Match Preview: AFC Fylde v Barrow AFC(Pre season)18/07/23.
The Coasters carry on their pre-season adventures with a home fixture against old rivals Barrow AFC.
Barrow currently play their football in League 2 which is one division above the Coasters. The Bluebirds have spent the majority of their history in non league with the occasional spell in the Football League. Barrow were voted out of the football league in the 1971-72 re-election process and remained in non league for 48 years after that. These 48 years weren’t always a time of glory with ownership and financial issues as well as relegations capping a dull time in non league for Barrow. However in the 2010s Barrow enjoyed some success winning the FA Trophy for the second time in 2010 and also gaining promotion in 2019 due to points per game as the seasonn was disrupted due to the COVID pandemic. Since 2019 Barrow have spent their time in the lowest tier of the football league progressing season upon season and striving upwards on and off the field with new/temporary seating stands being put in at Holker Street.
Current Form:
The Coasters are currently on 2 wins out of 3 from their pre-season outings with the latest win coming at the weekend against Bamber Bridge. Gold Omatayo managed to grab a brace in a 2-6 win which saw Nick Haughton score a worldie of a free kick.
The Bluebirds visit Kellamergh Park with a 100% win record in pre-season so far notching up wins against FC United, Holker Old Boys and Preston North End. Barrow finished their 2022/23 campaign in a respectable 9th position however was 13 points off the team above them and ended the season with a negative goal difference. A playoff push would surely be the next step for Pete Wild’s men.
Management and Key Players:
Manger- Pete wild
Wild never set foot on a pitch as a professional but has been coaching since a teenager.
He Started his managerial career with his local club Oldham Athletic through their academy set up. Wild got 2 bites off the Caretaker cherry and impressed in both periods of manager. He secured a famous win against premier league side Fulham as well as a win against Crawley Town before Paul Scholes took over as manager. Wild however was soon back in the hotseat when Scholes resigned and steadied the ship till the end of the season.
At the end of the 2019 season he was appointed manager of FC Halifax Town with somewhat of an unproven record and a bit of a gamble. However, the gamble paid off and Halifax succeeded. In his first season he guided them to a playoff position losing to Boreham wood when the coronavirus pandemic had concluded the rest of the league. The following season which was behind closed doors, he guided them to a 10th placed finish. Wild’s final season in charge of the shaymen was his best on record finishing 4th however suffering playoff defeat once again, this time to Chesterfield FC. In Wild’s first season at Barrow he achieved a respectable 9th which he will look to build on this season.
Key Players:
David Worrall- ex Bury and Port Vale legend, Worrall joined the club for the 23/24 season following the expiry of his contract with Port Vale. A winger with the capability to beat a man and whip a fantastic cross in, will be a key man for the Bluebirds this season. At 33 people may say he’s on his last legs but the experience he will provide will be invaluable as well as knowing how to get out of league 2 with different clubs.
Niall Canavan- The Captain. Wild’s main man, Canavan played every game of league 2 last year and was a key part in why Barrow finished as high as they did. A Calm but firm leader at the back is hard to beat in the air and will be a key man if Barrow are to push on this season. With a wealth of EFL experience he can be seen as Mr reliable at the back.
Ben Whitfield- Another one of Wild’s reliable men, Whitfield played 45 games last season and notched 12 assists. Joined on a free from Stockport, Whitfield was a key man in the middle providing chances on a plate for the Bluebirds frontmen. Whitfield in the team makes sure the team has a strong spine to it, rotation options and a few areas being improved would give Barrow a real chance at the Playoffs.
Recent Transfers:
Dean Campbell- The youngster joined from Scottish prem side Aberdeen after playing a key role out on loan at promotion side Stevenage. A midfielder by trade, Campbell can also play in the wing back role or even further up the pitch. Campbell seems to have settled in pretty quickly already notching a hat-trick against Holker Old Boys.
Kian Spence- Another midfielder to add to the mix. Spence follows Wild leaving Halifax for an undisclosed fee. A creative midfielder who’s good on the ball makes this seem an excellent signing. At the age of 22 Kian has a lot to offer and if he can find his previous form that was produced under Wild then Barrow have a gem on their hands.
Jamie Proctor- Journeyman Proctor finds himself on his 16th club and not really settling down at any of his previous ones. An ex coaster Proctor played 9 games for the club and never really seemed to hit the same heights of previous striker Danny Rowe. 67 goals in 392 appearances shows he’s not the traditional 20 goal a season striker however will be a great hold up player with players like Worrall and Spence around him.
Ex Coasters:
As mentioned before Jamie Proctor once plied his trade for the Coasters joining on loan from Rotherham United. Jamie joined during a difficult period for the club where we needed a goalscorer and Jamie unfortunately wasn’t the answer to that. Proctor however did give his all for the club however the end product was not there during his spell.
