Holker Old Boys

Holker Old Boys AFC is a non-league football club formed in 1936, in the northwest port town of Barrow-in-Furness. Initially, they were created as Holker Central Old Boys to provide football for former pupils of the Holker Central Secondary School as under-16 side.

Starting out using playing fields a move to adult competition in the North Western League in 1939, and then a new ground in Thorncliffe Road arrived. The team remained in the competition for several decades before entering the West Lancashire League for the 1967-68 campaign. 

A new ground was sourced in 1971 at Rakesmoor Lane in the northern extremities of town on land which had originally been allotments before the 1972-73 season saw the side going down to Division Two of the West Lancashire League, prior to changing the club title.

Promotion was achieved in 1975-76, followed by another demotion in 1978-79, before Division One status was regained in 1980-81. The 1987-88 season saw Old Boys end as league runners-up. 

The club became members of Division Two of the North West Counties in 1991-92, winning promotion to Division One in 1993-94, before they dropped back down a level in 1998-99. In 2003 a home game against FC United of Manchester was moved to Craven Park, home of Barrow Raiders Rugby League Club and attracted a crowd of 2,303.

That tier was retitled Division One in 2008-09 as Holker ended in third spot in 2010-11 before coming close to going up in 2014-15. They went out in the semi-finals of the play-offs to Hanley Town. 

The NWCL was restructured in 2018-19 as ‘The Stags’ were placed in Division One North. A couple of subsequent seasons were abandoned owing to the coronavirus pandemic before Holker ended as runners-up in 2021-22.

Nelson were defeated before the final was lost at home to Golcar United, before the team ended the following campaign in sixth place. Joint managers Kevin Watkin and David Round took their side to seventh place in 2023-24.

Holker Old Boys AFC will play in the North West Counties League Division One North in the 2024-25 season.

My visit

Wednesday 20^th October 2021

I’d headed to Barrow the previous day on a long journey from London to stay overnight in town and head to the Bluebirds home match against Scunthorpe United. I woke the following day in the OYO Imperial Hotel keen to make the most of my remaining time in town. 

A nearby bus stop allowed me to catch the number 1 service, leaving me a five-minute walk along Rakesmoor Lane to the ground, where I was in luck as a gent was having a tidy up and made me welcome while I took some snaps.

The basic ground had a seated stand in the corner behind the goal and a cover further down the touchline past the changing rooms and clubhouse. It seemed to be an exposed location that I could imagine being very cold during winter.

 

Another bus took me near to the Ernest Pass Memorial Ground on Abbey Road, home to Barrow Cricket Club for a quick look. It was time to get my hiking boots on as I headed to take a look at Furness Park, home of Furness Cricket Club.

A bus transported me back into the town centre where there was time for a look around before a late breakfast at The Furness Railway, the JD Wetherspoon establishment in the chain that continued to save me a fortune.

Soon it was time to head to Durham with delays via the coast to Carlisle and then across to Newcastle in readiness for my evening’s entertainment featuring Crook Town and Consett.