Mail Sport review of the year part one: January to March

FORMER Barrow AFC Football League player and the man responsible for developing Manchester United’s fabled ‘Class of ‘92’, Eric Harrison, is awarded an MBE in the New Year Honours List.

His former club kicked off the New Year by staging a late comeback to earn a point away to Wrexham in the Vanarama National League, with Calum Macdonald’s late, deflected strike ensuring it finished 3-3.

However, it was confirmed Jimmy Dunne would not be returning to Holker Street for the second half of the season after impressing during a loan spell from Burnley.

Former Ulverston player and coach Ralph Rimmer was named as interim chief executive of the Rugby Football League following Nigel Wood’s decision to step down from the role.

There was a new man in charge of on-field matters for Barrow Raiders too, with loose forward Martin Aspinwall being named as captain for the club’s first year back in the Betfred Championship.

It was Barrow AFC’s turn to be denied by a last-gasp equaliser as they had to settle for a 1-1 draw at home to promotion-chasing Tranmere Rovers.

Former Barrow Thorns basketball player Milly Knowles signed on for a scholarship with Eastern Washington University in the USA.

Swarthmoor jockey Paddy Cowley enjoyed a perfect start to the year, securing wins on board Ascendant and Flemcara at Fakenham and the Welsh Grand National meeting at Chepstow respectively.

There was sad news for Barrow Raiders though as club great Denis Jackson, who played for and coached the club, passed away at the age of 74 following a long battle with dementia.

South Lakes Hockey Club maintained their unbeaten run in the Cumbria League, defeating Ulverston 3-0 thanks to goals from Natalie Knowles, Gemma Jupp and Pam Robertson.

Barrow Swimming Club product Fraser Minnican claimed 200m and 400m individual medley bronze medals at the National Winter Swimming Championships in Sheffield.

The Bluebirds were held to a 0-0 draw away to Brackley Town in the FA Trophy, but then lost 2-0 at home in the replay three days later. Brackley would go on to win the competition.

Soon after, goalkeeper Steve Arnold and forward Luke James joined Barrow, with Adi Yussuf and Stuart Moore both departing the club.

The Raiders beat Keighley Cougars and Oldham in pre-season games, but their final scheduled game before the Championship kicked off was called off as scheduled opponents Whitehaven’s was decimated by injury and illness.

Millom and Askam both booked their places in round two of the Challenge Cup, beating Strathmore Silverbacks and York Acorn respectively.

FEBRUARY

BARROW AFC remained just above the National League relegation zone after going down 3-1 away to fellow strugglers Torquay United.

It was tough opening weekend of the Championship season for Barrow Raiders too as they were beaten 56-12 away to full-time side London Broncos, with Lewis Charnock suffering a shoulder injury which would rule him out for most of the season.

South Lakes’ winning run came to an end at 15 as they were held to a 4-4 draw at home to Wigton, followed by a narrow 2-1 loss away to Keswick.

Askam and Millom continued their Challenge Cup adventures as they saw off West Hull and Bradford Dudley Hill respectively in round two. However, the Villagers bowed out at home to professional side York City Knights in round three after a 64-6 defeat, with Millom going down 32-16 to Pilkington Recs.

The Raiders produced a superb display to hold Championship favourites Toronto Wolfpack to an 8-8 draw in front of the Premier Sport cameras at Craven Park and followed that up with an incredible 24-20 victory at home to another of the division’s leading lights in Leigh Centurions.

It was good news for the Furness Raiders under-19s team too as they progressed to the quarter-finals of the AoC National Cup with a win over Welsh side Coleg Y Cymoedd on the artificial pitch at Kendal Rugby Union Club.

But the Bluebirds remained without a home win since October after being held to a 1-1 draw with Sutton United, having brought in Jamie Day as assistant to manager Ady Pennock, but followed that up with a 1-0 win away to Maidstone United.

Cottages claimed the Barrow Friday League Knockout Cup for the third time by beating Barrow Football Supporters Club 19-10 in the final.

The Raiders were brought back down to earth by a 32-12 defeat at Batley Bulldogs.

MARCH

BARROW motorbike racer Dan Stewart brought a 35-year racing career – which included 17 top-10 finishes in the Isle of Man TT – to a close after announcing his retirement at the age of 42.

The weather struck both AFC and the Raiders, with the football team’s match at home to Eastleigh being called off the day before and the rugby league club’s clash with Dewsbury Rams falling victim to a pitch inspection at Craven Park on the morning of the game.

Hoad Hill Harriers enjoyed individual and team success as they hosted a Mid-Lancs Cross Country League race for the first time. Matt Elkington was third overall, while the senior men finished fifth in the team competition to secure promotion to Division One.

Elkington followed that up with victory in the Black Combe fell race.

Harriers’ senior women took second in their team competition too, while there were podium places for the men’s V35 and V40 squads.

The Raiders were dealt a blow as stand-off Jamie Dallimore was controversially suspended for three matches after he was charged with dangerous contact from their defeat at Batley. He then had a fourth game added after his appeal was deemed “unreasonable and frivolous”.

To make matters worse, they then had Jarrad Stack sent off in the 24-12 defeat at Rochdale Hornets and given a two-game ban.

Elsewhere in rugby league, former Salford Red Devils owner Marwan Koukash announced his idea to create a Cumbrian team to play in Super League, with the Raiders, Workington Town and Whitehaven serving as feeder clubs. However, no firm details were forthcoming.

AFC announced the signing of Barrovian Nathan Waterston, who had been in impressive goalscoring form for Workington Reds in National League North.

There was a new face at Craven Park too as former Warrington Wolves and Huddersfield Giants three-quarter Gene Ormsby signed a deal with the Raiders – and he made a try-scoring debut in the Challenge Cup fourth-round win at home to Sheffield Eagles.

The Bluebirds kicked off a run of 12 games in the final six weeks of the National League campaign with a 1-0 win at home to Maidenhead United, with Luke James grabbing the winner.

In indoor sports, British Legion claimed an incredible 18th Barrow Friday League billiards play-off success after beating Vickerstown Cricket Club in the final. Barrow Football Supporters Club won the snooker play-off, Navy Club B claimed a seventh darts crown and Roose Cons won the welch don.

Legion A claimed the Monday League darts tittle and Soccer Bar lifted the snooker crown.

Furness Raiders sealed their place in the final of the AoC National Cup with a 32-20 victory over Halifax ERA, but the senior side ended the month with a 30-4 loss away to Halifax on Good Friday.

And it was a perfect end to the month as Liam Conroy retained his English light-heavyweight title with a second-round stoppage of Miles Shinkwin in Preston.