gillingham FA Cup

[MisterPleasant]

Sadly, SB, we are in the National League now and Gloucester City is only one league below, the National League North.

Gloucester are 2 leagues below
They are in the southern league premier division south

Well, that's embarrassing - and apologies, SB - but, in my defence, a quick Google search showed me this (memo to self: don't trust everything you read):

[spirit of 1990]

It’s the FAC, it’s how it works (remember, the magic of the FAC)

Honestly can’t get my head around any Barrow supporter “wanting” to get beat tonight. Yes it’s not a great draw or an attractive one but I suppose many many clubs have thought that over the years and then gone on some amazing money spinning runs.

[Cromwell58]

Every game you should play to win or what is the point of playing ?

[Scrube]

Gilliingham on Sky tonight if anyones interested.

[mickmike wilson]

Awful. Chuck the game tmra

Are you being serious £9,375 for winning tomorrow and £15,800 for 1st round losers, didn`t think we should be throwing away a possible £25,175.

[mickmike wilson]

In the 1924-25 season after defeating Darwin at home in the 4th qualifying round Barrow defeated Wrexham at home in the 5th qualifying round before meeting Gillingham away in the 6th qualifying round the tie ended 0-0 followed by a 1-1 draw at Holker street, the third match was played at Wolves which ended 1-1 followed by a 1-1 draw at Arsenal before a 2-1 win at Millwall`s ground. In the first round proper Barrow drew 0-0 away at Blackpool losing the replay at home 0-2. From the 15th November - 14th January Barrow had played NINE cup matches.

Blimey

[MisterPleasant]

Scraped a draw at home against lowly Port Vale tonight. They're already distracted by our impending visit.

[mall]

I wouldn't put it past Barrow bringing em back to H Street.

[FanzoneFan]

I wouldn't put it past Barrow bringing em back to H Street.

Now that would be amazing considering there are no replays

[mall]

I wouldn't put it past Barrow bringing em back to H Street.

Now that would be amazing considering there are no replays

didn't realise that!!

[pjdaly]

In the 1924-25 season after defeating Darwin at home in the 4th qualifying round Barrow defeated Wrexham at home in the 5th qualifying round before meeting Gillingham away in the 6th qualifying round the tie ended 0-0 followed by a 1-1 draw at Holker street, the third match was played at Wolves which ended 1-1 followed by a 1-1 draw at Arsenal before a 2-1 win at Millwall`s ground. In the first round proper Barrow drew 0-0 away at Blackpool losing the replay at home 0-2. From the 15th November - 14th January Barrow had played NINE cup matches.

Extraordinarily impressive!

Either 'SnowdropsinJune' is the most informed Barrow AFC historian on the planet or very, very, very old and possessing of a very, very, very good memory. I am curious because there is another "Snow" contributor who comes on this forum just occasionally and who, likewise, has astonishing in-depth knowledge of our distant past, including solving the conundrum a couple of years ago regarding where, exactly, our Ainslie Street ground was once situated. I am not asking for an answer or a response, but I do have to wonder if 'SnowdropsinJune' and 'Snowdog 71' are related as they would appear to both be members of the 'Snow' clan.

[FanzoneFan]

Talking of older Barrow FA Cup games is there any one on the forum who attended the Wolves, Southampton and Leicester games? If there is your memories of those occasions would be greatly appreciated.

[Jim]

Yep. Stood on the Popular side as a youngster for the Wolves game. Snow and ice on the terraces, bone hard pitch. Apart from an exciting game, where we were 2-2 at one stage I think (it ended 2-4) , the two things I remember are Billy Wright playing cool and combing his hair (probably Brylcreemed ) and a piledriver shot from a local lad whose name I can't remember (King?) felling the ref.

Southampton I remember as if it was yesterday. I was behind the goals at the Holker End so saw McAdam's shot into the top corner very clearly. Mulholland's header was at the far end. A great performance where a draw was the least we deserved.

I must have been getting blase as I got older, because I don't remember much of the action in the Leicester game. I was in my usual place behind the goal at Holker St end and I do remember the Leicester fans lack of class in ripping off a piece of drainpipe and hurling it at us.

[pjdaly]

Fanzone Fan . . . I know there are some on here who would remember the Wolves game from January 1959 but it's up to them whether they want to say anything. *** Ah, I see Jim has written something*** As for me, it was before my time but I have long been jealous of those who had the opportunity to be there. After all, Wolves were the Champions of England at that time. I think it is probably the only time in our 125-year history that we have faced the Champions of England in a competitive match at Holker Street. See now why I'm jealous? I know Wolves were overflowing with internationals, including the England captain of the time, Billy Wright.

Southampton? Oh, yes, that was on January 28th 1967, during our promotion season. It is not eloquently possible to put into words an apt description of how electrified the atmosphere was inside Holker Street that day, especially when we were leading our top-flight opponents 2-1 with only a few minutes left. It is arguably the most atmospheric football match I have seen in my life (though losing out just marginally to a league match three months later against Crewe, in what was virtually a promotion decider for the two clubs). Southampton had Terry Paine in their team. Paine had played in the World Cup tournament in 1966 just six months earlier, featuring in one of the group-stage matches (though not in the final itself). Terry is one of only three members of the 22-man England squad of 1966 who is still alive today, the others being Ian Callaghan and, of course, Sir Geoff Hurst. Southampton also had other top, top players, most notably centre-forward, Ron Davies, who was phenomenal in the air. Brian Arrowsmith did remarkably well that day to keep Davies quiet, even though it was Davies who got a late tap-in equaliser for Saints following a rare mistake by George Smith, in my mind one of the best players I have ever seen play for Barrow. The other Saints goal was scored by Martin Chivers (who died recently) and who went on to be a full England international. Barrow's two goals were scored by Bill McAdams, remembered by those present to be the most ferocious strike ever to hit the back of a net at Holker Street, and our gifted forward, Jim Mulholland. We lost the replay 3-0. Totally extraordinary day.

Leicester? Actually, for me personally, it was a bit of a disappointment. In my mind, we never seemed too close to achieving the win or the draw, unlike in the Southampton encounter. We trailed 2-0 before Dave Storf pulled one back, but we lost 1-2. A major feature of this match was that the Leicester keeper was a very young Peter Shilton. I think he was 18 at the time. I believe that, next time out, Harry Kane will be overtaking his all-time appearances record of 125 caps for England. I do remember that the ground was so packed that there were fans sitting on top of the roof on what is now The Ray Wilkie side . . . in those days, the roof sloped downwards towards the pitch. It was that full.

[Holker Street 1957]

Yes, I was also there for those three games, and apart from the above comments, the only comment that I can make is that although the crowds were huge by Barrow standards, no-one seemed to be remotely concerned! As an addition, I was also in Holker Street when Barrow played Swansea Town (not City in those days), but I do not remember much about it. I do have a memory though of a lot of cars parking in Holker Street past Chatsworth Street, this in a time of very few cars. Sadly, I suppose that there will not be many of us left who saw all four of Barrow's record home attendances.