Interested to know peoples general thoughts on Shaw Lane AFC.

Living in Headingley, they are of no interest to me from a casual watching POV. I travel to watch Barnsley FC at every opportunity I'm not working.
If I was going to watch another team would probably be Harrogate or Guisley, if I was free & we weren't playing, but never got round to it.
I went to Holgate school & have seen the set up there, which is impressive now. They are not going to challenge BFC as far as I can see it.
Don't like the SWFC connection either.

 

The Wednesday connection does it for me I'm afraid and I can't get enthusiastic about them. Their story is not dissimilar to Rushden & Diamonds. Max Griggs ( Doc Martens owner) funded them from a very low level, built them a new stadium and within 10 years were in League 1. They simply could not attract either the crowds and sponsorship to sustain that level without an large financial input from Griggs. He decided it was costing way too much money and, in short, pulled out. Administration followed, the 'new' ground eventually demolished and they were relegated to about the 8th tier. I think there could be a parallel with Shaw Lane if they were to progress further. The owner would have to be an extraordinarily wealthy man and willing to part with a small fortune if they progress any further. They would find it impossible to attract big enough crowds or sponsorship to sustain it without that financial input from the owner. In addition they are going to have spend heavily to upgrade a stadium they don't even own with every promotion.
I don't wish them ill but I think this project will turn out to be unfulfilled dream.

 

People probably sick of me posting this by now. Keep an eye out for our team in the next 5 or so years - Boynton Sports FC. A team from Sheffield, but with a Barnsley fan starting and now helping run it (myself) - We currently have Kurt Turner in our ranks and are hoping to sign Matty Steade in the coming weeks. If we are in town, i would recommend coming to watch us. P3 W3 GF17 GA3
Regarding Shaw Lane, if they are offering a well run community sports club to the public they this is always a good thing, i don't think they will ever threaten attendances at Oakwell. The only thing that could be a negative is the Sheffield Wednesday link....Say for example the next "vardy" was plying his trade for them, and they had some sort of feeder club status with Wednesday, this would be annoying.

 

I'd rather watch a traditional Barnsley club with a valued youth set up than these jokers that view their youth teams as an inconvenience.

 

It's an unsustainable hobby for the owner. They're not a traditional village team like Worsbrough Bridge or Athersley who would still get the locals watching whatever league they were in. I'm not even sure if Shaw Lane residents have any affinity with the club. They're a tiny version of MK Don's whose bubble has burst. The team they tried to put out of existence are now better than them. As soon as the Aquaforce chap tires of leaking money, the club will fold.

 

Good luck to them, hope they realise their ambition of becoming a conference side. having a good laugh about the bitterness of some on here with reasons like...

'I Don't like the Wednesday link' - I presume these people cringe when Adam Davies plays in goal...Presume these people resent the Danny Wilson era when he guided us to the prem, god forbid the Wednesday link.. wow...

or

'They are a smaller MK Dons'... Hardly, they started down the football pyramid and have earned their promotions...

They aren't a threat to Barnsley, but I think it would be great to have conference football on our doorstep either to work with a feeder system or just for when the reds haven't got a match.

 

Where's the dislike button?

Wednesday ********

 

Dear Dear lol..

 

Like I said, Barnsley's own RB Leipzig. Took over a club (changed the name, badge, kits & stadium) then ploughed a lot more money into transfers than their league oppositions.

Hardly likeable.

 

What's not to like.. Local team gets taken over and progress through football pyramid because they are well funded? Is that not what most people on here are wanting from this proposed takeover of BFC? Would that make Barnsley hardly likeable?

 

Major difference. It's not just the funds, it's the fact Craig Wood has taken over a club and completely changed it which in effect is robbing Barugh Green of a team.

Someone came in and threw loads of money at the Rec or Penistone Church there would certainly not be any of this hostility.

Like comparing Fleetwood Town with MK Dons.

 

Robbing Barugh Green of a team... Can you really see conference football being played on Barugh Green rec lol... To progress forward, the club had to change. It's not as though they have taken over a team in league 2 or even the conference who were playing 30 miles away.. they moved the club for the facilities which could never have been provided at Barugh Green. they kept the club in Barnsley only a 10 min drive away.. Can't see the fuss. Completely different to MK Dons / Wimbledon situation.

 

Can you really see National League football on Shaw Lane or Athersley?

A team is a team no matter what level they are. Lets move Barnsley FC to Wakefield and rename it Wakefield Aquaforce because the club would have better chance of progressing to the Premier League moving to a bigger place!!

 

Got nothing against Shaw Lane at all, hope they continue to get promotions, I've only ever been to one game, can't say it was really for me but you've got to admire their rise. It's OK saying they've just had loads of money thrown at them but so have a load of other clubs, Forest Green and Fleetwood are examples of clubs that rose out of nowhere.

Quite amazing that Shaw Lane could be just two promotions of the Football League if they keep up their form this season, I'm sceptical as to whether they'd be able to compete quite as well for players in the National Leagues, they seem to have a core support of around 250, they'd somehow need to quadruple that pretty quickly to sustain football at a higher level plus there's obviously the ground scenario which isn't ideal - Athersley would no doubt need expensive upgrades, think a partnership with Worsbrough Bridge in the long term could be beneficial for them - plenty of room to stick a couple of nice stands, the ground itself is a lot more visible being on such a main road that they'll get interest from people who are merely passing, plus it's a lot more accessible to a larger population of people who might want to pop down.

Really don't get the animosity towards them, they aren't a rival of Barnsley FC so why not wish another club from the town all the best?

 

The ground at Worsbrough can't be upgraded as its in a country park

 

It's not just the money it's the fact they started as Barugh JFC and they changed the whole club, with the most contentious change being them playing in the same colours and kit design of the owners Sheffield Wednesday when they first started.

 

An I right in thinking the local clubs are all at these levels?

Barnsley: level 2
Shaw lane: level 7 (3 off league 2)
Athersley rec: level 9
penistone church: level 9
Worsbrough bridge: level 10

I think I worked those out right from googling. Are there any others at those levels?

 

Dodworth MW have a decent adult saturday team now. Going for and expecting their 3rd promotion in 3 years this season. Currently in Sheffield county senior league division 1 but must admit i dont know how far down the pyramid that is

 

level 12.

 

So you would rather have had them play in an identical strip to Barnsley? ~Yeah great that..