Frank Barlow and Geoff Salmons

[Silent Blade]

 

[finlaytheblade]

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Archie Clarke was chief scout in those days when he died the link between the Done & Dearne boys seemed to stop.
It was a great source of talent in them days.

 

[coaxingstar71]

Unfortunately I'm not old enough to have seen either of them play for us. I do remember reading in Denis Clarebrough excellent : The First 100 Years, that Barlow was not always appreciated by fans who did not see the work he did covering and marking.

 

[Silent Blade]

Unfortunately I'm not old enough to have seen either of them play for us. I do remember reading in Denis Clarebrough excellent : The First 100 Years, that Barlow was not always appreciated by fans who did not see the work he did covering and marking.

This is correct. He was a clever player but the fans slated him for being too slow. The type of player he was was similar to John Gannon

 

[Athens Blade]

Salmons was my favourite player. I was gutted when he went to Stoke

 

[Dnblade]

Frank seemed to be in and around the first team,and not sure he ever consistently nailed down a place from memory.
Remember Geoff coming in on the left wing and struggled at first,but with a run in the team became a really good player...gutted when he went to Stoke.

 

[Pintor75]

Frank seemed to be in and around the first team,and not sure he ever consistently nailed down a place from memory.
Remember Geoff coming in on the left wing and struggled at first,but with a run in the team became a really good player...gutted when he went to Stoke.

Thats how I remember Frank, decent player when needed though, Salmon is one of the most underrated players we had, we missed him when he moved, wish we had him today

 

[ancientblade]

This is correct. He was a clever player but the fans slated him for being too slow. The type of player he was was similar to John Gannon

yes your right silent frank barlow became a bit of a target for our boo boys in the 60s but did a lot of the grafting for our technically better midfielders at the time loved geoff salmons and was also gutted when he was sold to stoke brilliant winger with unbelievable pace used to go past right backs as if they wernt there

 

[Jon Bon II]

Salmons was my favourite player. I was gutted when he went to Stoke

I remember it being announced on News at Ten. I was only a kid. Don't know if it was a slow sports news day or what but both me and my dad looked at each open-mouthed other in amazement. One, because it was little old us and it actually made NaT and two, because it just came out of the blue. No talk of any imminent transfer in the papers or anything in the lead up to it. This in the good old days before the interweb and, I guess, meddling agents.

 

[petcharlie]

I remember it being announced on News at Ten. I was only a kid. Don't know if it was a slow sports news day or what but both me and my dad looked at each open-mouthed other in amazement. One, because it was little old us and it actually made NaT and two, because it just came out of the blue. No talk of any imminent transfer in the papers or anything in the lead up to it. This in the good old days before the interweb and, I guess, meddling agents.

he was a fabulous fast winger that tormented many a right back .Very quick and tricky but lacked goals but made plenty.

 

[HodgysBrokenThumb]

Frank Barlow must have been good. He is one of only 2 Utd players to have scored a penalty against me (the other was Fred Furniss). Mind you, they are the only 2
I ever faced

 

[silverfox]

Geoff was a great player and a top bloke. He always spoke to me when I watched the players train on the Ball Inn ground.

 

[BerksBlade]

Salmons was my favourite player. I was gutted when he went to Stoke

Like several of our players at that time (Bill Dearden for example) Geoff Salmons was under-rated. Was a big loss when he left for Stoke.

 

[cahill]

I always thought Salmons never got the recognition he deserved, behind Woody and Currie. He was a great player. Don and Dearne Bots was a goldmine of talent, one which we successfully exploited

 

[Aycliffe Blade]

I liked both, Barlow grafted and was underrated but Salmons was an exciting , powerful player.

 

[Karlos]

Played in both tournaments many years ago when I was at junior school. In those days if you got knocked out of the totty cup in the first round you went into the Barlow salmons shield. Don't know if it's same rules now.
Loads of players though who have played in these over the years who were good enough to make the grade but weren't seen.

 

[Flatulent_Bob]

I used to see Frank at my old gym most mornings. Really lovely fella who always used to come and talk to me once he knew I was a Blade.

 

[Sportbilly /Detroit Blade]

I remember Frank from when he was the Scummy manager, I guess in the early to mid 80s.

 

[Moan? Nope-I saw Longhorn]

Endorse all the accolades about ‘Sammy’
When (dirty) Don Revie took over from Ramsey as Ingurland gaffer (‘74?) GS was included in a ‘get together’ of players deemed to be (potential) ‘picks’ for the national team although he never quite made it.
Flogging him (165k) was the beginning of the (long) decline - @ the time it was felt better to ‘sacrifice’ him rather than TC although the team (&TC) never looked the same without his graft.
Proved he still ‘had it’ in a short loan spell a few years later (77/78 ?) but ended up @ Leicester.
Also did (does ?) excellent Sunday dinners @ various alehouses in & around Mexborough well afore (shite) ‘carvery’s’ (Hungry Horse; etc) became a thing
Following Darlington promotion a mini bus full of inebriated Blades thought it a grand idea to call in to see him @ the Manvers Arms to celebrate- he bought us all a drink and quietly requested that we then fuck off
Top, top fella

 

[XH536]

Frank Barlow must have been good. He is one of only 2 Utd players to have scored a penalty against me (the other was Fred Furniss). Mind you, they are the only 2
I ever faced

Fred gave 'em a wallop, no messing, as I'm sure you remember.

