Barrow AFC.net

Over the last three years I have provided a series of 50th anniversary articles. I reckon this is the last one, the reason being that after 9th November 1968, when we sat 2nd in the Third Division, it went very rapidly downhill after that point . . . relegation, failed re-election, and all the way down to the bottom couple of places in the NPL. And all in just 4 years. And I don't particularly want to be celebrating that, so here's the final recollection from the best of times in our history.

Barrow had hit the top of the Third Division on Friday November 1st when they recorded a 1-4 win away at Hartlepools. The following day saw them drop down to fourth in the table as rivals won their Saturday matches.

This win over Plymouth Argyle on Saturday 9th November 1968 saw them rise back up to second in the league, trailing only Bournemouth on goal average. With hindsight though, there was a lot that was strange about this moment in our history. For starters, our climb up to second in the table came courtesy of the most bizarre goal in all our years. It was the only goal of the game and although it was credited to our centre-forward, George McLean, it was in reality scored by the referee, Ivan Robinson. I was stood on the Ray Wilkie side (then known as the Popular side) and almost behind the line of McLean's shot and was thus in a good position to see it all happen. It was not a case of a shot taking a slight deflection off the referee; the referee tried to jump out of the path of the ball but it didn't simply rebound off him – in trying to skip out of the way he actively propelled the ball into the bottom corner of the net from round about the penalty spot. I can't be sure if it's my memory playing tricks but my recall tells me we didn't look like we could make the breakthrough that day and maybe the only way we could score was through a freak moment such as that supplied by Ivan Robinson. I don't know if the guy is still alive or not (I guess he would probably be in his mid-eighties or so) but I wish we could get him back to Holker Street as a guest of honour! I have never seen anything, before or since, that came close to the goal he scored that day.

But if that goal was strange, what was to follow in the weeks and months ahead was far stranger; a retrospective view enables us to see that almost no sooner had Barrow hit their all-time high in leading the Third Division than a chain of events began to unfurl which saw the club descend into the abyss. Colin Appleton was to resign as manager and his successor Norman Bodell took us on a journey downwards. From top of the pile on November 1st we went on a disastrous run, aided by Bodell's decision to get rid of many of our seasoned performers, and we ended the season just above the relegation places in 19th position. If we discount the McLean goal (that was really scored by the referee) our centre-forward didn't truly score his first home league goal until – wait for it – April 4th 1969. Yes, our centre-forward didn't find the net at home until April! I well remember that Good Friday morning match, a 2-0 victory against Rotherham, for the sight of McLean finally finding the net and promptly turning cartwheels in front of the Holker end. No embarrassment there, then. To be fair, he did bag a few away from home but it is hard to believe that any team's main striker can fail to score at home until April. But it wasn't just McLean at fault. The team followed up the 1-0 victory over Plymouth on November 9th by not winning at home again for over four months – on March 15th 1969.

And the downward spiral continued. Sure enough, the next season saw us build on our "promise" of the previous season and finish relegated in 23rd place. Farewell then to our three-season 3rd Division experience. The season after that, we finished rock bottom of the 4th Division. And then, the season after that, 1971-72, we finished third from bottom of the 4th Division and were of course, famously, expelled from the Football League and into NPL obscurity. Oh, and in the process, in the spring of 1972, and before the season had finished, we had started to destroy our ground.

So, you could say, the period between 1st November 1968 and May 1972 – a mere three and a half years – was a time of the most extraordinary decline and failure.

The following is the Evening Mail (Sports Final) match report by Bob Herbert:

BARROW'S "FLUKE" WIN
McLean's "in off ref" goal

by Bob Herbert

BARROW 1 PLYMOUTH ARGYLE 0
Barrow scored their seventh home League win in a row and established a club record by going 18 home League games without a defeat. But they can thank a remarkable fluke goal.

The surprise in Barrow's line-up was that leading scorer, Jim Mulvaney, was left out of the six possible forwards named. Howard Riley switched to inside, with Dave Storf back on first-team duty on the left wing after an absence of two months.

Plymouth left Turner out of their possible forwards. Reynolds was named as substitute.

