Barrow forge deep bond with Canadian sponsor

For many football fans, an away game at League Two Barrow is a trip to the end of the line, one of the true outposts of the EFL.

As viewers of the BBC's third series of Race Across the World in 2023 would have learned, the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador can feel like the end of the world.

But those two entities have now joined forces in an unlikely sponsorship deal, helping to boost and promote each other.

On Tuesday that alliance has the chance to shine on its biggest stage so far, an EFL Cup tie away to mighty Chelsea at Stamford Bridge (19:45 BST).

It was a sponsorship deal that few could have predicted when it was announced this summer. A League Two football club in England having their shirts adorned with the name of a Canadian province.

It all started last December, when the Barrow club offices received a phone call from an unknown Canadian number.

The Cumbrian club had been chosen, along with a number of other EFL clubs, to pitch for a potential new sponsorship opportunity with Newfoundland and Labrador.

For Barrow's chief operating officer Alisha Henry and co-owner Tony Shearer, it was the start of a process they were desperate to win.

They found that the town's relative geographical isolation within the UK and need for skilled workers in the shipyards chimed with the situation in St John's, the province's capital.

"We found there was a big comparison between Barrow and St Johns, they were almost like twin towns," Henry told BBC Sport.

"We're both in a cul-de-sac location and there is a strong industry link as we are two hard-working towns.

"The similarities are so big, we had to use this to our advantage."

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."

As Canada's most easterly province, with Cape Spear the most easterly point in North America, Newfoundland and Labrador is around the size of Great Britain but with a population estimated to be only about 546,000.

It is concerns with jobs - and how to help that population - which led to some left-field thinking in terms of increasing their visibility.

The answer lies with English football.

Newfoundland and Labrador officials believe that having their name on the shirt of an English football team is the perfect advertising tool for their province.

The goal is to recruit skilled workers, especially primary teachers and in the healthcare sector, to boost their workforce.

And now just six weeks into the season, a match away to Chelsea, one of the most high-profile clubs in Europe, is a dream scenario for those back in Canada.

"We looked at a few options in terms of investment and Barrow, in the Lake District, was an interesting fit for us," said Sarah Stoodley, Minister of Immigration, Population Growth and Skills for Newfoundland and Labrador.

"We are very pleased to work with them. With this Chelsea game, we've hit the sponsorship jackpot where our brand and shirt sponsorship is going to be showcased to a significantly bigger global audience. We are so excited for this."

Stoodley is over for the Stamford Bridge tie, with it scheduled perfectly in between jobs fairs in Milton Keynes and London - where her province is trying to entice people to move to Canada.

It is a marketing tactic different to a more traditional method like using a billboard, but they hope that the glimpse on the Barrow kit can be the first step that leads to a change of life and a move across the Atlantic.

"We have a marketing budget for immigration and this is a new thing we wanted to try this year and the return on our investment already has been incredible," she said.

"In addition to the 3,000 people Barrow normally get at their matches, plus the Sky TV coverage, now we are playing Chelsea, it's playing fantastic.

"Our name will also appear on various video games, so it's that kind of awareness and eyes on Newfoundland and Labrador that we are really trying to drive."