Barrow use five head coaches in chaotic League Two season

Barrow AFC’s 2025-26 campaign has been anything but ordinary. The League Two side has endured an extraordinary level of upheaval both on and off the pitch, cycling through five different head coaches—three permanent appointments and two interim stints—in less than five months as they fight to avoid relegation from the Football League.

Barrow currently sit 23rd in League Two, two points adrift of safety with seven matches remaining. The club’s chaotic season reached a new level recently when their most senior player was handed the role of interim player-head coach, according to reports.

This drastic measure followed a disastrous winter run that saw just two wins from 25 fixtures, plunging the Cumbrian club deep into relegation trouble.

Andy Whing began the season as Barrow boss after joining from Solihull Moors in January 2025. He had managed to stabilize the team in the latter half of last season, steering Barrow away from immediate relegation concerns and suffering just one defeat in their final 13 matches. That late surge helped Barrow finish 16th, offering some optimism for the current campaign.

However, that optimism quickly faded. Barrow underwent a massive summer squad overhaul, bringing in 16 new players and seeing 17 depart. The resulting instability was evident as the Bluebirds failed to gel, losing six of their first eight games of the new campaign. This poor form set the tone for what would become a revolving door of managers at Holker Street.

Paul Gallagher and Dino Maamria both took turns as permanent head coaches following Whing’s departure, but neither managed to spark a turnaround. Between those permanent appointments, two separate interim head coaches were brought in to try to stem the tide, but neither could halt Barrow’s slide down the table.

The frequent changes have made it difficult for players and fans alike to keep up with developments at Holker Street. Reports suggest that keeping track of who is leading training or picking the team has become something of a soap opera, with main characters shifting every few weeks.

Barrow’s struggles have unfolded against a wider backdrop of managerial instability across English football this season. Nottingham Forest have used four different bosses, while Tottenham Hotspur have appointed three managers as they try to avoid an unprecedented drop from the Premier League.

Even north of the border, both Celtic and Rangers changed managers mid-season, a first for both clubs, with Celtic turning twice to veteran Martin O’Neill for interim spells.

Despite those high-profile cases, few clubs can match Barrow’s rate of managerial change this season.

With only seven games left to rescue their League Two status, questions linger about whether anyone can steady the ship quickly enough.

As things stand, Barrow remain embroiled in a relegation scrap, just two points from safety. Their fate will be decided in the final stretch as they look to recover from one of their worst runs in recent memory, just two victories in their last 25 outings.

The appointment of their most senior player as interim head coach marks the latest chapter in what has already been a remarkably turbulent season for Barrow AFC.