BARROW: Else, McDonald, Mallon, Harrison, Arrowsmith, Hartland, McCarthy, Ellison, McLean, Riley, Storf. Sub: Mulvaney

PLYMOUTH ARGYLE: Dunne, Sullivan, Reeves, Piper, Molyneux, Hore, Maher, Newell, Lord, Bickle, Tedese. Sub: Reynolds

Referee: Mr I. C. Robinson (Manchester)

Attendance: 5541

Plymouth gained a corner from their opening raid but Else was able to get up and fist away the flag kick.

The first shot on target came from Barrow's McLean, following a neat Storf backheel, but the goalkeeper had the groundshot covered all the way.

PENALTY CLAIM
Storf showed a flash of his old form by skipping out of a tackle and supplying Ellison. It seemed wasted when the eventual cross from the left went to Sullivan, but the clearance was mis-hit, and McLean did well to get in a shot on the turn which went just wide.

Barrow were moving well without much penetration but Riley found a way through. He was upended by Molyneux just as he prepared to try a left-foot shot but the referee rejected claims for a penalty.

With Arrowsmith watching Bickle, Harrison was doing an excellent job in keeping his eye on Lord. He was penalised on one occasion for a tackle on the big leader and the referee went over to the Argyle trainer's box to have words with manager Bingham.

After 20 minutes, Else made the best save so far, having positioned himself by the post in the exact place to stop a close range header from Maher.

Soon afterwards, the fairly recent £13,000 signing from Everton tried to work his way clear down the left but was held by a McDonald tackle and needed almost five minutes of treatment before he was able to return.

There was a good chance for McLean to put the score sheet right but he was pushed off the ball so strongly that he fell flat on his face – yet once again the referee would not see his way to awarding a penalty.

HIT SIDE NETTING
McCarthy sent in a full-blooded shot from the wing but found the side-netting. McLean prepared to collect a pass through from Hartland but Molyneux upended the centre-forward by wrapping his legs round him like a wrestle scissors grip.

So Barrow had to go in at the break with no goals to show for their efforts but having been much the superior side and experiencing very little difficulty in checking spasmodic Argyle raids.

HALF-TIME: BARROW 0 PLYMOUTH ARGYLE 0

Plymouth resumed with substitute Reynolds replacing Maher.

It didn't take Barrow long to get back into an attacking game and McCarthy raced clear down the right and sent over a good cross but Reeves scooped it away for a corner.

McLean sent in a header from a dozen yards but it didn't carry enough pace to trouble Dunne. But the goalkeeper hardly saw a shot from Storf through a ruck of players but it rose over the top.

With 19 minutes left, Mulvaney was called on to replace Riley.

REMARKABLE GOAL
The substitute quickly injected some life into the line, linking up with Hartland but only being able to produce a corner from which came a remarkable Barrow goal.

The ball was charged down and went to McLean who was outside the penalty box. He swung in a right-foot first time shot and the ball was going wide but it hit referee Ivan Robinson and bounced into the far corner of the net with goalkeeper Dunne helplessly stranded, having moved to cover the original shot.

With two minutes remaining there was a tremendous scramble in the Barrow goalmouth as Argyle threw in everything they had in search of a point. Else was on his knees scrambling for the ball but was unable to gain possession and a handful of shots were stopped before Barrow managed to get the ball clear.

Here's the Table for 9th November 1968, showing us second and trailing now Premier League Bournemouth on goal average. After this week it all went pear-shaped very quickly.

Here is my report of the event which I wrote some years later (note the reference to NPL). I was stood behind the goal where it happened and it is indelibly imprinted on my memory. I have posted this before on this forum, but today seems an appropriate time to repeat it.

Barrow (0) 1 Plymouth Argyle 0 Sat 9th November 1968.

Autumn 1968 saw Barrow riding high in the table, undefeated at home, and having topped the table briefly. We were hoping for another win in the game against Plymouth, but they defended dourly, and with ten minutes left the game seemed destined for a 0-0 draw. At this point Barrow, attacking the Steelworks End, gained a right wing corner. The referee, Mr Ivan Robinson, as is customary, took up position just behind the bye-line.

The corner was half cleared, and both sets of players began the mad rush out of the penalty area. Mr Robinson started to follow. But then, enter one George McLean, bearing down on the loose ball like an enraged bull, 25 yards out.

