[Club YouTube] Oakwell Hall Of Fame | 2018 Awards Night

I can understand all of that. I was gutted to have missed the 130th anniversary too being in Indonesia. So I can't deny there was a hint of selfishness in me that wanted to see Redfearn especially. But as you say, nobody should ever be made to do something they don't want to do, ever.

Maybe in future, particularly as half times are so short, an individual in the hall of fame, may just happen to have a chat one game, so there isn't pressure on 6 to come onto the field all at once. Though if Barry Murphy did that, half time would absolutely have to be extended! ;-)

Out of interest... (and I know its early days and you'll be digesting and analysing the event and process still), is 6 inductees at a time the likely way forward, once a year?

And again, just want to thank you and the rest of the team for not just this, but other media output. The difference is immense. Keep challenging, keep evolving. Keep doing the fans proud.

 

We think we're doing a decent job, as we were before. Always room for improvement. But results on the pitch affect everything. Not sure folk notice the rest of what goes off at the club when we're embroiled in a relegation season and barely winning games.

And I'm afraid that beyond the idea and putting it altogether etc, our team weren't involved in the actual selection process. I'd have had Jacob Butterfield and Brendan O'Connell inducted otherwise. But we can suggest things. I think it was felt that if you induct loads every year, it will eventually get daft.

However, it's clear to me that many of those on the shortlist from the early years of the club will probably never get inducted by the fans etc. So I think there's certainly scope to have a few auto-inductees throughout the year, or in the build-up to next year. I'm an Elsecar lad and biased, but Elsecar's George Utley should have been inducted on day one. Not just for his success at the club, but he remains the only player to be selected for England whilst playing for us. So yeah, I think we will tinker with it as it goes along. I imagine we'll induct more than six next time, and probably give supporters more than the one vote.

We just wanted it to be very special for the first year, to give those select few their moment. And I don't think you can disagree with the six inductees deserving a place. In what order people should get in is open for debate of course, and I remember when we launched this in the summer, many on here were suggesting we'd airbrushed John Dennis from the history books and what not. But the panel made their choices. It wasn't a pure club decision. And considering the suggestion regards JD, we invited him here on Friday and were honoured to have him with us, and to present Redders' award.

Finally, I'm not going to cry about it, because as a fan I've taken real pride in this whole idea and concept. But it's been some bloody graft over the last nine months. It takes a hell of a lot of planning and a hell of a lot of time that invades your personal, 'free' time, it takes all that up. And you're still hoping and praying that certain parts of the jigsaw can fit at the last minute. I wasn't 100% sure Redders was making it, right until he walked into the building with seconds to spare. So when you think about expanding it and all that carry on, you have to also appreciate that would mean more graft, more time and more effort. We're Barnsley FC. There's a handful of us involved in the complete shebang. We aren't a team of 100 like the big clubs who've done similar events. We can't just employ a big company to take it on for us, to run a website, host the event, film it all, invite everyone. Our little team had to do all that themselves. It's left us shattered. We had games going on, one just a few hours after clearing up after the event. On TV. It's graft. It's hard. And whilst I'm so pleased it seems to have gone down well, I can't say I'm looking forward to another one at the moment!

Bring on HOF 2019!

 

I can only say personally, but even when losing, the content is something that's important, and the last few years have been much better, but there is certainly more content coming, particularly video content and summaries and the graphics around it are getting better and slicker all the time. Other supporters may just hide, I don't know, but not living in the area still (thank god I have a local game on Saturday!), maintaining the connection is important for me.

I can't disagree with the first 6 names at all. Make absolute sense in my mind, but subjectivity will always bring differing views over time and year on year, new players will be brought in which some will agree with, some will disagree.

And totally agree that past years have to be covered. Could all too easily become imbalanced as younger people have obviously seen more recent players. I never saw McCormack, Hine, Kaye, Steele and the like. But they obviously have to be in at some stage, but most fans wont have seen them first hand.

Graft... yer wuss... get thissen darn t'pit. ;-) But go and have a lie down since its a quiet Tuesday!

 

Put me down to help more next year, it would be a pleasure

 

I'd be happy to help in any way.