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Barrow

Holker Street - Barrow Stadium

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Capacity: 6,500
Club Nickname: The Bluebirds
Year Opened: 1909
Pitch Size: 110 x 74 yards
Address: Wilkie Road, Barrow-in-Furness, LA14 5UW
Phone: 01229 666010
Pitch Type: Grass
Shirt Sponsors: Newfoundland & Labrador
StadiumTours: No
Undersoil Heating: No
Manufacturer: Puma
Home Kit: White and Blue
Away Kit: Yellow and Black
Third Kit: Green
Last Update: March 7, 2025

While Barrow’s Holker Street is not famous for its atmosphere, the ground is usually still an excellent away day, offering visitors a combination of football, scenic views and plenty of entertainment options in the local area.

Where is the away section at Holker Street?

Away fans are mostly housed on one side of the Holker Street Terrace (towards the Brian Arrowsmith Stand) at one end of the ground.

There is also some additional standing space available beside the Brian Arrowsmith Stand.

What is the away allocation at Barrow AFC?

Barrow can accommodate approximately 1,000 travelling away supporters at Holker Street.

What is the away section like at Holker Street?

Oddly the Club have elected to segregate supporters at that end by the use of a dividing fence which means that no visiting fans can stand directly behind the goal.

During the Summer of 2020, a roof was erected over the whole of the Holker Street End, providing welcome cover for visiting supporters.

Away entrance

When segregation is in place, all away fans must enter Holker Street via the turnstiles located on Wilkie Road.

Away fans’ best view

If you are in the standing portion of the away section, then you will have a bit more flexibility with your view and as long as you are not behind someone taller than you, your view of the pitch should be fairly good.

However, if you are instead din the seating section, then, for the best view of the entire pitch possible, we recommend sitting a few rows back.

SO Legal extend Holker Street sponsorship

In June 2024, SO Legal confirmed that after two successful seasons as the sponsor of Holker Street the company would be extending their agreement with Barrow for another two seasons.

Speaking on the matter, SO Legal Chairman Hamed Ovaisi said: “It’s been a rollercoaster journey so far, and we are immensely proud of our association with Barrow AFC.

“The club is well-positioned for the future, and we look forward to enjoying that journey. We’re thrilled by how the club has helped us build a relationship with the people of Barrow, and we can’t wait to see what this new season brings.”

It is a development that helps boost the short-term financial health of the club.

Volunteers get stuck in at Holker Street

In November of 2024, a group of volunteers, who have been active for the past 13 years, once again demonstrated the power of camaraderie and completed a series of renovations on both the players’ family room and corporate rooms at Holker Street.

Known as the ground maintenance volunteers, they are all of course passionate Barrow fans who dedicate much of their spare time to completing projects such as that mentioned above to help the club ease their financial strain.

While Barrow are not known for being the most vocal of football clubs, the fanbase do still have a number of famous chants that can often be heard at Holker Street.

This includes All Bluebirds Are Blue, which is one of the fanbases’ most popular songs.

Take a look at the video below for a taste of what to expect upon your visit to the ground:

Barrow’s Holker Street generally offers great views of the pitch regardless of where you sit or stand inside the stadium.

However, for the very best views possible, we strongly recommend sitting in either the Main Stand (West Stand) or in the Ray Wilkie Stand (East Stand).

These two stands run alongside the pitch’s touchline and as a result offer a great view of the entire pitch, including both goals – especially when sitting in seats located nearby the halfway line.

Seating plan

 

Holker Street Seating Plan
Photo by Barrow AFC

Entrances

You can access Holker Street by leaving the M6 at Junction 36 before taking the A590 towards Barrow-in-Furness. From here, you need to take a left into Wilkie Road before going right onto Holker Street where the ground is located.

The entrance to the Main Stand is on Wilkie Road, while disabled fans and supporters in the Popular Side enter the ground via Holker Street.

Away fans are housed in the Holker Street Terrace and must enter the stadium from Wilkie Road when segregation is in place.

Barrow is widely regarded as a welcoming and is often praised for its friendly fanbase that is usually more than happy to drink alongside away fans on matchday.

With that in mind, it perhaps won’t be surprising to learn that away fans are welcome to drink in the catering outlet located just outside the ground and in the Cross Bar situated near the club’s main reception.

However, if you are set on enjoying your pre-match pints at a pub, then the best options for away fans are as follows:

Home fan pubs

Much like away fans, unless you are a home fan who is desperate to drink at a more traditional pub ahead of kick-off, our top suggestion would be to head to The Cross Bar located at the stadium.

It serves a wide range of beers and eliminates the inconvenient journey between pub and ground in the hours before the game.

However, if you would still prefer a more traditional pre-match experience, then our top suggestion is as follows:

While Barrow is not known for providing revolutionary food options, Holker Street will have all the usual offerings fans have come to expect over the years, including: chips, burgers, hotdogs, pies and more.

However, if you would like a little more variety in the chorus before kick-off, then taking a trip to the catering outlet located just outside the stadium is likely going to be your best bet.

Here, you will find a larger variety of both hot and cold dishes.

By train

Barrow-in-Furness Railway Station is located just under a mile away from the Holker Street ground.

The journey is a fairly small one, requiring just a 14-minute walk to take you from the station, which is located just off Holker Stree, to the ground.

By car

Leave the M6 at Junction 36 and take the A590 towards Barrow-in-Furness. As you enter the outskirts of Barrow you will pass a fire station on your right.

You should now be able to see the floodlights of the stadium over on your left. Turn left into Wilkie Road and then right into Holker Street. Plenty of street parking is available.

Post Code Sat-Nav: LA14 5UW

Where is the best place to park for the Barrow game?

Unfortunately, the club do not provide parking for supporters at the stadium itself. However, The Soccer Club, which is located next to the main reception at Holker Street, does allow fans to park on a first-come-first-serve basis.

Located a little further away is Liberata, another facility that has an agreement with the club and will allow supporters to park at the site.

Holker Street is a stadium which relies on standing sections for the vast majority of its 6,500 capacity.

In fact, just 2,249 of that 6,500 are in the form of seats – all of which are conveniently covered by a relatively new roof at the ground.

The remaining capacity is largely made up of standing sections, with both away and home fans able to enjoy the more traditional footballer experience standing provides.

Unfortunately, Barrow do not appear to be currently providing stadium tours of their Holker Street home.

Barrow’s Holker Street is located in a fairly scenic part of the United Kingdom and has plenty of viewpoints located nearby.

Combine those viewpoints with a series of parks and museums, and it becomes apparent that Barrow has plenty to offer visitors who are looking to make a day, or perhaps weekend, of their trip to Holker Street.

Furness Abbey

Quite possibly one of the most beautiful landmarks in the whole of the United Kingdom is Furness Abbey.

A former monastery located within Barrow, the ruins of Furness Abbey are located within a scenic valley and is the focus of a huge conversation project which ensures that visitors can explore the landmark for many more years to come.

If you purchase tickets online ahead of your visit and are not a member of English Heritage, then an adult ticket will cost £6.80, while a children’s ticket will set you back just £3.60.

Located just two miles away from Holker Street, a trip to Furness Abbey is an excellent choice for those looking to kill some time either before or after the match.

The Dock Museum

Primarily focusing on the production history of the town, the Dock Museum is located a mere 26-minute walk from Holker Street.

Some of the key exhibits that can be found at the venue are:

  • Furness Railway
  • Vikings in Furness
  • Shipbuilding in Barrow
  • Oldest Northerner

Better yet, admission into the museum is completely free, although visitors can choose to donate to the venue if they enjoy their experience.

The museum is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, but is open between 11am-4pm on Wednesday through Sunday.

Barrow Park

For supporters who would instead prefer a peaceful walk around a public green space, a trip to Barrow Park could be the best option for you.

Stretching over a total of 45 acres, Barrow Park contains the following facilities:

  • Bowling facilities
  • Putting green
  • Boating lake
  • Display greenhouse
  • Miniature railway
  • Children’s playgrounds
  • Skate park

For supporters with time to kill after the match, Barrow Park is just a 21-minute walk from Holker Street and represents a fantastic way to spend an afternoon.

