It’s difficult to know when to write an update on the ground works.

Too often and nothing much has happened. Not often enough and fans rightly want more transparency about progress.

This week feels like a good time because we’re beginning to hit some interesting milestones and seem to be turning a corner.

I was at the club last Friday to see the assembly of the new tables in the Cross Bar. With the chairs having already arrived, this is the first part of the summer refurbishment of the ground which feels ‘done.’

It’s nice to see things come together, which we need to see more of now that the pre-season games are approaching.

Other work isn’t far from completion. The manager’s office has been refurbished, new flooring for the corporate rooms will arrive soon and we await delivery of a new carpet for downstairs.

Fans may have noticed that the external wall on the West Terrace is starting to grow now too. It feels like we’ve now entered a phase of crossing jobs off the list, not adding new ones and seeing no light at the end of the tunnel.

It’s been said before, but this really wouldn’t have been possible without the work of our volunteers.

Some of the ‘non-essential’ work simply wasn’t affordable had we paid commercial rates, and our ground maintenance team deserve huge recognition for the work that they’ve done.

This subject was discussed at a recent board meeting and we hope to be able to announce soon what form that recognition will take.

I can also now give some further detail on a replacement for the demolished Trust Shop. There has been debate about the location, whether it would be brick-built or even whether a shop would be there at all.

Having finally resolved a lot of this last week, I can address it. The shop will most definitely be replaced. It’s a huge part of the way the Trust operates and is key as a base for our raffle and programme selling efforts as well as being a revenue stream through the selling of sweets, crisps and hot and cold drinks.

A container has been purchased from Steeles and will be placed on the site currently occupied by a burger van on the popular side. Of the available locations, this was felt to be the most accessible. Delivery is expected in the coming weeks.

*When the 1901 Club was launched, there were lots of conflicting opinions.

Many thought it a brilliant idea. Others felt lotteries an inefficient way of making money.

What all were in agreement on, however, was that it was undoubtedly an improvement on the Gold Bond scheme, which saw much of the money raised leave the club and wider community.

Within the Club and the Trust, many of us had different targets. I don’t remember anyone being more ambitious than myself and Steve Herbert, who both said from the outset that we wanted 500 entries.

Without having tried to sell something like this before, I had no real way of knowing whether this was an achievable target. But it was certainly one to focus minds and get us started.

Yesterday, I was delighted to see the announcement that 500 entries had been achieved. In the end, we’ve hit the milestone comfortably with selling set to continue until the end of July.

The support this scheme has received has been amazing and I’d like to thank everyone who has entered the 1901 Club for their generous contribution.

We’re very close to having raised £10,000 toward the West Terrace works, which is an incredible achievement.

*Fans may have noticed the excellent interview with Ian Evatt in last Sunday’s Non-League Paper. It left me thinking about famous icons of the management game and quotes that have echoed down the ages that might fit his current philosophy here at Barrow.

The best football managers have always been bold weavers of visions and dreams.

I’m sure Ian would endorse the incomparable Brian Clough’s “if God had wanted us to play football in the clouds, he’d have put grass up there,” given Barrow’s passing style.

Fergie’s high expectations shine through with, “the work of a team should always embrace a great player but the great player must always work.”

On decision making, Bob Paisley’s “It’s not about the long ball or the short ball, it’s about the right ball,” is hard to beat, especially in the ruthlessly pragmatic National League.

Ian has talked about creating the ‘perfect storm’ and so perhaps Jock Stein comes closest here with “We must play as if there are no more games, no more tomorrows. Football is for the fans.

“ It can be the greatest game in the world but if there are no people to watch it, it becomes nothing.” A rallying cry for us all in the season to come.