I need your opinions

There’s always room for another angle and viewpoint, so go for it @YT. I would definitely listen/watch depending on what format you decide

 

It's a yes from me.

 

Yeah I’d watch - I think your comment and views will be tempered with your time spent at the club without actually having to ‘reveal’ anything - so your opinion and views are interesting to me.

 

My understanding is there was an incident in the staff canteen where YT thought he was using the shared salad cream when in fact he was using the bottle clearly marked "Mladen's" in felt tip and from that day his days were numbered.

I know what you are thinking "Don't be daft Andy; Mladen hasn't been near a salad in years".......... but only going on what I heard

ITK

 

I enjoy reading your comments and listening to your take on things so would be interested.

 

Definitely mate, go for it!

 

I don’t listen to any of the others but would probably listen to yours.

 

Yes.

Wait for your NDA to expire. We need to know all the Malik Wilks gossip.

 

I don't listen/watch any BFC stuff but I'd listen to yours.

 

This is long-winded (shock). Trying to cover this question and other comments after it. Maybe would have been better served as the first blog post.

I chose to leave, Paul. I no longer enjoyed the job and it had started to negatively impact my personal life and both my physical and mental health.

At the point that I called time on it, I was close to being 14 stone in weight (having never been above 12 in my entire life). I had just been through a course of antibiotics for a huge boil on the back of my neck (literally the size of a golf ball). I was drinking pretty heavily. I barely saw my friends, had little time with the family and was just stuck in a rut. I'd often leave the house at 7.30am, be sat on the M62 for an hour, angry, frustrated, depressed. I'd often leave the office at 6pm or later, but always in the knowledge that you're always 'on call' in that role. Again, I'd be in traffic and angry. I'd head to the off-license on the way home and grab some cans. I'd order a takeaway, crack open a beer and open the laptop, do more work. Angry. Frustrated. Depressed. Rinse and repeat, for a good 12 months. If I got an email or text from anyone at work, my mind would immediately be 'f*** off'. Trust me, I was in a very dark place and it's scary how fast you can fall into such a hole and how long it takes for you to realise/accept it.

The hours hadn't changed. Nor the expectation. I was paid more than I'd ever been. Nobody at Barnsley FC had caused it. Some people will be disappointed to read that, but I have absolutely nothing bad to say about the place, the people there and I left on good terms. I mean, I was given a guard of honour by colleagues as I left the office one final time. Which was both weird as f*** and lovely, looking back. A few weeks later, I came back to the town and with about 20 colleagues (from all departments), enjoyed some food and a couple of beers, reminiscing, saying goodbye etc. That was partly down to the fact that I'd kept my departure a secret, and 99% of folk only found out the day that I left. Because I didn't want the fuss, nor did I want anyone trying to change my mind. It was the right thing to do, considering two or three people cried when I told them that Friday. I knew I had to leave because (thank God) I knew I wasn't in a good place.

The reason I was drinking heavily? The reason my mental and physical health was suffering? The reason I had no time for friends and family? My job. That's the conclusion I came to. And I knew I couldn't get another job straight away. Regardless of income, I needed a few months to reset and step back. Life is full-on. But I saw an opportunity to manufacture a pause of sorts. And so I had eight weeks of me time. Eight weeks seeing friends, getting to know my missus again, re-finding myself basically. It was a period I will always look back on now as the most important couple of months of my life. Because within no time at all, it became clear that I'd made the right decision and that yes, it was the job.

Fast forward to 2025 and I've had less than 10 pints of beer since leaving Barnsley. In essence, it has to be a pretty special occasion for me to order an alcoholic drink. I work out four times a week and now weigh 11st 11lbs, with actual muscles. I feel healthier than I ever have. I've taken up new hobbies. And in terms of employment, I turned down plenty of opportunities to remain in sport because I wanted to work in the charity sector. Which is what I now do, earning the same sort of money without a commute, in a hybrid role and actually enjoying the work that I do once again. I get an enormous sense of purpose, of fulfilment. I used to love the community work we did at Barnsley. When you see kids' faces when you introduce them to Cauley Woodrow or whatever. Little things like that. Knowing the work you do is positively impacting others is worth more than just the salary each month.

