Barrow boss Ian Evatt is banking on a bumper crowd getting behind his National League leaders on Boxing Day when they host AFC Fylde with his side putting smiles on people's faces around the town in the run-up to Christmas 2019.
The Bluebirds boss, pictured, also delivered an early present to fans on Christmas Eve with news that key midfielder Jack Taylor is back in training after following a serious injury and recent bout of pneumonia.
The 32-year-old – set to return in 2020 playing in a mask to protect the fractures to his cheekbone and eye socket he sustained against Sutton United at the beginning of November – is on his way back after being hospitalised at one point and losing a considerable amount of weight.
The Bluebirds went without a game last weekend when their 5.20pm evening kick-off at Solihull Moors fell foul of the torrential rain across large parts of the country and Evatt told the Barrow Mail: “Jase is back in full training. He's been back with us for a couple of days now and he's fine.
“Everyone is fully fit and raring to go. We've a fully fit squad, other than Josh [Granite], who is due to join back in training this week, so other than that we've got a clean bill of health and we're ready to go.”
What an effort ?
With season tickets, online sales & hospitality bookings combined, over 1000 people already have tickets for our massive Boxing Day clash! ???#Operation3000#3KForBoxingDay#BackTheBluebirds pic.twitter.com/KhBxZygWty
— Barrow A.F.C. (@BarrowAFC) December 24, 2019
The Bluebirds boss is hoping to see more than 3,000 fans behind them when they take on the Coasters at Holker Street with the impact their success this season is having on the mood in the town.
Evatt said: “One of the biggest challenges for myself was to get the team reconnected with the fans and that happens in a number of ways.
“We need to show the fans that we care, that we're willing to fight and play for Barrow, win football matches and do what we can for the community when we're in and around Barrow.
“We also need to get them on board with the decision-making of the football club and we've done that by getting the Bluebirds Trust on the board, having Levi [Gill] sitting in the meetings, and then there's obviously success on the football pitch, which has helped spread the word.
“We just need to keep growing, the club is such a great place to be at, at the moment, and it's not just the club. Everyone around Barrow seems happy and has a smile on their face and it's amazing what football can do in a community.”
