Football V Rugby - Attendances

[Hadrian]

Exactly - some 'fans' are simply armchair fans , contribute little to the AFC and buy merchandise from unofficial sources then are often the most vociferously negative about team, ground, town, prospects and attempts to improve.

[colyates]

Isn't there something in place that says holker street can only be used for sports purposes so if I remember right it may be hard to sell

[Wintergreen]

Exactly - some 'fans' are simply armchair fans , contribute little to the AFC and buy merchandise from unofficial sources then are often the most vociferously negative about team, ground, town, prospects and attempts to improve.

I worked with a guy in the 80s who was an enthusiastic fan of 'the soccer'. He always knew more than me re, who was injured, who was coming back in, what the upcoming fixtures were, how many fans we would take there, what rumours were flying about etc. After about a year of these regular discussions it came out that he never ever went to a game and gleaned all his information from the Evening Mail and what the lads said down the pub. He was equally 'knowledgeable ' about the rugby.

[Blue Bayou]

Like I said, there is an apathy in the town, a malaise that was identified by Peter Roe when he was coach at Craven Park.
A shiny new stadium would be a novelty at first - and one that would soon wear off.

[bluessupporter]

Like I said, there is an apathy in the town, a malaise that was identified by Peter Roe when he was coach at Craven Park.
A shiny new stadium would be a novelty at first - and one that would soon wear off.

Perhaps a new stadium would actually encourage more people to go to both codes, and to keep them going, but then again my glass is always half full and not half empty!

[Wintergreen]

Like I said, there is an apathy in the town, a malaise that was identified by Peter Roe when he was coach at Craven Park.
A shiny new stadium would be a novelty at first - and one that would soon wear off.

Like in the York example previously shown, such community facilities are multi-use, pools, gyms, pitches, cinemas, cafes, shops etc. People will go to them as they do now at various locations and hopefully they will make money. The club(s) will still have their separate owners, directors, fund-raisers and budgets of course. The money is there and maybe the will too but I'm not sure what (if any) plans/projects are currently being looked at.

[Bingo]

This thread makes for depressing reading. Barrow would still be a little fishing village if it wasn’t for the founding fathers of our town. Grand buildings, the biggest steelworks in the world a booming town.

Where is the ambition now, there is none. Barrow as a town and as a football club has always had some kind of internal inferior complex.

Why can’t Barrow have what other towns have? The town is one of the few in the UK which is actually doing well. It’s ok saying we have control over income at the club with the current model but are we making the most of it.

We don’t take on the people to properly promote what we already do, scampering around for match ball sponsors 2 days before the game. The club is not maximising what it can earn now - a bit of a lot can be more than a lot of a bit. The worst ground in the efl, the owners have done wonders they really have but let’s not kid ourselves that holker street is some kind of golden goose. Other clubs that have come up have seemingly managed to improve their grounds and infrastructure better than we have

People talk about selling on players and making money for the club - we have no structure the best of local talent is off to clubs that have academies and I’m not talking about big clubs either Kendal town have better infrastructure than us.

[Barrowvianbedlam]

I don’t think a new ground is critical. Those who went to Oldham the other week would have seen a club that’s cashed in on their successes over the years and invested bit by bit.

Would love a shiny new ground but if it was another copy and paste soulless sheet metal stadium ( fylde, Salford, burton, Morecambe) I wouldn’t be that arsed. Definitely think building a facility on the crossbar end with modern facilities with a built in stand making money 24/7 would be a better idea for our short term ambitions.

[Main Stand SeasonTct]

Like I said, there is an apathy in the town, a malaise that was identified by Peter Roe when he was coach at Craven Park.
A shiny new stadium would be a novelty at first - and one that would soon wear off.

Like in the York example previously shown, such community facilities are multi-use, pools, gyms, pitches, cinemas, cafes, shops etc. People will go to them as they do now at various locations and hopefully they will make money. The club(s) will still have their separate owners, directors, fund-raisers and budgets of course. The money is there and maybe the will too but I'm not sure what (if any) plans/projects are currently being looked at.

I could not agree more Wintergreen. Like i have said numerous times lets hope the owners of both clubs are round the table with Team Barrow
I also have to agree with Jonty regarding many on here being totally misinformed regarding Team Barrow those on the board and the massive opportunities it presents to the town.
Drop in sessions at The Bridge in Portland walk have been held and two more scheduled for this year Nov 4th and Dec 2nd beginning at 4 for those that would like to be better informed

[Hadrian]

There isn't a vast amount of money available as yet for Barrow Rising. £200 million is, of course, a lot but it is spread over ten years.

To given an indication of what costs might be expected, the Dalton bypass cost more than £11 million in 1993 while the High and Low Newton (only) bypass cost more than £35 million in 2008. If construction costs have risen in line with inflation, (I understand that post-COVID they rose significantly more) those two projects come out at more than £82 million in present day costs. This gives an idea of the sort of sums A590 improvements would cost if that is an identified priority under the Connect strand of the Barrow Rising ambitions and would have to be funded outside the £200 million project allocation.

