Fans consulted over shared stadium

Football and rugby fans in Cumbria may soon be sharing the same stadium.

Barrow's two professional sports clubs have agreed to look into moving in together in new stadium planned for the town's docklands.

The new facility was included in £100m redevelopment for the town's port area.

Now the town's soccer and rugby league clubs say they are considering moving there.

But Barrow Football Club says no decision will be made with the full input of fans, who recently raised more than £100,000 to help the non-league team retain its current home at Holker Street.

Community groups

The club is taking part in a feasibility study along with the town's rugby league side, into whether both professional outfits should move into a new stadium planned as part of Barrow's dockland redevelopment.

Barrow AFC Brian Keen said: "We can assure fans that they will be fully consulted, when the study is finished."

Any new stadium would be managed by a community sports trust and would also offer facilities for local community groups.

As well as a grassed playing area, there would also be an athletics track to replace the Park Vale sports centre on Walney Island.

A spokesman for Barrow Rugby Club welcomed the feasibility study.

A spokesman for Barrow Borough Council said it could take up to five years to develop a new stadium.

There have been several proposals in the past to create a shared ground, but none ever reached the planning stage.