Best Chance Ever of Reaching FA Cup 4th Round?

[Suffolk Blue]

The response to the 3rd round draw has been a little muted to say the least. And this should be no surprise given we have Rochdale rather than Man Utd. However, picking up on something Cox said to the NWEM I cannot think of a previous occasion when the potential to beat the opposition in the 3rd Round has ever been so good.

I've looked back at all the 3rd round opponents I can recall in my lifetime and despite some heroic performances there's never really been much of a punters sniff at actually getting to Round 4. For example, in 1959 (year of my birth) we had the mighty Wolves at HS (Billy Wright and all) and lost heroically 4-2. Forward to Southampton in 66 and a brilliant 2-2 draw but well beaten in the replay. Then Leicester City in 68 (Peter Shilton et al) heroic 1-2 loss. All three sides were Premiership (equivalent) and however heroic statistically we never really stood a chance. Since then nothing at HS.

I think the next third round was Bolton in the early 90s. Fantastic performance at Burnden Park but went down 1-0. Bolton the only side in my lifetime who were not in the Premiership equivalent - though they were Championship.
Then Middlesbrough (although Jase scored they missed a hatful) and Sunderland away (Bruce put out a good side and we never really troubled them) who both were Premiership.

I suppose my point is that this Cox side has all the hallmarks of a record breaking one. For the first time in my lifetime we have a realistic chance of doing something no other team has ever done and that is reach Round 4. Such an achievement would propel the team, its management and chairman to legendary status.

So once the dust has settled a bit I hope the general population of the town come to realise that this could be a once in a lifetime game and is just as worth attending as a day out at the Stadium of Light watching your team lose bravely. HS does not have many remaining attractions these days, but when filled it is a pretty intimidating place for the likes of Rochdale or anyone else for that matter. Paul Casson supposedly said to Coxy that he didn't care who we drew as long as it was at home. He was clearly thinking along the same lines.

[The Tomahawk Kid]

The response to the 3rd round draw has been a little muted to say the least. And this should be no surprise given we have Rochdale rather than Man Utd. However, picking up on something Cox said to the NWEM I cannot think of a previous occasion when the potential to beat the opposition in the 3rd Round has ever been so good.

I've looked back at all the 3rd round opponents I can recall in my lifetime and despite some heroic performances there's never really been much of a punters sniff at actually getting to Round 4. For example, in 1959 (year of my birth) we had the mighty Wolves at HS (Billy Wright and all) and lost heroically 4-2. Forward to Southampton in 66 and a brilliant 2-2 draw but well beaten in the replay. Then Leicester City in 68 (Peter Shilton et al) heroic 1-2 loss. All three sides were Premiership (equivalent) and however heroic statistically we never really stood a chance. Since then nothing at HS.

I think the next third round was Bolton in the early 90s. Fantastic performance at Burnden Park but went down 1-0. Bolton the only side in my lifetime who were not in the Premiership equivalent - though they were Championship.
Then Middlesbrough (although Jase scored they missed a hatful) and Sunderland away (Bruce put out a good side and we never really troubled them) who both were Premiership.
I suppose my point is that this Cox side has all the hallmarks of a record breaking one. For the first time in my lifetime we have a realistic chance of doing something no other team has ever done and that is reach Round 4. Such an achievement would propel the team, its management and chairman to legendary status.

So once the dust has settled a bit I hope the general population of the town come to realise that this could be a once in a lifetime game and is just as worth attending as a day out at the Stadium of Light watching your team lose bravely. HS does not have many remaining attractions these days, but when filled it is a pretty intimidating place for the likes of Rochdale or anyone else for that matter. Paul Casson supposedly said to Coxy that he didn't care who we drew as long as it was at home. He was clearly thinking along the same lines.

A great post! And I'm in total agreement!

I attended the games I've highlighted.

This season we have a chance to create more HISTORY!
The team has already done so with our unbeaten run and now there's a further opportunity.

I'm sure our younger supporters must get sick and tired of us more 'Mature' fans bleating on about those games you mentioned + our 1990 Wembley triumph. Now THEY have a team which could be become Barrow AFC legends!

The 4th Round beckons...

[DIXIE]

I cannot agree more unless we got one of the top six, i wanted a game we could win. We got one.

[Spanner]

Bolton the only side in my lifetime who were not in the Premiership equivalent - though they were Championship.

Bolton were actually 4th in Division 3 (so a very similar position to Rochdale now) when we played them, though were 15 games unbeaten at the time. They eventually finished 4th and lost the playoff final to Tranmere.

[Badger]

For some reason i also thought Bolton were at championship level when we played them but stand corrected....been telling little porkies to people over the years

[Rob]

Because it's too cold to go outside on my lunch break, here's Barrow's Third Round opponents to date:
1945-46- Man CitySecond Division
There was no league matches in 45-46 after the war, so the FA Cup was played over 2 legs. Barrow lost 6-2 at Maine Road, but got a credible 2-2 draw at Holker Street. Man City went on to win the Second Division in the 46-47 season.

1947-48- Chelsea (A)First Division
Our joint biggest third round loss to date, a 5-0 away defeat at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea finished the season in 18th place

1953-54- Swansea (H)Second Division
A credible 2-2 draw against one of our weaker Third Round opponents, who would go on to just avoid relegation from the Second Division, finishing 20th. Swansea won the replay 4-2.

1955-56- Sheffield Utd (A)First Division
Once again a bit of hammering from a First Division team, Barrow losing 5-0 away. Sheffield Utd didn't win many others that season, and were relegated in 22nd place.

