Furness Building Society Stadium
Capacity: 5,045 (Seats 1,000)
Address: Wilkie Road, Barrow-in-Furness, LA14 5UW
Telephone: 01229 666010
Pitch Size: To be advised
Pitch Type: Grass
Club Nickname: Bluebirds
Year Ground Opened: 1909
Undersoil Heating: No
Seating
Adults £18, Over 65’s £14, Under 23’s £10, Under 18’s £8, Under 12’s Free*
Terrace
Adults £15, Over 65’s £12, Under 23’s £8, Under 18’s £5, Under 12’s Free*
* When accompanied by a paying adult.
Record Attendance
16,874 v Swansea City
FA Cup 3rd Round, January 1954.
Average Attendance
2017-2018: 1,181 (National League)
2016-2017: 1,293 (National League)
2015-2016: 1,336 (National League)
Holker Street is a traditional old looking ground that has been brightened up by replicating the team’s blue and white colours on the stands around the stadium. On one side is the colourful looking Brian Arrowsmith Stand, named after a former Barrow Manager and Player, who spent his entire career at the club. This is the main stand at the ground and is seated and covered. It has some supporting pillars along the front of the stand and runs for around half the length of the pitch. It is situated on the half way line and is raised above pitch level, meaning that you have to climb a small staircase to access it. The areas to either side of the stand are flat standing spaces.
On one side is the Ray Wilkie Popular Side Stand. This is a terrace which is covered towards the centre. The Crossbar Terrace (also known as the Steelworks End) at one of the stadium, is on one side, a small open terrace, whereas the other side is not really used for spectators. In fact, this area houses the Club Offices which tends to be detrimental to the overall look of the ground. Opposite is the larger Holker Street Terrace, which although open to the elements is the traditional home end of the ground. The stadium has a set of tall modern floodlights, although the old classic looking floodlights that they replaced are still currently in place.
Holker Street has been the home of the Club since 1910 and although it is currently known as the Furness Building Society Stadium, in a corporate sponsorship deal, many fans still refer to it as Holker Street.
The Club has its own club house bar called the ‘Crossbar’. This bar welcomes away supporters and has SKY and BT Sports television. Elaine Warden informs me; ‘There is a pub next door to the ground called the Soccer Bar which is independent from the club and popular with visiting supporters as well as home fans.’
Otherwise, if you go along Walney Road (A590) towards the town centre firstly passing Asda, then turning left onto Duke Street, you will find the Ambrose Hotel, which has a selection of real ale. Alternatively, continue on the A590 passing first ‘The Owl and The Pussycat’ pub (part of the Hungry Horse chain) before you will reach a retail park that has a number of eating outlets including a McDonalds and KFC as well as a Tesco Extra.
If you have a bit more time on your hands you might park at the Holker Street end of the ground then you can take the 10-15 minute walk down Holker Street into the town centre. Peter Naylor adds: ‘At the junction of Holker Street and Abbey Road, near the railway station, you will find a fine action statue of Emlyn Hughes, who came from Barrow. Across the road is ‘The Duke of Edinburgh’, a developing four star hotel with a good selection of drinks generally, real ales in particular, while walking a further block to your right you will encounter ‘The Furness Railway’, a Wetherspoons pub themed to the company that led to the development of Barrow. This pub is listed in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide.
Leave the M6 at Junction 36 and take the A590 towards Barrow-in-Furness. As you enter the outskirts of Barrow you will pass a fire station on your right. You should now be able to see the floodlights of the stadium over on your left. Turn left into Wilkie Road and then right into Holker Street. Plenty of street parking is available.
Post Code Sat-Nav: LA14 5UW