This isn't meant as a swipe at anyone. There's no rules you have to go and watch Barnsley. Living outside the country it's rare I get there myself these days but if I were still able to I'd still go I think I would though life sometimes throws up other priorities. However, I find it strange to hear comments like "if this carries on I won't be attending" or "i'm not watching them in the alehouse league" etc. Each to their own. There's no right or wrong but it seems odd that support of your home town club should be predicated by what division they're in or how well you think the club is being run. I've watched Barnsley in every division. I started in the mid sixties when we were a basket case and started to become a total die hard in 1975 under Jim Iley. Why did/do I support them? Because they're my town. My team. It's the hand fate dealt me and I've taken great pride in seeing us upset the odds on many occasions. I've loved the good teams we've had and endured the bad ones. I've loved the Wembley triumphs, the Glavins and Hammills, the wins over our bigger local rivals. It's the thrill of success now and then. The knowledge that supporting any other team couldn't compete with that feeling. It's the vicarious pleasure granted to someone who was never good enough to play at a high level. I don't expect us to be immune from failure. Supporting the Man Utds of this world would seem bland. I've got wonderful memories of seeing us rise from the depths of the old fourth division. I'm sure if I watched a game from back then now I'd be struck by how poor the standard of football was despite the fact we were winning every week. It didn't matter then. It doesn't matter now. The thrill of walking to Oakwell in 1979 to see us beat Grimsby to seal promotion in front of a crowd of 21,000, double what I'd ever seen before, will always live with me. It's not about the level we're playing at but the highs that are generated. I shed a tear when we won the EFL Cup against Oxford. MY team had won a Cup at Wembley. I don't care if we beat Oxford or Real Madrid. They were good opposition on the day and WE won. So...whatever league we're in next year....it's in your blood. Stick with them. There's more highs round the corner. More memories to savour. Whatever level we're playing at.
Most of us will Churton. Doesn't stop us despairing at self-inflicted failure though (whether or not the manager sees it that way).
There’s nowt finer than days/weekends out at Wembley/premiership and such like surrounded by loads of people that have been on the same rollercoaster as you, with an inner knowledge that you deserve to be there.
Great post and my sentiments exactly. Much in the same boat as you with regards to living out the country. Red Army!
It's well put Churton, and I think the club would like everyone to think like that. I'm afraid I don't. I'm not too worried about us actually winning stuff - that's just a bonus. But for me, there has to be a reasonable prospect that what you are going to see will be entertaining and enjoyable. And that has not been the case in over 50% of the home games this season - in my opinion. And I find it somewhat frustrating to celebrate progress and elevation to a higher league only to find that we repeat our age-old modus operandi of allowing our better players to be plundered and be replaced by lesser ones. And this season we have compounded that by allowing one of our finest manager/head coaches to become disenchanted and leave, thus breaking a priceless local link and damaging our future prospects. I know many will disagree with the latter point.
I started watching BFC in 1967. Been through all the division too. But my worry is that I would not like to go back to the old 4th division days again, but I feel it is on the cards. Just because we drop down a league is no guarantee we would be more successful... Look at Sunderland . Renewed my season ticket but disappointed (like others) that we have thrown away our hard earned championship status again.
This sums up just how I feel about MY team in a nutshell. Yes, it will be a sad day if/when we go down to League 1 but life goes on and next season will be a new one wherever we are. The old saying is true, you can take the boy out of Barnsley but you can't take Barnsley out of the boy.
People have a lot factors which constrain them - money and time are probably the biggest two, and given how utterly depressing our home form has been I'm amazed how many people still turn up. No one is saying their support of the club is conditional, just their support with time and money. People have different priorities at different times of their lives, I've had a season ticket, then not, then had one, then not, etc. Mainly based on external factors but also definitely based on how the team are doing - and if that's not how proper fans should behave then there's the thing - most Barnsley fans, like fans of every other club, are not season ticket holders who go to every game. So we have a big tent for all our fans, and all should be welcome regardless of their perceived loyalty based on any one criteria.
" we used to dream of 't' third division" course I remember the days when you had to shout any comments on the game to the nearest fan, they were stood that far away, so its not always been sweetness and light .
Couldn't agree more. Some of my best memories of watching Barnsley have been at third tier level and I wouldn't swap them for anything. Whilst 1997 was the pinnacle of everything Barnsley, it was much more fun getting to the Premier League than actually being in it. I'll be glad of the 3 month break but come the end of July the excitement and blind optimism will be there again.
I 've always enjoyed your posts orsenkaht but your failure to attach any blame to Hecky is quite baffling.Is Jose devoid of any blame no is the answer.The same question and answer also refers to Paul.As for becoming disenchanted and leaving I think most people see it as going before getting sacked oh and a tidy pay rise to boot.
Some people take things far too seriously as if it's life and death, or that they forfeit other things to watch the reds, which of course is utter rubbish. When alls said and done, going to watch sports is a leasure activity, an indulgence. The league pyramid is there for clubs to pass between one division to another. If people can't take the rough with the smooth, just don't go. No need to tell everyone, just don't turn up. I bet half of the fans that jump on the playoff bandwagon are in the "I'm not going again" camp. I've missed 2 games since the playoff final. Am I giving something up to watch the reds? Am I ****. I go cos I want to. When I don't I'll stop, but without a flounce.
End of the day, it's just eleven men kicking a ball abart.. Does it detract or enhance your life. I'm some where in the middle... a mah.
I couldn't agree more. If I could live through a season again it would be 96/97 closely followed by 1981/82
totally agree with you Kev and the OP. I am in the same boat as him re attending. But I could never swap my allegiance to any other team. I also have no "second" team like many others seem to do. I have a soft spot for one or two due to relatives or lived near when in the Forces. But Barnsley a, To quote Barry White, MY FIRST, MY LAST.... MY EVERYTHING.
If the worst happens, tomorrow or the following week, then I know even the more pragmatic people, such as yourself Fitzy, will be disappointed. I know the last time we dropped I felt frustration, anger etc, but that soon passed. And everyone picked themselves up, including the club. Good management (whatever that is), bigger budgets, arguably give any team a better chance of relative success, but no divine right to it. See Sunderland. 3 points for a win and the chance of moving between divisions are the last remaining bits of integrity in modern football, it's just a shame that money at the scale it's at now is limiting the chances to a smaller and smaller group of clubs. What I did enjoy about League 1 was that I found it more like the football that I started out watching in 1980. A bit more honest and less business like. Supporters of both Barnsley and our opponents, home and away, who were there for the same reason. Blinkered love of their team. We'll have the same post match ponty-end car park discussions next season as in previous ones, see the same faces and hear the same voices (good health permitting) and all will be well with life again.
Won't be there tomorrow. DJing all weekend, which will keep me occupied. Leeds gig tonight, up to Northumberland on Saturday to DJ a wedding & then my Jazz Club gig on a sunday afternoon at the Brunswick in Leeds. Have made more than half the home games this season, which is good for me, as I do need to earn money on some saturdays. Only seen 2 league wins (Forest and Sheff Utd) & 2 in the Carabau cup. Probably one of the worst seasons entertainment wise I've seen, since I started going in 74/75 when Iley was the gaffer. I can't think of a single player who deserves player of the year. Will still get to as many as I can next season & may get to a few more aways. Will keep pontificating on here too.
