Who made you fall in love with football?

This was the team which ignited my love for Barnsley:-
1. Roy Ironside
2. Barry Murphy
3. David Booth
4. John Bettany
5. Eric Winstanley
6. Pat Howard
7. Bob Earnshaw
8. Johnny Evans
9. Jimmy Robson
10.Allen Bradbury
11.George Hamstead
12. Dick Hewitt.
Three players added to that love during my first season (1968/69) as a fan, Norman Dean, Eddie Loyden & Brian Arblaster.
From watching on television, these players also played a part, too:-
1. Gordon Banks
2. George Cohen
3. Ray Wilson
4. Jimmy Baxter
5. Billy McNeil
6. Bobby Moore
7. Jimmy Johnstone
8. Jimmy Greaves
9. Bobby Charlton
10.Denis Law
11.George Best
12.Alan Ball.
Foreign players such as Pele, Lev Yashin, Eusebio, Johan Cruyff, Franz Beckenbauer & Gianni Rivera also made a huge contribution to my personal love.

 

Martin Bullock

Just him on his own and his 3 sizes too big shirt.

 

Football itself no players got me into football it was my mum. She was a big Leeds United fan in the early 70s and took me along. When it comes to the reds I have to thank my mates dad old Mr Taylor, my mum would only let me go with my mates if their dad went so he was a major factor in me shunning the white ***** for the reds. The one player that grew my love for the reds was my neighbour when I grew up in Athersley the one and only Glynn Riley.

 

Up to being 10 I supported Leeds, so it was Lorimer , Hunter, Clarke, etc

Great that within 5 years of me changing allegiance, two of those had played & managed us & totally turned round our fortunes.

 

Alan Little.
Alan Clarke
Ronnie Glavin

 

Alan Clarke’s diving header for Leeds in 1972,I nearly missed it too,my grandma had just fetched me some beans on toast and put it on the coffee table blocking telly,luckily she moved just as he headed it in,was a brilliant goal to win the cup

 

Don’t worry everyone supported Leeds back then,apart from my dad who just used to say “your not having a blummin Leeds shirt”

 

Once saw a sign chalked on a blackboard outside a sports shop in tarn. It read ' New shirts in - every size from Bullock to Molby'

Fair tickled me it did

 

The 1989-90 squad. I'd been going since 85/86 (neatly missing the great early Eighties team) so this was the first squad in my lifetime that looked reasonably competent. Looking back we were probably pretty average but I was at an impressionable age.

Baker, Fleming, Futcher, Taggart, Shotton, Agnew, O' Connell etc,

 

Was some quality players in that team

 

My grandad was the main reason I got into football and he was the one that made me fall in love with the game. My dad worked away a lot when i was a kid and he wasnt a fan of the game himself. All my cousins are girls so I am the only grandson in the family so my grandad made sure I was into footy. He couldnt take me to Oakwell himself as he had MS and had issues getting around so in my early years the only football I saw was champions league games on ITV. I was obsessed with the Real Madrid side of around 2004 with Raul, R9, Roberto Carlos etc. And I also loved watching the Arsenal side of that era too with Henry and co.

 

I didn't really know Barnsley had a team till my Dad suggested taking me. He'd taken my to Elland Road on my 10th birthday, Leeds 2-Man City-2
Week after it was Barnsley vs Crewe & the rest is history.

 

my dad did in the mid 60's. i was sat watching one of the few televised games that were on then and just said " that bobby moore's rubbish all he does is stick his foot out and stop the ball"( i was about 9/10 yo) all my dad said was " dont watch the game just try and watch him and see how his movement off the ball puts him into that position where he can just stick his foot out and not be chasing about like a madman " after that and even now i watch players movements off the ball that tells you the calibre of a player, well for me it does

 

Robson came in for Barry Thomas.
I liked Barry. He was a little tiger.
Bob Parker is missing too. Don’t recall what happened to him.
The rest of the team, dead right. Same love affair.

 

Bob Parker (along with Eric Brookes) were replaced that campaign by Murphy & Booth as our regular full backs.

 

Ronnie Glavin
Bob Latchford
Duncan Mckenzie
Andy King
Ian Banks
Mick McCarthy
Jan Neeskins
George Wood
Trevor Francis
Winnie Campbell
Graham Sounness

 

Same squad different reasons; I’d never really been into football having been introduced to rugby (both codes) as a teen and playing for Barnsley Rugby Club until my mid twenties. A trip to Oakwell with some workmates one Saturday afternoon and I’ve been hooked for the last 30 years. I think I enjoyed the season we won promotion more than our season in the prem. Been some dark days since but lockdown and the adjustments still to come don’t half make you realize the things we take for granted.

 

Gascoyne, Shearer, ginola, di canio

Barnsley players-redfearn, barnard, ward, de zuew, dave watson, dyer, higgnett

 

My Dad, Terry Craven, (made England boys and later played with Terry at Redfearns), Duncan Sharpe, Dennis Booth,
Big Eric was my first hero followed by John Bettany. Many more followed but these made me love football. Glad it was a time when we actually new the players.