I will always thank Jon Flatman especially. Because he supported me through that dark period when others possibly wouldn't have, and like I've said, I don't have anything bad to say about anyone at the club. If anything, I wish I had been better in that last year in particular because if I didn't enjoy being myself back then, I imagine I wasn't great to be around. But I'd lost a handful of close colleagues in that time, people who were more than just colleagues, Beth especially and I suppose I just got lost. Thankfully, I found myself again and whilst this season for the club has been a proper disaster, and I've knocked certain players, performances and the club's lack of engagement, it has felt 'right' to me. As in, I feel like a supporter again. Back where I started. Not a happy one. Who would be after the last nine months? But I care about it. I always will.

If I did decide to return to the world of content creation, people will need to appreciate I wouldn't be attacking individuals. There would never be calls for anyone's head. I didn't do that prior to working at BFC, so there's absolutely no way I'd be doing that now. And looking at the current crowd of BFC 'content creators' I think at least one of those channels has that covered. I mean, if Elon Musk bought the club, maybe I'd change my mind. But you get my point. And me saying I don't rate Sam Cosgrove doesn't come under the umbrella of 'attacking'. Pretty much like him.
I do have a little book though, of all the former players I built a relationship with. So there'd likely be some chats with them. I love the history of the club, so yeah, I expect I'd focus on that where possible. I love writing (typing), as this post will show. So I expect it'll be a blog of some sort. But it's early days and I'm really not sure what it looks like at this stage. I liked doing the 'not a podcast' thing back in the day. I enjoy the humour of football. Eyup n Down make me chuckle, just as West Stand Bogs did before it. I dunno. I'll go away and see what I come up with.

And to finish, anyone who works in the game doing certain roles will, upon leaving, sign an NDA. So there's lots of things I will never divulge. But that's not what this is about. I feel like I'm back where I belong, just a fan like anyone else and want to scratch that itch again, of talking about the Reds. I love Barnsley FC. Why would I ever try and harm it? I like to think I helped it over the years. There are things in place there that I started. Just at the weekend for example, the Reds Remembered roll-call. The Hall of Fame. Alumni. The memorial wall. Naming the stands. All things I helped implement. I'm proud that I played a small part in my club's 138-year history. However, I was also the person who said 'yes, tweet it' to one of my staff when they showed me a tweet idea at full-time against Port Vale in 2023, saying 'SiGn A sTrIkEr' or whatever it was. Yep. We're all human. We all f*** up. And excel (one for James).

 

You have a unique perspective from the other bloggers, as both a fan and former employee of a football club. I'd be interested in listening to your channel.

 

Seconded!

 

Do it if you enjoy doing it. If no-one even watched it, you still enjoyed doing it.

 

I always enjoyed your previous content. Be great to have you back in that space.

 

Put simply, if you want to do something. Do it. At the very least try it. And if you don’t that’s fine too.

Nobody can tell you how to feel or what’s right for you. You’ll know what you want to do, deep down. I feel you already are aware, you’re just in the process of convincing yourself.

What I would advise anyone about anything. Don’t do things through obligation. Do it for enjoyment or betterment of yourself and/or others.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

 

Mladen- Salad, really

 

Give it a go pal, if you don’t you’ll have a regret later in life that you didn’t.

You are clearly talented and plenty of people would love to see your content.

 

Unfair comment as we all kno Sormez is spot on at identifying a Turnip..
Yes mate go for it.

 

I think a podcast & accompanying YouTube channel is a great idea. As mentioned above, the current offerings on that front aren't probably to everyone's taste. They're either really dry and matter of fact, or Vlogs, which have been done to death. Something a bit more lighthearted with a 'lads in the pub' type vibe would be more entertaining I reckon. I often find the best football podcasts are those that feature comedians or at least people with a sense of humour. I'd love to be able to get into it, but I don't have the resources, skill, time or sense of humour to make it a success I reckon.

Best of luck with it.