Barrow face long trip to Gloucester for FA Cup replay after Holker Street stalemate
Sunday 18 October 2026 · By Claire Westerman
Barrow face a long Tuesday night journey to Gloucester after being held to a goalless draw at Holker Street by Southern League Premier Division South side Gloucester City in the FA Cup fourth qualifying round on Saturday.
The replay is at Gloucester on Tuesday 20 October, kicking off at 7.45pm BST, according to both clubs. If it is level after 90 minutes, extra time and, if needed, penalties will follow. The winners will be ball number 54 in Monday’s first-round draw.
Adam Murray’s side came into the tie on the back of a 2–1 league win over Tamworth on 10 October, and started brightly. Seb Thompson’s work down the flank after five minutes set up Alex Reid, whose header went narrowly wide. Gloucester goalkeeper Sam Kane then made a fine low save from Xavier Benjamin and tipped a curling Dan Mooney free kick over the bar, Cumbria Crack reported.
Gloucester’s best chance came on the hour, when Ethan Dunbar hooked over from a fizzing cross. Ten minutes from the end, Barrow substitute Innes Cameron looked to have won it when he lifted the ball over Kane, but Michael O’Regan got back to clear off the line.
The afternoon took a further turn two minutes from time. Substitute Mikey Lane went down in the penalty area, but the referee ruled that he had dived and showed him a second yellow card, leaving Barrow with ten men. There was still time for one last chance deep into stoppage time, but Kane tipped Thompson’s free kick over the bar to earn his side the replay.
Whether Lane’s dismissal rules him out of Tuesday’s game had not been confirmed when this article was published.
Barrow will at least take comfort from their league position. The BBC table, unchanged since 10 October, shows them eighth on 21 points from 13 games, with six wins, three draws and four defeats. They are level on points with Hornchurch and two points behind seventh-placed AFC Fylde, who occupy the final play-off place.
That is a decent return for a club in their first season back in non-league football. Barrow finished bottom of League Two last season, and Murray was appointed on 12 May with the task of rebuilding. The squad was strengthened again on 10 October with the arrivals of Noah Cooper and Adam Alimi-Adetoro.
There was also a reminder this week of the talent on Barrow’s books. Ben Whitfield, on loan at league leaders Boreham Wood, was named the Enterprise National League Player of the Month for September in the league’s official release on 14 October.
The replay is the first of three games in eight days. Barrow host Forest Green Rovers, who also face a replay on Tuesday, at Holker Street on Saturday 24 October at 3pm BST. They then travel to FC Halifax Town on Tuesday 27 October at 7.45pm, before hosting Eastleigh on Saturday 31 October at 3pm. Both of those times are GMT, as the clocks go back on Sunday 25 October.
Monday’s draw, live on TNT Sports from 6.30pm BST, will tell Murray’s players what is waiting for them if they finish the job in Gloucester.
Holker Street — currently branded the SO Legal Stadium — has been home to Barrow AFC since 1909. It is a compact, old-fashioned League Two ground on Wilkie Road in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria (LA14 5UW). Capacity is around 6,500, with a little over 2,000 seats. Visiting supporters usually find a friendly, slightly windswept day out rather than a fortress: the Bluebirds’ following is modest, the stands are close to the pitch, and the place still feels more non-league than modern bowl.
Away fans are normally placed in the Holker Street End, the covered terrace behind one goal, plus a seated and standing allocation on the flank of the Brian Arrowsmith Stand (the Main Stand on Wilkie Road). You will not stand dead centre behind the goal; a dividing fence keeps home and away groups apart at that end. Typical away numbers run to several hundred, with published allocations in the region of 650–930 depending on the fixture. Buy through your own club where possible. There are no cash turnstiles; the ticket office by main reception on Wilkie Road is open before kick-off if you still need a ticket.
The Brian Arrowsmith Stand is the only permanent seated stand. It sits raised above halfway, covers only the middle third of the touchline, and has a few supporting pillars. Temporary scaffolding seats have been added on the Wilkie Road side in recent seasons. Opposite is the Ray Wilkie Stand, also called the Popular Side: a covered terrace for home supporters running most of the length of the pitch. Behind the other goal is the Steelworks End, dominated by the Crossbar club building and offices, with only a modest terrace in front.
Getting there is the longest part of the trip. Leave the M6 at junction 36 and follow the A590 into Barrow — allow 35–45 minutes from the motorway. The station is Barrow-in-Furness, a terminus about 15 minutes on foot. Coaches are usually directed to the away turnstiles if the club has been told numbers in advance. Official matchday parking at the ground is very limited. The Soccer Club next to reception sells a small number of spaces first-come; Liberata and other nearby car parks are the usual overflow. Asda is often restricted and camera-enforced, so do not treat it as a free option.
The Crossbar on Wilkie Road welcomes visiting supporters before the match and shows the early kick-offs. Inside the away section there is a licensed catering point for pies, hot drinks and a pint. Dress for Cumbrian weather: even with the 2020 roof over the Holker Street End you will feel the wind off the Irish Sea. Views are generally good because the ground is small; pillars in the Main Stand are the main irritation if you sit rather than stand.
Expect a traditional English lower-league afternoon: close to the pitch, a bit of terrace noise from the Popular Side, and a short walk back to the station afterwards. Check Barrow’s official away-fans page before you travel, as seated versus standing splits and turnstile numbers can change from game to game.