With Holker Street set to resemble a scene from Monty Python and the Holy Grail, today’s clash against Hartlepool United certainly has a different feel about it.

As the game marks Pools’ last away trip of the season, their fans will all be in fancy dress, which has become customary in recent years.

After selling out their (extended) away allocation, there will be just under 1,200 fans travelling from the North East, with them dressed up as knights, following some great earlier efforts as smurfs, Thunderbirds and penguins in previous years.

It will certainly be a welcome change to see such a vast travelling contingent at Barrow AFC, whose last two visitors – Boreham Wood and Dover – brought ‘armies’ of 14 and 25, respectively.

The Hartlepool fans in attendance will admit this hasn’t been the most memorable of seasons for their club, as they enter the game two points below AFC, in 14th.

Aside from a run of six wins from eight games in the early months of the campaign, Pools have found it difficult to string results together and the fact that they are on to their third manager of the year tells you about their struggle for continuity.

Matthew Bates, who was in charge when the Bluebirds drew 0-0 at Victoria Park last September, lost his job in November and his replacement, Richard Money, lasted less than two months before being moved to a more ‘senior role.’

This led to Craig Hignett beginning his second spell in charge and he oversaw a 2-1 home victory against FC Halifax Town on Good Friday, thanks to goals from Luke James and Luke Molyneux.

Hignett told Pools Player: “Fair play to Halifax because they stuck at it and kept asking questions, but we kept finding the answers and defended really well.

“The fans stuck with the players because they could see their backs were against the wall at times and then at the final whistle, they gave them a good round of applause, so I’m pleased.”