Highlight of a very good day

Mr Allan Clarke - fantastic to see the great man. He's the one I have to thank (and blame ) for my love of the club. Some guy behind me was saying his first season was 95-96 - mine was 78-79 and I feel really privileged to have been there that season and been at the Grimsby game.

We talk about how bad it was over last couple of seasons but heard stories of time before Clarke and it sounded Grimsby. He brought professionalism to the club and set us on the path to better times. Thanks Sniffer

 

Was he at Oakwell?

 

Couldn’t agree more..

 

He was on the pitch at half time

 

Was gutted I had gone downstairs to concourse when it was announced he was on pitch, would have stayed in mi seat and applauded a true legend of our football club if I had known he was going to be there.

 

Ah cool. Wasn't there today with bloody work commitments! Good to know he's not all Leeds then and makes time for BFC. Good man

 

Yep, my late Dad always spoke highly of him and his impact when he came in as manager. I was only 5 going on 6 when I started getting interested in Barnsley FC, mainly through the TV coverage at the time, and also that I went to school with Mike Lester's son for a few months too, totally awe struck I was.

I also think the job that Clarke did second time around is often underestimated. By that time I was a regular supporter and the club were completely skint, but Clarke somehow managed to produce teams that tried to entertain. Wasn't always successful but we were generally competitive, and the 1988/89 side, with Baker, Futcher, Beresford, Thomas, Cooper Currie et al was one of the most entertaining sides I've seen us produce, given what we spent on it. Almost made the playoffs if I remember.

 

Did he bring his band with him ?.
Ohh hang on, wrong thread, wrong Alan Clarke.
Was it six straight defeats at the start of season '86. And yet Alan kept saying we were not getting the rub of the green, and that we were playing some good stuff.
He was eventually proved right, but just think of the comments he'd have got at the time, if these sort of message boards existed back then!.

 

Proper old school Mr Clarke went to one them charity evening's. On stage with Gerry Taggert,Jon Parkin and Adam Hammill and as you can imagine there was some effing jeffing you could see Clarke wasn't impressed. He wasn't there after the break and when he did speak he did go on abit about his time at Leeds as opposed to his time in charge of the Reds.

 

Surprised they didn't interview him as they usually do when they announce a former player at half time.

 

Yep thought he’d have said a few words . He looked well and will always be a legend

 

What a guy
Not only did he introduce the 1st team to wearing a suit to look and act more professional
He took the boys down the pit so they would appreciate what the majority of supporters had to do for a living.
But my favorite memory to this day, which might I add still causes the hairs on the back of my neck to stand up is..

That centre circle wave followed by the stare towards the opposition
Announcing We are Barnsley come and try to beat us if you dare The arrogance of it alone was worth a two goal start lol

 

Yeah that doesn't surprise me to be honest, as he didn't always come across as being the easiest, or friendliest manager to work for.
And like Norman used to do as well, he'd be all Leeds if Calendar or Look North, or radio Leeds wanted him to be.
He certainly wasn't daft in that respect!.

 

Heck, looking at that picture, how old is he now ?.
Some Leeds fans who I've talked to about him, have said he was a big disappointment when he left us to become their boss.
Apparently he really carried a sledge hammer of an attitude around with him, and didn't make many friends.
Especially when it came to trying to deal with, and when talking about, their hooligans!.

 

Poor Jim Iley. much maligned and unfairly so imho.
He took over when the club was literally on its arse, milling around the bottom of Division Four and got them up about 6th or 7th when he left for Blackburn.
I'm sure he knew, as well as we all did, that he had taken us as far as he could, but in my book a lot of the groundwork for the Clarke era was laid down by "Ileyout"

 

Parallels with CH? Not quite the same, but bringing higher standards and more professionalism into the club

 

Should have made him walk to the center circle to wave to the crowd.

Only kidding, legend; otherwise we'd have been on the same tragectory as Halifax, Hartlepoold and Scunny etc.