My thoughts on yesterday's match

There have been so many games this season where we have watched the opposition play around and through us, looking dangerous almost every time they attacked our goal. We have seen teams sprinkled with current or ex-internationals, many of them wealthy beyond our players’ wildest dreams. Yesterday that last bit might well be true, but the first bit definitely wasn’t. Carlos Kickaballs has spent a fortune assembling a promotion-winning side and has conned his (sometimes) adoring public into believing that their return to “where they belong” is just around the corner. How easy it is to fool people! They are no more likely to get promoted this, or any other season, than Burton Albion.

As many on here have already said, this was a very poor Wednesday side and you have to wonder how they have spent so long near the top of the league these last couple of seasons. Maybe it is the Winnall/Rhodes effect that has derailed them. Actually, who gives a damn! I hope they scull around this division for the next fifty years, keeping their big brothers at Leeds company. What I saw yesterday was a team intent on stopping us by any foul or sneaky method that they could muster. Adam Reach’s shameful foul on Andy Yiadom was the worst of the lot. My seat was yards away from this incident and I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. I couldn’t possibly suggest that his manager actually TOLD him to grab the player’s arm as he went by, thus compounding the injury that had seen him leave the field three times in the first half. But it certainly looked that way. While his colleagues were happy to barge, trip or obstruct our players any way they could all through the first half, Reach cynically took a fellow player out of the match and then had the gall to smile about it and put his arm round the referee while being “lectured” on his behaviour.

Mr Friend never went within twenty yards of a Wednesday player in that first half despite a catalogue of fouls against our lads who were running with the ball. A couple of no-nonsense yellow cards would have stopped them, maybe. One for Westwood was in order as well as, from the early minutes, he deliberately took his time at every kick that he had. What poetic justice then that we scored so late. We had time to bag a couple more as well but it was not to be.

While some have said what a poor game it was, I really enjoyed it. Yes there were a few misplaced passes and some poor shooting at goal (free kicks especially) but there was plenty to get you on your feet as well. Ryan Kent seemed to spend the first half avoiding the ball but he came to life later on with a few outstanding bits of skill that almost led to goals. The best was his two-footed shuffle to get away from two players near the line on the East Stand side which led to a great chance for Adam Armstrong. He was well in on goal and should have just lifted it over the keeper for a certain goal. Instead he hammered it low for an easy save.

I suppose the best of the match was crammed into that last fifteen minutes or so but you have to admit that we got the minimum that we deserved for our better football and desire to win the match. One goal would have been enough but for the shocking error by Adam Davies. By the way, how come the linesman didn’t flag the ball out? Put it on freeze frame and it looks to me like the ball had crossed the line before Reach hooked his foot round it to lay on a simple goal. It was inevitable though that such a chance would fall to our former striker. What a shame he didn’t miskick it or blaze it wide. His celebration was understandable but bizarre at the same time. He had been booed mercilessly by SOME leading up to that but sprinting down the line and mocking fans that used to sing his praises was going just a bit too far.

Perhaps we just have to put it down to the lack of brain cells that many players and fans have at their disposal. Throwing a toy pig at him was funny but stupid in equal measures and booing him non-stop was also stupid. What better way to fire up an opposition player than to do that? It also gave their fans a chance to big him up as well which was also bizarre. This is a striker who had scored one goal for them so far, and yet they were singing about him in the same way that we used to.

In the end you could argue that a point was just about right but how close we came to taking all three. The hysteria levels were already high when Angus scored but if that curler from Adam Hammill had gone in there would have been fatalities for sure in the home ends with some unable to take the excitement. The thing is that now we can look forward to visits from both Sheffield clubs next season, plus Leeds and Huddersfield (probably). Be good if Bradford came up as well to make it a nice Yorkshire League again.

How any existing season ticket holders can be debating with themselves whether or not to renew beats me. It’s the same price, we should have a better side by August and there is every chance that next season will be as good and maybe better than this one. You’re either a fan, or you aren’t. If you can’t afford it then fine – spend the money elsewhere. It would be good to keep those we have though, and then add a few thousand on top. With match day prices putting so many off there really is no better alternative than a season pass. Those at the club can get on with running it the best way they can but there is no point if we don’t support them, is there?

 

I'm debating the season ticket myself along with 3/4 mates. If all we can hope for in this league is to avoid relegation then I'm not sure I see the point. We have no dreams left no aspirations. We might go to Athersley Rec instead where at least you can dream. At the minute I'm 50 50.

 

I must admit I was havering after the Winnall goal when we seemed to lose our way and I was thinking 'Do I really want more of this next season?' Those last 15 minutes though pulled it back and more. There's no other football team on the planet can grab me like that. To see three sides of the ground bouncing and the players pumped up for it is what makes Oakwell and Barnsley Football Club special for me. I'll be taking advantage of the early bird offer. Like you say, it makes good sense financially but it's also about 'belonging'.

 

My thoughts exactly. I've lived most of my life too far away from Barnsley to get to Oakwell as often as I would like so what we have now is too good to miss. I'm making up for all those absent Saturday afternoons where I was either on involuntary shopping trips or, for a treat, watching southern league football with a tiny radio in my pocket waiting for score flashes from our game with only one eye on the progress of Salisbury or Gloucester City.

I used to fantasise about living up north one day, never really believing it would happen. It did though and win, draw or lose - this is where I want to be now. Oakwell on frantic Saturdays like this. Showing our richer city cousins what it is like to support a PROPER football club.

 

Sorry Jimmy to hear that. I can never, nor will ever, feel that way.

 

I will probably end up getting one it would feel weird not to. I feel out of love with football in general ages ago but abandoning the mighty reds might be a step too far. I can see next season being an almighty struggle from start to finish but I guess it is what it is.

