50th Anniversary

[xerxes]

I have just realised that I have let a significant anniversary slip by without mentioning it on this forum. So this is a few days late. (I am not talking about a wedding - just as well, else the consequences might have been more serious!).

16th January 1965 - my first match at Holker Street - Division 4 - Barrow 4 Hartlepools Utd 2.

The only report of the match that I can find appeared in the programme for the following season's match against the same opponents, in the 'Last time we met at Holker Street' section -

Hartlepools' visit to Holker Street on 16 January attracted the smallest gate of the 1964-65 season. And the late-comers missed a treat for four goals came in the first eleven minutes. Conditions were bad but Bob Tait had Barrow ahead inside a minute. Thompson equalised five minutes later but Knox was on target in the ninth, only for Hamilton to level two minutes later. Knox added another in the thirty-third minute and Worthington made sure with another eleven minutes before time.
Barrow: Duffin, Holder, Nelson, Worthington, Richardson, Edwards, McCarthy, Eddy, R Knox, Tait, Wright.
Hartlepools: Simpkins, Storton, Marshall, Brass, Fox, Harrison, Hamilton, Fogharty, Thompson, Bradley, Bannister.
Referee: Mr K Dagnall (Bolton). Attendance: 1781

My father took my brother and me to the game, and I remember him saying there probably wouldn't be many goals, and not to be surprised if it ended in a 0-0 draw. After Bob Tait's first minute goal, he said that was probably the end of the scoring. By the time the match was 11 minutes old he had stopped making forecasts!

Here's to the next 50 !

[Barrowabc]

fair play to you my friend and lets hope you'll 'we'll'
see us reach hights like never before.
would love to meet and shake you by the hand my friend
:flag:

[pjdaly]

Congratulations Xerxes! I feel sure I will have been there (because I always was) but I have to say I cannot remember this particular match. Who was Wright on our left wing? Butch Wright??? I wonder if Brian Clough was in charge of Hartlepools that day or was it before he became manager there? Cloughie always had John McGovern in his teams and the latter's absence might suggest this match was pre-Clough. When I say he always had him in his teams I mean he took him to Derby and then to Notts Forest when he skippered them to their European Cup wins. I hope you'll be at Holker Street in another 5-0 years time, Xerxes. I mean, I don't know what age you are but let's guess you were 8 back in 1965; that would mean 58 now and 108 in another fifty years time. 108? Any good reason why not?

[ziggy]

That would be Terry Wright joined us from Newcastle. He didn't actually play in that game though, he left the club at the end of 1964. He made 10 appearances in about 18 months.
Brian Clough took charge of Hartlepools during 1965 but whether it was before or after that match I don't know

[SKIPPER]

Wonder if the winger might have been Terry Wright a young Geordie who was part-time whilst working as a window-cleaner ! He lodged with Billy [SwearFilter] the newsagent in Westmorland St who I worked for at the time. Notice at the heart of the Hartlepool defence was Eric Harrison set to become a HS legend two years later and further on an Old Trafford legend as coach to the Class of '92.

[xerxes]

I wonder if Brian Clough was in charge of Hartlepools that day or was it before he became manager there?

It was before Clough, he started in October the same year.

let's guess you were 8 back in 1965; that would mean 58 now and 108 in another fifty years time. 108? Any good reason why not?

Not too far wide of the mark. But no good reason why not - like Yossarian in Catch 22, I intend to live for ever, or die in the attempt!

[mally]

Does anyone know why back then it was Hartlepools,as opposed to now it being referred to as Hartlepool ?
Just wondered.

[Steelworks End]

It was something to do with a local government reorganisation, with the areas of Hartlepool and West Hartlepool (hence Hartlepools United as the club name) being combined into one. The club then changed their name to just Hartlepool (no "s", no "United"); the United was restored later, possibly due to pressure from supporters.

[mally]

It was something to do with a local government reorganisation, with the areas of Hartlepool and West Hartlepool (hence Hartlepools United as the club name) being combined into one. The club then changed their name to just Hartlepool (no "s", no "United"); the United was restored later, possibly due to pressure from supporters.

nice one,thanks.

