For anyone interested - Shaw Lane

Their FA cup match is on BBC Radio Cumbria tomorrow. They're playing for a place in the 1st round of the FA Cup.

I know some of you are interested, some of you definitely aren't.

I've no feelings on them either way, but I find their rise fascinating.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p05jg9lg

 

My only feelings about them is this - and it applies to all other football teams in the Barnsley District - if Shaw Lane play at the same time as Barnsley and get 200 people watching them - that's 200 people that could be and should be watching their football at Barnsley Football Club.

 

By the same token, 200 people watching Barnsley could also go an watch Shaw Lane (or Athersley, etc.) - I would guess their attendances would also suffer from a clash. If I was at the smaller club I would be shuffling kick offs around to avoid clashes wherever possible.

 

They are playing on Sunday I believe,I may pop down.

 

I know they've already done it once but they really need to change their name. Daft naming a club after a road and they don't even play there anymore! No idea what they should change it though.....

 

Wednesday ********.

I hope they do get up into the football league though just so we can have the "The pit derby" or "El Co'il Face"

 

They are changing their name for next season. Said they want BFC’s approval, in view of the Barnsley Town fiasco.

 

What the owner said in the Chronicle this week was obvious to all without him even saying it. Basically he went on about the crowds and being competitive etc. The owner has done well to get them so many promotions, but I can see them going bust as a modern day version of Rushden and Diamonds. Barnsley isn't a big enough place for two football league sides (if they reach their dream of getting there). Shaw Lane aren't going to get a few thousand watching them week in week out at league 2 level to try and stick around and the owner whilst rich, he's not rich enough to sustain it on his own funds. He's no chance of presuading our fans to watch them instead and so he'd need to find a rich benefactor to join the board.

 

I have to agree that it's a long shot for them to turn pro. I don't begrudge them trying though. From the town's point of view, it can only be a good thing having 2 football league teams. It means there's an influx of people from outside the town visiting every weekend as opposed to every other.

I don't understand this Wednesday thing, their owners got to support someone.

 

They've gone a goal up within 10 minutes.

The Barrow owner even came out with a #TeamsLikeBarnsley type comment, "where even are we? Barnsley is it?"

 

Sorry archey I can't see how two league teams can possibly work. To be viable in the fourth tier without huge funding, even with sizeable funding a second team would need in excess of 1000 home attendances. Thats 1000 who aren't watching us. At admission charges of £15 plus there's not many who could afford to watch both teams.
I may be wrong but in my eyes Shaw Lane would be competition at a level much higher than they are now.

 

I don't see how any reds fans would want to choose one over the other.

Personally I don't see Shaw Lane attracting anywhere near the crowds they'll need to sustain a league position.

I think I was looking at it from the point of view that it could provide a further revenue stream to the town, considering teams such as Grimsby are good travellers at league 2 level.

 

Wouldn't argue there.
I don't really get what the owner's ambitions are. There seems, hopefully, to be a cap on what they can achieve in the town on gates of a couple of hundred.
Seems like the time is coming when he needs to decide what he wants his club to be.
Maybe he could relocate to Wakefield or somewhere.

 

Emley relocated to Wakefield after a good FA Cup campaign and almost destroyed the club. If Shaw Lane are promoted this Season,they will be in the same division as York unless they managed to turn it around. I disagree that the town can't or won't sustain 2 FL Football teams,both on a sporting and business level. I hope Shaw Lane are promoted and spend some time in National League North. I will certainly go and watch them as I only live in Staincross,why wouldn't I want to support a local sports team,whatever the sport.

 

From previous bits n bobs Ive read in the Chron it seems to me his ambitions dont go any further than Conference North. He doesnt have the resources or infrastructure to go any further and he knows it.

 

I might be wrong but I think Barnsley FC knocked Barrow Fc out of the football league in the early '60s so I think they have cause to know Barnsley.

 

I don't have a grudge against Shaw Lane. I like lower league football. I wouldn't want them to detract from the success of the reds though. That's my only concern.

 

If the new Community Stadium comes off at Belle Vue there could be an opportunity for a football club to ground share with Trinity

 

Well whatever you think of them. You can't deny that this is an achievement.

Shaw Lane are in the FA Cup proper after a 2-1 win against Conference Premier team Barrow.