Are what football, and in particular supporting Barnsley, are all about. All those years of struggling to stay in the Championship. The feeling of dejection when you lose to a last minute goal at home to Shrewsbury. At losing to Altrincham in the FA cup. At hearing the Ponty singing "we're ****, and we know we are" as we drop to the bottom of league 1 in November. The only reason to keep on doing it, is the hope that days like today are round the corner. I know loads of people who've given up over the last few years, just stopped going. I've seen people post on here that they just don't get the buzz anymore, and they cite all of the above as the reason they stop caring. I could/can empathise with their views, but could never reach the same conclusion, because the hope is always there. What I'd like to know, and what I ask those that I know, is can it work the other way? Having stopped caring because you're fed up of watching c*nts like Brek Shea, can you start caring again because we have a team to be proud of? Because the squad we have now, the club we have now, from the players to the manager, to Pat Cryne himself, are something to be proud of, regardless of what happens this week and next. I know there are people out there who have been regulars at Oakwell in the past, who are interested enough to talk to me about the club, refer to us as "we," and watch the televised games and cheer when we do well, but still have no intention of coming back to the club. They didn't go to Wembley for the JPT, and they won't go in a couple of weeks when we get there. Yes, when. And they'll say stuff like "Simon Davey pissed me off" and "Mark Robins bored me to tears" when I ask why they don't bother anymore. Their viewpoint is perfectly valid, but I can't help feeling they're missing out. Cutting their noses off to spite their face as the saying goes. I wonder what it takes to tell them, show them that this lot really are worth their support? Is there something more that the rest of us can do to encourage them? If I've described you here, all I say is, take a gamble. If we get to Wembley as I expect us to, go down, enjoy the day, and hopefully you'll see something in this team that I've been privileged to see this season. You loved the Reds once, you'll get no better chance to do so again.
I have lived down south 20 years so most of my Barnsley matches were away at places like Charlton, Palace, QPR, Millwall, Reading, Southend. And we lost 90% of those games I'd say. 2 years ago I finally came home. Married a Yorkshire lass, bought a house in Halifax, had a little nipper who I can't wait to take to oakwell. However today I honestly felt like I'd never been away. all those years of **** were worth it. Love this club. Hope we can build on these vibes. I'm sure Mansford and the team already are...
Great post, my first home game of the season today the two centre half's were absolutely solid but the team work was something special roll on wembely.
Great post and could not agree more. As one who has never given up, I have tried (and succeeded) in getting a lot of new fans down to Oakwell. It's become an integral part of their lives. I hope the former attendees do come back and I will try my best to persuade them. Success is a great stimulus and if we win at Wembley, I expect our season ticket sales to rocket.
I think many of them will have been back today. And if that doesn't bring them back to the fold, nothing will.
This royal throne of kings, this sceptred isle, This earth of majesty, this seat of Mars, This other Eden, demi-paradise, This fortress built by Nature for herself Against infection and the hand of war, This happy breed of men, this little world, This precious stone set in the silver sea, Which serves it in the office of a wall Or as a moat defensive to a house, Against the envy of less happier lands,-- This blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this Barnsley.