 

Your right about them building winnall up every Wednesday fan I've spoke to before the game haven't been impressed with him first thing bloke at my work said after they lost to reading was you sold us a dud with winnall haven't you? He had scored 1 in 13 before yesterday and we gifted him a goal that my daughter could have scored. And to say they don't care about us they did over celebrate his goal as if they had been promoted pitch invasion, pyro ect ect.
I thought hecky got it wrong yesterday playing one up top we had nothing to play for they had to win so why be negative. I think I'll renew only reason I won't is work commitments but should be able to get to enough games to justify one.

 

I'll be there again as per, and regardless of what happens between now and then I'll be looking forward to it as I do every season.

**** the board bashing, and questioning everything, and let people call me easily pleased if they like.

I'm not easily pleased. I'm just not easily disappointed.

Up the reds!

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How can you possibly say the team will be better next season when we have no idea what recruitment will be like over the summer?

 

I'm umming and ahhing. I've loved having a season ticket this year but not sure I can really afford it now. I bought the current one out of my last pay packet on the last day of my old job as something to look forward to in a time of uncertainty in my life.

 

Because I'm an optimist! Always hope for the best and sometimes it happens. Football clubs like Barnsley go through a process of refresh and renew every season. We may not always like it but that's how it is. I trust them to get it right, as I always do.

 

I'm renewing.

Of course I'll be hurt if we're next season's Rotherham, but I'll be there regardless.

 

Amen.

We can't all get everything right all the time. Football is cyclical and one season doesn't always impact the following one, in fact when was the last time we had two good halves of the same season dove tailed together?

Anyone that wants predictability before they buy a season ticket is probably better off watching Celtic in the pub league.







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Go on. . . . You know it makes sense!

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Great write-up PoR! I respect Red Rain (whatever he may think!) but I have to say that this sort of report, where you convey the experience and emotion of a very entertaining game (for many reasons) is more for me.

On the season ticket front, I suppose we all have differing views and factors to consider on this one. The sale of a certain midfielder (I'm not bothered about the other two) at a point when we didn't need the money has for me, and I suspect many others raised questions about the limits of the club's ambition and whether we have the ability to go further or even stabilise in this league. On one view of the matter, it would only take a few bad decisions to turn us into the next Rotherham. On the other hand, what has been achieved in the last 18 months affords hope that the club hierarchy and in particular the recruitment and coaching staff may be capable of re-generating us with the next wave of raw recruits to develop. After much thought I've come to the conclusion that the journey continues!

 

I'm gutted. I thought that we had something, and now I see that all the time, you were two timing me behind my back. My heart is broken.

Seriously though, I challenge people. If you read me, your ideas and assumptions will be challenged and you will be asked to justify and substantiate your opinions. I am not an easy read, and it is my intention to remain that way.

Speaking of that, there was something else I spotted that I forgot to put into my Minority Report. Did you see the piece of gamesmanship from our keeper in the first half. Yiadom was off having the arm reconnected to his shoulder joint for the second time. Our keeper knew that we needed a break, so as the ball went out of play, he went to the ground uninjured. The ref had to stop play to bring on the physios who tended the non-existent injury to the keeper's leg. Yiadom reappeared in the tunnel and Davies jumped up miraculously healed. Of course keepers do not have to leave the field after treatment, so Davies had successfully used up 2 minutes of Yiadom's absence without any penalty. The question for you is this. Is gamesmanship still gamesmanship even if it is a member of our team that is engaged in it, or is it just clever.

 

Thanks Orsen. We all have something to say about a match. Some analyse, some write just what they think. Some use a dozen words. Mine is over a thousand! I can't apologise for that. I just launch into it and write until it's finished. No hesitation, no deep thoughts.

You're right about Conor- we didn't have to sell but these days players have all the cards. Quite understandable that he should see a clearer route to both the Premier League and international caps at a much bigger club. Good luck to him and you only have to listen to his interview on last week's Reds Report to know what he thinks of us. Total professional and a gentleman as well.

 

The latter. All footballers do it but some are obnoxious in the way they go about it. If that had been Westwood we would have been screaming abuse at him.

 

Good read, as ever fine Prince.

Reach's challenge was of the most cynical nature. Sat in the East Lower I had a very good view of it.

 

AS you might expect, my opinion is more complex. I desperately want my team to win, but I do not want us to do that at any cost. When I played sport, admittedly not at any great level, I always tried to do so fairly and I took it very badly if my opponent tried to win by cheating me. I played tennis for 20 years and that is a very easy game to cheat at. You simply call the ball out when it is in. I used to get furious about it. It was considered bad form to challenge a call, so I would aim my returns at my opponent instead, and I would lose because I had lost control of my temper. It took an older head to show me the way. The way was to call the next return out even if it was mid court.

Cheating is the unacceptable word for gamesmanship by the way. I watch in the same way as I played. I get to my feet and cheer with the rest when we score, but I am much more detached about the rest of the game. I hardly ever criticise referees because they are doing the job as a neutral and to the best of their ability. Plus they are nearer to play, and they are nearly always right because of that. There is no doubt that they are occasionally wrong, but provided they do not referee with any bias, that can be expected. The referee has a difficult job establishing fact when the 22 players plus the benches and most of the fans are trying to cheat him. And yet, we the fans, are prepared to bend the rules and argue that it is right to do so, calling it clever when one of ours does it, and cheating when it is done by one of theirs. This is just an illustration, but it is an illustration of why my reporting style is different to most on the BBS. It approaches the game in a less biased fashion and because of that, it is rarely what the biased fan wants to read immediately after an emotional game. He wants stuff that he agrees with. Stuff that supports a biased reading of the game. Stuff that does not challenge his biased view of events.

In summary, do not read me if you just want someone to agree with. Read me only if you want to be challenged.