Pre-season pitch time (in minutes):

Thomas Allan 45=45
Owen Bailey 45=45
Dan Barlaser 45=45
Ryan Barrett 45=45
Lewis Cass 45=45
Luke Charman 45=45
Juan Cumbrera (aka Juanito) 45=45
Liam Gibson 45=45
Nathan Harker 45=45
Otto Huuhtanen 45=45
Achraf Lazaar 45=45
Rosaire Longelo 90=90
Matty Longstaff 16=16
Oisin McEntee 45=45
Stefan O'Connor 45=45
Mo Sangare 45=45
Elias Sorensen 45=45 + 2 goals
Ivan Toney 74=74 + 1 goal
Oliver Walters 45=45
Adam Wilson 45=45

Having never met Barrow competitively, Newcastle's last senior visit to Holker Street was a testimonial match for home duo Peter Wilson and Jack Keen back in April 1957. 

United beat a Bluebirds side managed by Joe Harvey 8-0 that day, with Jackie Milburn's four goals proving to be his last before concludinga transfer to Linfield.

A Barrow fan sitting near us in the Main Stand tonight recalled attending that game, but reckoned that the final score was 8-1 - an understandable mistake, given the intervening sixty one years.....  

(There may have been a more recent reserve visit, but we've been unable to trace it).

Waffle

Newcastle U23s began their pre-season fixture programme with victory against a much-changed National League side Barrow at their Holker Street ground on Monday evening.

The Bluebirds narrowly avoided relegation back in May and a managerial change brought in Ian Evatt as their new manager, tasked with rebuilding a squad to fight for the promotion that would bring Football League games back here for the first time since 1973.

With no sign of a resolution to the Peter Beardsley "situation", coachBen Dawson arrived in West Cumbria with a youthful Newcastle squad - due in no small part to the departure of 18 players who appeared for the U23s lastseason.

First team discard Achraaf Lazaar had a run out as a left wing back, but there was no sign of Henri Saivet or Jack Colback. Dan Barlaser, Luke Charman, Mo Sangare, Owen Bailey, Stefan O'Connor and Nathan Harker featured regularly for the U23s last season - but first team duty in Ireland 24 hours later meant that Yosef Yarney and Victor Fernandezwere both absent. 

Aside from Toney and the trialist, most of the rest were stepping up from the U18s including full back Ryan Barrett, just days after his seventeenth birthday.

Spanish youngster Juan Cumbrera returned after six months out on loan at Deportivo la Coruna, while defender Liam Gibson made a welcome return after a wretched three years since he was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis.

Looking to follow up friendly victories here against Carlisle United and Crewe Alexandra, Barrow took a fourth minute lead after Sangare committed a foul just outside the box and John Rooney - younger brother of Wayne - stylishly converted the resultant free-kick past a despairing Harker.

United almost drew level in the 16th minute when Luke Charman's header glanced off the post but Tom Allan couldn't get a touch to force the ball in. Charman hit the goal frame again on 27 minutes, Matty Longstaff looking a certain scorer - only for his follow up to strike a defender on the line.

The black and whites levelled on 32 minutes, when a weak backpass from the ironically named Josh Granite was intercepted by Toney who took it round the grounded 'keeper before walking it home.

United reappeared for the second period with nine replacements, only Toney and the midfield trialist  (later confirmed as former West Ham player Rosaire Longelo) remaining from the starting XI. And it took one of those substitutes just three minutes to find the target, Sorensen striding into the box and coolly tucking his shot home.

The Danish forward then extended the lead in the 58th minute, controlling a fine ball from Oliver Walters on his chest in the box before stroking home to make it 3-1.

Celebrating exactly 117 years since their foundation, Barrow reduced the arrears with 11 minutes left - Jason Taylor slotting home after 'keeper Otto Huuhtanen blocked the initial effort by a trialist. At least our substitute 'keeper stood out from the opposition - unlike Harker in the first half, who was clad in identical purple socks and shirt to the Barrow players!

All in all this was a decent beginning to the season for both sides; the constant churn of substitutes that often makes games like these farcical was avoided, both coaches opting to make all but one of their changes during the half time interval.

It remains to be seen whether we'll see the trialist again; the opening 45 minutes largely passed him by, but there were some bursts of pace after the break and he looked instantly better when switching from the left to the right wing.

PS: 20 players featured for United, but 21 travelled - it's unclear whether the extra man clad in a club tracksuit who warmed up and then watched from the bench was new arrival Yannick Toure.

Biffa

A statue of Barrow native Emlyn Hughes was unveiled in 2008 
near the town centre - he never played for his hometown club.