THE FUTURE OF AFC and HOLKER St

[JohnE]

OK, time to get realistic about the club and the ground.
Absolutely smothered in debt and no sign of any new investment, so what does the future really hold for a club whos support base isnt that good with a ground that realistically isnt fit for purpose.
I for one honest feel that to go forward there needs to be a new community based stadium in Barrow that should be in use 7 days a week making an income with 21st century facilities to encourage the Furness public to engage with the club ,not just on match days or nights.
The team should IMO have FURNESS based players who would have a proper connection with the supporters.
If that means Barrow playing in the lower leagues, so be it .
It's time to get real as to where Barrow and Holker St are in football terms.
Sticking heads in the sand or elsewhere is not going to fix an obvious problem.

[sempre contigo]

Community based stadium paid for and owned by who out of interest?

[Bombadel]

At least your keeping your posts consistent

[bluessupporter]

Posted almost 5 months ago. Strange the Evening Mail hasn't picked it up yet.

[HenneysKnee]

New stadium sounds class; have you won the Euromillions?

[MisterPleasant]

Absolutely smothered in debt...

Soon as I saw that I knew you hadn't a clue.

[Cokey]

So new recruitment strategy:

‘Only sign players living in the Furness area.’

That’s crazy! No one operates like that!

[JohnE]

Absolutely smothered in debt...

Soon as I saw that I knew you hadn't a clue.

So after hiring and firing managers and paying up contracts and signing players on unrealistic wages on the attendance figures Barrow get ......I haven a clue
Seems I'm not the only one .doesn't it
BARROW AFC is sinking .....in more ways than one

[JohnE]

At least your keeping your posts consistent

Omg that old nugget
Ha ha ..... that sport will never ( your Obviously going to say THAN GOD ) isn't every going to get back to Barrow let alone Holker Street.
People won't take the financial risk to put into s Barrow venue due to it not being a town that doesn't support there teams in the number required to make it pay
Anyway Back to AFC
How would you cone up with a solution to take the club forward instead off giving of negativity.

[bluessupporter]

We might have an opinion and come up with ideas but the club is privately owned and it is up to the owners as to their future plans.

I'm sure I read on the forum that the club had spoken to Barrow Rising or a similar group about this, but the owners pulled out as what was on offer - if anything - wasn't agreeable to the Board.

[Jonty]

We’ve had this discussion many times

I sense there is little to no appetite within the club to pursue any opportunities to develop / groundshare with Barrow Raiders at a community stadium. The funding for such a venture would have to be from private investment and selling of the two grounds for commercial / residential development and relocate, whilst having some sort of part ownership model set up between stakeholders and each club operating as separate business within an overarching framework. This would allow both clubs to share the physical stadium and the operational costs that are deemed equal. There would need to be legally binding commercial separation to enable each club to pursue their own revenues and marketing. That’s the main blocker as I see it. Ie if one club is doing well, and the other struggles, how does it work so one club isn't propping the other up?
Personally, I think such a joint venture would be the step change both clubs need to progress and move towards self sustainability and long term security. Naysayers will tell you it’s just not feasible at Barrow. That’s how far the conversation gets. The positives in having a community facility and the opportunities that opens up for the town are totally lost in the counter arguments.

I don’t see any other way we move towards being a self sustainable, financially secure club.

[JohnE]

Hallelujah...... someone who actually sees sence
The tribalism has to stop to enable both clubs to move forward.
Take a look at other towns and the new stadiums and facilities I really do not want to knock Barrow but you really need to get out of the DARK AGES in terms of sports facilities or you will never move forward and encourage new customers/ supporters
There are none so blind as those that will not listen.

[MisterPleasant]

Soon as I saw that I knew you hadn't a clue.

So after hiring and firing managers and paying up contracts and signing players on unrealistic wages on the attendance figures Barrow get ......I haven a clue
Seems I'm not the only one .doesn't it
BARROW AFC is sinking .....in more ways than one

Clearly, you don't understand the difference between debt and out goings. Have you bothered to look at the balance sheet?

[Main Stand SeasonTct]

Hallelujah...... someone who actually sees sence
The tribalism has to stop to enable both clubs to move forward.
Take a look at other towns and the new stadiums and facilities I really do not want to knock Barrow but you really need to get out of the DARK AGES in terms of sports facilities or you will never move forward and encourage new customers/ supporters
There are none so blind as those that will not listen.

You only need to look at York to see what benefits a community stadium bring. Football wise crowds double what they were getting in their last season at Bootham Crescent in the EFL and new investment attracted into the club and the Rugby league team in the super league. Facilities within the complex used seven days a week. Very sadly little appetite for such a facility amongst owners and sections of the fan base

[Cokey]

Community based stadium paid for and owned by who out of interest?

Do any of those in support, care to answer this question?