Our best manager/managers

[blumooncrab]

After almost 60 yrs as a supporter and of pain, mostly, it’s Ian Evatt for me - a unique achievement getting the club back in the league.

[Jonty]

Ian Evatt for me - because he’s the only one I’ve known to truly believe that we could be a Football League side.
He turned a side that couldn’t put two passes together into the best footballing team I’ve seen. It helped that he landed John Rooney in the form of his career. 17 goals from midfield and countless assists. It was truly magical.

Don’t forget the status of some of the clubs we were competing against - Notts, Wrexham, Stockport, Chesterfield and he ripped up that small time Barrow tag on the way

His quote below: The season before we went up: he had a clear vision for the way the game should be played

[HenneysKnee]

Ian Evatt

[sambino]

Ian Evatt however enjoyed the Daz and Dave days massively

[pjdaly]

When I consider this question carefully I find it impossible to see beyond Don McEvoy.

There have been a number of "transformational managers" that have taken over when the club has been a shambles and turned things around. Ray Wilkie did it, Daz n' Dave did it, Darren Edmondson did it, Ian Evatt did it. But McEvoy did it in taking us to the highest level we have ever been, the old 3rd Division.

You surely have to consider the context; if Don McEvoy had taken over from Ron Staniforth in the summer of 1964 and Staniforth had departed with us on the cusp of something special then we could say McEvoy merely took advantage of a promising position. Wrong! When McEvoy began his three-season spell in July 1964 Barrow had just finished rock bottom of Division 4 the previous season (sounds familiar?). After his first season we were still struggling, finishing fourth from bottom of Division 4 and once again having to apply for re-election. But we can see, retrospectively, that McEvoy was building; in 1965-66 he lifted us to a much more respectable finish of 12th position. And then came 1966-67 . . . we know about that. This had been a 3-year transformation job of epic proportions.

I am certainly not wishing to diminish the role of Colin Appleton who took over when McEvoy moved onto better things (???) at Grimsby in the summer of 1967. Colin was doing well, getting us to an 8th place finish in Division 3 in 1967-68, the highest place we have ever finished . . . but, how can anyone say Colin did not have the massive advantage of standing on the shoulders of a giant when he took the reins? He inherited a tremendous bunch of players that McEvoy had cleverly recruited over the previous three seasons, some of the best players ever to wear our shirt . . . the names roll off the tongue. McEvoy brought in the likes of Else, Mallon, Edwards, Smith, Harrison, McCarthy, Mulholland, Field, McAdams, Pilkington, a supreme mix of wise old heads and promising youngsters. Colin was able to ride on this legacy; he did bring in a revelation in the form of David Storf, plus a couple of other decent acquisitions. But as I say, I do not wish to sound critical of Colin Appleton because he might have gone on to become even better in my eyes if he hadn't fallen ill so soon into his time here. And let me add that, to me, Colin Appleton is the BEST footballer I have seen play for us, with a tackle straight from the dungeons, and an ability to glide long, raking passes more smoothly than a felucca-ride. A fabulous footballer, but McEvoy built the foundations of that team that went into the 67-68 season.

As I say, many others have come in and really transformed the club, and I do understand the calls for Evatt for his fantastic spell, but I still choose McEvoy because he did the job one rung higher.

So it's McEvoy for me, without any doubt . . . even though he did come back for a second spell during our last two seasons in the FL at the start of the 70's and failed miserably.

But, while nominating McEvoy, I would describe Ray Wilkie as our most beloved manager because there is this strong impression that Ray "got our club" more than any other manager.

I must finish by mentioning someone who will never ever come into a discussion about our greatest ever manager, and that is Peter Kane who managed us between 1972 and 1974, as we dropped out of the FL to very-near extinction. In his first season we finished next-to-bottom of the NPL. The bottom two had to apply for re-election. Having duly been given another chance, we then went on to finish third from bottom of the NPL in season 1973-74 . . . in other words, just above the re-election places. I have said this before on this forum and I don't mind saying it again . . . Peter Kane and the team of mainly locals, in 1973-74, performed a miracle that probably kept Barrow AFC in existence. We were poor, very poor, of course we were, but those local lads had a brilliant run in the second half of the 73-74 season that carried us just clear of the re-election places. Was this a big deal? It seems so, because the rumours were swirling at the time that everybody wanted rid of us due to the state of our pitch and our ground and if we had not steered clear of the re-election places in 73-74 that might well have marked the end of the football club. So, remember, when you turn up at Holker Street this coming Saturday, we might not have been here but for a miracle performed by Peter Kane and a team of locals back in 1974.

I just hope that in the fullness of time we can look back and think of Adam Murray as our greatest ever. He is certainly impressing in terms of his ability to infuse character into a team. Long may it continue.

