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The AFC Wimbledon game marked the second anniversary of the Barrow’ joint
managers, Darren Sheridan and Dave Bayliss taking over the reigns at Holker
Street, their first game was the Setanta Shield (Conference League Cup) game
away at Workington on 13 November 2007, we drew 2-2 after extra time, and then
won 7-6 on penalties. The AFC Wimbledon game also saw Paul Jones make his 250th
appearance for Barrow.

The Mail had an interesting interview with Bayliss and Sheridan, and Bayliss is
quoted as: “It’s been brilliant. Both of us have enjoyed the two years and we
hope we’re here for another ten years. I know football doesn’t work that way,
and we all know what happens if you don’t get results, but look where we are
now, compared to where we were when we first took over. The club has come on
leaps and bounds, it’s nearly at a professional level. Me and Shez love it.
We’re working with a good group of people, a great chairman and great directors.
Hopefully we’ve been good to them.”

As for Jones, or Captain Fantastic, the Mail also interviewed him: “I’m pleased
to make 250. I just want to play as many games as I can. I want to keep playing
until people say I’m struggling or my body can take no more. Up to now I think
I’m doing okay. My body is holding out, and I’m keen to play for as long as I
can. My favourite memories are the two promotions (1997-98 and 2007-08) and the
Cup run last season when we went to Middlesbrough. Hopefully there’s more to
come. With a little bit of luck we can keep going in the FA Cup, finish as high
up the table as we can, and – something that I would love to be part of – a
really good FA Trophy run.”

The half-time collection at the AFC Wimbledon game for Barrow Reserve team
goalkeeper, Tom Fairclough, who broke his leg during the Reserve game against
Curzon last month and has had to give up his part-time job and delay his
University studies for a year, raised over GBP700.

And congratulations to Barrow AFC stalwart, Richard Ingham, who won the Cross
Bar beer raffle on Saturday, with ticket number 308 (dark pink) and wins the
worthy prize of ten GBP2 drinks vouchers.

Finally, the attendance for the AFC Wimbledon was 1614, and whilst their were
six games in the Blue Square Premier with a higher gate, it’s not bad for
Barrow, but we have to temper this a tad, there 337 away supporters at Holker
Street on Saturday, which makes the figure a little more disappointing, and we’re
on such a good run as well.

CALAMITY JANE OR JUST A BAD ATTITUDE ON THE FIELD?
By Bill Wood

Yes, two points dropped rather than anything gained. We had the Wombles on the
rack first half and came away ahead against the wind. Shoot on site second to
make the visitor’s work. It was hard against that wind and the lads certainly
tried to make it harder.

After Walker had put us two up early in the second half, there was only going to
be one winner. Well we thought that. What we didn’t envisage was Calamity Jane
in goal and the attitude from some players that the game was all tied up.

Thommo is ok in goal, but today he looked of a schoolboy standard. Why did he
insist on trying to kick a ball left-footed when he knows he ain’t all that good
with it? The ball had so much spin on it, it even came back to goal with the
wind. Crazy. Don’t know what happened after the second goal, but our visitors
were so much ahead of us that they should really have taken all three points.

On the new loan player, Craig Nelthorpe, he did a good job and will certainly be
an asset, he has a similar attitude as Brodie which shows just how well they are
treated at York.

Wimbledon are a decent side and this led to a very good game of football. Money
well spent on the day. Some folk were shouting and booing at the end and that’s
just is not right. It was our fault yes, but the opposition refused to lie down
as well.

Away from the game it seems as tho the football authorities have gone chicken
again by giving SV another stay of execution. This is an absolute scandal by a
bunch of amateurs trying to run this game. I say again, if this was Barrow, we
would already have been kicked out of the Blue Square. I say to the authorities
show some steel and do the job your paid to do.

BRAVE FIGHT-BACK IN BARROW IS GOOD ENOUGH FOR BROWN
By Richard Brown, from This is Local London

Terry Brown declared himself delighted despite Wimbledon’s winless run
continuing yesterday. The Blue Square Premier newcomers may not have won since
October’s trip to Forest Green Rovers but a fight back at Holker Street was good
enough for the manager. Brown’s side are some eight points away from the
play-off places and another promotion push already looks a tall order.

