Former Birmingham City forward Connor Mahoney has joined Barrow, reuniting with former Blues midfielder Stephen Clemence.
Mahoney, 27, was released by a League One rival this summer and chose to sign with League Two’s Barrow largely because Clemence, who managed him at Gillingham before being controversially dismissed, is now the Bluebirds’ manager.
Expressing his excitement, Mahoney said, “I’m delighted to be here. I came up to Barrow this morning, got everything sorted, and I’m really excited for the future.” He added, “This move has been in the works for a few weeks. Given my relationship with the Gaffer from Gillingham last season, we stayed in contact, and we finally got a deal done. I’m looking forward to working with him again.”
Both Clemence and Mahoney have Birmingham City connections. Mahoney joined Birmingham on loan from AFC Bournemouth in 2018, playing 32 games, scoring twice, and assisting four times under Garry Monk’s management. Clemence, a Birmingham player in the mid-2000s, made 135 appearances, mostly in the Premier League, and helped win the Championship title in 2007. He retired in 2010, three years before Mahoney began his career in 2013 with Accrington Stanley.
After leaving Birmingham in 2019, Mahoney played under Gary Rowett at Millwall and later moved to Huddersfield, where his opportunities were limited.