Re: Barrow - Version 246 : Wed Sep 28, 2011 1:37 pm  

The last few weeks have had a "waiting to go to the gallows" kind of feel. I'll be glad when it's all over - no matter what the verdict. I guess you've had a similar situation when a certain Mr Vaughan bestowed himself upon Widnes (although he had plenty of 'previous' - ironically some of which was at Barrow AFC).

I think we'll be relegated at best. We've already lost Thackray, Blackwood, James and Knowles - arguably our best 4 performers in 2011. I haven't a clue who'll be pulling on the jersey next season - if we don't go out of business that is.

Re: Barrow - Version 246 : Wed Sep 28, 2011 5:09 pm  

SRC wrote:

The last few weeks have had a "waiting to go to the gallows" kind of feel. I'll be glad when it's all over - no matter what the verdict. I guess you've had a similar situation when a certain Mr Vaughan bestowed himself upon Widnes (although he had plenty of 'previous' - ironically some of which was at Barrow AFC).

I think we'll be relegated at best. We've already lost Thackray, Blackwood, James and Knowles - arguably our best 4 performers in 2011. I haven't a clue who'll be pulling on the jersey next season - if we don't go out of business that is.

Build for the future and bounce back, weve had our differences but i would never wish anything bad on any club.

All the best

Re: Barrow - Version 246 : Thu Oct 06, 2011 11:34 pm  

Barrow deducted 29 points and disco dessie banned for 8 years.

Thus barrow relegated, I feel for the fans, what a mess.

Re: Barrow - Version 246 : Fri Oct 07, 2011 7:23 am  

-VIKINGMAN- wrote:

Barrow deducted 29 points and disco dessie banned for 8 years.

Thus barrow relegated, I feel for the fans, what a mess.

So do I. Barrow in the days of Willie Horne and Phil Jackson [etc] were a proud club. Now their loyal fans have been let down very badly.

Re: Barrow - Version 246 : Fri Oct 07, 2011 8:22 am  

I don't feel too bad for their fans now.

As I see it the punishment they have got away with seems fair if not a little lenient. They are effectively back to where they started and the fans will still have a team on the park next year. The RFL could (and should) have gone further in my view and stripped them of their titles in the period in which they cheated. But I suppose that those victories are now tainted with the knowledge that they were gained with a distinct unfair advantage. Makes our NRC win a little more impressive knowing that Barrow were up to serious no good.

Des had the opportunity to build something up there. Something that he could have been proud of. It's no secret that a good percentage of the RL world would like to see a successful side up in that part of the world and I genuinely believe that he could have gone some way to making that happen.
Instead he did what he did for personal glory and in doing so has become infamous.

Re: Barrow - Version 246 : Fri Oct 07, 2011 8:49 am  

Chris B wrote: I don't feel too bad for their fans now. As I see it the punishment they have got away with seems fair if not a little lenient. They are effectively back to where they started and the fans will still have a team on the park next year. The RFL could (and should) have gone further in my view and stripped them of their titles in the period in which they cheated. But I suppose that those victories are now tainted with the knowledge that they were gained with a distinct unfair advantage. Makes our NRC win a little more impressive knowing that Barrow were up to serious no good. Des had the opportunity to build something up there. Something that he could have been proud of. It's no secret that a good percentage of the RL world would like to see a successful side up in that part of the world and I genuinely believe that he could have gone some way to making that happen. Instead he did what he did for personal glory and in doing so has become infamous. To be honest my sympathy has been tempered a little by posts like this and others made through the recent years particularly by people like Mick Wilson who was quick to sling mud in our direction to cast doubt on Widnes' credentials but I remind myself that my trip up there a year back was very hospitable and no one really deserves to have their hearts ripped out like this. But the club left the RFL no choice. And I'm with you, they should be stripped of the title. It wont achieve much but the history books will show the true story. They cheated, massively, to the cost of all of the other clubs and the credibility of the league, and didn't deserve the success they briefly achieved. The fans have been taken for a ride, the other clubs have been taken for a ride and a whole years worth of league fixtures might as well be in the toilet. As far as I'm concerned, they've got off lightly. 8 years should have been a lifetime ban, their trophies in that period taken off them.