But, shorn of top scorer Danny Kedwell, the boss was full of praise for his team
for showing grit in Cumbria. And there was special praise for Jon Main – bang on
form after a sticky start to Conference Premier life. Main got the equaliser a
quarter of an hour from time. Elliott Godfrey’s first goal of the season had
given Wimbledon hope after 63 minutes.

Brown said: “After three defeats on the trot, a trip like this was probably the
last thing we wanted in truth. And when we went 2-0 down a lot of people would
have thought that run was going to be extended. We needed to get something out
of the game. When they went two up we had to dig in and I’ve got to say again
that we’ve shown an awful lot of character. I’m delighted with the fight back
and I’m delighted with the point. Mainy is starting to show the goalscoring form
I knew he was capable of at this level. The conditions also weren’t great but
collectively we put a shift in. Barrow played very well in the first half but
the second belonged to us. We have a really, really young side and we’re
learning all the time. I’ll be happy if they continue to produce that level of
performance.”

Another own goal from Paul Lorraine put the visitors on the back foot after 32
minutes. He put his boot through Craig Nelthorpe’s centre and the ball went
beyond the helpless Seb Brown. Wimbledon’s concentration was poor two minutes
after half-time. Jason Walker doubled Barrow’s lead as Nelthorpe’s corner was
dispatched well. But then the recovery started. Main ran through to set up
Godfrey who prodded the ball into Stuart Tomlinson’s net. Later, the keeper’s
poor kick eventually allowed Main to level the scores – and send nearly 400
travelling fans home content. Barrow’s joint manager Dave Bayliss said: “It was
a frustrating performance from us. It’s two points dropped because of the
advantage we had.”

BARROW v AFC WIMBLEDON
From The Mirror

Dons deny Barrow all three points AFC Wimbledon fought back from two goals down
to claim a 2-2 draw with Barrow. The hosts raced into a 2-0 lead through Paul
Lorraine’s own goal and Jason Walker’s volley. But the visitors, on the back of
successive defeats, claimed a point after goals from Elliott Godfrey and Jon
Main. The visitors were on the defensive from the start with Sebastien Brown
tipping Walker’s header around the post. Main went close with a header for the
visitors but goalkeeper Stuart Tomlinson saved. And the hosts took the lead
after 32 minutes when Lorraine diverted the ball into his own net. Barrow
extended their advantage just after half-time. Craig Nelthorpe swung the ball
across from a corner and Walker volleyed into the bottom-right corner.

BARROW 2 AFC WIMBLEDON 2
From www.bluesqfootball.com

AFC Wimbledon came from two goals down to claim a point against Barrow on
Saturday afternoon. The home side started the brighter of the two sides and
their pressure paid off in the 31st minute. Paul Lorraine scored an own goal
after the home side had pressed the visitors back into their own penalty area.
Both sides had chances to score before the interval but the goalkeepers made
sure the scoreline stayed the same come the half-time whistle. Barrow doubled
their advantage two minutes after the restart when Jason Walker brilliantly
volleyed Craig Nelthorpe’s corner into the back of the net. The second goal
spurred AFC Wimbledon on and a touch of fortune pulled them back into the game.
Barrow goalkeeper Stuart Tomlinson fumbled a routine save on 63 minutes and
Elliott Godfrey was on hand to make it 2-1. And the visitors completed their
spirited comeback in the 76th minute. Jon Main powerfully met Sam Hatton’s
corner kick to make sure his side’s efforts were rewarded with a point. The
point leaves Barrow in 16th place, while AFC Wimbledon stay put in 10th.

Barrow bookings: Bond
AFC Wimbledon bookings: Johnson, Lorraine
Referee: R West
Attendance: 1614.

