When underdogs Barrow AFC stride into legendary Stamford Bridge Tuesday to take on British giants Chelsea, it won鈥檛 just be players with butterflies in their stomachs.
So too will staff at the Confederation Building, the provincial parliament in Newfoundland and Labrador, who will learn how far their investment in the fourth-division soccer team can take them.
鈥淚 believe there鈥檚 a chanting section and a non-chanting section. I think I鈥檓 in the non-chanting section,鈥� said Sarah Stoodley, Newfoundland and Labrador鈥檚 minister of immigration, who is travelling to London to take in the game on Tuesday.
鈥淚t鈥檒l be a very unique experience.鈥�
Thanks to a sponsorship by Newfoundland and Labrador鈥檚 provincial government, Barrow鈥檚 players will be wearing jerseys with ads promoting immigration to the province. The fixture against Chelsea will put those ads in front of about 40,000 fans at Stamford Bridge, and thousands more watching on TV.
鈥淚t鈥檚 like winning the lottery, I think,鈥� said Josh Healey, a freelance soccer journalist from Newfoundland. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 one of the biggest clubs in world football.鈥�
Newfoundland and Labrador paid $171,000 to sponsor Barrow AFC for two years. The deal gets them a front logo on Barrow鈥檚 jersey, and, by extension, their advertising in front of football fans in stadiums in England.
鈥淲e are targeting people who feel like they might not fit in in the U.K. anymore,鈥� said Stoodley.
She said the province needs doctors, social workers, construction workers and early childhood educators 鈥� and changing immigration policies and attitudes in the United Kingdom may have them thinking of leaving the country.
鈥淲e want to raise our hand and say, 鈥楥ome to Newfoundland and Labrador,鈥� and we need to be there in front of them when they鈥檙e making that decision.鈥�
The structure of British football鈥檚 cup competitions often puts smaller clubs, like Barrow AFC, sitting on the fourth tier of the football ladder, into matches against dominant Premier League teams. The matchup against Chelsea was determined by a lottery ball draw.
鈥淣ewfoundland and Labrador is getting their money鈥檚 worth out of that one, for sure,鈥� said Colin Dalton, one of the owners of the Duke of Duckworth, a favourite bar for soccer fans in downtown St. John鈥檚.
鈥淗ow much would that advertising cost?鈥� he asked. 鈥�$100,000 a game, maybe?鈥�
Although Chelsea is unlikely to field its absolute top players, it will still be remarkable for Barrow to pull off an upset and shock the fans at the bridge.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a night you鈥檒l remember forever, whatever the result,鈥� said Healey. 鈥淚f they do manage to slay the giant, as it were, that becomes the stuff of legend.鈥�
Dalton will show the game, which is being televised at his downtown bar. He figures there will be a good crowd around to watch the start of the match, to see how the underdogs do.
鈥淚t will be interesting if they hold their own, that鈥檚 all they鈥檝e got to do,鈥� he said.
Stoodley is taking a diplomatic approach to forecasting Barrow鈥檚 result.
鈥淚 can鈥檛 comment on the likelihood of their win or loss, but certainly a lot of eyes on Newfoundland and Labrador, and we鈥檙e very proud of the sponsorship.鈥�
