Barrow appoint 8th manager since promotion to EFL in July 2020

Barrow appoint an 8th manager since promotion to the EFL in July 2020 as the club prepare for a third season at League Two level.

Wild departed FC Halifax Town on Thursday night after three years at The Shay, and has now been announced as the new boss at Holker Street.

Barrow finished 22nd in League Two last season, and ended the campaign with former Halifax captain Phil Brown in charge.

BARROW MANAGERS SINCE 2007

𝙱𝚁𝙴𝙰𝙺𝙸𝙽𝙶 𝙽𝙴𝚆𝚂:

Barrow are delighted to unveil Pete Wild as the club’s new manager.#BarrowAFC

— Barrow AFC (@BarrowAFC) May 27, 2022

CLUB STATEMENT

Barrow are delighted to unveil Pete Wild as the club’s new manager.

Wild has signed a three-year deal with The Bluebirds and takes over the reins at The Dunes Hotel Stadium after a three-year stint at FC Halifax Town.

The Royton-born boss has dipped his toe in EFL management waters before with Oldham Athletic. He enjoyed two spells in caretaker charge, before he took the job on a full-time basis in the latter part of the 2018/19 season.

Whilst in the Oldham hotseat, Wild led the Latics to an FA Cup giant killing of Premier League Fulham at Craven Cottage.

He departed Boundary Park at the end of that season and took charge of FC Halifax Town in the National League later that summer.

His Shaymen were the 2-1 victors over Ian Evatt’s eventual title-winning Barrow at Holker Street early on in the 2019/20 National League season. Wild would lead Halifax to a 6th place finish in that campaign.

Wild took charge of just under 150 games during his three seasons at The Shay, boasting a win percentage of almost 50% which helped the West Yorkshire outfit finish fourth in the National League and qualify for the play-offs in 2021/22.

Wild’s Halifax side only conceded 11 goals at home last season, the second lowest total in the top five tiers of English football.

He now departs The Shay to take up the manager position here at Barrow, a move that Chairman Paul Hornby is over the moon about.

“We are delighted to welcome Pete to Barrow” said Hornby.

“He’s a manager who has been on our radar for some time, due to the phenomenal job he’s done over the past three years at FC Halifax Town.

“He’s not only a good young coach, but he can spot and develop young players.

“He’s exactly the type of manager we were after and he immediately bought into what we are trying to build here at Barrow.”

WILD’S OPEN LETTER TO HALIFAX FANS

It is with a heavy heart that I have left the club today. This has been a massively tough decision for me and my family, but in the words of my mother, this is a family club!

Myself, Lauren and Oliver have been overwhelmed by the love you have shown us over the three years we have been with you, we appreciate every nice word you have ever said to us.

In any role in life, you have to leave a job in a better place than you found it and I can safely say I feel this is the case. There is a famous quote out there that says ‘plant trees you may never see grow’, I truly hope this is the case.

Firstly, I would like to thank every player that has ever represented the club under my leadership. Each one of you has helped transformed this club into the giant underdog it is today. You have all played your part in this club’s rise, and I thank you all for your help in getting this club back to a brighter place.

To all the staff at the club, the drive that every member of the staff has, to make this club function and overperform every day is something special.#

A lot of you do not get the credit you deserve, so publicly I’d like to thank you as you make this club what it is, on a daily basis. A special mention must go to Chris, the man behind the scenes who has always been there to support me and ensure we/I remain on track!

Next, I would like to thank the chairman, firstly for giving this young kid a chance when literally no-one else would. You have let me make my own decisions, learn from my mistakes, and more importantly, supported me in every decision I have made. Even through Covid, and especially this year, you went above and beyond to ensure I and the team had everything we needed to achieve the dream of returning to the league. You have backed this club fully and have seen this club back to its highest ever position under your leadership and should be applauded for doing so.

Lastly, to you the fans, I would like to think over the three years we have developed a relationship that means that everything we do, we do as one. We have shared the highs and the lows, but fortunately for me we have had more highs than lows. I have loved waving my fists at the South Stand and applauding the East Stand as we leave the pitch. I’ve enjoyed every conversation I’ve had and the words of encouragement you have given me. I wish you all the best in the future, not just in a football sense but in life.

So why now, I am ambitious, I am driven, and I want to make the best of what can be a short career and I feel this is the right time to pass the baton onto the next man and strike while the iron is hot. This decision has nothing to do with the club’s ambition as they have tried everything in their power to keep me in the building. This club is on the up and if you remember nothing for this statement, remember this, your club is in a great place to move forward and I was proud to be a part of that!

Thank you all, up The Shaymen

Cheers

Pete

Twitter users reacted as Barrow appoint an 8th manager (we think?) since promotion to EFL in July 2020…

@StuartAkister: You sure? Halifax and Hartlepool fans all said there’s no chance he’d join little old Barrow…….

@GalahadQuest: Clearly a fake account with photoshop skills. I’ll wait for an announcement from @Official_HUFC thanks

@cringle100: Good luck Pete and well done the board getting him here 👏

@standish_stan: Welcome aboard Pete. Good luck. 😁👏

@LordGribeau: Great news! Welcome to the club 🙂

@jmpschooley: Well done Barrow, much better option than Phil Brown!

@_AlexForsyth_: Tits out now

@nigewalker1: Welcome Pete ,Thanks to the board you get criticised but you’ve done brilliant getting him here thanks, famous last words but I’ve got a good feeling about this guy 👦👍! #💙BAFC

@ShrimpersTalk: Miles better than Phil Brown 👏 good choice

@hashtagashb: Quality manager imo, good luck to your club and Pete he seems a genuine good man too.

@SimonFi46290232: @BarrowAFC brilliant choice as manager he will do well for you better than tan man Phil Brown

@Jay36190: Got yourself an absolute top bloke there. Good luck Pete (Shaymen fan).

@Havoc11uk: You’ve got a good un there

@oafcmemories: Let’s not forget that Oldham born & life long Oldham Athletic fan Pete Wild turned down the @OfficialOAFC job because of the wankers in charge! He has now taken over a team in the division above who were 3 divisions below #OAFC when the wankers started running the club!

@edward_w97: Savvy stuff. Still maintain #BarrowAFC had a better group of players than their 22nd place finished suggested. A number of good talents still on their books heading into next season. Excited to see what the Bluebirds and Pete Wild’s football could produce when combined…

@JoeStephenson96: Pete Wild, in my opinion, cannot be the name of a successful league manager. He will be gone by February and doing what somebody with that name is made for, running a sex shop

@stringer_oafc: Great appointment for Barrow, hopefully he is backed well. Good to see him move back to the EFL!

@ollie__cfc: fully deserves a managerial role in the efl and i can see why he’s made the move , but halifax to barrow is such a downgrade

@Tom1Walker0: Their best appointment since Evatt. Done wonders at Halifax.

@DomShaw02: Odds on Barrow making the playoffs

@StuartAkister: Famous last words and all that but absolutely delighted with this (and I’m the most negative football fan on earth) really feels like a chance to build to be just a bit more than that 3rd/4th bottom team and start to dream of mid table obscurity…… #PeteWildsBlueAndWhiteArmy

@LowerLeagueLook: Bold move. Not for Barrow, For Wild. I don’t believe there is a step up from Halifax/Barrow in all honesty. two very similar clubs, one with a bigger ground, and I believe (hopefully wrong because I actually don’t mind Barrow) will be in the same league in 2 seasons.

@DerryGreaves: No idea how he’s gunna manage Hartlepool and us at the same time but fair play