Friday, November 15, 2024

Barrow: The EFL outpost and their unlikely partnership with Canadian province Newfoundland and Labrador

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North America and the EFL have become bedfellows in recent seasons, and this is another example.

Rather than a NFL legend like Tom Brady or a Hollywood A-lister like Ryan Reynolds, however, this deal is not linked to entertainment.

But it is still benefitting Barrow in a big way. Global interest has increased, helped by an excellent start on the pitch.

Under new head coach Stephen Clemence, the Bluebirds top League Two after seven games.

And this run to the third round of the EFL Cup, thanks to victory over Championship side Derby County in the previous round, is their best in the competition since 1967.

Captain Niall Canavan and goalkeeper Paul Farman flew over to Canada in the summer to take part in the sponsorship launch and more players will head over next spring to take part in coaching clinics, to further establish the link between club and province.

“We’ve seen how high the profile of the EFL has gone thanks to Birmingham and Wrexham, especially in America,” said Henry.

“We are not on that level and obviously we’re connected to Canada, not America, but we have seen that interest grow.

“Our social media, the club’s streaming subscriptions, and we have shipped a lot more of our shirts internationally than we did last year.”

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