Phil Brown has admitted he can’t wait to take charge of his first home game this weekend and has called on Bluebirds fans to turn up the heat on opposition teams during the run-in.
The new Barrow boss was left frustrated after tasting defeat in his opening fixture at Leyton Orient on Saturday, but he has been encouraged by the reaction from his squad since then.
Now all eyes turn back to home soil and, while Brown knows the emphasis is on the players to perform, he has urged fans not to forget the power they have to impact on matters on the pitch.
“The last time I came to Barrow was with Southend United and we won the game – but I know for a fact we won it because there were no home supporters there due to the pandemic,” Brown wrote in his column to be printed in full in Saturday’s Match Programme.
“Now we’ve got you back and cheering the team on and creating a positive atmosphere and I can’t wait to be part of it. If truth be known, I really wish I had been in charge for the Carlisle United game because that would have given me a proper feel for what Barrow fans are all about.
“What I do know, is that this crowd can be the 12th man for us. I know that is a cliché, but I think it’s true when it comes to Barrow supporters and when we get that backing from the terraces it spills on to the pitch and the team react to that.
“To not have that winning feeling on your own patch for so long is unacceptable really. This should be a cauldron of a place for visiting teams – well, maybe that should be a furnace given that it’s Barrow-in-Furness!
“But in seriousness, we want it to be red hot for our opposition, so they don’t have time to settle or feel comfortable and we can get after them.”