Another large number to ponder: Carlisle has had half a billion pounds of government money for various infrastructure schemes in the last ten years. Why aren't the 'people of Barrow' clamouring for similar levels of investment? Why no identified and protected location for a second Walney crossing? Why no protected route for an Ulverston bypass? Some smart, modern trains on airport and some other services but stopping at every station; why no clamour for faster services for key stations with a 'Bay Metro' stopping service? Why no demand for a bigger university campus with a wider range of courses in the town centre to supplement the small primary school-sized dockside location? Why was there no success in the Future High Streets fund bid to government in 2021 and why wasn't there a hue and cry to discover why and demand a resubmission?

I could go on. (I know, noted for it.)

Barrow was very badly served by the almost fifty years under Cumbria Council as the higher tier authority with decisions taken nearly ninety miles away where jobs, money and decision-making had drifted. The likely creation of a single mayoral authority with significant powers for the areas covered by Westmorland & Furness and Cumberland Councils risks repetition of the mistakes of those years. The first two candidates announced are not from Carlisle, nor from Furness or the South Lakes; it will be interesting to see who the two other 'major' candidates will be and where they come from. Wherever, Furness and its people will need to be prepared to ensure that local voices are heard loudly. At least the Barrow Rising/Team Barrow folk will have local interests at heart and a voice at the highest levels of government - residents and others with the area's interests at heart will need to ensure that they continue to engage with the organisation and not be those who have ignored what has happened so far and then complain, wrongly, that nobody has asked the people of Barrow.

[Blue Bayou]

There isn't a vast amount of money available as yet for Barrow Rising. £200 million is, of course, a lot but it is spread over ten years.

To given an indication of what costs might be expected, the Dalton bypass cost more than £11 million in 1993 while the High and Low Newton (only) bypass cost more than £35 million in 2008. If construction costs have risen in line with inflation, (I understand that post-COVID they rose significantly more) those two projects come out at more than £82 million in present day costs. This gives an idea of the sort of sums A590 improvements would cost if that is an identified priority under the Connect strand of the Barrow Rising ambitions and would have to be funded outside the £200 million project allocation.

Another large number to ponder: Carlisle has had half a billion pounds of government money for various infrastructure schemes in the last ten years. Why aren't the 'people of Barrow' clamouring for similar levels of investment? Why no identified and protected location for a second Walney crossing? Why no protected route for an Ulverston bypass? Some smart, modern trains on airport and some other services but stopping at every station; why no clamour for faster services for key stations with a 'Bay Metro' stopping service? Why no demand for a bigger university campus with a wider range of courses in the town centre to supplement the small primary school-sized dockside location? Why was there no success in the Future High Streets fund bid to government in 2021 and why wasn't there a hue and cry to discover why and demand a resubmission?

I could go on. (I know, noted for it.)

Barrow was very badly served by the almost fifty years under Cumbria Council as the higher tier authority with decisions taken nearly ninety miles away where jobs, money and decision-making had drifted. The likely creation of a single mayoral authority with significant powers for the areas covered by Westmorland & Furness and Cumberland Councils risks repetition of the mistakes of those years. The first two candidates announced are not from Carlisle, nor from Furness or the South Lakes; it will be interesting to see who the two other 'major' candidates will be and where they come from. Wherever, Furness and its people will need to be prepared to ensure that local voices are heard loudly. At least the Barrow Rising/Team Barrow folk will have local interests at heart and a voice at the highest levels of government - residents and others with the area's interests at heart will need to ensure that they continue to engage with the organisation and not be those who have ignored what has happened so far and then complain, wrongly, that nobody has asked the people of Barrow.

"Barrow was very badly served by the almost fifty years under Cumbria Council".
I agree with you but, it hasn't just been to to the then CCC. The apathy in this town has stemmed from the council in Barrow town Hall imo.
If the A590, for just one example, had been situated in or around Carlisle the councillors up there would have been creating holy hell. Not here, hardly a peep out of them!

[Main Stand SeasonTct]

Wherever, Furness and its people will need to be prepared to ensure that local voices are heard loudly. At least the Barrow Rising/Team Barrow folk will have local interests at heart and a voice at the highest levels of government - residents and others with the area's interests at heart will need to ensure that they continue to engage with the organisation and not be those who have ignored what has happened so far and then complain, wrongly, that nobody has asked the people of Barrow.

Good post Hadrian. Your final few lines said it all imo. Folk need to engage with Barrow Rising telling then what they want. It’s not as though they havent been invited with all the public engagement events that have taken place and some more planned. Indeed Barrow Rising have said they want and need the public to get involved in what how and where investment should go

[Wintergreen]

BUMP!!!

Your club needs you now!!!

Ref viewtopic.php?t=34022

[BAFC1901]

After checking the Raiders fixtures for the coming season there are 0 games in which both teams are @ home on a Saturday.

[JayBee]

And be paying the council masses of money in rent every month

We are talking about needing more money in investment now - imagine what it would be like if the money that we make during the week from people using Holker Street for meetings was taken away - added to having to fork out rent as well.

Holker street isn’t perfect, but what we make on it is ours - that wouldn’t be the case if we played in a council owned stadium

Spot on.
All these advocates of a shared stadium tend to be really blinkered.

Completely agree Adam look at Gateshead denied playoff spot due to length of lease from council, also all bar moneys go to council plus lots of other restrictions that I cannot remember at the moment, its a none starter.