Thank you to those who submitted memories in 2021.
Not you? Read on to learn more and perhaps see how you could pick up the baton.
In 2021 we began to consider a proper archive for Barrow AFC. We already have the club archivist Phil Yelland with his wealth of knowledge and detailed records and there are various web resources and publications. Supporters also have their own souvenirs, photos, programmes and especially so many memories. Could these be brought together and made accessible? Useful discussions took place with Cumbria Archives staff (who were very helpful) and consultation with Barrow AFC, the Bluebirds' Trust, the National Supporters' Club plus a sample of supporters. Their feedback was overwhelmingly positive.
We then learned of the likely revival of a project first proposed three years ago under the working title 'Barrow AFC and Barrow Raiders Sporting History' with support from both clubs but which had stalled pending the change of Barrow AFC ownership.
In the meantime, we decided to run a pilot project, initially during the 2021 close-season by building on some of the excellent writing that has been done in the past in newsletters, publications, forums and social media. We asked for memories in writing from supporters and, although unfortunately few in number, received some that were excellent. As we had undertaken, these have now been collected into a sixty page, professionally-printed, stapled booklet that has been deposited with Barrow Archives and is available to consult there under the reference BDSO 177/1.
It may be that you have thought How I wished I had done an item on... or perhaps you did and thought later Oh, I could also have written something about... Perhaps a friend intended to write a memory . We would be happy to receive further items on the same basis as previously and will endeavour to add them to the collection in due course,
By the end of 2023, we had heard nothing further about a sporting project run by BarrowFull and assume that it does not fit their priorities or preferred demographic. There remains the possibility for such a project to carry out useful work in the Furness community, preserving memories, creating an archive and making the town's sporting history accessible to the public and via groups involved in, for example, education, social care, dementia care, addressing loneliness, community and creative work. Such a project would need professional management, the likely support of National Lottery Heritage Fund and a team of energetic and committed volunteers. Age and time are against us driving such a project forward - perhaps it is something that you could support?
Peter Naylor and Paul Daly