Barrow AFC manager Ian Evatt has credited owners past and present after guiding the Bluebirds to an historic promotion to the English Football League.

Evatt accepts the club, owned at the time by the Casson family, took a gamble in appointing him in June 2018 as his only managerial experience had been two games in caretaker charge of Chesterfield at the end of the previous season.

The Cassons stepped away in the autumn of his first campaign in charge and the current board, chaired by Paul Hornby, have enjoyed a terrific working relationship with Evatt as AFC soared up the National League.

They finally found out last week that they would be playing in League Two next season after the league’s clubs voted overwhelmingly in favour of deciding final positions on a points per game basis, which crowned Barrow champions.

Evatt said: “It’s a massive credit to the board how far this club has moved forward in two years, it’s incredible.

“From when I first took over to where it is now is chalk and cheese and I can’t be more thankful of what they’ve done and how they’ve enabled me to just concentrate on football.

“Having said that, Paul Casson hasn’t been spoken about a lot, but Paul Casson was the one who gave me the job and the opportunity. He was also the man that saved the club and forfeited the ground to the new board of directors to give them a headstart.

“He should take some credit as well for us doing what we’ve done.”

Evatt’s achievements with Barrow have led to him being continually linked with the managerial vacancy at Bolton Wanderers.

The Bluebirds have stated that they ‘won’t be commenting on speculation’ while it is understood no official approach has been made by Bolton for Evatt’s services.

In the meantime, Evatt is able to reflect on an achievement that rivals him being part of the Blackpool team that improbably, in the eyes of many, won promotion to the Premier League in 2010.

“I was speaking to my wife and it’s crazy to think that every division I’ve played in, other than the Premier League, and have now managed in I’ve been promoted out of, which is an incredible record, really,” Evatt said.

“What we’ve done is do everything I said we’d do; we’ve re-engaged with the community, we’ve re-engaged with the fans, we’ve got the fans back through the door and we’ve got a board of directors who are fantastically supportive.

“We’ve got an identity and a brand that I’m extremely proud of and other people look at Barrow now with jealousy because of what we’re doing on the football pitch and that again is something to be really proud of.”