Barrow’s ground started life as a rubbish tip with the early pitches having litter engrained within them. Barrow played games on the site for three years before any stand was even present; the first building works of note took place in 1912 with a wooden stand being added.

Nine years later, there were four stands and only one of them was an open terrace too, which was far from normal. The wooden design was largely replaced shortly after the Second World War and the next big changes didn’t occur until 25 years later; those changes were born out of financial necessity too, with a speedway track added to put more bums on seats.

It didn’t last long, but the next lightbulb moment did; that was the addition of a leisure club.

Barrow have recently renovated Holker Street and in doing so, installed an additional 900 seats at the ground – the vast majority of which were actually for away fans, rather than home supporters.

Approximately 570 away fan seats were installed at the venue, with another 330 added to accommodate even more home fans.

The capacity increase ensured that Barrow remained in line with several EFL regulations, including how many away fans could be accommodated at the stadium.

Record Attendance

16,874 v Swansea City
FA Cup 3rd Round, January 1954.

Average Attendance
2023-2024: 3,920 (League Two)
2022-2023: 3,429 (League Two)
2021-2022: 2,936 (League Two)
2020-2021: 85 (Covid) (League Two)
2019-2020: 2,010 (National League)

Barrow vs Carlisle United rivalry: Known as the Cumbrian Derby, Barrow vs Carlisle United is a fairly intense match with both sets of players and fans desperate for bragging rights in Cumbria.

It also has the benefit of being played fairly often, particularly at the time fo writing when both clubs are competing in League Two – the fourth division of the English football pyramid.

Unfortunately, Barrow’s Holker Street does not shine when it comes to facilities for supporters with disabilities.

It is an area in which the club have focused on in recent years and appear keen to improve further in the future, however, at the time of writing, the ground is not the best equipped to accommodate such fans.

Disabled facilities at Holker Street include:

  • Handful of wheelchair-user spaces in West Stand Terrace and in the Steelworks End
  • 3 accessible toilets
  • Limited accessible parking at the stadium

Therefore, we strongly recommend you contact the club ahead of your arrival to ensure all your needs are met during your visit and you have the best matchday experience possible.

While there is little information regarding the overall pricing structure at Barrow for matchday tickets on the club’s website, tickets at Holker Street are among the cheapest in the division.

For a rough guide, matchday tickets for the Bluebirds’ fixture against Bromley on April 26, are priced as follows:

Standing

  • Adult – £20
  • 65+ – £16
  • 18-21 – £16
  • 7-17 -£7
  • Under 7s – Free

Sitting 

  • Adult – £22
  • 65+ – £18
  • 18-21 – £18
  • 7-17 -£8
  • Under 7s – Free

This is just a rough guide and prices may vary slightly depending on the fixture you wish to attend. Always consult he club’s official ticket website for exact prices.

Ground Layout

Ground Layout of Barrow

Reviews

Avatar of David Waterhouse David Waterhouse
Game AttendedBarrow v Stockport County
CompetitionLeague Two
Date26/12/2023

Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting the ground itself?

Top of the table clash.

How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?

Went by coach organised by Stockport supporters.Having visited previously no problem finding the ground. Coach parked next to ground.

What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?

Pub and a brisk walk. Home fans were OK.

What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the stadium?

We visiting fans were in a new stand which can only be described as adequate and probably temporary.

Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..

Atmosphere was good It was the biggest crowd for years.Wasnt tempted by food as I brought my own Toilets were adequate .

Comment on getting away from the ground after the game

Coach was parked at exit gate near away fans section so easy get away

Summary of overall thoughts of the day out

Very often your thoughts are skewed by the result (2-2). But overall a 7 out of 10
Avatar of Reginald Fodstain Reginald Fodstain
Game AttendedBarrow 1-2 Tranmere Rovers
CompetitionLeague 2
Date29/12/2022

Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting the ground itself?

Ah, lovely picturesque, matchstickable Barrow - what's not to like... Most things. Most things I say. I'm mostly writing this review to relieve some frustrations at their absolute disgrace of an away end, which, despite having been rebuilt in 2020, is an absolute death trap and also features some of the worst views on offer in world football.

How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?

As there's not a whole heap of enjoyment to facilitate your time with in the good ol' haunts of Barrow-in-Furness, we resorted to passing most of the afternoon traipsing round a wet and beleaguered Kendal. Whilst this is a form of snobbery: a) I've been to Barrow several times before and can safely assume that the last surviving member of the Barrow tourist board died of chronic inertia circa 1964; b) I'm from Birkenhead, I can relate. The 45 minutes worth of A roads into Barrow from the M6 can be an absolute nightmare in anything heavier than a drizzle, so be warned.

What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?

Aforementioned trip to Kendal then, in an effort not to stain our memories deeper with the ghostly haunts of an endless lament of retail parks, dual carriageways and solemnity, we went into Barrow town centre for an Italian. Don't go to Barrow for a source of pre-match entertainment if you've got any sense - go somewhere in the lakes. If by some unfortunate event you should find yourself at the bottom of Lake Windemere then: a) you've gone too far - Barrow's a bit more to the left; b) consider this a viable alternative to visiting Holker Street.

What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the stadium?

I first visited the delights of Holker Street prior to the away end being rebuilt and it wasn't exactly paradise then. The construction of a roof over part of the away end (room under it for circa two hundred people, as there's obviously no need to cover the whole section when everyone else can get soaked) has traded a degree of shelter from the weather in exchange for a view of circa two thirds of the pitch, with the goal in front of you being almost invisible. So it's a trade off between seeing nothing but staying reasonably dry, or watching the football and driving home soaked to the skin. Having last year opted for the latter, this time around, we chose seeing nothing. I don't know how they've got a safety certificate for the thing and Barrow's whole attitude towards away fans is one of callous apathy.

Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..

The only part of Barrow's home support that offers any vocal assistance, aside from the side stand calling ambitiously for throw-ins, is a large group of pre-pubescents gathered adjacent to the away support. Their repertoire on the night seemed mostly limited to a few choruses of "feed the Scousers," which, whilst factually inaccurate and also highly disrespectful to many of the occupants of Barrow, struggling to make ends meet during a cost of living crisis, is on page one of the December handbook of "Obvious things to sing when you're playing Tranmere and it's Christmas." Calling a Wirralian a Scouser is about as accurate as calling Holker Street a football stadium, but kids will be kids... The game is irrelevant to this review - I've been three times, lost one, drew one and won on this most recent one. Barely saw any stewards, queued up three times for tickets only to be told we were in the wrong place. If the food's anything like the match experience, it's more than likely a soggy hotdog with both ends cut off.

Comment on getting away from the ground after the game

Plenty of street parking, not to hard to a place to escape from. With escape being the correct word.

Summary of overall thoughts of the day out

Blumin' 'eck.
Avatar of Stewart Lucas Stewart Lucas
Game AttendedBarrow v Northampton
CompetitionLeague Two
Date07/05/2022

Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting the ground itself?

Initially it was just as a new ground but transpired the Cobblers needed a win to hopefully get promotion

How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?

Had stayed over night and then parked up a few hundred yards from the ground

What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?

Ate in the town centre before the 2 min drive to ground

What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the stadium?

Absolutely terrible. We filled the away end. Most of the away end has obscured views while trying to move around it is near on impossible. I can not believe this part of the ground has a safety certificate. It's a disaster waiting to happen

Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..

Great atmosphere in the main although the Cobblers missed out on promotion despite a 3-1 win.

Comment on getting away from the ground after the game

Very easy get away. Back in the car and off a few mins after leaving the ground

Summary of overall thoughts of the day out

Strange seeing a 3-1 away win but leaving totally deflated. Terrible away end. Not one I'll be rushing back to. Ticked off the 92. End of.
Avatar of Keith Beswick Keith Beswick
Game Attended Barrow v Tranmere Rovers
CompetitionFL Division 2
Date05/02/2022

Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting the ground itself?

I hadn`t been to Barrow before so it was another ground for me to cross off the list

How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?

I travelled on the Supporters club coach and it was a trouble free journey

What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?

