Not a flounce....but...(long post)

After 55 years of supporting/following BFC I am done.

There are many factors, the least of which is the club itself that have led me to this decision.

I was not originally a Barnsley lad, born near London, my dad was the son of a Durham miner and my mother came from the East end . They met during the war as he was stationed there in the RAF as a fitter and she was in the WRAF in a barrage balloon squad protecting London during the blitz. My dad worked for the GPO when demobbed and ended up in the civil service. He got promoted and when I was seven we moved to Blackpool in its heyday and I had a fantastic time for the next 6 years. A year and one term into my time at Blackpool Grammar school my dad got promoted and we moved to Barnsley.
My first view was 1967 Barnsley on a cold wet November Saturday and I remember asking 'do we have to move here?' It was like a frontier town and Holgate was nothing like the modern well equipped school that Blackpool Grammar was. I was also subjected being whimpy nerd, Southerner and having come direct from Lancashire to a pretty tough time for the first year or so. I found it hard to adapt to the dialect as well.
Anyway, I ultimately came to love to town, the people and spent over 50 years (apart from a short time living/working in Sheffield) there. Barnsley FC was MY team and like the rest of you, I lived through the ups and downs that is/was being a Red. I married a Barnsley girl (daughter of a miner) and we are still happy together. My daughter, born in Barnsley Hospital no longer lives in Barnsley. All our immediate family have passed as have most of our friends there

So, my sole remaining link to Barnsley has been this BB and following the ups and downs of the club.

Nevertheless my interest in football has waned starting with the Premier League and to a large extent International matches. Sadly this has now extended to Football in general. Money and the attitudes of players/managers regarding any loyalty, and the fact so many on here are resigned to the mercenary nature of football has finally extinguished any love I had for the game. This latest 'Duff' debacle and back to 'square one' is the final straw. It seem different somehow to all the other times this has happened.

I have enjoyed reading and posting on this BB and it has been my only connection and conduit to BFC and non-footy things that go in in what I came to think of as my 'home town.' I am sure a few on here will quite happy to see me leave and at the same time there are a few I won't miss. There are many though whose posts I have enjoyed with the lively banter and debates, and the unique Barnsley wit.

All that said, I now feel totally disconnected from the Club (business) but now also Barnsley and feel it is time for me to move on. BFC won't miss me since financially I don't contribute anything not attending matches or having an ST.

Good luck to you all and I hope BFC can once again thrive and re-establish themselves in the higher leagues.

Tekkytyke

 

I'll always remember the day when I saw you do a Football post.

 

All the best pal

 

On the standard "Flounce scale". I'll give this effort a solid 7, but you could do so much better.

Edit. I know we've clashed on politics (especially the B word) but it's been fairly good natured and mostly enjoyable banter. You'll be missed.

 

90% of the stuff on here is not football related. You could disconnect from the club but still pop on here for a debate and to keep in touch with the town. Don't know if you ever get back to Barnsley but the town centre is a joy and I can't wait for Nudgers Bridge to be completed. I enjoy reading your alternative points of view, some of which you've been derided for, so please pop back from time to time to join in the fun.

 

I don't what's brought you to this conclusion, but you are as much a part of this BBS as anybody else and you can post as much and on whatever subject matter as you want. Mindst, some of the cobblers you type, only a blind man would be glad to see.

 

I was replying to Dreamboy’s quip, not the original post.

 

Will be missed...Good Luck Tekkytyke
I wish you well buddy
I know how you feel to some extent.......I've almost walked away twice this season...but unfortunately I can't this place is so addictive
As for Grove street....far from happy with the shenanigans that are taking place....we don't get called Tinpot for nothing...

 

I find it hard after all the strides the club has taken over recent months to let Duff leaving temper my enthusiasm to one of the main things that has pulled me through so many things.

Sorry to see you go @Tekkytyke but life goes on.

 

I was going to do a proper flounce and see if I could beat a 7 out of 10 but then remembered how I love this club and have done for 50 years. Can't get to many games now due to caring for my wife but still try to chip in for programmes and stuff. Compared to the early to mid 70s we are in the land of milk and honey . Managers, players and owners come and go but fans still support the club. I'm Barnsley till I die

 

Spot on.

 

Half a flounce at best for me. A flouncette. I think I've flounced better before breakfast. This one's got 'back by September' written all over it.

(Which wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing, I should probably add!)

 

You'll be back