HUNT SIGNS FOR BARROW

By Dave Jones on May 30, 08 02:04 PM

STRIKER Lee Hunt has left Rhyl and signed for Conference National club Barrow, reports the North West Evening Mail.
Hunt, 26, joined the Lilywhites in the 2003/04 season and scored 113 goals in 164 competitive appearances for the club.
He is also Rhyl's second highest all-time goalscorer in the Welsh Premier League with 73 goals.
The Liverpudlian had said some weeks ago he would leave Rhyl at the end of the season in protest at what he considered the unfair treatment he received at the hands of WPL referees.
Hunt has agreed to a one-year deal with Barrow.
Delighted AFC boss Dave Bayliss today revealed they had been up against two Football League clubs and bigger money offers from at least two non-league clubs.
Hunt joins Nick Rogan, Jason Walker and Paul Tait as the fourth striker in the squad.
Bayliss feels his fellow Scouser has all the energy and attributes to be a real crowd favourite.
He says: "Lee is big, aggressive, direct, mobile and is good in the air. He works his socks off and the fans should love him.
"He has a fantastic goal record in the Welsh Premier League and this will be a big year for him.
"It is a career move, he is not money-orientated. Rhyl and Droylsden offered him more but he knows what a big club Barrow is at this level.
"The two league clubs wanted him on trial. We have agreed a one-year deal and, after we've both had a good look at each other, may go longer term."
Bayliss said he has friends in the Welsh and Irish Leagues and went to watch Hunt last season after a tip-off.
Hunt has previously had trials with Football League clubs Chester City and Accrington Stanley.

Comments (5)

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5 Comments

Rob33 said:

Very disappointing news for the club and it’s fans, but I suppose it was inevitable that he was going to leave after his comments towards the end of the season. Good choice for Lee and hopefully he proves a success at your club, his work-rate, effort and determination will soon make him a favourite with your fans. Sadly missed, but good luck Lee. Just hope the club can manage to hold on to some more of our better players, like Craig Jones.

May 30, 2008 9:59 PM

PickeringUK said:

Good luck to Lee, i hope he has a great few seasons with Barrow.

This means we will need another striker does it, losing 2 in the space of a couple of months is not good really.

Rumour has it Steve Bowes is unhappy at Prestatyn ( nothing definate though ) with the likes of Halesowen Town interested and with the vast improvement in his attitude maybe it is worth a look? Opinions?

May 31, 2008 11:42 PM

JDH said:

What a disappointment, but I can understand Lee's frustration with the treatment he felt handed out to him at times by what in my opinion are sub-standard referee's in the WPL. All the luck in the world at Barrow, 'our loss their gain'.Rhyl HAD 4 quality players in Kendall, Hunt, Horan and Craig Jones, looks like we are losing 2 to pastures new lets hope for the fans sake they can hold onto Jones and Kendall?

June 1, 2008 6:31 PM

Wob said:

Will the last person out of Belle Vue please turn the lights off! In my humble opinion Lee far better player than Andy Jones - and he didn't do too bad for himself. It looks like we may have to forget Intertoto & spend the summer consolidating, counting players etc. If Bickerstaff is the new boss I hope he looks outside the small WPL pond. JH may have had his detractors, but he certainly had eye for talent. And on a sad & realistic note - all those Rhyl fans who have spent 5 seasons rubbing Bangor's nose in it, may have to spend a couple of seasons or so eating humble pie. I hope not. But as Carol Vorderman never said, 'it's a funny old game.'

June 2, 2008 7:59 AM

jonthehammer said:

Gutted Lee has gone, he was a fans idol and a Rhyl legend

Good luck to him and he will always be welcome back here

June 6, 2008 9:51 AM