We stopped at a local sports club prior to the game for drinks and food which was very good. As we didn`t get to the ground until around 2.40 it was a case of going straight in so I didn`t have any inter-reaction with the locals who , except for when the scored were very quiet with the exception of a few 13-14 years olds on the other side of the perspex "wall" who seemed far more interested in shouting abuse and glaring at the Rovers fans than watching the game

What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the stadium?

The ground itself what can I say? How the FL thought it was up to standard is beyond me. One end has nothing but a club house on it, One side was a terrace half covered by a basic roof, Opposite that was a small main stand and behind the other end was mostly terracing with a roof similar to that on the side terrace. This was split around 70/30 by what could only be described, as I did early, as a "perspex wall". Also in the small section was a raised area with a small number of seats in it reserved for away fans. As the weather was shocking I stood under cover between the "perspex wall" separating the fans and the seated section of the away end. The view was I have to say the worst I have ever know in all my time of going to football. I couldn`t see anything of one side of the pitch more than 15 yards past the half way line and only one corner of the goal to my left. As Tranmere sold their away allocation there was not a lot of room to say the least. Had there been an incident in there it could have been dangerous. Did the local council actually check it out before they issued an safety certificate for that number of people because I`m pretty certain our council wouldn`t have allowed that area to accommodate nearly 650 fans. A fellow fan told me he had been there before in our VNL days and said that in trying to improve that area they had made it far far worst.

Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..

The game itself wasn`t great. Josh Hawks opened the scoring for Rovers with Ollie Banks equalising for Barrow from the penalty spot. The game was badly effected by the appalling weather and a referee who seemed to think Barrow`s main defensive tactic of trying to rip the shirt off any Tranmere player within arms length was within the laws of the game. One of the loudest cheer of the game was the ironic one from the Tranmere fans when it was announced that the shirt puller in chief was actually named Barrow`s man of the match.

Comment on getting away from the ground after the game

It was a simply case of exiting the ground and getting straight on the bus home, waving Barrow goodbye as I left because I sure won`t be going back unless something drastic is done to the visitors section.

Summary of overall thoughts of the day out

The journey, the visit to the sports club etc was very good. Although the game was poor, understandably so given the conditions, the whole day was ruined by having to watch it from that totally unacceptable away end.
Avatar of Russ Reid Russ Reid
Game AttendedBarrow v Tranmere
CompetitionLeague Two
Date05/02/2022

Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting the ground itself?

I'd never been to Barrow before and it seemed like a ground not that many fans go to. It was one of the relatively nearby games although travelling on the train isn't straightforward.

How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?

The journey involved changing trains at Preston and Lancaster. On the last leg, the train crawled along the coast. The ground was easy to find, about a 10 minute walk from the station.

What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?

I didn't do much before the game as the weather was atrocious. The locals were friendly although very quiet until they scored.

What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the stadium?

I was shocked by the away end. The view was restricted by a screen and the standing fans were exposed to the awful weather. It's the worst league ground I've ever been to and am surprised it met Football League standards.

Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..

The game was a typically disappointing Tranmere away performance and ended 1-1. The facilities weren't exactly great. The lights in the toilets had failed.

Comment on getting away from the ground after the game

It was a circuitous route getting out of the stand. I wondered how safe it would have been if it had to be evacuated in an emergency. Once out of the ground, there were no problems.

Summary of overall thoughts of the day out

It was certainly an interesting day having run into Bolton fans twice. The weather didn't help as the wind and rain were blowing in my face, restricting visibility. I've never been so cold at a game despite wearing a North Face parka! I'd probably go again but would keep an eye on the weather forecast!
Avatar of Martin Martin
Game AttendedBarrow v Sutton
CompetitionLeague Two
Date23/04/2022

Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting the ground itself?

I saw that Barrow were in a uncomfortable position in the league and how they would fair against a top six team

How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?

I stayed in the travelodge right by the ground. Easy to find and parking was no problem.

What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?

I got into Barrow about 1:30 so I took a walk around the ground and visited the ticket office/club shop before going inside.

What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the stadium?

I was surprised how tidy the ground was as sporting a Premier League team I am use to very good stadiums.

Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..

Crap referee. A goal for Barrow, a sending off followed by a soft penalty and great save by the home keeper. Then a long stoppage for a racist chant by a stupid home fan. The faculties insidethe ground we’re fine and the pasty was great.

Comment on getting away from the ground after the game

Easy. No trouble at all.

Summary of overall thoughts of the day out

Barrow deserved the win considering the officials were poor. Sutton for all their efforts couldn’t break down a stubborn home defence.
Avatar of Paul Sullivan Paul Sullivan
Game AttendedBarrow AFC v Sutton United
CompetitionLeague Two
Date23/04/2022

Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting the ground itself?

My visit to Holker Street was my penultimate ground in my quest to complete ‘The 92’. For circa 60 years, this far flung outpost had escaped me. I’m old enough to remember being in the Football League back in the sixties.

How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?

Very easy. Train from London Euston, change at Lancaster. Come out of Barrow station, Chuck a right onto Holker Street and you’re there.

What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?

It was a lovely sunny spring day in Cumbria so I could enjoy the outdoor fan zone with a pint and a packet of crisps listening to good music.

What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the stadium?

The ground is quite disguised as you approach it nestled next to Asda’s. Approached the away end first with the Sutton supporters and team coach parked outside. The away end was certainly not inferior to other areas of the ground.

Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..

The game was very intense as a win for the Bluebirds could ensure their league survival. Sutton too, had much to play for vying for promotion, play-offs. Barrow got the all important goal, then Sutton had a penalty saved. News came through that Oldham had lost and they had lost their place in the 92 club. The game had been dominated by an extremely strong wind that the locals informed me was surprisingly blowing towards the Irish Sea, not from it. Reasonable meat and potato was enjoyed post-match with a Barrow supporter who use to live in London. The ground struck me as rather ‘non league’. Holker Street had been larger in the swinging sixties.

Comment on getting away from the ground after the game

Easy stroll up Holker Street getting away after the game. Had time to admire the statue of Emlyn Hughes in the town centre who I’m reliably informed was turned down by his local club and ended up captaining some team called Liverpool FC.

Summary of overall thoughts of the day out

Thoroughly enjoyed the whole day out. It’s not just the football, it’s the whole ambience of it all. Beautiful scenery to be admired on the Lancaster leg to Barrow and watching Phil Brown on the touch line is always good value.
Avatar of Martyn Martyn
Game AttendedBarrow v Carlisle
CompetitionLeague 2
Date19/03/2022

Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting the ground itself?

So called local derby, new ground to tick off following Carlisle

How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?

Nice simple journey, can’t get lost, loads of parking around the ground.

What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?

Straight walk to the ground, not much else you’d want to do in Barrow.

What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the stadium?

Is this upto EFL standards, looked like a crumbling relic from the 1950/60s Away end awful depending where you stand you can’t see part of the pitch. With it being a sell out in the away section it was very cramped and most said very unsafe.

Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..

2-1 win to Carlisle not a classic, Home fans very quiet considering it’s a derby, Carlisle fans in good voice. Stewards completely clueless, lost control no idea what to do. Facilities very non league, food looked ok and well priced

Comment on getting away from the ground after the game

Ok no traffic problems at all. Only suggestion would be closing the roads that run past the ground especially when a big crowd is expected.

Summary of overall thoughts of the day out

Happy Carlisle won, but would seriously consider not going there again. Why pay money when you can’t see parts of the pitch. Also if it’s raining it would be an awful away day. Ground like that shouldn’t be allowed into the football league.
Avatar of Andy Bell Andy Bell
Game AttendedBarrow AFC v Harrogate Town
CompetitionLeague Two
Date26/02/2022

Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting the ground itself?

1st visit to Barrow AFC to make this 77/92

How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?

Took the cheap day return from Preston Railway Station. Very pleasant and scenic journey along the west coast. Out of the station and turned right onto Holker Street. Walk to the ground took about 8 minutes.

What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?

Got to the ground at about 1.45pm. Headed to the small fan zone at the top end of the stadium. Had a drink and watched the end of the Leeds v Spurs lunchtime kick off. Good atmosphere in this area.

What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the stadium?

