Our story about the death of former Barrow wing-half Keith Eddy prompted several memories of the player’s successful career in the game.
He was signed three times by Ken Furphy, the former Workington manager – after he had earlier missed out on recruiting him for the Reds.
Eddy later joined Furphy at Watford, Sheffield United and New York Cosmos.
Roy Nicholson, a long-time Workington fan, recalls meeting Eddy along with Furphy after a game in New York.
“I was a guest of Ken after the game when I met the team, which also included Brian Tinnion, a Workington lad who started his career at the Reds.
“Actually the football was awful, no offsides and Pele missed a penalty but the crack afterward was great. I was with Brian and Keith after the game and I remember us chatting away that long they were closing and had to ask us to leave the players’ lounge.”
It was actually Eddy’s performance in a 9-1 win at Borough Park against his Barrow side that convinced Furphy he was one for the notebook.
He had tried to sign him before but couldn’t reach an agreement with Barrow, but he shone in that defeat at Borough Park – which was a competition record at the time.
Even now, some 58 years later, it is the fourth highest score in the League Cup. It had stayed the record for 19 years.
What has probably been forgotten is that the Barrow goalkeeper on the night was 19-year-old Lionel Duffin who was making his senior debut.
A crowd of just below 6,000 saw Reds – then in Division Three following promotion the previous year, while Barrow were in Division Four.
Duffin wasn’t even in the programme but a training ground injury to first choice Lance Millard pushed him to the front of the queue.
He had only signed as a part-time professional two months earlier so it really was a nerve-racking experience to be called-up so late in the day.
A few years after the game Duffin recalled: “There were red jerseys everywhere. There were so many of them I thought they were coming out of the stands. It was sheer hell, as they threw everything at me.”
It could have been worse as Dave Carr thought he had completed a hat-trick, thumping another past Duffin only to be told the referee had blown the whistle seconds before – and denying Reds double figures.
None of the goals, however, were attributed to Duffin’s naivety and he went on to make 55 League and Cup appearances before Barrow lost their League status.
He even came back to help out the Bluebirds when they dropped into the Northern Premier League.
For the record the Reds goals were scored by Carr (2), Geoff Martin (2), Jimmy Moran, Dixie Hale (a former Barrow player), Kit Napier, Ken Furphy and Keith Burkinshaw.
Reds went on to have an outstanding run in the competition beating Scunthorpe, Blackburn (5-1 at Ewood Park in a replay), Norwich City (3-0) before a 2-2 home draw with Chelsea, t watched by 17,996, and a 2-0 defeat in the quarter final replay.
The beaten Barrow side was: Duffin, Arrowsmith, Cahill, Worthington, Richardson, Eddy, McCarthy, Brennan, Watson, Tait, Whitaker.
Referee: WJ Downey, Jarrow.
