Barry fans to set up new club (From Barry And District News)

Barry fans to set up new club

Barry Town Football Sup-porters Club have agreed to set up a breakaway club which they hope will play its games at Jenner Park.

At a meeting on Monday evening, supporters voted in favour of putting into motion plans to form a separate football club, completely independent of Barry Town AFC.

The new club - which will be called Barri Linnets - will start from scratch in the Barry and District League.

Supporters club secretary Neil White said: "We have had a meeting and decided to go ahead and set up a new club, to hopefully play in Jenner Park.

"We do not think the present Barry Town will be going back to Jenner Park.

"We will be calling the team the Barri Linnets, and we will be approaching the Vale of Glamorgan Council to become a secondary user, rather than main user, of the stadium. This would cost £107 a game.

"The team will have to start in the Barry and District League and then progress up the leagues. We will be an amateur team to begin with.

"This is not a short-term plan because it will take at least six years if we get promoted each season.

"We think it will take seven to eight years to make it back up to the top flight of Welsh football, and we will not be allowed to play in cup competitions."

The news comes at the end of a troubled season, which has seen Barry Town AFC playing their home games at Treforest, following a dispute over money owed to the Vale of Glamorgan Council for playing at Jenner Park.

* The team ended the season with a long-awaited 2-0 win at their adopted home of the White Tips Stadium, Treforest.

It was an emphatic league victory over near rivals Ely Rangers - both goals coming from Gareth Hemmens.

Barry Town finished 12th in a league a division down from the national league - the lowest position of any senior side in the 91-year-old club"s long history.

Fans have praised the management team of Gavin Price and Ashley Griffiths and the players, who helped the club to this position.

They have also praised ex-manager David Hughes and all former players, as they earned enough points in the early weeks of the season to help secure the Dragons" Division One status.

Barry Town Supporters" Club have also made a presentation to Treforest FC.