Holker Street is a typical non league looking ground in need of development. I had a seat in the main stand and was glad I’d wrapped up as it was cold and windy. Quite a poor turn out by the Harrogate Town fans. I think officially it stated they had 92 in attendance.

Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..

A quite poor but feisty 0-0 draw which reflected on the quiet atmosphere around the ground.

Comment on getting away from the ground after the game

Easy to get away, slow walk down to the railway station and following a change at Lancaster I was back in Preston for 7pm

Summary of overall thoughts of the day out

Glad to have done this ground and the train journey was easy and a bonus. Pity about the drab game.
Avatar of John Scott John Scott
Game AttendedBarrow (1) v Bradford City (2)
CompetitionLeague 2
Date01/01/2022

Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting the ground itself?

Ticking off ground No' 82 and the last one in the northern section of the 92 grounds.

How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?

Joined the A590 from junction 36 of the M6. Meant to stay on the A590 all the way to Barrow but after changing radio channels I missed a slip road and ended up with an unplanned trip around Kendal. After getting back on course and passing the Bradford team bus en route I found the car park at a company called "Liberata" where I'd read about free parking. I was dubious at 1st as I was the 1st car in there, less than 2 hours before KO. Another car with some Barrow fans soon joined me to put my mind at rest. A short walk through a lakeside park took me to the Holker St ground.

What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?

Found a wooden hut selling tickets. (£20) adult in the main stand. Walked to a "hungry horse" chain pub called the owl and the pussycat for food. Maybe a little over half a mile away. A straight walk down the A590 and easy to find.

What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the stadium?

It's a very old fashioned ground with one unused old floodlights pylon remaining. Behind one goal is an office block. There is a small main stand which doesn't run along the whole length of the pitch. Seats are quite tight together. There is a full length terrace opposite with a roof around the same length as the main stand. Behind the other goal is mainly standing and away fans are housed in one corner of the ground in a mix of small standing/seating areas. Houses approx 650 away fans i believe.

Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..

Barrow fans were pretty quiet for the most part. Although their team has been on a mini slump and probably added to their being subdued. All the staff I encountered were very friendly. There was around 30 Bradford fans who had got tickets in the home main stand who didn't hold back from celebrating their goals. This was tolerated well by the Barrow fans. As for the game. Bradford took their few chances while Barrow couldn't make the most of the lion share of possession. Fans muttered their frustrations as they shuffled out of the main stand.

Comment on getting away from the ground after the game

Short walk back to the car through the by now pitch black park and immediately away back on the A590 and with better concentration, a diversion free journey back to Newcastle. Half an hour quicker than the outward journey. Seemed a lot of blue lighted police vehicles flying about immediately after the game but personally didn't see any trouble.

Summary of overall thoughts of the day out

Pleased to have ticked it off. This really is life at the lower end of the English football league scale and while the ground is old fashioned I'd take that over your flat pack soulless new build stadia. Hats off to the Barrow fans. Real fans following their local team.
Avatar of Andrew Bartlett Andrew Bartlett
Game AttendedBarrow v Leyton Orient
CompetitionEFL League 2
Date09/10/2021

Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting the ground itself?

I was too young to visit Barrow before they left the league in 74. So I was keen to tick them off as ground number 144 out of 92 on their return.

How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?

Left the Midlands at 7 am and thanks to a remarkably clear M6 we were parked in Barrow town centre by 11 - a journey of 190 miles. The ground is exceptionally easy to find as it is visible on your left as you come into the town. And is an easy 15 minutes stroll from the town centre and railway station.

What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?

We went to McDonalds to eat and then for drinks went into the supporters club at the ground. Entry was free and home and away supporters mixed happily. Beer was good and very cheap at around £2.50. I was very pleased to find Mild on tap.

What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the stadium?

The ground is what you would expect. It is a decent non league ground that has been improved to meet league standards. Having travelled all that way we went fro the best seats in the main stand. The online ticketing site worked very well and put many bigger clubs to shame.

Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..

The good thing about the ground being small was that it felt full with only 3,500 in it. And plaudits to the 269 Leyton Orient fans who made what must have been an interminable journey. First half was dreadful. Second half was better with Barrow taking the lead with a very good goal, and Leyton Orient equalising with a scrambled goal after a defender appeared to be fouled on the goal line. Both keepers made some decent saves and either team might have won.

Comment on getting away from the ground after the game

Wondered why many in the main stand were leaving early. Found out why at the final whistle. Gridlock on the steps that served as the main exit meant it took around 10 minutes to clear. This cannot possibly meet safety standards. A fire would result in mayhem. Anyway, we weren't in a hurry as we were staying overnight in the Furness Railway Wetherspoons hotel.

Summary of overall thoughts of the day out

Thoroughly enjoyed our visit to Barrow, despite the long journey. Would be happy to visit again if my team ever gets drawn against them in the cup, which hasn't happened since the 1960s.
Avatar of Steve Andrews Steve Andrews
Game AttendedBarrow v Newport County
CompetitionLeague 2
Date24/09/2021

Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting the ground itself?

I remember Barrow from being in the league when I was a young lad. I was so pleased to them back in the league for season 20-21. Therefore I was looking forward to visiting the ground on my quest for ‘doing the 92’.

How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?

I travelled with the Newport County Supporters Club. I have been with them before and they are well organised, providing good quality coaches. The journey however was longer than expected due to various traffic delays on our 7.5 hour journey.

What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?

Due to the traffic delays I went straight to the ground. There a purchase a ‘can’ of cider and cheese n onion pastie from the bar which was little more than a kiosk. Basic facilities but it reminded me of what football grounds were like in the ‘old days’.

What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the stadium?

My first impressions were of how good the pitch and floodlights were. The ground is compact and has stands on three sides A real old style football ground which is well looked after.

Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..

A game of two halves. Newport certainly had the better of the first half especially the first 20 mins and should have taken their chances and scored more than just a solitary goal. Barrow came into the game towards the end of the half and this continued in the second half where they were by far the dominant team. Barrow scored two goals but could have had more. The match was most entertaining and as mentioned above the score could have been different if Newport had taken their earlier opportunities.

Comment on getting away from the ground after the game

Coaches were waiting outside which made it very easy to get away after the game.

Summary of overall thoughts of the day out

A really good day out watching football has it used to be. If I lived in Barrow then I would probably watch Barrow AFC on a regular basis
Avatar of Walter Hall Walter Hall
Game AttendedBarrow v Colchester Utd
CompetitionSky Bet League 2
Date10/09/2021

Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting the ground itself?

Opportunity to visit a new ground to keep my 92 Club membership up to date.

How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?

Went by coach with the Colchester Supporters Club. Terrible journey because of traffic. We left Essex at 11am but did not arrive at ground until shortly after kick off, and we only stopped once on the way up at a service station for about 45 minutes.

What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?

Nothing - because we arrived after KO we went straight into the ground.

What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the stadium?

Compact stadium, very old fashioned. Fan areas mostly covered but confined to only three sides. One main stand. Unusual in that teams enter/exit from behind one of the goals. Away end is a small area in one corner comprising both seats and standing.

Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..

Excellent game. Ref seemed to have trouble controlling game - the game was competitive rather than dirty but he issued 10 yellow and two red cards. Colchester went behind from a poor defensive mistake then scored two goals rather against the run of play. Barrow equalised after half-time and must have felt they could win when Colchester had a player sent off. But Colchester went ahead from a corner, Barrow had a player sent off and Colchester held out for a good away win. Stewards friendly, pies excellent and adequate toilet facilities. Only 120 Colchester supporters at the game but they were very vocal and gave good support to their team.

Comment on getting away from the ground after the game

No trouble getting away and, since it was night-time, journey home was uneventful.

Summary of overall thoughts of the day out

Despite the travel difficulties this was a very entertaining and competitive game, made more enjoyable by a good Colchester win despite Barrow having more of the possession throughout the game.
Avatar of Alan Wilson Alan Wilson
Game AttendedBarrow v Hartlepool United
CompetitionLeague 2
Date14/08/2021

Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting the ground itself?

To maintain my membership of The 92 Club now that Barrow are back in the Football League.

How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?

