As news broke that Barrow AFC’s Paul Gallagher had been sacked after just five games in charge, people may be forgiven for thinking that he is the side’s shortest-reigning manager.
However, the record for shortest time in the job was in 1977 when David Hughes lasted for only two days – but left of his own choice.
Gallagher’s five-match stay – all defeats – was two fewer than Michael Jolley who oversaw a win, a draw and five defeats in his 29 days at the club in 2020/21.
Before that the shortest had been in 1977 when Barrow were in the Northern Premier League and the board sacked Micky Moore after just 11 games.
At that time, it was regarded as the shortest-ever reign but that record was surpassed by the next appointment and that still stands as the shortest reign of any Barrow manager.
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 McAdamss.
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 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.
