Paul Gallagher became one of the shortest-reigning managers in Barrow’s history when he was sacked after five games in charge.
The Bluebirds are now third bottom of League Two with only the drop zone candidates below them and they only have a three point cushion.
Barrow are yet to pick up a point in 2026, with their last win coming on December 29 away at Tranmere and Gallagher left without a draw or a win.
Gallagher, a former Scotland international, is leaving alongside assistant John Welsh and Barrow have immediately announced his successor in Dino Maamria.
The club issued two statements in the space of six minutes, confirming Gallagher’s exit and then Maamria’s appointment.
The first statement said: “Barrow AFC can confirm the departure of head coach Paul Gallagher and assistant head coach John Welsh.
“We would like to place on record our sincere thanks to Paul and John for their hard work and efforts whilst in their posts and wish them the best of luck in any future endeavours.
“We will provide an update on a new head coach shortly.”
Six minutes later a second statement was released – “Barrow AFC are delighted to announce the appointment of Dino Maamria as first team head coach.”
The Tunisian said: “I’m thrilled to join the club and can’t wait to get started.
“It’s a terrific club that I’ve watched from afar and I know a lot about the players who I’m excited to get to work with.
“The situation I come into is something I have been in before and I can never promise to win every week, but my teams will always show heart, desire and passion and cover every blade of grass.
“It’s so important we all work together, players, staff and the supporters and make a team that will do the town proud.”
His first game in charge will be at home to Colchester on Saturday.
Maamria, 54, has previously managed the likes of Stevenage and Oldham Athletic, while his most recent senior management spell came at Burton in 2023.
Gallagher’s reign was two fewer games than Michael Jolley who oversaw a win, a draw and five defeats in his 29 days at the club.
But the shortest of all was in 1977 when Barrow were in the Northern Premier League and the board sacked Micky Moore after just 11 games.
Then, that was regarded as the shortest-ever reign but the record was surpassed by the next appointment.
David Hughes spent only two days in the post during the summer of 1977.
After Ron Yeats, the former Liverpool iron man left to play in America in February of the 1976/77 season Barrow had operated under joint caretaker managers Alan Coglan and Billy McAdams.
In pre-season the former Preston North End player David Hughes was handed the job, appointed on Wednesday, July 13.
On the Thursday evening he led his first training session, looked round the facilities and met the staff and the playing squad he had inherited.
By the following evening he had informed the chairman Bill McCullough that he would not be leading the Bluebirds into the new season.
After that one training session he is reported to have said “the squad have too few players of Northern Premier League standard.”
Barrow, after the initial shock, promoted Brian McManus to the role of player-manager.
So although the unfortunate Gallagher is the shortest reigning manager to be sacked by the club, the dubious record of shortest ever belongs to David Hughes who said he’d seen enough after two days.
Hughes was not involved in professional football after that episode, and the former Preston/Southport winger moved to Scotland where he worked in education.
