‘Meeting the opposition’ – Barrow AFC

‘Meeting the opposition’ – Barrow A.F.C

This upcoming Tuesday night, Tranmere Rovers will travel up north to face Barrow A.F.C in a fourth division fixture at Holker Street in what should be a very entertaining game. With that in mind I placed questions towards a supporter of the hosts, Taylor Nelson. I thought it would be interesting to see the thoughts of a fan who’s club will soon face Rovers, to get his opinions of Tranmere as well as his thoughts on the position of the Cumbrian club at the moment, on and off the pitch; amongst other subjects.

How long has Taylor been supporting Barrow?

• I’ve supported the club since I was six years old, attending my first game in 2007 against Hucknall Town in the Blue Square Conference North.

Last season:

• Last season, we were promoted as champions, finishing in first place prior to the season being cut-short due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Thoughts on new manager, Micheal Jolley:

• Tough one to answer given this will be his first game in charge! He seems to be a well-spoken individual with plenty of knowledge. His experience at Grimsby will hopefully prove to be of great use.

Expectations for this campaign:

• Following promotion, I think the supporters just wanted to use the momentum from last season to propel us up the table and see where we ended up. Lower mid-table would suffice. Unfortunately we didn’t enjoy the start we would have hoped and have fallen short in many games. Fine margins have been the difference and we now need to ensure we end up on the right side of results to ensure we can enjoy another season in the Football League. We have waited a long time for this return and many supporters haven’t been able to experience a Football League game just yet. It would be a shame to immediately drop back down but I’m hopeful we’ll steer clear of the bottom two.

The hosts’ ‘One to watch’:

• Scott Quigley would be the first name to spring to mind. The National League’s leading goalscorer last season, Quigley has begun to find his confidence and feet in the EFL as of late and will be a handful for the Tranmere defence throughout.

Score prediction:

• 1:1.

Random fact:

• Barrow are the first club to win the FA Trophy at both the old and new Wembley having won the Trophy in 1990 and 2010 against Leek Town and Stevenage, respectively.

Proudest moment as a supporter of the Bluebirds:

• I think last season as a whole would have to be up there. The feeling of immense pride just seemed to grow as the season went on and the unlikely slowly began to look more and more likely. It was a surreal season and although we didn’t get to celebrate as we would have liked, the day the news broke that we would be promoted will always have a special place in my heart.

An opposition fan’s view on the Whites:

• We’ve enjoyed some entertaining games against Tranmere in the past, I’m sure one game in particular will spring to mind for most Tranmere supporters. Initially, it was clear they made the wrong appointment with Jackson, perhaps looking to the cheaper option rather than the best available. Under Keith Hill and prior to his appointment following the sacking of Jackson, Tranmere looked a much more stable and improved side. It’s bound to be a tricky night for us.

I would like to thank Taylor for his time answering the questions that I placed towards him. This league encounter should be an interesting occasion between two clubs who are in need of a successful result as they aim to gather positive momentum. I hope that readers enjoyed this Q+A.

Thank you very much for reading, 

All the very best for the new year,

Ethan Hoijord.