WIMBLEDON FIGHT BACK SEES TWO POINTS DROPPED
From www.barrowafc.com

Barrow had a settle for a point at Holker Street despite taking a 2-0 lead
against AFC Wimbledon. The Bluebirds relaxed midway through the second half and
Wimbledon took full advantage to pull back but Barrow were unlucky not to win it
twice near the end. An own goal by Lorraine gave the home side the lead in the 32nd
minute as Barrow broke at pace for debutant Craig Nelthorpe’s dangerous cross to
be sliced into the Wimbledon net. Two minutes after the restart Jason Walker
chipped into the far corner from 12 yards to make it 2-0. Wimbledon then seized
the midfield initiative and when Tomlinson spilled a low cross, Godfrey smashed
home in the 63rd minute. Thirteen minutes later it was parity as Main headed
home a corner. Barrow regained control and looked the side most likely to nick
all three points with first Nelthorpe with a free kick and then Walker hitting
the woodwork.

HOLKER STREET NEWSLETTER 2280 – 13 NOVEMBER 2009 Compiled by Ralph

Barrow entertain AFC Wimbledon at Holker Street on Saturday in what should prove to be a good test of our credentials; we are eighteenth in the League and they
are tenth, but we are on a tremendous run. If you discount the defeat in the Celtic friendly, we are unbeaten since Saturday 26 September, when we lost 3-0
to Salisbury City on our travels, that’s a nine-match run, very impressive.
Hopefully we will make it to double figures.

I have a soft spot for AFC Wimbledon and how far they have come, and I have no time for the club MK Dons side which took their name, and moved lock, stock and barrel out of the region. Not one of the Football Association’s best decisions, that one!
There will be a bucket collection at half-time during the AFC Wimbledon game on Saturday for Reserve team goalkeeper, Tom Fairclough who suffered a double break
of his leg during the Lancashire League game against Curzon in October. Tom has had to defer his University studies for a year as his course is practical based
and has also had to give up his part-time job for the time being.

If you can’t make it to the game this Saturday, don’t forget BBC Radio Cumbria will be providing match commentary both and on the wireless and the web:

BBC Radio Cumbria: North, east and west 95.6FM, south 96.1FM, Whitehaven and Keswick 104.1FM, Kendal 95.2FM and Windermere 104.2 FM. AM; north 756 AM, south
837 AM and west 1458 AM: http://www.bbc.co.uk/cumbria/sport/barrow_afc/index.shtml

The following interview was scheduled to have been included in Issue 7.2 of WUP, but with everything that was/is going on at Chester City F.C, things were/are a bit hectic and deadlines are tough to adhere to, what with having been threatened by the Blue Square with Expulsion if debts remain unpaid after varying deadlines.  Rather than the material become hopelessly outdated by the time of our next issue, we are posting this on the blog site whilst it is topical.

As Wimbledon fans became immersed in the build up to their first season in the Blue Square Premier League, an outrageous storyline was unfolding at the Deva Stadium, home of Chester City F.C.

Apathy has reigned forever in the City Of Chester, living in the shadow of larger North West based clubs, but the small band of loyal followers supporting Chester City have deserved better than the succession of dubious owners who have besmirched their good footballing name with their business dealings over the last few years. The club that spawned the likes of Ian Rush and Womble wannabe Aiden Newhouse (!) have suffered loss of league status before, albeit temporarily, and largely down to spectacular mismanagement, they find themselves again in the top tier of non league, clinging on to their very existence after falling foul of the tax man and the football authorities. A penalty of minus 25 points has been awarded for varying noncomformities, and whilst the severity of this admonishment is under appeal, any revised ruling is certain to still leave them struggling to escape the relegation mire.

WUP spoke to “Stop Our Club From Dying” orchestrator Rich Wightman on the challenges faced by the Deva diehards.

WUP: You’ve suffered at the hands of a number of dubious owners over the years – can you see a way forward from your latest predicament?

RW: To be perfectly honest at present the best thing for the future of Chester City F.C. is to liquidate so that we can get rid of all the debt and more importantly Stephen Vaughan and the rest of his Power hungry henchmen. Under this current regime there is no way forward and before long Chester City will be extinct as we know it.

