On this day in 1955 .....

Though it was 33 years later, you started to watch the Reds at the same age as I did. It gets into your blood, or, as Patrick Cryne said, "It's part of your soul".

 

My early hero was left winger, Johnny McCann, who won at least one Scotland B cap when he was with us. He was an excellent dribbler, with a great body swerve. I used to imagine myself as him when playing opposite my school, St. Mary's Boys Junior School on Churchfield, where the car park is now, opposite the police station. I remember falling down several times on the gravelled area which was there then and grazing my knees, and having to pick bits of gravel out of the wounds.

 

Thanks for sharing that story and the great photo. I didn't get to either game, but Grenville Firth's "History Of Barnsley Football Club", (published 1978), tells me that there was a crowd of 44,761 at Leeds Road for the first match, a 1-1 draw, and 29,149 at Oakwell for the Monday afternoon replay (4th round). We didn't get our first floodlights until the following season. As it was a school day, I spent that afternoon at Holgate Grammar School and missed the 1-0 victory.

 

Thank you for that compliment, which comes from someone who is, I know, hugely respected himself by many people on this forum.

 

[QUOTE="Voice of Reason, post: 3493323, member: 120600" As it was a school day, I spent that afternoon at Holgate Grammar School and missed the 1-0 victory.[/QUOTE]

Cough, cough - I should have spent the afternoon at Holgate but somehow felt myself transported to Oakwell. It was the start of a slippery slide down the educational ladder.

 

I suspected, from your pseudonym, that you must have started watching the Reds before I did. I presume you must have seen the Robledos, Danny Blanchflower, Johnny Kelly, all internationals, Cecil McCormack (42 goals in 50 games for us), as well as Northern Irish international goalie, Pat Kelly, and full-back, Gordon Pallister, the great Tommy Taylor, as well as FA Cup runner-up, Jimmy Baxter. Some great names there. Who was your favourite?

 

Cough, cough - I should have spent the afternoon at Holgate but somehow felt myself transported to Oakwell. It was the start of a slippery slide down the educational ladder.[/QUOTE]
We were all given the afternoon off for the 6th round replay v Leicester, so you didn't need to skive off then! I was there for that match, and for the 5th round victory over Luton, which was on a Saturday, of course. I started at Holgate in 1960. Is that when you started, or was it in 1959?

 

It depends what era you're talking about. Some things just stick in the memory.

 

As you are a reformed sinner, and a reluctant sinner at that, I think you deserve to be forgiven.

 

[QUOTE="Voice of Reason, post: 3493332, member: 120600"We were all given the afternoon off for the 6th round replay v Leicester, so you didn't need to skive off then! I was there for that match, and for the 5th round victory over Luton, which was on a Saturday, of course. I started at Holgate in 1960. Is that when you started, or was it in 1959?[/QUOTE]

I was fortunate enough to have a neighbour who took me, with his son, to the first game at Leicester. I was the proud owner of one of the wooden rattles and after finding myself at the from of the terrace, right against the pitch side wall, started to whirl the rattle round as fast and as hard as I could. To my dismay the head flew from the wooden handle and landed a few feet down the track in front of the wall. Head part rescued and with the help of (some supporters) scraps of paper the head was reattached and off I went again, but much more gently this time.

I started at Holgate in 1959 and was in Horne House.

 

Conway called it 'brand loyalty'

nah... sorry.. I was trying to make a joke... his name shouldn't be near your lifelong commitment..