I stayed in the area for 2 nights at The Ship Inn in Bardsea which was about a 14 mile drive along the coastal road. I parked up near the Crematorium. It was a 10 minute stroll back down the road to the ground.

What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?

Before the game I walked into Town. Simply walk all the way down Holker Street. Whenyou come to the Emlyn Hughes statue turn right. Cross the road at the next pelican crossing and you are in the Town centre. There are plenty of pubs and cafes about to have a drink and a bite to eat. I found the fans to be welcoming.

What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the stadium?

The ground has an old school feel about it especially on the Popular Side. I was stood in the uncovered corner of the Holker Street stand. I did move around to behind the goal to see what it was like. This end has a new roof but there are stancions in the way which impact on sightings. The away fans are situated in the corner with a few seats. It holds just over 600 away fans. Opposite is the Brian Arrowsmith Stand. It is all seater and straddles either side of the half way line. Behind the other goal is the tunnel where the players tunnel is. There is also a fan zone nearby and its well worth paying a visit before the game.

Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..

The game I saw was enjoyable. 3 v 2 to Barrow. The atmosphere was good from both sets of fans. There was a foodstall at the far end of the Popular Side, pies cost £3.

Comment on getting away from the ground after the game

It took no time to get vwck to my car and away from the ground where the attendance was a little over 2,800.

Summary of overall thoughts of the day out

A brilliant day out, a good game in a proper old school ground from yesteryear. A warm welcome awaits at Holker Street.
Avatar of John Rogers John Rogers
Game AttendedBarrow v Scunthorpe United
CompetitionCarabao Cup, Round One
Date10/08/2021

Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting the ground itself?

I had passed Holker Street several times in recent years when working in Barrow, without having had the opportunity to take in a game. The ground appeared to be one of the dwindling number that offers a more 'authentic' footballing experience, as opposed to the homogenized version served up in many stadiums. With the lifting of most Covid restrictions, this Carabao Cup game presented the first chance to visit since Barrow returned to the Football League, after an almost 50 year absence.

How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?

A very straight forward car journey of around 1 hour 45 mins from home. Arguably as nice a trip to a football match as one could wish for, through the South Lakes, although for many years Barrow-in-Furness was classed as being in Lancashire. Street parking is plentiful. For those travelling by train, the station is around half a mile from the ground.

What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?

A pizza outlet across the road from the stadium provided the evening meal, followed by a drink in the fan park at the 'Crossbar End' of the ground. Those wanting a more substantial meal would need to walk around a mile into the town. There were no issues with home fans, but a conversation with a gateman revealed that he was, in fact, a club director. Barrow is a world away from the rarefied air of the Premier League, and probably all the better for that.

What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the stadium?

The fact that the club has recently replaced the traditional floodlights, of the sort that have provided a beacon to all football fans for years, was a slight disappointment. However, there are still enough features to satisfy those with a more nostalgic view of football. The Holker Street End terrace is now covered, and houses both home and away supporters. There is now segregation in this stand, with away fans having access to a small number of seats if required. The main stand offers seating and limited standing. The Cross Bar End does not appear to accommodate spectators: much of the area has been subsumed by the fan zone, offices, and the players' tunnel. The Ray Wilkie Popular Side is a terrace offering standing room only, and extends the full length of the pitch. It is possible for home fans to congregate behind, or in the vicinity of, the goal being attacked by the home team during both halves. Not many grounds where that can happen these days. The crush barriers looked pretty robust, but the concrete terracing looked as though it had seen many seasons of lower league football since it had been laid. All part of the 'ambience'.

Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..

Scunthorpe seemed in control of the first half, without offering any real threat. As the game progressed, the home side increased the pressure and had several chances before Dmitri Sea scored the only goal of the game with a spectacular overhead kick. Only 43 Scunthorpe fans made it to the game, so there was little banter between the two sets of supporters. But I think most supporters were just glad to be back in a stadium. Stewards were friendly, and refreshments were standard football fodder. The fan zone was a decent size for a club at this level.

Comment on getting away from the ground after the game

Straight forward: a five minute jog back to the car. An attendance of c. 1300 ensure there was no congestion.

Summary of overall thoughts of the day out

A very welcoming club, and a ground that retains some of the characteristics that serial groundhoppers will appreciate. Although Barrow as a town is nothing to write home about, the journey to and from Holker Street on a summer's evening, with the Lake District as a backdrop, was one to remember. Barrow, I believe, is second only to Carlisle United in its remoteness from the next nearest club in the top four divisions of English football. It would be nice to think that they will survive in the EFL as it is certainly worth a visit.
Avatar of Paul Willott (Neutral) Paul Willott (Neutral)

Barrow v Chesterfield
National League
Tuesday 14th August 2018, 7.45pm
Paul Willott (Neutral)

Holker Street had been identified as a possible venue for mid-holiday entertainment by our eldest lad and myself during our sojourn in the Lake district. Being domiciled in Kent it was an ideal chance to pay a visit to one of the more inaccessible grounds of England.  Indeed, any who have previously visited Barrow will appreciate the time it takes to reach this far-flung peninsula of the British Isles, and I also recommend the book “Football’s 100 strangest matches,” to the reader with particular reference to the Barrow v Gillingham entry. I will say no more…
 
Therefore, unlike many a visitor to Barrow, we had an easy time of it from our holiday base in Bowness-on-Windermere, with a drive time of approximately 45 minutes and being early birds being able to scavenge the best of the nearby on-street parking. If first impressions are to be noted, Holker Street, or the “Furness Building Society Stadium” as it is currently re-branded, does not score too highly. The exterior of the Main stand is a trifle austere and cold in its appearance, and some of the nearby turnstile doors varied in their appearance from careworn to downright rotten.  Interesting of note, however, was that one of the old floodlight pylons survives, albeit minus any bulbs, but is justifying its continued existence as a platform for cellphone network equipment.  Just how long it will outlive its three sisters that have all been dismantled remains to be seen, but it did give a flavour to how the ground would have appeared in years gone by.
 
Much as the initial exterior of Holker Street may appear as though it has seen better days, it must be noted that much could be said of Barrow itself, a town that has seen much hardship as the workforce of the Vickers Shipyard has shrunk from some 20,000 to less than 2,000. With an area that has struggled to provide much in the way of alternative employment, the town’s population has dwindled and the decline of the football club in losing its league status back in the 1970s, the demise of direct train services to London that ceased during the 1980's, all reflect towards the struggles of the town itself.
 
Returning to the present, we trundled into the club offices to acquire tickets where the staff were very welcoming once they’d scratched their heads at the concept of Preston North Enders living in Kent but holidaying nearby coming to cheer on their team had sunk in! Whilst we waited for the turnstiles to open, we cast our eyes over the neighbouring ground of Furness Rovers FC, who ply their trade in the West Lancashire leagues. 
 
External View
Once inside the ground, my mood lifted considerably, as the ground inside is a far more endearing affair than its external appearance may suggest. The Main Stand is brightly picked out in blue and white with matching seats, and opposite the Popular Side terrace named after Ray Wilkie has a roof with similar coloured cladding. The Holker Street terrace itself is a beauty for those who love old terraces and crush barriers. Being early entrants into the ground, we had a good wander around and noted that the Holker Street Terrace was divided between home and away support down the middle for the evening’s match, but clearly facilities existed if demand required to allocate the whole of the open terrace to away support. Having had a good look round, we opted to pick a spot under the roof of the Popular Side to watch the evening’s match as blustery heavy showers were whisking in off the Irish Sea with some gusto. Also worthy of note were the collection of lovely old turnstiles at the back of the Popular Side that any connoisseur would drool over!
 
Main Stand
The match itself promised to be an interesting test for the home side; the visitors record was played three, won three and conceding no goals in the process, and were clearly making a statement of intent to try to return to the Football League at the first attempt. That said, Barrow started with some endeavour and were clearly not interested in paying too much respect to their table-topping visitors from Derbyshire, and when Jack Hindle opened the scoring for the home side at the end of a fine flowing move, it certainly wasn’t against the run of play. However, the lead didn’t last long, as around the quarter hour mark, Chesterfield equalised to send the 300 or so travelling support into raptures, Hines the scorer. Free flowing football continued, and to be fair Barrow were the better side crafting a couple of great chances that I was concerned they might live to regret not converting.  As the half time whistle approached, I mused that it was not the first time I was finding fifth tier football far more entertaining than the fayre on offer at League Two venues.
 