WUP: Are you resigned to life in the BSN next season? Is a 25 point penalty an insurmountable barrier?

RW: When we found out that we were going to be hit with a 25 point penalty, a lot of us were at the ground at the time that it was announced, as we had a protest there to try and get answers, a lot of us couldn’t believe it at the time, but then we thought we would rather be hit with a 25 point penalty than have no football club, but having started the season a week later than everybody else, and already on Manager number 12 since Vaughan took charge, and things not really changing despite him saying that it was a fresh start for the Players, Management and Fans, as far as we can see nothing has changed – if anything things have got worse, and we don’t see that we can stay in the BSP, so yes we are resigned to the BSN next season.

WUP: Smith, Guterman, Vaughan … do you think someone up there doesn’t like you? Maybe things would have been different if that bloke from Pickerings Dairies had bought the club some years back?

RW: It would appear that somebody up there really doesn’t like Chester City F.C. and even if David Pickering had bought us all them years ago, I don’t think things would have been that different as the council don’t seem to want a football club in the city, so without their help and cooperation, it gets increasingly difficult to get the crowds through the turnstiles, however what Chester City really needs is to be marketed properly, and then we would have half a chance.

WUP: How would you feel if John Batchelor got control of CCFC?

RW: I feel that if John Batchelor got control of the club we wouldn’t be any further forward, as he is as crazy as Terry Smith was. He wants to change our team name to Harchester United, so who knows what else he would try and do, so no, I really wouldn’t like to see him in charge but things really can’t go on as they are.

WUP: How gruelling was the journey to Moss Rose every other week whilst they were building a retail park on your old ground?

RW: I didn’t actually support Chester City at the time of us playing at Moss Rose, so I cannot answer how it must have felt travelling to Macclesfield every other week. However, on the away trips that I have been on to Moss Rose, I would say that it must have been rather difficult for our fans and it is not surprising that we have lost a lot of the fanbase since that happened, and despite us gaining two promotions since we have been back in Chester, the club really hasn’t done anything to encourage new blood into the club.

WUP: How do you sustain even Conference level football, living in the shadow of Liverpool, Everton, Manchester Utd and City? Is there anything more the club could be doing to promote their status within the locality? If the ground was moved to the amphitheatre site or Grosvenor Park, would that increase your attendances?

RW: The attendance suffers quite significantly living so close to Liverpool, Everton, Both Manchester Clubs, and Tranmere to a certain extent, The only way that the fans would come back to the club is if it was taken over by somebody who actually cared for our future and also if the club was marketed properly.

WUP: Where on the scale of football rivalries would you rank your relationship with “The Goats”, Wrexham, in terms of derby match passion?

RW: Our relationship with our fiercest rivals Wrexham AFC tends to differ on how we are both achieving at the time. Unfortunately I was unable to go to our last match due to ill health, but I was told that the atmosphere was electric, and I can remember that our biggest Derby in 1995 against them was on Feb 14th when we drew 2-2 and Chester were down to 9 men, and Andy Milner scored the equaliser and the crowd went wild and the Wrexham fans were baying for our blood after that. That day is now known to all Chester City fans as St Milner’s Day. Another reason why the atmosphere may have been so electric, is that both Chester and Wrexham fans know that Chester won’t be in the same league as Wrexham next season and for quite a few seasons to come if Stephen Vaughan gets his way.

WUP: Do you harbour hopes of unleashing a new Ian Rush on the unsuspecting football world anytime soon?

RW: Unfortunately with our football academy closing down due to financial difficulties, I really don’t see us unleashing a new Ian Rush any time soon.  Although to be fair we have a fair few youngsters in our team at present, who, if managed correctly, could turn into really good players in the future, especially the likes of Kevin Roberts and Lloyd Ellams.

WUP: How do you feel about your ground being in two countries, and sharing an access road with the local tip?