Now, big George was never renowned for his long range shooting, being more noted for his heading ability - so why he wasn't in the area for the corner is still a mystery. At any rate, when he let fly from 25 yards I fully expected the ball to end up somewhere in Walney Channel, so it was a surprise to me and the 5,540 other spectators that he actually kept the ball down, albeit going several yards wide.

However, it was even more of a surprise to Mr Robinson who, as he reached the corner of the six yard box, realised the ball was heading straight for him. He pirouetted like a ballet dancer in an attempt to take avoiding action, but to no avail, and the ball struck his knee and richocheted upwards.

The Plymouth 'keeper Pat Dunne (formerly of Manchester United and the Republic of Ireland), having seen the shot on its way wide, had already run towards his left hand post on his way to retrieve the ball for the goalkick (so he thought). He could only watch helplessly as the ball described a perfect arc over his head before dropping into the far side of the goal.

Initially there was some doubt amongst the crowd as to the validity of the goal, coupled with disbelief as to what had actually happened. But a goal it was, and Barrow ran out 1-0 winners. It is interesting to speculate whether, if such a goal was scored nowadays, the attacking players would smother the referee with hugs and kisses!

On a more serious note, that incredible piece of good fortune was the last to go Barrow's way for some time - it marked the start of the slip down the table which ended three seasons later in expulsion from the Football League. Sometimes as I stand in the wind and rain at some God-forsaken NPL ground, I wonder if we are still paying for that piece of good luck.

Barrow - Else, Mallon, Bebbington, Harrison, Arrowsmith, Appleton, McCarthy, Ellison, McLean, Mulvaney, Riley. Sub - McDonald.

For what it’s worth I was present at the game with my father, I remember the incident well and shouts of “the ref scored that” or similar, and I still tell the story on the odd occasion.

It was a truly unusual goal indeed; as mentioned above George McLean's shot seemed destined for Walney channel rather than the back of the net. The unfortunate (or fortunate for us!) referee tried his best to jump out of the way of the ball, but in doing so he could only divert it past the visiting 'keeper into the back of the net.

The Plymouth players protested to the official but of course to no avail; no infringement of the laws of the game had taken place, and all he could do was to point rather sheepishly to the centre circle. Ivan Robinson had earned his place in football's - and Barrow's - history.

By coincidence, Mr. Robinson was in charge of Barrow's next game, away to Goole in the FA Cup; an epic journey by train for the Barrow supporters. Leaving, as I recall, on an early train with changes at Carnforth, Leeds, and Doncaster, we didn't get back until after midnight, and all for 30/- (£1.50) - possibly the only day return tickets ever issued from Barrow to Goole. Needless to say, the referee didn't repeat his goalscoring feat, despite the chants of "Ivan, Ivan, give us a goal". Quite what the home supporters thought of the referee's perceived neutrality is not recorded.

"The ball was charged down and went to McLean who was outside the penalty box. He swung in a right-foot first time shot and the ball was going wide but it hit referee Ivan Robinson and bounced into the far corner of the net with goalkeeper Dunne helplessly stranded, having moved to cover the original shot".

I was sat in the old wooden stand with my mother and father that day a few rows above the old Radio Lonsdale box. So I had a pretty good view of the incident. I must have recalled the story a thousand times and over time you probably tend to embellish it a bit. However it does remain one of the more bizarre moments not only in our own history but in the history of the Football League as nothing had ever happened quite like it before or as far as I'm aware since. For a definitive view I believe the incident is covered in a chapter in a book called "The Worlds Strangest Football Stories". One of two Chapters in which we feature - the other involving the plight of
Gillingham trying to get to Holker Street for a League Game in 1961ish.

Clearly referees have scored goals by mistake before. What made the goal unique was the way the goal was scored. This was no rebound off the referees backside a couple of yards from the line. In fact I believe it was subsequently used as a example in refs training of what not to when faced with the same situation.

I remember three specific things reasonably clearly. First the McClean shot which as I recall was struck from about the angle of the penalty box (right side Steelworks end). I say shot beause it was going nowhere near the goal and seemed to be closer to hitting the corner flag. However what made the strike so potentially dangerous for the ref was that it was as far as i can remember a bit of a daisy cutter, a low level exocet hit with a bit of beef - as it turned out straight at Ivan Robinson.