Popular Side
At the half time whistle, the vast majority of home supporters that had been occupying their half of the Holker Street open terrace that the home side had been attacking drifted round to take up station under the roof of the Popular side, although a few did continue all the way to the small terrace behind the other goal, which arguably is the one side that aesthetically lets the overall impression of the interior of the ground down a little. Noticeably though now, the noise being generated under the roof of the Popular Side was really roaring on the home side once the second half got underway, only to be briefly silenced when a brief moment of naivety in defending a set piece allowed Will Evans to head home to put the visitors in front. 
 
Holker Street End Terrace
For a brief while it seemed as though that little bit of nous and experience would see the visitors take a stranglehold of the game, but Barrow calmed themselves and steadied the ship and soon a sense of belief and hope flowed positively and noisily from the home support, transmitting itself to the players in blue out on the pitch, although at that point I still believed that they would rue the chances they hadn’t converted in the first half. Then came arguably the turning point of the second half as one of Chesterfields defenders was shown a straight red card for what we could only guess was a badly timed and dangerous tackle, it being on the opposite side of the pitch from where we were stood. Barrow players and fans alike sensed a chance and upped the ante, which was eventually rewarded in the 69th minute when Tyler Smith drilled in a smart finish to capitalise another good piece of build-up play. Barely head the celebrations subsided when the same player headed in a cross to raucous praise and the little ground was positively rocking. There were still chances for more goals, but none came and Barrow saw the game out fairly comfortably to deservedly win the match 3-2 and were applauded off the pitch in some style. I noted how much it clearly meant for the young squad to have delivered such a result for their supporters, which for me was a heartwarming end to a great evening’s entertainment.
 
Almost as soon as we were out of the ground we were in our car for the short journey back to our holiday retreat reflecting on a cracking game. It was interesting also to note that in the matchday programme, certainly one of the better ones I’ve seen produced in the National League (or Conference as I still call it out of habit ), they harked back to previous meetings between the two clubs during their league days in the late 1960's, early 1970's, where their last meeting at Holker Street was played out in front of a crowd of over 7,000.  The game we had witnessed was watched by just over 1,700. Now, much as that may make a statement to the decline of Barrow as a town that I talked about earlier, and also the changing habits and entertainment options open to the menfolk of the UK in the intervening decades, I still reflected on what for me had been a very promising evening for the home side. Sure, it was and still is early days in the season, but equipped with some very promising youngsters, who knows how far Barrow may progress this season. 
 
Maybe, just maybe, they could dare to dream of getting involved at the sharp end of the table come next Spring and push for a return to league action?   Now that would be a real feel good story for the town of Barrow-in-Furness! Come on you Blues!
 
Plus points for Holker Street
1. Interior of ground has lovely ‘old school’ charm and flavour 
2. Ground easy to find to your left as you approach Barrow on main road
3. Good match day programme
4. Home fans generate good atmosphere
 
Minus points for Holker Street
1. Ground exterior would greatly benefit from a facelift
 
And finally….
If you are driving to watch your team play at Barrow for the first time, allow yourself more time than you may think you need ; it may seem just a hop, skip, and a jump from junction 36 of the M6, but take it from me as a well travelled man from the north-west that the ‘A’ roads towards Barrow follow anything but a straight line, so allow more time than you may think at first necessary.
Avatar of George (Sutton United) George (Sutton United)

Barrow v Sutton United
National League
Tuesday 13th February 2018, 7:45pm
George (Sutton United fan)

Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting the Furness Building Society Stadium?
 
It was a funny one because this was something of a second attempt. Just two weekends previously, I had been making the same journey to Barrow before getting a tweet saying the game had been called off, meaning I had to get off and hang around Wigan for an hour before trekking back. I was looking forward to seeing one of the more remote clubs in the league and Sutton were in good form, having not lost since December and firmly in the play-off places.
 
How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
 
I'm a Sutton United fan based in Manchester which makes the Northern away matches easier for me. Two hours there and back, changing at Preston.
 
What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?
 
Due to train ticket prices, I turned up a whole two and a half hours before kick off giving me plenty of time for a walk around town and to find some food. Couldn't really find a sit down place other than McDonalds and ended settling for a Morrisons cafe as I'd had the idea of a Northern chippy in my head all day. In terms of the home fans, I haven't come across a more friendly bunch than Barrow. It was them who invited me into their club bar while I was stood outside waiting for the away turnstiles to open and you can tell the club means a great deal to the town.
 
What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the Furness Building Society Stadium?
 
Holker Street is a really traditional ground with high walls. Same can be said for our terrace behind the goal which looked like something out of the flashback scenes from fever pitch.
 
Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
 
Due to the cancellation of the original fixture, the game was rearranged with short notice, and with Cumbria being so far away, Sutton only managed to bring 13 away fans along. None the less we remained in good voice. A burger and bovril was cheaper than a burger on its own at our place, and it was of great quality. Stewards were friendly but frankly must have felt unnecessary given how few of us were there and the burger van people were equally chatty and appreciated us trekking to the Lake District for a late kick off. It was a drab performance from Sutton and we were lucky to snatch a 1-1 draw.
 
Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:
 
I made a bit of a fool of myself, as the game ended some ten minutes before my train was due to leave meaning I had to sprint like a madman down a Cumbrian pavement only to make the train to Preston with two minutes to spare, and inevitably tripping up the stairs as I launched myself up them
 
Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:
 
Holker Street is a great old fashioned ground, with cheap ticket prices and a lovely bunch of fans.
Avatar of David Watson (Torquay United) David Watson (Torquay United)

Barrow v Torquay United
National League
Saturday 16th September 2017, 3pm
David Watson (Torquay United fan)

Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting the Furness Building Society Stadium?
 
As a Torquay United fan living in Scotland, there are few opportunities for affordable day trips to watch the Gulls. I'd initially discounted Barrow as it's a lengthy train journey (despite its Northern location) with an early start. However, the game was scheduled in early Autumn, meaning a better chance of decent weather, plus advance rail fares gave me the opportunity for a bargain trip!
 
How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
 
I had checked this Guide out many beforehand, so I knew how easy it was to find the Holker Street ground from the Railway Station; a 15 minute walk along a straight road. A 7:am start to the journey, with changes at Glasgow and Lancaster saw me and my pal Graeme arrive at Barrow station by 12:30.
 
What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?
 
Out of the station, and straight across the road to the Duke of Edinburgh pub, for a couple of pre-match pints. It is a really nice pub, with a good selection of beers and ciders. Quiet at this time, no Barrow fans in evidence at this point. From there, after a pause for a photocall with the Emlyn Hughes Statue, it was an easy walk straight along Holker Street to the ground and the Crossbar, Barrow's Social Club. The Crossbar is highly recommended, reasonably priced, good beer selection and with a great view over the ground. It was quiet when we arrived (just after 2pm) but within half an hour it was quite busy with a long queue at the bar. The Barrow fans we met were, without exception, a friendly bunch and were quite curious as to why a Torquay fan had a Scottish accent! (Brief explanation: I have a friend down there who is a Gulls fan, he has similarly adopted my team, Morton.)
 
What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the Furness Building Society Stadium?
 
Looking out from the Crossbar, Holker Street is a tidy, traditional looking ground, ideal for this level of football. The Brian Arrowsmith Stand looks good, although open at the sides, but we elected to head to the terracing as it was a nice day. Only one turnstile was open, so we paid for the terrace, the option was available within the ground to pay the extra £3 to sit in the Main Sstand. The away end itself was a bit disappointing, as we were in a corner of the ground only extending partway into the 18 yard box, but more than enough room for the 49 away fans in attendance. A small “no mans land” section (needlessly) separated us from the home fans further along the Holker Street End. Despite all this, the view was good and the weather kind for most of the day. The home fans were along the side of the park and behind both goals. A crowd of 1,190 was well spread among these areas. Having the social club on the perimeter on the park is a downside to the appearance of the ground but just a minor one. The club have recently invested in new floodlights, with modern looking pylons along each side of the park. Presumably, the old towers will be removed in due course which will mean the ground is not quite so visible from a distance (although it will still be easy to find from the railway station).
 
