Championship all time table....

Laughing stock we are not SD, that's pretty negative I must say, nor is our only season in the top flight pathetic. Out of that list of clubs, only 4 of them are in a town or fanbase comparable to the size of ours. Grimsby, Blackpool, Millwall and Preston.
All the other clubs are far bigger, have much better crowds, and have much more financial resources.
I personally think it's a great achievement for a small town club with a modest fanbase and not much financial clout to be able to survive the longest in one of the toughest leagues in Europe for so long. To me, a visit to the Premiership is only to gather enough coins to build a new West Stand (and bogs) for when we drop back down to our natural home.

 

Oi Lordtyke leave that stand alone
All in all it`s just another red brick int wall.

 

I didn't mean it to sound negative but you'd think that for all those years we'd have more than a Play-off Final defeat to show for our efforts. Looking back though there haven't been that many concerted efforts to get to the promised land.

 

I think it's mainly that Barnsley have never been able to attract the right players and the right manager-except once, and those jigsaws very rarely fall into place. Danny and the team of 1997 were an exception unfortunately!

 

Was just thinking the same. Barnsley is right between Sheffield and Leeds, each of which have much bigger teams, and is surrounded by Rotherham and Donny as well. Our catchment area is tiny despite the fact that Barnsley is bigger than people think - I bet there are another 10/15 league clubs within an hour's drive.

I suppose it depends on your viewpoint - have we done well considering the above to stay in the second tier for so long, or is it a negative that having managed that we only managed to push on to the top tier once, for one year?

Probably explains the conflict in mentality of a lot of our fans. I'm personally not that bothered over success, it's more about an afternoon out and supporting Barnsley, if we win we win and that's great, if we lose it's often crap, but I'm never going to change my mind or stop coming. It's quite often crap even if we win (although not this year!)! I know a lot who think that the game is always for winning though, and I'm not going to criticise that.

 

Wimbledon and Wigan from non league to top flight. Us ,Swindon, Carlisle and Northampton have all had just one season in top flight.

Think SD has a point that whilst in a position to kick on from 2nd tier we have so little to show for it.

 

Apart from the seasons we missed out on goal average (1921/22), bribery (1914/15), or the play-offs on goal difference (90/91). Also the season our legs just ran out towards the end (81/82).

 

In eighty odd years or whatever it is? We've been balloted out and missed out on goal average in the early 1900's. We've just missed out on automatic in 1982. Missed out on the Play-Offs in 1989 and 1991. Missed out on Play- Offs because of re-shaping league in 1995. Promoted in 1997. Lost out in Play-Off final in 2000 and in 2021 who knows?

I made that nine decent efforts out of eighty plus. It's pretty dire even allowing for other local team that presumably were also competing with us for support before Sky etc.

 

Yep, main thing is we have spent most of our history at this level. No one can question that.

Admittedly we’ve found it more difficult in the last few decades, but it’s no coincidence that money has filtered into this level and even clubs in the leagues below have overtaken us for that reason.

History says we’re a decent club that’s done ok living within its means.

 

I reckon we were building to something special in the 80s then thatcher carpet bombed us back into the 19th century, area and match crowds never recovered.

 

70 odd years. How many similar sized or smaller clubs have made it to the top flight without a good cash injection?

 

The facts don't lie. We average round about the relegation zone of the 2nd tier or just above it. Just surviving is about par and realistic assaults on promotion are understandably rare. Arguably until now we've never had rich owners, have always had to sell to survive. I'm proud of our achievements. I'd rather that than some off the shelf, bought and paid for promotion. That's meaningless. The successes we've had have been hard earned and all the sweeter for it.
It would be nice to add some points to our top flight tally though.

 

There’s a caller on Radio Sheffs football heaven that had stated three or four times now that Rotherham have the most Consecutive seasons in the second tier ?
He says he THINKs it’s twenty odd seasons. .
Seeing as though we went from 1898 to 1933 I’d say he’s a bit out .
Probably just trying to claim something that’s not there for them I expect as he’s basing it on just something he thinks ,

 

In fairness Marlon, 20 is a big number, especially for someone in Rotherham

 

Well said. Agree completely - but you probably know that because I bang on about hobby clubs incessantly

 

All I can say to that is - pffft!!!!

 

Pfftt indeed !!
I second pfftt it

 

Don’t forget the Arsenal fiasco.

 

There are 92 clubs competing & its not the easiest thing to get to the promised land , some have never made it & some never will , of course the advent of promotion via the play offs gives clubs a chance ,but the playoff place has only been an option in relatively recent times , interestingly I read where you have written us off for this years play offs as well SD , we will see , it is all about opinions , I dont really fancy us, but anything is possible & I have not written them off yet.

 

About the owners they aren't going to do anything crazy but you'd hope with their extra clout financially we'd have more finishes higher up the second tier and dalliances with promotion than we have before.