The party boat and venue of a Barcelona fan club named Penya Blaugrana London has been recognised by the club after it sank to the bottom of the River Thames on January 4.
Bar&Co has been the headquarters of the Barcelona fan club for 15 years, however on January 4, heavy rain brought by Storm Henk sank the boat.
In a press release, Penya Blaugrana said: “We have enjoyed some unforgettable nights on the Bar&Co and that will always remain in our hearts. We started the journey in 2008 by watching the first game under a young new coach called Guardiola, going to the final at Wembley in 2011 and other innumerable games in the league and the Champions League. The atmosphere was unbeatable and soon it became known as ‘Camp Nou on Thames.”
Club Support for Penya Blaugrana London
FC Barcelona have sent a letter from President Joan Laporta, as well as a shirt signed by the players. The Supporters’ Club department at Barcelona also sent the London-based group supplies of balls, stickers, badges, and flags.
Support for London Barcelona fan club
Penya Blaugrana set up a JustGiving to raise funds for the management and staff at Bar&Co. So far, the campaign has seen the supporters’ group raise £6277. On X (Twitter), they said: “This crowdfunding achievement belongs to all the Barça family that rallied together to help one of their own in the hour of need.”
Bar&Co was 110 years old and could hold 130 guests, so replacing the venue will be a difficult task, but Penya Blaugrana say that finding a new base “has now become our number one priority”.