ELEVEN times Barrow AFC have reached the third round of the FA Cup – and 11 times they have lost.

Paul Cox’s side will look to make history today by defeating Rochdale and becoming the first Barrow team to reach the last 32 of the world’s most famous domestic knockout competition.

The Bluebirds have reached this stage three times as a non-league outfit. The first time came in the 1990/91 season when Ray Wilkie’s FA Trophy holders lost 1-0 at Bolton Wanderers to a Tony Philiskirk goal, after having dispatched Bishop Auckland and Whitley Bay in the earlier rounds.

There was an 18-year wait for Barrow’s next third round appearance, and like buses – having waited so long – two came along in quick succession. Barrow played Premier League opposition for the first time in January 2009 when thousands made the trek from west to east to see Dave Bayliss and Darren Sheridan’s men lose 2-1 to Middlesbrough.

Two goals from £12.5m striker Afonos Alves gave Boro a commanding lead before Barrow’s fox-in-the-box Jason Walker headed home with 10 minutes of normal time remaining, and the visitors went close to grabbing an unlikely equaliser.

Barrow had got to that stage by beating Eastbourne Borough in a first round replay and then Brentford, 2-1 in front of 3,120 ecstatic fans and live television cameras, on a famous Friday night at Holker Street.

The following season, Bayliss and Sheridan masterminded another run to the third round – and another exodus of 7,000-plus supporters to the North East.

This time, Sunderland were the opposition and although the scoreline was 3-0 – with goals from Steed Malbranque and Fraizer Campbell (2) – Barrow gave Steve Bruce’s men a run for their money and earned praise from the former Man United defender.

En route to the Stadium of Light the Bluebirds had seen off Chester City 4-0 away in a replay; Eastleigh 2-1 and then Oxford United 3-1 in a home replay.

The very first occasion Barrow reached the third round was way back in 1945/46, when ties in the first three rounds were two-legged.

Barrow started by winning 1-0 at home to Netherfield and then drawing the away leg 2-2.

In the second round, they were paired with Carlisle United and won 4-2 at home and the away leg 4-3. That meant facing Manchester City in the third round.

It was all over after a 6-2 defeat in the away leg, but Barrow did manage a 2-2 draw in the second meeting. In 1947/48, Barrow disposed of Carlisle 3-2, thanks to two early goals from Jimmy Mullen, both from corners. They then beat non-League Runcorn with a goal by Wilf Livingstone, who later became the club’s secretary and administrator.

That win saw them travel to Chelsea, but they went down 5-0 in a match watched by 44,336. They proved no giant-killers, but the £2,500 share of the gate brought some measure of consolation. Season 1953/54 saw a 3-0 win at Spennymoor, with a hat-trick from Billy Gordon, followed a 5-2 win over Great Yarmouth, with Gordon netting two more and the other goals coming from Alan Keen, Jimmy Collins and an Andy McLaren penalty. Then came a home third round tie with Swansea Town, when goals by Jackie Keen and McLaren earned a draw, but Barrow lost the replay 4-2 (Gordon, George King).

Crewe Alexandra were the first-round opponents in 1955/56 and after a 0-0 draw at home, the side won the replay 3-2 as Dave Proctor, Tom Roberts and Verdi Godwin netted.

They then dispatched Tranmere 3-0 (Billy Ormond, Roberts 2) in the second round, but crashed 5-0 at Sheffield United. Then came 1958/59 with the momentous third round clash with a Wolverhampton Wanderers side that was tops in Europe as a well as in England. They fielded the all-international half-back line of Ron Flowers, England skipper Billy Wright and Bill Slater.

There were 16,340 in Holker Street to see Barrow twice come back from behind with goals from Jackie Robertson and Jackie Keen but lose 4-2. To get to that stage Barrow won at Notts County 2-1 (Don Roberts and Norrie McCredie) and then beat Hartlepool United 2-0 with a pair from Robertson. On to 1963/64 and George Darwin, Tommy Thompson and Ben Clark netted in a 3-2 win first round win over Bangor.

That was followed by a 2-0 win at Chester (Jack Maddison and Dixie Hale). Then came Swansea again in the third round, but in a 4-1 defeat with Tommy Anderson getting the Barrow reply.

In 1966/67 Barrow won 3-1 at today’s opponents Rochdale and beat Tranmere 2-1 at home before coming up against first division Southampton. Some 15,002 people were in Holker Street, paying record ground receipts of £2,986 2s, looking for an upset. Barrow went behind after 23 minutes when England international Martin Chivers scored. Billy McAdams hit a screaming shot three minutes later to equalise.

Then on 64 minutes Jimmy Mulholland put Barrow ahead, but Welsh international Ron Davies equalised with 20 minutes to go. The replay, watched by 24,697,was goalless at half-time. Then in the first minute of the second half Davies found the net – but admitted afterwards that he had fisted the ball in. Davies got another (55) and then Chivers wrapped it up on 79 minutes.

The last time in the Football League days was in 1967/68, and Eric Harrison and Mick Hartland netted to give a first round win over Oldham. Then Ron McGarry got both Barrow goals in a 2-1 win at Altrincham.

That meant a visit to Holker Street by giants Leicester City with some very familiar names in the line-up, such as goalkeeper Peter Shilton, David Nish, John Sjoberg and Peter Rodrigues.

The game was watched by 16,605 and Brian Arrowsmith conceded an own goal with a sliced clearance after only two minutes. Early in the second half, Sjoberg got a second for the visitors. But Dave Storf pulled one back for Barrow and that left Leicester desperately holding out for the final 10 minutes.