Manager Ian Evatt revealed after Saturday’s 2-1 home defeat against Boreham Wood that he is close to agreeing a new contract at the club.

The news is sure to be well received by the Bluebirds faithful, who have seen a more progressive style of play develop since Evatt was appointed in June last summer, in succession to Ady Pennock.

He inherited just six players back then and faced a tough task in raising morale around Holker Street, after AFC’s somewhat fortuitous escape from relegation from the National League the previous season.

However, under the 37-year-old, Barrow are comfortably in mid-table, as the current campaign nears its conclusion and with a fairly young average age to the squad, hopes are high that further progress can be made next year.

Evatt said: “We’ve had talks and I believe that more or less everything is agreed.

“I think the contract is currently with the solicitors. It goes back to professionalism and I think, in the past, contracts with managers haven’t been ideal – I think they were just pretty much drawn up in an office with pen.

“The board have actively gone down the route of getting a proper contract drawn up, which they’ve done, and I think my agent has it now with our solicitor just to go over the fine details.

“But I think everything is agreed and there won’t be any problems there, so I’m happy to be staying, I’m happy with how we’re progressing, I’m happy with the ambition of the whole place and I think we’re starting to really believe that we can do something special.

“That’s important, not just for the players, but I think with the board, with all the staff that work at the football club, all the fans and everyone in the town.

“Hopefully, we can get everything over the line in the next week.”