Barrow-in-Furness - Sport

Sport

Barrow A.F.C.

Barrow A.F.C. are in the Conference National division of English football. The team, founded in 1901, are nicknamed "the Bluebirds" and play their home games at the Holker Street stadium. The side were members of the Football League until they were demoted in 1972. In 1990, they won the FA Trophy beating Leek Town 3-0 in the final at Wembley Stadium, London. Twenty years later, on 8 May 2010, Barrow repeated the feat, beating Stevenage Borough 2-1 after extra time. Football players born in Barrow include England internationals Emlyn Hughes and Gary Stevens, as well as Harry Hadley, and Vic Metcalfe. Of current professional footballers, Wayne Curtis, Morecambe striker, and Iran Under-20 and Hibernian winger Shana Haji both hail from the town.

Holker Old Boys F.C.

Holker Old Boys, based at Rakesmoor Lane, are the town's second most successful football team, and they play in the North West Counties Football League Division One.

Barrow RLFC

Rugby league is a well-established sport and the town is considered as one of the game's traditional heartlands at professional and amateur levels. The professional team, Barrow Raiders, whose home games are at Craven Park, played in the Championship until 2011 but as of 2012, they now operate in the league below, known as Championship One. In the 1950s the side played in three Challenge Cup finals, winning the last of these against Workington Town. In the 1997 reorganisation of the sport the original Barrow RLFC team merged with Carlisle Border Raiders to form Barrow Border Raiders, with the word "border" later dropped. Players who were born in the town and played at a professional level include brothers Ade and Mat Gardner and Willie Horne. The latter captained Barrow to their Challenge Cup victory and represented Great Britain at an international level. He was inducted in to the "Barrow Hall of Fame" along with former Barrow players Phil Jackson and Jimmy Lewthwaite.

American Football

Barrow-in-Furness is home to the Walney Terriers American Football club, Formed in 2012 the club trains on Memorial Fields Walney Island, The Walney Terriers are due to play their first games in october.

Motorcycle Racing

Barrow-in-Furness has staged speedway racing at three venues since the pioneer days in the late 1920s. The first track was at Holker Street. This venue had a revival for a short spell in the early-to-mid 1970s. In 1930 the sport moved to Little Park but this a somewhat hazy venue. The sport had a revival in 1978 at Park Avenue Industrial Estate but this was relatively short lived.

Golf

Barrow is home to two large golf clubs. Barrow Golf Club, founded in 1922, is situated in Hawcoat and covers some 6,209 yards (5,678 m) with 18 holes. Furness Golf Club, founded in 1872, is the sixth oldest golf club in England and is possibly the more famous of the two. It is located on Walney Island, just 50 yards (46 m) from the Irish Sea. It also offers an 18-hole course, a shop and other facilities.