Chris B wrote: I don't feel too bad for their fans now. As I see it the punishment they have got away with seems fair if not a little lenient. They are effectively back to where they started and the fans will still have a team on the park next year. The RFL could (and should) have gone further in my view and stripped them of their titles in the period in which they cheated. But I suppose that those victories are now tainted with the knowledge that they were gained with a distinct unfair advantage. Makes our NRC win a little more impressive knowing that Barrow were up to serious no good. Des had the opportunity to build something up there. Something that he could have been proud of. It's no secret that a good percentage of the RL world would like to see a successful side up in that part of the world and I genuinely believe that he could have gone some way to making that happen. Instead he did what he did for personal glory and in doing so has become infamous. To be honest my sympathy has been tempered a little by posts like this and others made through the recent years particularly by people like Mick Wilson who was quick to sling mud in our direction to cast doubt on Widnes' credentials but I remind myself that my trip up there a year back was very hospitable and no one really deserves to have their hearts ripped out like this. But the club left the RFL no choice. And I'm with you, they should be stripped of the title. It wont achieve much but the history books will show the true story. They cheated, massively, to the cost of all of the other clubs and the credibility of the league, and didn't deserve the success they briefly achieved. The fans have been taken for a ride, the other clubs have been taken for a ride and a whole years worth of league fixtures might as well be in the toilet. As far as I'm concerned, they've got off lightly. 8 years should have been a lifetime ban, their trophies in that period taken off them.

Re: Barrow - Version 246 : Fri Oct 07, 2011 7:55 pm  

As far as I'm concerned, they've got off lightly. 8 years should have been a lifetime ban, their trophies in that period taken off them.[/quote]

Chris I agree with the DJ lifetime ban, also with you on the trophy stuff, but the problem is where do you stop?
What about the club that could have been promoted in 2008 if Barrow hadn't been & the others that would have been in the playoffs?
Has this happened before with another club? If so & this precident is set with Barrow how far do we go back etc?
We as fans have known this has been going on for years at Barrow, why now has the RFL stepped in?
I am convinced the RFL wanted a Cumbrian side in SL & if after Barrow ticked the box in 2009 they had gone on to match Widnes in the SL criteria then we would still be in the Championship. All this would have been brushed under the carpet & no questions asked.
IMO it shows the RFL up for what they are, spineless!!!
DJ's defence was awful but he did raise the point about Cru playing lads without visas what happened to the RFL investigation into this? Nothing again they are spineless!

Rant over

Having said all this I feel for the Barrow fans, the town & RL, again our governing body has made our sport a laughing stock. It's time we had someone like SOC running our sport not the idiots we have now.

Re: Barrow - Version 246 : Fri Oct 07, 2011 8:01 pm  

Tell you what. I'll run it.

Re: Barrow - Version 246 : Fri Oct 07, 2011 8:40 pm  

A couple of years ago I stayed in the same hotel as a group of Barrow fans , for the cup final. We had a good laugh, but 1 of them was a mate of Dessies, or so he said, and he predicted that this would happen back then.

Actually they all said they were just enjoying while they could before it went tits up. They told me then that there were backhanders and sooner or later they would get caught out, mainly because Des thought he was untouchable and not very inconspicuous.

Re: Barrow - Version 246 : Fri Oct 07, 2011 8:45 pm  

Chris Dalton wrote:

Tell you what. I'll run it.

How hard can it be to be honest & straight?

These are the rules, you all abide by them or else!!!

But as the governing body we have decided there are certain clubs that don't have to abide by these rules.

Fine with that, just make it plain to all clubs & fans this is the case, rather than the underhand crap we have had for the last however many years