 

[Silent Blade]

When (dirty) Don Revie took over from Ramsey as Ingurland gaffer (‘74?) GS was included in a ‘get together’ of players deemed to be (potential) ‘picks’ for the national team although he never quite made it.

Of the 81 invited to Manchester for that get-together early in the 1974-75 season, 47 were destined never to appear for England.

 

[Bill puntin]

I remember it being announced on News at Ten. I was only a kid. Don't know if it was a slow sports news day or what but both me and my dad looked at each open-mouthed other in amazement. One, because it was little old us and it actually made NaT and two, because it just came out of the blue. No talk of any imminent transfer in the papers or anything in the lead up to it. This in the good old days before the interweb and, I guess, meddling agents.

I remeber coming out of work and seeing star poster headlines that Geoff had gone to stoke, felt sick.

 

[HodgysBrokenThumb]

Fred gave 'em a wallop, no messing, as I'm sure you remember.

(Apologies to those who have seen this story before) After Fred retired he played for Ecclesfield Red Rose (I think), and the team I was playing for drew them in the Cup, early 70s. We we were losing 4-0, Fred had not come over the half-way line, when they got a penalty. As he approached, I was absolutely determined and confident to have my moment of glory, and even more confident as his run-up was actually a walk-up. I saw him move his foot towards the ball, and then heard an ominous sound behind me in the net. I never even saw the ball. My respect for professional footballers went up that day.

 

[XH536]

(Apologies to those who have seen this story before) After Fred retired he played for Ecclesfield Red Rose (I think), and the team I was playing for drew them in the Cup, early 70s. We we were losing 4-0, Fred had not come over the half-way line, when they got a penalty. As he approached, I was absolutely determined and confident to have my moment of glory, and even more confident as his run-up was actually a walk-up. I saw him move his foot towards the ball, and then heard an ominous sound behind me in the net. I never even saw the ball. My respect for professional footballers went up that day.

Fred used to drop green groceries off at my grandmothers sisters, Lillie, across the road from my grandparents.
In the summers, early sixties, the four of them would sit in the front garden, able to see the sisters house.
When Fred arrived he would pop the goods in Lille's house then cross the road and sit and chat a while, even my grandmother, a lovely lady but could be critical and judge mental thought Fred was a very nice man, that's good enough for me.

 

[HodgysBrokenThumb]

Fred used to drop green groceries off at my grandmothers sisters, Lillie, across the road from my grandparents.
In the summers, early sixties, the four of them would sit in the front garden, able to see the sisters house.
When Fred arrived he would pop the goods in Lille's house then cross the road and sit and chat a while, even my grandmother, a lovely lady but could be critical and judge mental thought Fred was a very nice man, that's good enough for me.

He wasn’t nice enough to let me save his penalty, though. They were 4-0 up

 

[TJ blade]

I remeber coming out of work and seeing star poster headlines that Geoff had gone to stoke, felt sick.

Should never have sold him! Brilliant player.

 

[Grecian2000]

Flogging him (165k) was the beginning of the (long) decline

Absolutely this.

It became the blueprint for long term decline to Div4 (and then to be repeated a generation or two later). Sell your best players, replace with inferior ones (preferably journeymen from division below), results suffer, rinse and repeat. Geoff was the start of it all.

 

[bornablade]

Fred used to drop green groceries off at my grandmothers sisters, Lillie, across the road from my grandparents.
In the summers, early sixties, the four of them would sit in the front garden, able to see the sisters house.
When Fred arrived he would pop the goods in Lille's house then cross the road and sit and chat a while, even my grandmother, a lovely lady but could be critical and judge mental thought Fred was a very nice man, that's good enough for me.

Did he used to have a shop up Meersbrook area?

 

[LSF]

(Apologies to those who have seen this story before) After Fred retired he played for Ecclesfield Red Rose (I think), and the team I was playing for drew them in the Cup, early 70s. We we were losing 4-0, Fred had not come over the half-way line, when they got a penalty. As he approached, I was absolutely determined and confident to have my moment of glory, and even more confident as his run-up was actually a walk-up. I saw him move his foot towards the ball, and then heard an ominous sound behind me in the net. I never even saw the ball. My respect for professional footballers went up that day.

Not sure Fred was playing for Red Rose in early 70's. He was approaching 50 by then, and Red Rose were still a top side locally having just made the leap from Sheffield Amateur League into the old Hatchard league (1st step on senior football ladder).

 

[Houston_Blade]

I know Frank and his sons and have done for a good few years. He used to come and coach us as kids because Danny Wilson’s son was in my junior team and Frank lived next to the park we trained on. I then played with Frank’s sons for a few years as well. He was a great coach, very engaging and good with the lads.

They were all pigs but I know when he took the Blades job with Danny his son would begrudgingly want us to win