At the same time as Proctor, Goalkeeper Josh Lillis also joined the club on loan from Barrow. Lillis always seemed a more than capable keeper and if he had been brought in a few weeks earlier it could've been argued that the Coasters would not have gone down due to points difference.
Previous meetings:
Boxing day 2014 National league north
AFC Fylde 3 vs 2 Barrow AFC
A classic Christmas top of the table clash saw the coasters come out winners in the end. Goals from Joe Booth, Danny Lloyd and Ritchie Allen gave the coasters the win on a wet boxing day. Former Coaster Simon Grand scored for the away side. Attendance 1279 which was the second highest on the day.
New Years Day 2015
Barrow AFC 1 vs AFC Fylde 2
An away win which saw the Coasters go 3 points clear at the top of the league in the return fixture. Goals from Liam Tomsett and Danny Rowe saw the coasters sit comfortably with a 2 goal lead before the now Professional boxer Paddy lacey got one back for the cumbrian side. Attendance 1838 which was the division's highest on the day. The season ended with the Coasters finishing 2nd and Barrow finishing 1st with Fylde losing out in the playoffs to Guiesley.
27th August 2017 National League
AFC Fylde 1 vs 0 Barrow AFC
The Coasters managed to grab their 3rd straight victory against the bluebirds in comfortable fashion. A James Hardy header grabbed the Coasters all three points giving the Coasters their 2nd win of the season. Attendance 2234 which was the 5th highest in the division on that day.
3rd April 2018
Barrow AFC 1 vs 3 AFC Fylde
The Coasters continued their playoff push with a dominant win over Barrow. Goals from Jonny Smith, Danny Rowe and Serhat Tasdemir confirmed the victory for the away side. A makeshift back four did well against the barrow attack which included Andy Bond playing at right back. Attendance 901 for this rearranged fixture which was played on a tuesday night instead of a saturday hence the lower attendance. The Coasters finished the season in the playoffs losing out to Boreham wood whereas the hosts escaped relegation by one point.
Boxing day 2018 National League
Barrow AFC 1 vs 1 AFC Fylde
A grey day in the county of Cumbria where both sides could have felt aggrieved by the person in the middle of the park. Ex Coasters Jason Taylor and Kyle Jameson both started for the hosts both playing crucial roles in earning a point for their side. A well worked move down the right hand side gave the coasters the lead through andy bond which opened the scoring until the second half when Jack Hindle produced a delightful finish past Jay Lynch to equalise. Attendance 1582 which was the 2nd lowest on the day in the division.
New year's day 2019
AFC Fylde 0 vs 0 Barrow AFC
A sunny day to start the new year and an entertaining game to match with neither side able to capitalise on the chances created. Nick Haughton looked lively testing the keeper on numerous occasions whilst Jacob Blyth caused a handful for the coasters backline. Attendance 2194 which was the 5th highest in the division on the day. The Coasters finished the season with 2 trips to Wembley and being successful once in the Fa Trophy final beating already promoted Leyton Orient 1-0 whilst losing out in the playoff final 3-0 to Salford City. The Bluebirds finished the season in 10th just missing out on the Playoffs.
Boxing day 2019 National League
Barrow AFC 1 vs 1 AFC Fylde
Another trip to Cumbria, another draw in Cumbria and another 1-1 in Cumbria. With tempers flying high in this rivalry it was with no surprise that the referee played a major part in the outcome. The hosts started the brighter side, gaining a penalty early in the first half which was saved by Sam Hornby. Barrow were then reduced to 10 men early in the second half when ex coaster Josh Kay brought down Matty Koslyo without even having the ball. The hosts then grabbed the lead when Scott Quigley finished expertly in the bottom corner. The Bluebirds looked like they had secured all 3 points until Ryan Croasdale calmly finished in the 85th minute to earn the coasters a point. Attendance 3257 which was the 5th highest in the division on the day.
New Year's day 2020
AFC Fylde 0 vs 1 Barrow AFC
Once again tempers rose in this highly competitive rivalry with 22 men not staying on the field once again. Both sides played out an even first half where ex coaster Jason Taylor seemed to find the floor more times than Tom Daly however apart from that nothing was separating the 2 sides. That was until Coasters captain Lewis Montrose played a back pass short which ended up at the feet of Scott Quigley who rounded the goalkeeper and finished into the empty net. However the drama was not finished there when the linesman spotted Coaster Matty Kosylo supposedly hitting out at a Barrow defender which then meant the referee gave him his marching orders and Barrow their first win against Fylde. Attendance 2409 which was the 4th highest in the division on that day. This season got concluded by the coronavirus pandemic however Barrow got promoted on points per game and Fylde got demoted on points per game despite not playing the same amount of games as the rest of the division.
Kellamergh Park.
This game will be played at AFC Fylde’s training ground at Kellamergh Park, meaning any long standing fan from Barrow will have trodded the path to KP many times.