[andyg]

My first game was, I think, also against Hartlepools but I could be wrong. However, I know Barrow lost 1-0 and it was certainly the early sixties (before the 1965 match). All i remember was pestering my grandad for a drink because I was cold & the opponents goal was scored at the Holker St end near the end of the game & there was a dispute as to whether the ball crossed the line.

Anyway if someone can help me out when it was I'd be grateful. (If it wasn't Hartlepools it was definately a team from the North-East

[barrowfan]

It was something to do with a local government reorganisation, with the areas of Hartlepool and West Hartlepool (hence Hartlepools United as the club name) being combined into one. The club then changed their name to just Hartlepool (no "s", no "United"); the United was restored later, possibly due to pressure from supporters.

From the Wikipedia entry: In 1968 the "s" and the "United" were dropped from the team name of "Hartlepools United". This was in connection with West Hartlepool being absorbed along with the old smaller town of Hartlepool and the village of Hart into one new borough named "Hartlepool". The appendage of "United" was finally restored in 1977.

[pjdaly]

My first game was, I think, also against Hartlepools but I could be wrong. However, I know Barrow lost 1-0 and it was certainly the early sixties (before the 1965 match). All i remember was pestering my grandad for a drink because I was cold & the opponents goal was scored at the Holker St end near the end of the game & there was a dispute as to whether the ball crossed the line.

Anyway if someone can help me out when it was I'd be grateful. (If it wasn't Hartlepools it was definately a team from the North-East

Real puzzler that, Andy. Looking at the stats book by Michael Gardner ("The Definitive Barrow AFC") there is no sign of a 0-1 home defeat by the Pools. We appeared to have played them every season since the 40's without a 0-1 home reverse but here's the 60's home results against them anyway:

1960-61, we won 2-1
1961-62, we won 5-1
1962-63, we won 2-0
1963-64, we lost 1-2
1964-65, we won 4-2 (as per this thread)
1965-66, we won 2-0
1966-67, we lost 2-3 (remember that one only too well, we had led 2-0, Clough must have inspired their fightback)
1967-68 we didn't play them as we had got promoted to Div 3
1968-69, we lost 1-2
1969-70, we don't seem to have played them (they must have gone down)

By the way, I reckon they should have stuck with the plural "Pools"; it gave them something a bit different to the usual singular versions (eg Liverpool, Blackpool)

[Hadrian]

Andy - early 1960s results v Hartlepools United, accordong to 'The Definitive BAFC':

11 Mar 1961 W 2-1 Fleming (p), Kemp 3083
28 Apr 1962 W 5-1 Brown 3, Armstrong, Kemp 3811
15 Apr 1963 W 2-0 Thompson, Darwin (p) 4010
28 Feb 1964 L 1-2 Thompson 2834
16 Jan 1965 W 4-2 Knox 2, Tait, Worthington 1781
4 Oct 1965 W 2-0 Ashworth (og), Tait 4581
All league - don't seem to have been any cup games against them in that period.

EDIT: pjday beat me to it while I was typing so slowly!

[SKIPPER]

A little before the aforementioned we beat Hartlepool 2-0 in the 2nd round of the 1957-58 FA Cup to set up the epic 3rd round tie with Wolves (the Chelsea of the day). My memory of the game is more pre-match than the game itself. I was due to attend a cubs craft competition at the Hall on Rawlinson St near the Duke (name escapes me). I kicked up such a fuss about missing the game that I was given special dispensation to do my 'bit' early and thankfully get to HS for the kick-off.

[Steelworks End]

One of my regrets is that I don't know when my first Barrow AFC match was; my Dad was a regular at Holker Street (and at Craven Park) and he probably started taking me as soon as my Mam trusted him not to lose me in the crowd! That would be sometime in the mid-1950s. I do know that we had a box at the ground, for me to stand on so that I could see over the wall.

I was first allowed to go to Holker Street without parental supervision when I was seven, providing a "big lad" (who was no more than ten) looked after us.

My first away game was to Rochdale for the FA Cup match on 26th November 1966, where we won 3-1 thanks to goals from Tony Field (2) and Roy McCarthy; we travelled on a "Shopping trip" coach run by Hadwins at a cost of 12/6 (62 1/2p) because it gave us longer in the town than the supporters' coach. And no I don't know why we wanted to spend more time than necessary in Rochdale!

Perhaps, November next year, I should celebrate half a century of away travel?