The Old and New Floodlights
 
 
Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
 
The game itself was okay, although not much quality on show – hardly surprising with Gulls rock bottom of the league and the Bluebirds just above the relegation zone. Torquay United, with a new manager to impress, took the lead after five minutes, in front of the travelling support, which was nice. Barrow equalised in injury time, denying the Gulls a first win of the season. In truth, they hadn’t looked much like scoring till that point. There wasn’t a lot of atmosphere with the crowd separated as noted above, so not much chance for any banter. I enjoyed the chat with other Gulls fans and a few ground-hoppers who had made the trip too. Stewarding and policing were both absolutely fine and helpful. I had a burger (£2.50) and tea (£1) from the van perched on a corner of the terrace. A good cuppa, with milk and sugar available from a table to the side of the van. The burger was hot and tasty, although the roll a bit dry. Good value overall though. The loos were in a small hut to the side of the away end and perfectly adequate and clean.
 
Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:
 
The gate out of the away end took us directly on to Holker Street, so turn right and a straight road back to the station. We mixed with home fans as they spilled out of their end, but absolutely no hassle. A Tesco Express store beside Barrow Station provided the opportunity for a few refreshments to be obtained for the journey home. However, while the journey there had been seamless, the train back to Lancaster was cancelled, meaning we would miss our connection to Glasgow. So, the Duke of Edinburgh was frequented again before boarding an extremely busy train after 6pm, packed in like sardines with many teenagers en route to a festival in Ulverston. Missing a further Glasgow train by seconds plus another cancellation, meant wait of almost two hours in Lancaster. Fortunately, there was a rather nice pub close by (called the Merchants 1688) which meant passing the time was rather pleasant! These combined delays meant I didn’t reach home till 12:30 am, so a long day. The advance rail ticket was accepted on the later service though, so no additional expense.
 
Summary of overall thoughts of the day out::
 
I really enjoyed the day, despite the early start and late finish. I didn't see much of the town (there was plenty time to do so but I chose the pub…) The Barrow fans were a friendly bunch and it was very nice to mingle and chat together in the social club. Hopefully both teams will be in the National League again next season to allow for a repeat visit.
Avatar of Adam Kennedy (Gateshead) Adam Kennedy (Gateshead)

Barrow v Gateshead
National League
Monday 26th December 2016, 3pm
Adam Kennedy (Gateshead fan)

Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting the Holker Street Ground?

This seemed like a good test for us. Holker Street is a ground I'd never been to, we seemed to do better away and they were unbeaten since August.

How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?

 Journey was easy, Satnav led us straight into Barrow and aside from a couple of scary black ice moments on the way, it was a very nice drive including a stop in Kendall for lunch. The Holker Street ground was easy to find. Their fans could not have been more helpful in helping us find parking

What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?

Home fans were brilliant. The staff in the ground guided us to the sports bar where a real pre-match atmosphere was building. Good banter between both sets of supporters. Very friendly and very welcoming.

What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the Holker Street Stadium?

Holker Street is a proper ground. Seemed old and worn but this felt like a proper place to watch football. I stood on the terraces. It was open to the elements and Barrow is the coldest place I've ever been (here's a tip, take 1 more coat than you think necessary).

Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc.. 

We had a burger van In the away end. The burger was very nice. Not bad coffee either. The stewards were a laugh. The only negative was the wind. The wind affected the game and the fans. I even lost half a cup of coffee to the wind. The game itself was competitive but with the conditions neither team could get going. The banter with their fans was a laugh, we made the most of it despite the result (0-0).

Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:

Getting out now we knew where we were going was very easy. The Asda close to the ground was handy for topping up on snacks for going home. Again the fans could not have been more helpful. I got out of Holker Street faster than I do at Gateshead.

Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:

Holker Street was a superb day out. Staff in the ground were superb, their fans were helpful. Even the weather kind of added to the day. I'll be back next year!

Avatar of Brian Scott (Neutral) Brian Scott (Neutral)

Barrow v Macclesfield Town
National League Premier
Tuesday 4th October 2016, 7.45pm
Brian Scott (Neutral fan)

Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting the Holker Street Ground?

Apart from Truro City, Barrow must be the most difficult ground to get to for me in the top seven leagues, so it was quite an expedition to plan.

How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?

I travelled by train via London which took a total of 7 1/2 hours, and thankfully everything went smoothly arriving in Barrow at 15.42. The ground was not difficult to find as I had my map and directions from this site which were very straightforward.

What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?

Firstly I checked in to the Gables Hotel in Abbey Road which is reasonably convenient for the Railway Station, Town Centre and the ground. About 5pm I went into the town and soon found the Wetherspoons pub where I had a hot snack. It was still daylight when I had finished so I had a walk down to the docks noting the submarine sheds (if that's what you call them!). As I had walked in completely the wrong direction for the football ground it was quite a walk to get there. I met several friendly cats on the way! I was at the turnstiles before 7pm and soon after that the gate was opened but none was allowed in until the stewards had finished a meeting. It was not until 7.15pm before they appeared and quite a long queue had built up and there was quite a reasonable crowd for a National League game of 1,442. This hanging around outside was not helpful in making me enjoy Barrow! I was able to pay for a seat on the turnstile and was given a ticket. This type of system often changes at various grounds so it is difficult to keep the details on the web site up to date.

What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of Holker Street?

The Main Stand and the covered terrace opposite looked good, painted in blue and white stripes. As this is an old ground much of the open terracing looked a s though it had seen better days. I had my usual walk around the ground but I was challenged as I tried to get through what was apparently the away section of the Holker Street terrace. There were only a few Macclesfield fans but they still tried to segregate them. Fortunately I was allowed to pass through, the steward being surprised that I was from Ipswich and had come up north just for this game.

Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..

At first I was cheering the wrong team! In fact Macclesfield were wearing a blue strip with white shorts and Barrow (The Bluebirds!) were wearing white with dark blue shorts. Even a home fan sitting near me commented that the Bluebirds weren't wearing blue. If this was my team it would annoy me. The first half was uninspiring and ended 0-0. It was only in the last ten minutes when there was anything exciting. Barrow opened the scoring from a well worked free kick, and then it was even again shortly afterwards when Macclesfield also scored shortly after a free kick. There was a reasonable atmosphere in the ground with the tiny away following trying to make a bit of noise.

Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:

I was walking from the ground back to my hotel and arrived back there by the shortest route before 10pm and so to bed. Another 7 hour train journey home the next day. Looking forward to my next trip which is Queen of the South in Dumfries.

Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:

Although it was a long way, everything went to plan with travelling, hotel etc, so it was well worth the time and expense. As I had a bit of time to spare before catching my train home at 10.09am on the Wednesday, I had a walk in Barrow park, which is on Abbey Road, just across the road from the railway station. I would recommend a stroll through the park as it is well kept and there is a good view from the war memorial over houses towards the football ground.

Avatar of Paul Oxenbury (Cheltenham Town) Paul Oxenbury (Cheltenham Town)

Barrow v Cheltenham Town
Conference National League
Saturday 6th February 2016, 3pm
Paul Oxenbury (Cheltenham Town fan)

Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting the Holker Street ground?    

I was very much looking forward to this game. Firstly, it's been a long time since I've been on an away game and I love a long trip (this my furthest with Cheltenham Town). It's a good time at the moment to be a Cheltenham fan too, challenging for promotion having lost only once away in the league all season.

How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?    

Given the distance, the journey was relatively easy. I went by train changing at Birmingham and Lancaster. The Holker Street ground is very easy to find from the train station. Look right and you can see the floodlights and it's a five minute walk.

What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?    

As I don't visit this part of England very often, I took the chance to take a walk around the Arnside and Silverdale, which are listed as areas of outstanding natural beauty.  At the ground the home fans I encountered seem a friendly bunch. Obviously there were no fears of trouble as there was no segregation in force for the the game.

What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the Holker Street Stadium?    