RW: I personally don’t mind the club being in two countries, but whenever we get away fans, they always cheer about us being Welsh, and that does get quite annoying from time to time. Also the club being on the access road to the tip is not the best, as it is at the end of an industrial estate in the middle of nowhere, and whenever we have a really big crowd, traffic congestion can be a nightmare.

WUP: Has it been difficult to mobilise the fanbase to protest about your current plight? What is the depth of feeling amongst supporters, and what steps are you able to take as “Stop Our Club From Dying” to confront the situation? How are relations between the club and the supporters currently?

RW: It has been quite easy to be honest to mobilise fans, as I came up with the idea of Stop Our Club From Dying group on Facebook, and within two days we had over 500 members and to date we have over 1800 members, which considering we don’t even get that for a match, is quite heart warming, knowing that there really are people who care about our club, and we have had quite a lot of support and publicity from the local press, Radio and Local MP. The fans are all united in wanting the same thing, and that is to get the club into the hands of the fans.

WUP: Do you yearn for a supporters trust run club or would you be worried that the Notts County situation might be replicated?

RW: I really would like the supporters to be able to run the club, but unfortunately I cannot see that happening, as there just isn’t any interest or money unless a local business or businessman comes in.

WUP: If the worst happens this season, is their intent to reform as AFC Chester and start from scratch?

RW: At present I don’t think there is an intent to start a new club from scratch, but this may have to be looked at if the worst should happen.

WUP thanks Rich for taking the time to talk to us. Since this interview was conducted, City Fans United was formed, which brought together two existing individual supporters groups under one umbrella, and after a successful launch night and having won the support of the Chester Chronicle and other local media representatives, are now holding a Protest March against Stephen Vaughan’s handling of the club before the match with AFC Wimbledon on 31st October, so please show your support for their endeavours and visit www.cityfansunited.com to find out more about the fans attempt to fight back and their fundraising efforts.

We have  been collecting pledges for Sponsored Goals from last season, either by cash, cheque or Paypal. If you made a pledge and have yet to pay, please consider doing so, if possible before the end of September. This would allow us to concentrate our efforts on garnering pledges for this season. If you need a reminder about your pledge amount, please email content@wup.me.uk

Update 30/10/09 We still have a number of people who have yet to fulfil their pledge. Please see any of the WUP team or email us to arrange to make payment

Thanks!

The following supplied by Marden Womble: Away Travel Info – Chester Away 31/10 Before today virgin trains return was £66.00. This morning you can get a single to Chester for £11.00 out on the 11.10 arrives 13.12. Coming back is still £30.00 (on the 17.55) but £41.00 total is better than the £66.00 they quoted before. (Still more expensive than the £33.50 Barrow trip!)
It is also possible to do it for £24.80 – 14.80 Birmingham to Chester return and 2x£5.00 singles to Birmingham but these £5.00 fares are on slow trains and take 2.5 hours between London and Birmingham.
Hope this may be of help to anyone.

Get your limited edition* WUP whilst it’s frenzied, from the usual suspects, non-strategically positioned around Kingsmeadow!

Available for just one of your english pounds – no matchday experience is complete without it!

*(limited until the next print run)

As some of you have noticed, we have a new page up above (just next to the SHOP.

The idea is to try and match people with spare car space with those who require a lift from the different parts of the Country to and from our matches this season.

We have some long distance journeys this season and it’s not always easy for fellow supporters to get to London where the transport links are plentiful and competitively priced. For those and others, we have added a page to this Blog to try and give people a chance to save some money and reduce the Womble Carbon Footprint. Haydon will be proud of you all.

WUP requests YOUR assistance in producing the first issue of the unofficial AFCW fanzine for 2009-10 season.

The intention is to be on sale versus Luton but to make this happen, we need your articles, letters, pictures, jokes, crosswords emailed to content@wup.me.uk  preferably by the 1st of August at the latest. We have begun work on putting the issue together, so anything you can send us will be much appreciated as we attempt once again to generate cash for the club whilst offering a mouthpiece for the fans, and hopefully a variety of independent material worth reading for everybody! Help us produce a fanzine befitting the occasion when the Dons take on Luton – send your stuff in now!!