Did these alledged deals for players that fell through

Not how I remember in those details. But having read redders book I don’t think we are that far apart. Definitely a case they wouldn’t raise his wages to that of Tinkler as JT pointed out.

 

He found out that Eric Tinkler was getting paid more than him and asked the club to match his wages. They refused and he left. Never blamed him, I would have done the same. Danny obviously looked on and didn't think we were serious about mounting a tilt at getting back in the premier.

 

I think you need a mixture, otherwise what happened at the start of last year happens again. The overall strategy I think is OK. You need a few senior pros. Why did the GREAT team Hunter ended up with look so classy. The youthful McCarthy, alongside the experienced Ian Evans. Glavin & Banks. Sorry, I've just come.

 

I thought Danny left the week before the season started , surely he wouldn"t have been on holiday as they are usually back training in pre season for 4 or 5 weeks before the season starts but anyway I know we were managerless at the start of the season

 

The squad has more older players than it has in years, to be fair. Helik, Bähre, Woodrow and Mowatt are 25. Ritzmaier and Frieser are 27. Sollbauer is 30. The rest are early 20's.

I don't ever see us signing players who are into their 30's now. Football moves on. I remember us signing Wilkinson, Thompson and then Hendrie in '96, and there's just no way you're getting players of that calibre at that age, to join Barnsley in 2020.

Personally, I think we lack pace up top and/or height up top. An out-ball. It's something everyone knows. Beyond that, I think our squad is pretty decent and will continue to develop over the season. We're three games into the league campaign and for my money, we were no worse than Luton or Coventry, and were better than Reading with equal men on the pitch. I understand results are everything, but it's three games. We went 18 games without a win from August to November last year and still stayed up.

None of us have a clue how the season will go. That's the beauty of football. But I don't see the doomsday scenario that I'm reading about.


On that side you mentioned, with Ronnie, Mick, Evans, Banks et al, can someone explain to me the period that happened. Why did they not get promoted to the top flight etc? It intrigues me.

 

I am convinced we would have gone up with that team ,had Dereck Parker not got crippled at Hillsboro just before xmas , we did not get a replacement until we signed Alan Birch several months later & we just missed out , in my opinion it was a better team than the one we got promoted with in 96 , some might disagree but they were a great side .

 

So why did we sell Brown then, that’s what I quite fathom. Would have been on a reasonable wage and would have had to continue to perform to earn a move.

 

That was the best Barnsley team I've ever seen, old mate. Unfortunately, the best Barnsley team I've ever seen didn't have the best squad. Had that been better, to refresh the team when we picked up injuries, loss of form, etc., we would've won promotion, in my opinion.

 

Spoken at length with Ronnie and Mick and they agree. The 96/97 lads I've spoke to disagree.

This BBS would have been fuming though, eh?

"They haven't replaced Parker!" etc

 

Asking the wrong man, Carl. I think we put a piece out with our CEO recently where that question is answered.

 

Poor from the owners/board. Should have signed more players. Don't want to go up. Repeat ad infinitum.

 

You are spot on , there would have been a rumble or two of discontent on here me thinks !

 

My dad always said that team should have been in the top flight.

He raves about it still now. And I have no doubt many others who saw them still do.

Hes convinced they were a "top league side" in the wrong division.

I only wish I was around to see it.

But that would mean I'd be older. And I'm already in a place I dont want to be much older than I am.

 

And he was definitely never worth it.

 

Wilson left early July (and the information I have is 7th July 1998), they made Hendrie manager straight away or was it caretaker for a few weeks then made it definite. Anyways, Hendrie was definitely manager for the start of the 98/99 season and had been for the whole of pre-season.

 

John Hendrie was appointed player/manager on the first day of preseason training. There was no stage when he was caretaker manager.

 

Yeah, if only we had someone with Kieffer Moore's height and presence. Or Jacob Brown's pace and ability to win headers...

 

Sounds about right that, because DW left on 7th July 1998. He would have done it after returning from holiday and before pre-season starting

 

Yeah thanks mate. I knew he was made manager straight away but couldn't remember if he been caretaker for a bit to get over pre-season

 

Worst window ever. Biggest dropped ball ack too. Wasted the 98/99 season.