Speed Competitions Stadium
Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England
Speed Competitions Stadium, Barrow-in-Furness, England — opened 1931, 1,679 rugby league games hosted, home of Barrow Raiders.
Sourcing caveat: Full sponsor-naming history between 'Craven Park' and the 2026 'Speed Competitions Stadium' rename is not completely documented in independently corroborated sources — Wikipedia notes only a 'Northern Competitions Stadium' sponsorship name without a confirmed start/end date, and it is possible further intermediate sponsor names existed that could not be independently confirmed. Note also that a similarly named 'Progression Solicitors Stadium' sponsorship found in search results belongs to a different Barrow ground entirely — Holker Street, home of Barrow A.F.C. (football), not this rugby league venue — and has been excluded accordingly.
Ground facts
| Opened | 1931 |
| Home club | Barrow Raiders |
| Games hosted (rugby league, on record) | 1,679 |
| Top recorded crowd | 16,045 |
| Capacity | approximately 6,000 (up from around 4,000 at opening) |
| Surface | Grass |
| Years used | 1931–2026 |
| Location | Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria |
Name history
- Craven Park — 1931–present (base name, still used generically; named after local war hero Commander G. W. Craven)
- Northern Competitions Stadium — sponsorship name used in the early-to-mid 2020s
- Speed Competitions Stadium — since March 2026
Rugby league history
Built by around 500 volunteer supporters at a cost of roughly £7,500 and opened in 1931, Craven Park has been Barrow Raiders' home for close to a century. It drew its record crowd of 16,045 for a match between an Australian touring side and Barrow on 11 September 1952, in an era when Cumbrian rugby league regularly attracted big crowds against the Kangaroos. The ground has also hosted representative Cumbria fixtures (including a 70-0 win over the United States in 2007) and was one of the venues for the 2000 Rugby League World Cup. In March 2026 local firm Speed Competitions (based in nearby Millom) became the club's main sponsor, renaming the ground the Speed Competitions Stadium under a deal running at least two years.
Independent greyhound racing also operated around the venue in 1932-1933, shortly after it opened.
Sources
Data last verified: 11 August 2026.
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