- – Founded: 1901
- – Nicknames: The Bluebirds
- – Honours: National League (2019/20), National League North (2014/15), FA Trophy (1989/90, 2009/10)
Barrow was home to a number of junior football clubs at the start of the twentieth century before a public meeting was called to form a senior side in the town. Almost 800 people turned up to establish Barrow AFC. A team was put together of seasoned professionals and were elected to the Lancashire League for the 1901/02 season.
On the Cumbrian coast lies Barrow-in-Furness and is home to the world-famous ship and submarine construction port. Ottoman Sub the ‘Abdul Hamid’ was built in the town in 1886 and was the first submarine to fire a live torpedo underwater. Most of the Royal Navy’s ships since the Second World War have been built in Barrow. The Devonshire Dock Hall (the construction facility) is the tallest building in Cumbria.
In 1921, Barrow AFC were briefly elected as original members of the Third Division North though it would not be until 1958 until the Bluebird’s return to League football and Division 4. In 1967 Barrow were promoted into the Third Tier until relegation beckoned in 1970. Two years later the Cumbrian’s dropped out of the Football League.
The trophy cabinet was still being filled despite their stint in Non-league though. Twice Barrow won the FA Trophy, in 1990 and most recently in 2010 when they came from behind to beat Stevenage 2-1 at the new Wembley.
In 2020, Barrow returned to the fourth tier as National League Champions in Ian Evatt’s second season in charge and finished comfortably above the drop zone in their return season.
Exeter went top of League Two with a 1-1 draw at Northampton who are now level on points with Bristol Rovers in the battle for the third automatic promotion spot.
The Cobblers needed to win both remaining games to be guaranteed promotion but Sam Nombe cancelled out Mitch Pinnock’s superb opener to open the door to Rovers and Port Vale.
Cameron Dawson produced a good stop from Josh Eppiah to deny the home side an early lead but Exeter were the better team in the first half.
They only created one real clear chance though as Matt Jay shot straight at Liam Roberts, and it was Northampton who led at the break thanks to a superb piece of play by Pinnock.
He received possession from Sam Hoskins, skipped past a defender and thundered a brilliant low volley into the bottom corner.
Roberts superbly kept out Timothee Dieng early in the second half before Eppiah missed a great chance to double the home side’s lead.
That proved to be the pivotal moment as Exeter equalised with 20 minutes to go when Nombe scored, flicking in Jake Caprice’s left-wing cross.
Swindon surged into the League Two play-off positions as Louis Reed’s late winner earned them a 2-1 win over Barrow.
A third straight victory, coupled with Sutton’s home defeat to Bradford, saw the Robins move into the top seven with one game to go.
It looked like they were heading for a draw after Matt Platt’s late goal cancelled out Josh Davison’s first-half opener, but Reed struck with five minutes left to secure a vital home victory.
Davison scored the only goal of the first half in the 22nd minute when the Charlton loanee capitalised on lacklustre defending to meet Akin Odimayo’s cross.
Midfielder Reed dictated play and was at the heart of a move in the 39th minute that saw Harry McKirdy fire an edge-of-the-box effort over the bar.
Louie Barry and McKirdy both wasted second-half goalscoring opportunities, with the latter left red-faced after rounding the keeper in the 71st minute but making the wrong decision as his shot was blocked.
Platt restored parity in the 83rd minute with his header creeping past Lewis Ward.
But Reed rounded off a brilliant individual performance to save Swindon with a close-range goal just two minutes later.
Barrow ended their three-game losing run by upsetting promotion-chasing Northampton with a 1-0 victory at Sixfields.
Aaron Amadi-Holloway was the match-winner as he headed home early in the second half to earn the lowly visitors three well-deserved points at the expense of the out-of-sorts Cobblers.
Barrow dominated the opening exchanges and created half chances for Remeao Hutton and Luke James but neither hit the target.
Despite improving as the first half wore on, Northampton struggled to muster any meaningful opportunities and visiting goalkeeper Paul Farman was only called into action to make simple saves from Mitch Pinnock and Sam Hoskins.
Barrow hit the front six minutes into the second half when John Rooney and Anthony Driscoll-Glennon linked up on the left and the latter’s cross was deep to the back post where Amadi-Holloway headed in.
Northampton failed to produce a response and succumbed to their first defeat in four.
| Played | Won | Draw | Lost | F | A |
| 15 | 10 | 1 | 4 |
PLAYED FOR BOTH
We look at a selection of players that played for the Cobblers and Barrows
Referee Watch – Barrow Ross Joyce will be the man in the middle for the Cobblers last League Two clash of the season against Barrow on Saturday.
| 1 | Barrow beat Northampton in the league for the first time since April 1971 in the reverse fixture in February (1-0); they have never beaten the Cobblers in consecutive Football League games. |
| 2 | Northampton have won on two of their last three visits to Barrow in the Football League (L1), with this the first such game since a 1-0 win in August 1971. |
| 3 | Barrow have lost 43 games in the Football League since their return in 2020-21, only five sides have lost on more occasions during that time: Scunthorpe (51), Oldham (48), Doncaster (48), Crewe (47) and Bristol City (45). |
| 4 | Victory for Northampton would all but guarantee them automatic promotion back to League One next season. Indeed, the Cobblers have earned promotion from League Two in two of their previous three seasons there (2015-16 and 2019-20 previously |
