Barrow AFC have appointed Mark Cooper as their new manager, the club have announced.

The 52-year-old former Forest Green and Notts County manager joins the club on a three-year deal, along with his assistant manager Richard Dryden.

Barrow will be hoping Cooper can replicate the success he had in establishing Forest Green as a Football League club, where he was sacked last month after five years, despite the club occupying a play-off spot at the time.

“I’ve had five years at one club, and now I am really looking forward to the new challenge here at Barrow,” Cooper told the club’s official website.

“The board and the owners have done everything they could to try and get me; they made it clear that they wanted me, and they want to try and evolve to make Barrow a strong force in League Two.”

Cooper will be no stranger to the Bluebirds fans, having faced them several times in the opposition dugout while at Rovers and Kettering Town, and the ex-Swindon boss hopes the return of the Holker Street faithful will play a big part in his plans to take the club forward.

“One of the biggest things we’re looking forward to is seeing fans back in the stadium because it is a really hostile environment when they’re there. I know they’ll be desperate to get back in regularly and get behind the lads in the Football League for the first time in nearly 50 years.”

Bluebirds chairman, Paul Hornby, was equally enthusiastic about getting his man and what he can bring to a Barrow team who found themselves scrapping for survival last season.

“As soon as we knew of his interest, we ensured that we pulled out all the stops to bring him to the club,” Hornby said in an interview with the club’s site.

“Mark’s experience was just what we were looking for in this league. However, more than that, after speaking with him you can sense that he’s a winner, which is exactly the type of mentality this club needs as it embarks on an exciting second season in League Two.”

Photos by Ian Allington