THE Government of Newfoundland and Labrador has been named as the brand-new front of shirt sponsor for Barrow AFC. 

Despite the capital of the Canadian province, St John's, being in the most easterly part of the country, it is still 2,159 miles away from Barrow. There are direct flights from London Gatwick to St John's on West Jet which take five hours and 40 minutes. 

Gerry Byrne, minister of immigration, said: "This exciting new partnership between professional football club Barrow AFC and the province gives Newfoundland and Labrador the opportunity to enter into the world’s game and be showcased on a global stage."

The Newfoundland and Labrador name and brand will be worn as the prominent front logo on both Barrow AFC’s home and away jerseys for the upcoming next two seasons.

The newly designed brand features a maple leaf. 

Newfoundland and Labrador is the youngest province of Canada, only joined the nation on March 31, 1949. Conversely, St John's is the oldest city in North America. 

For thousands of years, indigenous groups have hunted, fished and settled in the province. Prior to joining Canada, the Republic of Newfoundland was a dominion in the British Empire. The province is made up of two parts, the island of Newfoundland, and the mainland region of Labrador with a combined population of 541,391.

Today (June 22) Barrow AFC captain Niall Canavan, goalkeeper Paul Farman and coach Chance Homer are in St John's, assisting in development training camps with some local football organisations and the Association for New Canadians. The club hopes this will be the start of a sport exchange between the club and the province. 

Mr Byrne said: “As Barrow AFC players wear Newfoundland and Labrador with pride on their jerseys, soon we will all be cheering along with pride of our own as the team takes the field. The truly global audience that professional English football has achieved will allow Newfoundland and Labrador to be promoted and featured to millions of viewers as a welcoming place to live, work and visit on an incredible level.”

Co-owner of Barrow AFC, Tony Shearer, said: "I was fortunate enough to visit this beautiful province recently and meet our new partners. There is a natural empathy between our two hard-working blue-collar communities who also enjoy life to the fullest. 

"We felt so welcome wherever we went, everyone was so friendly and hospitable. What a great place to live.

"This partnership provides an exciting international platform for both parties, and I know we’ll enjoy working together."