Secondly and what makes the incident truly bizarre was the referres strike. Again if the memory serves the referee was positioned inside the 18 yard box in a central position - probably where the text book says he should've been. I'm still not sure whether his intention was to get out of the way or actually jump over the shot. Either way it resulted in a pure clean strike from 10-15 yards, a half volley if not a full volley. Contrary to the account above I seem to remember the ball hitting the net with some force. It might've been a goal of the month contender.

The last thing I remember and to me the most memorable is that in the moments aftermath of the "goal" the crowd went strangely silent and both sets of players stood looking at each other as if wondering what the hell had just happened and what to do next. To my eternal shame I cant recall at the expression on the poor referees face as he humiliatingly had to tell the Plymouth players that as he was "active" the goal had to stand. I recall Plymouth weren't very happy - to say the least.

Nowadays there would be calls to let the opposition equalise unopposed. However no rules had in any way been infringed and clearly there had been no unsportsmanlike behaviour on the part of the Barrow players. It would be interesting to see what would happen if this occurred in todays Premiership.

The fact that the win ultimately probably saved BAFC from relegation that season simply confirmed its status as one of the most bizarre games in our history.

I was at the match as a young child. Still got the programme. Can't remember the goal because when you're young you tend to spend a lot of time just looking at what's going on around the ground rather than the action. John Hore who played for Argyle that day managed the side to the 1984 FA Cup Semi Final when the FA Cup was still a big event. They lost 1-0 to Watford at Villa Park. I also know of one Plymouth supporter who was the game. He said not many had made the trip not surprising when you consider how long it must have taken in 1968

Xerxes quote:-

"On a more serious note, that incredible piece of good fortune was the last to go Barrow's way for some time - it marked the start of the slip down the table which ended three seasons later in expulsion from the Football League. Sometimes as I stand in the wind and rain at some God-forsaken NPL ground, I wonder if we are still paying for that piece of good luck."

The above quote I find as the most poignant in all my 60 or so years I've supported this club. I remember the original post and nodded quietly in agreement. My grandad was at the game and always sent me the Evening News and match programme by post to me in Stretford. He always wrote a little match report of the game. On this particular occasion he just said "The ref scored for us!!!!"

Great days! Dashing home from game and dashing to paper shop and waiting inside for the green / pink final results newspaper. highlight of my saturday after match excitement. specially when we won. ... Then back home and straight to my footy wall chart to move all the individual teams one by one to their new positions in league after saturday results. lol Was a joy to move us up the league after a win.

Yes, remember the plymouth goal / ref. was a little guy. ruddy faced. always reminded me on the day as looking like Elmer thudd . We had him at HS a few times. Was behind the HS goals so so it perfectly. Shot attempt would have hit corner flag... Nice leap by ref to try and get out of way of shot but cannoned off his heel. v nice finish.

Cup runs and promotion aside.. one of my fav memories was a certain jimmy Mulvaney making his debut for us... cant remember if it was against his former club Hartlepool..( prob wrong ) night / day match... (memory fading ) wet horrible day / night i seem to recall at HS and he scored with a very brave low diving header as he went in amoung`st all the boots of the defenders and scored from a couple of yards out . thought that was one of the bravest headers id seen up to that point as a young kid, and he became an instant hero for me.

ant wrote: ↑Sun Nov 11, 2018 1:15 am Was behind the HS goals so so it perfectly.

The goal was scored in the Steelworks End wasn't it?

That's how I remembered it and another poster said the shot was bound for Walney Channel...

Can anyone confirm where the shot was taken from ? Reading the reports I'm getting confused.
Playing towards Steelworks end Mclean hits shot from Right or Left of penalty box ? Which corner flag was ball heading towards ? Where was ref stood? And which corner of the goal did ball go into, the now Asda side ? Thanks if Mclean was on the right of penalty box his shot sounds as if it was heading towards where Asda is now , presuming Ref was on Asda side and he deflected the ball the other way back into the corner nearest Wilkie Road ? Is that right ?

The ball was heading to the right of players tunnel (now) as you look at it, hit ref just outside 6 yard box, that was my view from holker end. Which part of goal it entered I don't remember