From the outside, the stadium looked a touch run down. Inside, the two stands behind the goal are uncovered which is not ideal given the amount of rain the area gets! The stand opposite the one I was sat in reminded me a bit of the old Wymans Road stand at Cheltenham before it was redeveloped while the Main Stand is actually better than some league grounds I've been to. It feels close to the pitch, the sight lines are excellent (apart from one annoyingly placed pillar) and there is plenty of leg room though it's hard to judge what it would like for a taller person.

Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..    

Despite the heavy pitch and windy conditions, the game was an intriguing tactical battle, if not of the highest quality. Cheltenham scored after two minutes and should have been out of sight after half an hour creating many chances and missing a penalty. To be fair to Barrow, they made a double substitution, changed their tactics and actually bothered to tackle and close down the Cheltenham midfield. Cheltenham by contrast, fell right off the pace and it was no surprise when the home side equalised but Gary Johnson sides find a way to win and that's exactly what Cheltenham did to win 2-1 and go top. The atmosphere was a little quiet partly because of the lack of segregation so the visiting fans couldn't sit or stand together and partly because the home side gave their fans little to cheer. Still, the mix of fans (the first time I've experienced it at football) created a pretty friendly atmosphere.

Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:

No problems getting to the station. For once the rail network ran pretty smoothly.

Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:

A very enjoyable day. A pleasant journey to a very nice part of the UK. The ground is a typical old fashioned non-league style and excellent value for £15. Most importantly, Cheltenham won so I really couldn't ask for more. 8 of 10.

Avatar of Glynn Sharkey (Grimsby Town) Glynn Sharkey (Grimsby Town)

Barrow AFC v Grimsby Town
Conference Premier League
Tuesday, January 24th 2012, 7.45pm
Glynn Sharkey (Grimsby Town fan)

1. Why you were looking forward to going to the ground (or not as the case may be):

Although my Dad was from Carlisle and also spending a lot of my youth in the area I had never set foot in the town of Barrow-in-Furness. As such I was looking forward to this trip even though it was a Tuesday night game, the good old Travelodge sale rooms came into their own once again.
I had preconceptions of a gloomy, run down industrial town on the edge of a desolate windswept peninsula but I was going to be proved wrong.

2. How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?

It's not a trip to the shops. Me and the other half set off at 9.30am and arrived about 1pm via the M181/M180/M18/M62/M61/ M6 and the seemingly endless A590. We dumped the car at the Travelodge which was situated just across the road from the ground and headed into town with six hours to kill.

3. What you did before the game pub/chippy…. home fans friendly?

It was slinging it down with rain, so the first port of call was the "Furness Railway" a Wetherspoons outlet, rude not to really as it was steak club day. After a few pints and a full belly, plus with the rain slowing, we had a walk round the town centre such as it is. One weird thing we noticed is the High Street is in fact a side street with no shops at all!

We tried a few watering holes and eventually ended up in a boozer near the docks called the Devonshire Hotel, a good old fashioned, no frills pub. There is a massive ship on the docks which up until recently was used as a 2,500 capacity nightclub, it's also a great location for any err… submarine watchers.

From there we made our way across a long road bridge to Walney island and settled down in the Ferry Hotel which can be seen from the bridge. A Crown carvery establishment which does good cheap food and good priced beers. Our friend Chris arrived by train and met us there, he was stunned by the quality of the "nosebag" as he calls it. This place is highly recommended by us all. Fed and watered and with kick off approaching we set off on the 15-20 mins walk to the ground.

4. What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the ground?

Wet and bedraggled we arrived to see four proper old school floodlight pylons, a scene that always and without fail, warms me to any ground. The right hand side of the open terrace behind the goal is for away fans with some seats in the covered stand to the right also available. A good third of the open end just in front of the goal seems to be no man's land, with the rest of this terrace given to the home fans to the left of the goal. We ended up in the seats (more about this below) which had a good view of the open terrace to the left, a small covered stand opposite and to the right a very shallow bit of terrace backing onto what appeared to be their supporters club. All in all a small, basic, old footy ground. I fell in love with the place.

5. Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, toilets etc..

Being 2-1 up and maybe being just in control, I felt Barrow's last minute equaliser came from nowhere. Saying that, at setting off time that morning I would have took the point, also our rival's results were not too bad either. Less than 200 Grimsby still managed to make themselves heard and I am sure had it had been a Saturday there would have been 500 plus.
It really is a long haul for a night game.

One sour note was the stewarding, we were told for twenty shillings we could transfer into the seats. There was a steward who seemed to take pleasure in refusing people the transfer with the retort they would have to stand and get wet. He tried it with us three (Two middle aged blokes and woman) but we managed to blag it in, many others were refused.

6. Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:

Easy! Straight back into town and the Furnace Railway Wetherspoons, after checking the latest time we could get a table at the Mithwali curry house across the road. The curry rounded off a brilliant but wet day out and we were more than ready to fall into bed after the 15-20 minute walk back to the Travelodge.

7. Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:

A rainy January night in Cumbria might not sound like everyones idea of fun but me and the other half were more than impressed. The next full day was spent across the bridge exploring Walney Island, with it's villages, hamlets, caravan parks, pubs and wildlife. A stunning piece of land well worth exploring for it's scenery and history.

It's very surreal with the shipyards and town of Barrow stretching out below the mountains of the lake district from one side of the island, and less than a mile on the other side, the crashing waves of the Irish sea on a windswept rocky beach. If Grimsby are still in the same league as Barrow next season, this will be a definite must do.

Avatar of Steve Bailey (Luton Town) Steve Bailey (Luton Town)

Barrow AFC v Luton Town
Conference Premier League
Saturday, February 6th 2010, 3pm
Steve Bailey (Luton Town fan)

1. Why you were looking forward to going to the ground (or not as the case may be):

I have been looking forward to visiting this ground since 1969 – and I’m not joking!  When I was a young Luton fan we played Barrow in the old Division 3 and I had a map of where all the grounds were, looked at it and thought “that’s a long way, must go there one day”.  Being too young for away games then and with Barrow dropping out of the league soon after we’ve never played them again  … till now.

2. How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking:

The journey took a long long time – nearly 7 hours and 4 trains from my current home in Peterborough but I went up the day before and didn’t go back till the Sunday, meeting up with a few friends from different parts of the country who also made a long weekend of it.  The ground was easy to find as Holker Street is a long straight road from the station and the pub we drank in before the game.

3. What you did before the game pub/chippy…. home fans friendly?

Before the game we drank in the Duke of Edinburgh pub, lots of real ales, good food and highly recommended.  The local fans were very friendly – not that there was many of them in the pub mind.

4. What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the ground?

As I approached the ground I took a photo of the “away supporters this way” sign and a local fan joked “not much to take photos of here” to which we replied “you haven’t seen Kenilworth Road then have you?” Going in I handed my ticket (a modest affair, a little white strip more like a cardboard bus ticket) to the lady at the turnstile only for her to say “hang on to that” and ticked me off on the piece of paper using the low-tech five-bar gate counting system to record the away attendance!

The ground was as I expected although the seated stands on the sides were much larger than I thought they’d be.  A very neat old ground, all nicely painted in blue and white. We were actually housed in the Holker Street end rather than the Crossbar end stated in the Guide, presumably they use this end when a bigger away attendance is expected.  This is a fairly shallow open terrace and would not be good on a wet day!  Fortunately it was cold but dry so all was well.

5. Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, toilets etc..

The game was a hard fought 1-0 win to us coming from a late goal when a 0-0 draw seemed the likely outcome.  Atmosphere was not great as it’s an open end so hard to get any noise going and there was only 302 of us anyway, still the biggest away crowd at Barrow this season though.  Stewards were inconspicuous and don’t even recall seeing any police in the ground.  Toilets were of the pre-war variety with the addition of a plastic roof, bit like the ones at Altrincham and York, and should have a preservation order put them before they are ruined by modern fittings!  As the game wore on a fog descended and we could hardly see the other end – we joked of an abandonment after all our long journeys but the game lasted the distance. 
           
6. Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:

Very easy, we were back in the pub again before we knew it!
            
7. Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:

A good day on all counts and should we both still be in the Conference next season we all agreed to come again.