By Darren McSweeney

Last updated at 10:10, Tuesday, 15 January 2013

IT’S been quite a hard start to the new year, with me being a Barrow AFC fan.

Darren McSweeney

Supporting any team at their level can be a rollercoaster ride. The problem with this rollercoaster? It has a couple of design flaws that mean after the thrill of a high speed section, you only have the bare minimum momentum left to get you up the next incline – any little thing that slows you down further means you don’t get over the next hill.

A run of bad results and everyone is calling for the head of the manager on a stake. The same guy who got us promoted, steered us to two FA cup third round games at Premier League grounds and to Wembley, where we lifted the FA Trophy. It’s amazing how quickly people forget the glory days!

With “off the pitch” problems coming to the fore last week in the shape of a transfer embargo, the voices baying for heads to roll have now turned on the board of directors as well. The same board of directors who stepped forward to save the club when it looked like the end of the road not that many years ago. Again, short memories for some?

These local businessmen are only in it for one thing – ensuring the survival of the town’s football club. If they were in it to make money, then I would be worried – nobody is ever going to be making money at this level of football.

I think it’s time they were cut some slack – I spoke to Brian Keen (AFC chairman) a couple of days back – he sounded totally frustrated, in his words, “Nobody realises just how hard a job it is running Barrow football”.

I’m not going to disagree with him – the money coming in through the gate is nowhere near enough to ensure a successful club in the league they are in, so it’s always going to be a juggling act.

True, the football on the pitch hasn’t exactly been enthralling this season – but count back how many times we’ve just been unlucky or had poor judgements bestowed upon us by match officials and you’ll find it’s not much different to any other season we’ve had since we were promoted to this league.

The best thing the fans can do is get behind the team, the manager and the board of directors at this tricky time and show them that we fully support them. The last thing they need is everybody trying to remove them – there’s not exactly an Alex Ferguson or Roman Abramovich waiting in the wings to take the club further.

Remember we got promoted to this league ahead of our time – it was never on the agenda to move up when we did – things could be a lot worse.

The club will come through this sticky patch I’m sure.

See you at Holker Street.

First published at 16:34, Monday, 14 January 2013
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk