Barrow AFC.net

With the World Cup around the corner, I’ve just watched a vid on “why do Americans call football Soccer” with a clip of John Cleese telling these stupid Americans that they’ve got it all wrong... Or have they? …..Without going into all that, there was much debate on the game being called soccer first in England to differentiate from the other code of football…..rugby. Yes a bit confusing, and Americans who don't understand why they are picked up for using this term by those who called it “soccer” in the first instance, adding…, “Australians still call it soccer, they don’t get picked up on it”…Fair point.

So around to us on the Furness peninsula…We have two codes, two teams Barrow AFC “the soccer” and Barrow RLFC “the rugby”. Ask anyone in town- did you see the soccer, I’m off to the soccer, “We’re Barrow soccer, we rule supreme” as the old chant goes. No one will think twice about it, in Barrow, it’s “The soccer”

Which had me thinking………I don't know of any other region in the UK that still widely uses the term “soccer” in the way it is used in Barrow.

Those who have travelled far and wide…is there anywhere else in the UK that still widely uses the term “soccer” for the beautiful game…. Or is it unique to these parts? , or, is it only used when describing Barrow AFC? I don't think I’ve heard it used in any other way apart from when referring to Barrow, and is it an age thing….. do the young un’s still refer to us as “the soccer”?? Is it used here because neither team used the word “Town”, to differentiate between the two clubs?

I must admit, when I first moved to these parts it took a bit of getting used to.

This is from Wiki:

The term soccer comes from Oxford "-er" slang, which was prevalent at the University of Oxford in England from about 1875, and is thought to have been borrowed from the slang of Rugby School. Initially spelt assoccer (a shortening of "association"), it was later reduced to the modern spelling. Early alternative spellings included socca and socker. This form of slang also gave rise to rugger for rugby football, fiver and tenner for five pound and ten pound notes, and the now-archaic footer that was also a name for association football.

bluessupporter wrote: ↑Sun Jun 07, 2026 7:28 pm This is from Wiki:

The term soccer comes from Oxford "-er" slang, which was prevalent at the University of Oxford in England from about 1875, and is thought to have been borrowed from the slang of Rugby School. Initially spelt assoccer (a shortening of "association"), it was later reduced to the modern spelling. Early alternative spellings included socca and socker. This form of slang also gave rise to rugger for rugby football, fiver and tenner for five pound and ten pound notes, and the now-archaic footer that was also a name for association football.

Yes, but is it unique to this area and only for reference to Barrow AFC.

Jonty wrote: ↑Sun Jun 07, 2026 7:36 pm

bluessupporter wrote: ↑Sun Jun 07, 2026 7:28 pm This is from Wiki:

The term soccer comes from Oxford "-er" slang, which was prevalent at the University of Oxford in England from about 1875, and is thought to have been borrowed from the slang of Rugby School. Initially spelt assoccer (a shortening of "association"), it was later reduced to the modern spelling. Early alternative spellings included socca and socker. This form of slang also gave rise to rugger for rugby football, fiver and tenner for five pound and ten pound notes, and the now-archaic footer that was also a name for association football.

Yes, but is it unique to this area and only for reference to Barrow AFC.

Read what it says!

I remember very clearly going up the “fields for a game of soccer” when we were kids.

Is it really an American thing or just something they’ve sort of collected (as a phrase) as it became more popular in the 70s/80s over there?

bluessupporter wrote: ↑Sun Jun 07, 2026 7:52 pm

Jonty wrote: ↑Sun Jun 07, 2026 7:36 pm

Yes, but is it unique to this area and only for reference to Barrow AFC.

Read what it says!

Yes I know the origins! I’m referring to its use in the here and now. I don’t know anywhere else that uses it regularly in the UK. So do you think it’s unique to Barrow.

spirit of 1990 wrote: ↑Sun Jun 07, 2026 7:58 pm I remember very clearly going up the “fields for a game of soccer” when we were kids.

This is the point I’m making, I think it’s use today is unique to Barrow as across the UK the word soccer has largely been ditched for football.

It is as the entry says.
I think it's stuck in the area as it reflected us differentiating ourselves from the rugby back in 1901

That's the unique bit. Its been the soccer for ever I think

Barrow has its own microclimate and has kept to tradition stubbornly ploughing its own furrow.

I love that its different.

BBBFS

Rugby Football & American Football are so called as they are played on foot and weirdly not because you kick the ball.
So football was referred to as ‘soccer’ in order to differentiate it.
Still doesn’t clear up why we have held onto the term here when the rest of the UK hasn’t but all the better for us!

Yer gotter foller the soccer mate!

I get it. I live on the the Fylde coast and no one around here says they’re going to watch Blackpool or Fleetwood soccer.

Are we the only team with a 'Soccer Bar'?

theotherbarrow wrote: ↑Mon Jun 08, 2026 8:18 am Are we the only team with a 'Soccer Bar'?

If I was visiting Barrow for the first time I would assume the Soccer Bar was connected to the club. I find it strange it isn’t. Am I right in thinking, originally there was a Supporters Club under the old wooden Grandstand, and there was a fall out, and the Supporters moved out and set their own club up, which now has no connection with the club whatsoever, and is based adjacent to the club’s old training ground.

I worked(*) with a geordie contractor in that shipyard, and if I ever mentioned the soccer, he would have a meltdown....
"Footy, footy, footy - it's not soccer, we are not america!!!"
Silly chap he was.


(*) I use the term in its broadest sense

FanzoneFan wrote: ↑Mon Jun 08, 2026 8:59 am

theotherbarrow wrote: ↑Mon Jun 08, 2026 8:18 am Are we the only team with a 'Soccer Bar'?

If I was visiting Barrow for the first time I would assume the Soccer Bar was connected to the club. I find it strange it isn’t. Am I right in thinking, originally there was a Supporters Club under the old wooden Grandstand, and there was a fall out, and the Supporters moved out and set their own club up, which now has no connection with the club whatsoever, and is based adjacent to the club’s old training ground.

Correct, there was a supporters bar under the old main grandstand. Yes, there was a fallout which led to a breakaway club being formed-now the Soccer bar. What the fallout was about I cannot say on here but there was bad blood for a lot of years between the two camps especially in the early days of non league where Barra Soccer were seen as a joke. Thankfully today there is harmony due to the march of time.