[Bluebird_john]

Surprised Paul Cox hasn’t had at least an honourable mention

[behind the goals]

When I consider this question carefully I find it impossible to see beyond Don McEvoy.

There have been a number of "transformational managers" that have taken over when the club has been a shambles and turned things around. Ray Wilkie did it, Daz n' Dave did it, Darren Edmondson did it, Ian Evatt did it. But McEvoy did it in taking us to the highest level we have ever been, the old 3rd Division.

You surely have to consider the context; if Don McEvoy had taken over from Ron Staniforth in the summer of 1964 and Staniforth had departed with us on the cusp of something special then we could say McEvoy merely took advantage of a promising position. Wrong! When McEvoy began his three-season spell in July 1964 Barrow had just finished rock bottom of Division 4 the previous season (sounds familiar?). After his first season we were still struggling, finishing fourth from bottom of Division 4 and once again having to apply for re-election. But we can see, retrospectively, that McEvoy was building; in 1965-66 he lifted us to a much more respectable finish of 12th position. And then came 1966-67 . . . we know about that. This had been a 3-year transformation job of epic proportions.

I am certainly not wishing to diminish the role of Colin Appleton who took over when McEvoy moved onto better things (???) at Grimsby in the summer of 1967. Colin was doing well, getting us to an 8th place finish in Division 3 in 1967-68, the highest place we have ever finished . . . but, how can anyone say Colin did not have the massive advantage of standing on the shoulders of a giant when he took the reins? He inherited a tremendous bunch of players that McEvoy had cleverly recruited over the previous three seasons, some of the best players ever to wear our shirt . . . the names roll off the tongue. McEvoy brought in the likes of Else, Mallon, Edwards, Smith, Harrison, McCarthy, Mulholland, Field, McAdams, Pilkington, a supreme mix of wise old heads and promising youngsters. Colin was able to ride on this legacy; he did bring in a revelation in the form of David Storf, plus a couple of other decent acquisitions. But as I say, I do not wish to sound critical of Colin Appleton because he might have gone on to become even better in my eyes if he hadn't fallen ill so soon into his time here. And let me add that, to me, Colin Appleton is the BEST footballer I have seen play for us, with a tackle straight from the dungeons, and an ability to glide long, raking passes more smoothly than a felucca-ride. A fabulous footballer, but McEvoy built the foundations of that team that went into the 67-68 season.

As I say, many others have come in and really transformed the club, and I do understand the calls for Evatt for his fantastic spell, but I still choose McEvoy because he did the job one rung higher.

So it's McEvoy for me, without any doubt . . . even though he did come back for a second spell during our last two seasons in the FL at the start of the 70's and failed miserably.

But, while nominating McEvoy, I would describe Ray Wilkie as our most beloved manager because there is this strong impression that Ray "got our club" more than any other manager.

I must finish by mentioning someone who will never ever come into a discussion about our greatest ever manager, and that is Peter Kane who managed us between 1972 and 1974, as we dropped out of the FL to very-near extinction. In his first season we finished next-to-bottom of the NPL. The bottom two had to apply for re-election. Having duly been given another chance, we then went on to finish third from bottom of the NPL in season 1973-74 . . . in other words, just above the re-election places. I have said this before on this forum and I don't mind saying it again . . . Peter Kane and the team of mainly locals, in 1973-74, performed a miracle that probably kept Barrow AFC in existence. We were poor, very poor, of course we were, but those local lads had a brilliant run in the second half of the 73-74 season that carried us just clear of the re-election places. Was this a big deal? It seems so, because the rumours were swirling at the time that everybody wanted rid of us due to the state of our pitch and our ground and if we had not steered clear of the re-election places in 73-74 that might well have marked the end of the football club. So, remember, when you turn up at Holker Street this coming Saturday, we might not have been here but for a miracle performed by Peter Kane and a team of locals back in 1974.

I just hope that in the fullness of time we can look back and think of Adam Murray as our greatest ever. He is certainly impressing in terms of his ability to infuse character into a team. Long may it continue.

Agree 100% regarding Peter Kane

[Klaus Moogintaal II]

Surprised Paul Cox hasn’t had at least an honourable mention

Seriously? His brand of hoof ball was particularly nauseating.

[Hendoblue]

Mad that no one has mentioned Kenny Lowe.

Picked up the pieces when the club narrowly avoided extinction. The club only had four registered players and even then there were no guarantees on what league (if any) Barrow would be playing in.

A solid mid table finish in his first season (after starting a month after the regular season had started) to finishing 6th the season after to eventually finishing 2nd to Accrington in 02/03 all whilst in administration.

Without Kenny and the board at the times effort Barrow could be AFC Barrow looking forward to festive matches against Kendal