Barrow buried under deluge of problems

Non-League notebook

Non-League notebook

RUPERT METCALF

Barrow, once members of the Football League but now struggling to climb out of the UniBond League, have endured a bad couple of weeks. They have lost a manager, two directors due to outside commitments and, worst of all, they have learned that they will not be accepted back in to the GM Vauxhall Conference, should they finish in a promotion position.

Tony Hesketh resigned asmanager last week to become assistant manager at Morecambe. Yesterday Graham Barrow, formerly in charge at Wigan and Chester, turned down the job, so caretakers Neil McDonald and Frank Ventre carry on.

Fourth-placed Barrow are ineligible for promotion to the Conference not because their Holker Street ground is inadequate - they open a new stand against Winsford tomorrow - but because they did not submit sufficient financial details to the Conference in time.

The UniBond League leaders, Bamber Bridge, and third-placed Hyde did not apply because of their grounds. Second-placed Boston United did not supply any financial details to the Conference.

Rushden & Diamonds, six points clear in the Beazer Homes League, and second-placed Halesowen Town, have been approved by the Conference, as have five Icis League teams: Hayes (the leaders), Enfield, Yeovil, Kingstonian and Boreham Wood. Promotion is open to champions or runners-up in all three feeder leagues.