1958-59- Wolves (H)First Division
The big one, where England captain Billy Wright took the league champions to Holker Street. Barrow lost 4-2, to the team who that season successfully defended their league title.

1963-64- Swansea (A)Second Division
Ten years on and Swansea were still struggling at the bottom of the Second Division, finishing 19th that season. Their 4-1 win over Barrow was however the start of their best ever FA Cup run, which took them to a semi-final against Preston.

1966-67- Southampton (H)First Division
In the year we put out Rochdale in the first round, we got a 2-2 draw in the third round against Southampton who had been promoted out of the seconddivision the year before. They won the replay 5-0 and finished 19th in the league.

1967-68- Leicester (H)First Division
A year later, another First Division team at home - a tight 2-1 defeat to a good Leicester side who had finished 7th the season before and finished in 8th place the year after

1990-91 Bolton W (A)Third Division
A long wait until our next Third Round tie, following our election out of the Football League - a 1972-73 defeat at home to Goole Town and a 1988-89 away defeat at Rotherham had been our only appearances in the First Round Proper during a period of pretty dire FA Cup that included eliminations at clubs such as Horden Colliery Welfare, Brandon United, Runcorn, Easington Colliery, Emley and South Bank. A tight 1-0 defeat away at Bolton who finished 4th that season, before the club's rise up through the divisions in the 90s.

2008-09- Middlesbrough (A)Premier League
Our first ever tie against a Premier League team brought a good performance and a 2-1 defeat away at a team who would go on to reach the quarter-finals but get relegated in 19th place.

2009-10- Sunderland (A)Premier League
Another trip over the snowy A66 brought a slightly more comprehensive 3-0 defeat at Sunderland, whose 13th place finish forms part of a slightly incomprehensible run of 10 consecutive seasons avoiding Premier League relegation.

So it's 49 seasons since we last saw a Third Round tie at Holker Street! In this context, Rochdale at home is certainly the most winnable match we've had for a long time at this stage - we probably have to go back to that 53-54 Swansea tie, when we were a mid-table Div 3(N) side and they were struggling in Div 2 to find the only time that we've even had any sort of a shout.

[saltcellar]

Very good Rob.
Barrow lost 3-0 in the Southampton replay not 5-0.

[russell_anderson]

A good post Suffolk Blue and certainly a great chance of reaching the 4th round.I saw the first Swansea, Sheffield United, Wolves, Southampton and Leicester matches. The Southampton and Leicester matches were against our best ever team and the one that stands was the Southampton match because we absolutely murdered them at home and they were the luckiest team ever to suvive. That they got the draw was completely down to the fantastic heading ability of Ron Davies who saved them almost on his own.

[Wintergreen]

A good post Suffolk Blue and certainly a great chance of reaching the 4th round.I saw the first Swansea, Sheffield United, Wolves, Southampton and Leicester matches. The Southampton and Leicester matches were against our best ever team and the one that stands was the Southampton match because we absolutely murdered them at home and they were the luckiest team ever to suvive. That they got the draw was completely down to the fantastic heading ability of Ron Davies who saved them almost on his own.

Didn't he 'handball' one into the net in the replay?

[russell_anderson]

A good post Suffolk Blue and certainly a great chance of reaching the 4th round.I saw the first Swansea, Sheffield United, Wolves, Southampton and Leicester matches. The Southampton and Leicester matches were against our best ever team and the one that stands was the Southampton match because we absolutely murdered them at home and they were the luckiest team ever to suvive. That they got the draw was completely down to the fantastic heading ability of Ron Davies who saved them almost on his own.

Didn't he 'handball' one into the net in the replay?

I didn't see the replay but I think you're correct from what I remember. Apparently we also played very well in the replay and 3-0 was not a fair reflection of the game.

[Jim]

Didn't he 'handball' one into the net in the replay?

I didn't see the replay but I think you're correct from what I remember. Apparently we also played very well in the replay and 3-0 was not a fair reflection of the game.

There was a mention of handball in the NWEM, but not in the report from the Guardian (below). Another quirky fact is that I believe the Barrow team flew down there from Walney aerodrome. If so, is that the only time we have flown anywhere?

PS the Nwem headline was "Davies plays big hand in defeat of Barrow"

southampton2.jpg (150.81 KiB) Viewed 3921 times

[orpheus]

Think we have a better than even chance of progressing [me 60/40 in our favor]. Rochdale will def NOT want this. We are much likely to win. We have a coach that is the bees knees, their assistant coach had no idea of the date it is to be played.
Just saying like...who cares who wins...we "jolly well !![do]

[Steelworks End]

Another quirky fact is that I believe the Barrow team flew down there from Walney aerodrome. If so, is that the only time we have flown anywhere?

I don't know about the team, but as I recall (from half a century ago!) a group of Barrow supporters chartered a plane and flew to the match; I think they went from Blackpool rather than Walney though.

I wonder if there is anyone on the forum who was on this flight, or knows of someone who was?

[32mile_cul-de-sac]

I still make Rochdale a high flying div1 team slight favourites, but we have a fair chance on winning. Get Holker Street buzzing and anything can happen. IMO a game primed for an upset and would be great for tv, alas I think we will miss out on the tv.

[Stu1]

Another quirky fact is that I believe the Barrow team flew down there from Walney aerodrome. If so, is that the only time we have flown anywhere?

I don't know about the team, but as I recall (from half a century ago!) a group of Barrow supporters chartered a plane and flew to the match; I think they went from Blackpool rather than Walney though.

I wonder if there is anyone on the forum who was on this flight, or knows of someone who was?

My father was on the flight,only time he ever flew.I asked him what it was like but after sharing a bottle of whiskey beforehand he didn't recall