Fans set up Barry FC (From Barry And District News)

Fans set up Barry FC

BARRY football fans held a meeting at the town's Castle Hotel last Thursday night as they underlined their intentions to go ahead with a new community football club for Barry.

Among the major decisions made at the meeting was the near unanimous decision to name the new organisation Barry Football Club - and use the traditional Barry nickname of'The Linnets'.

Tim Johnson, spokesman for Barry Football Club, said: "Those present felt that this was the most appropriate name for the new club.

"It was the original name of the club that we have all supported for so many years, and it outlines our aim to truly represent our town.

"We are laying claim to the rightful ownership of football in Barry. Supporters at the heart of this project have been Barry Town fans for 20, 40, even 60 years, but feel they have been let down by the current regime.

"The club will be a Supporters' Trust - that is a non-profit making organisation dedicated to the promotion of football here in Barry.

"We aim to be a real grassroots community football club and want to involve everyone at all levels of football in Barry and the Vale.

"Our aims for this season are to return to our spiritual home of Jenner Park and to start the long process of building a new club for Barry."

And they called upon Vale of Glamorgan councillors to allow them to use Jenner Park.

Mr Johnson said: "Football has been played at Jenner Park since it was built in 1913 in what has become an excellent council-owned stadium.

"As a non-profit making community organisation, we are calling upon the Vale Council to allow us use of Jenner Park as a secondary user in 2005-06.

"The aim of Barry FC is to promote football throughout Barry and the Vale, and, although we are still in our infancy as an organisation, we hope that they will give us every support in our aims to develop the club as a community organisation which serves the wider public.

"We hope that they will treat our application with respect and give us the help we need to build a club of which everybody in Barry can be proud."

The new club are applying to join the Vale of Glamorgan League for 2005-06.

They will be represented at next Monday's Annual General Meeting of the League at Cadoxton Conservative Club when they make their application.