History

Founded in 1901, Barrow played initially for three years at the Strawberry Ground off Abbey Road and then at Little Park, Roose before moving, turnstiles and all, in 1909 to play at the ground of local league team Hindpool Atheltic at the top of Holker Street.

Eventually Barrow bought the ground for from its owners, the Furness Railway (who had been instrumental in the rapid development of what was even then a very ‘new’ town).

Over the years the ground developed into a compact arena with a long wooden main stand along one side the rest terracing sides with a high proportion under cover on all three sides. The railway connection continued with at least one of the roofs supported on uprights of railway lines that lasted until the end of the twentieth century.

After joining the Football League as founder members of the third division north in 1921 (9,750 saw the debut game at home to Stockport County who spoiled the party by winning 2 – 0) crowds before the second world war varied considerably with six thousand being a typical figure.

After the war crowds continued to vary – in 1951-2 for example the lowest attendance was 2,294, considerably below the average, while the top crowd was 11,901.

Barrow continued to attract decent crowds, often around 6,000 through the 1950s but the 1960s saw a general decline – arrested towards the end of the decade as Barrow briefly topped the Third Division – their highest ever league position – before slipping into terminal decline and failure to gain re-election in 1972 when Hereford, fresh from a high-profile FA Cup run, took Barrow’s league place.

Logic suggest that this was no more than Barrow deserved, having had to go cap-in-hand to the other clubs over the years more than any other team but logic doesn’t come in to it for a true football fan. The other nail in the coffin was the decision to construct a speedway track around the pitch, for the inaptly named Barrow Happy Faces. There wasn’t anywhere near room for this, of course. The Steelworks End was demolished, the other three sides were chopped back and the pitch corners were turfed on boards for every home game. Hartlepool complained about the ground’s condition and crowds dropped to around 2,000 but there was genuine shock in Barrow when their fate was sealed.

Speedway didn’t last long and the ground had an air of dereliction. The team played on in their semi-derelict ground as part-timers in the Northern Premier League in front of crowds of just a few hundred and improvements were slow in coming. A job-creation scheme led to the erection of new changing rooms, squash courts and a bar at the former Steelworks End and this complex has in turn become the Crossbar, Bluebirds Study Centre and Corporate hospitality facilities, also used as a venue for meeting and courses, and a welcome sign of hope as well as a source of vital non-match day income and a way of involving the followers of the future who attend after school classes at the study centre.

The main stand and the covers of the two remaining sides were demolished on safety grounds. The cover on the popular side was renewed prior to the demolition of the main stand and has the press box at the back including broadcast facilities installed by BBC Radio Cumbria. This popular side cover was named after popular manager form the 1980s, Ray Wilkie, who led Barrow back in to the Conference and to FA Trophy victory at Wembley- Barrow’s most memorable day ever. (Part of Devonshire Road, behind the main stand, was also re-named in honour of Ray Wilkie).

Under Chairman Steven Vaughan the main stand was replaced and coincided with Barrow’s return to the Conference in 1998. The Holker Street End remains uncovered and may have to be rebuilt before a new shelter can be constructed.

General Ground Information

Some matches are segregated while for others home and away fans mix throughout the ground. The club website gives notice of any segregation in advance of each match. A group of fans present a flag/banner display at the west end of the Ray Wilkie stand as the teams enter the pitch for most matches.

Seating capacity is 1,000, all in the main stand, which provides a good high view of the pitch as it is raised with access via a couple of staircases at the front of the stand. There are three supporting pillars which can interfere with the view if you sit at the anywhere but the first couple of rows.

The weakest point of the ground is undoubtedly the facilities (or lack of them!). Urinals are little changed since the ground was developed and, with the exception of those associated with the main stand, not for those of nervous disposition! There is a single WC for females and one for males by the stairs at the back of the middle of the popular side if you really must. Prefabricated additions to the toilet facilities around the ground have slightly improved what is a weak feature of the ground.

The club's offices, shop, bar (The Crossbar) and hospitality/training centre are in a box-like two storey building accessible from Wilkie Road. A new reception and lift to improve DDA compatibility came into use during 2010 and present a more professional image to visitors.

Ground Tours & Museums

The club shop is situated in the Crossbar complex, accessed via Reception, with a good range of clothing and gifts. Reception and Shop hours are 12noon to 5pm on Mondays, 9am – 5pm Tuesday to Friday and 9am to 5pm on match Saturdays, but check first before travelling specially.