Brendan O'Connell - Live from Redfearn's Bar - Questions Please

Not sure this counts as a question but he is one of my all-time favourite players and I loved how he celebrated every goal like it was the World Cup winner.
So tell him that and I've got one of his old shirts.

 

You're doing a brilliant job with these.

You should be very proud.

 

Along with several Reds fans, myself , my son and his mate were in Brendan, John Dennis and Gerry Taggarts company at the Hilton Hotel Wembley in 2008, when we played Cardiff City in the FA Cup Semi-final. Gerry was very entertaining and was doing one armed press ups which amused us all. Can Brendan recount some of the other antics that "Tags " got up to during their time together at Oakwell.?


During the time he was our Manager, Mel Machin came across as very dour. What is Brendan's opinion of him and during his career, who in his opinion was the best Manager he ever played under.?

What does he remember about the game at Leeds in 1990, when himself and Archie scored in our memorable and what appeared to be a most unlikely 2-1 win at Elland Road.?

 

What did he initially think when Mel Machin wanted to play him in midfield, rather than continue as a striker?

 

Was his seemingly boundless energy natural, or did he have to be training all the time to get there?

 

(Fan girl squeal)

1) How does Brendan feel about being one of the best football players of all time? Slightly better than Maradona in my eyes.
2) If I reverse my vasectomy and have a third child, would he be willing to be godfather?
3) Or just cut out the middleman and be the father?
4) How does he feel about leaving the club just before our historic promotion? Did he request to leave?
5) Given that he scored a decent amount of goals under a manager renowned for being defensive, how many could he have scored under a different manager?
6). Were his best years at Burnley or Barnsley? What were the circumstances of the Burnley to Barnsley transfer?
7) Has he returned to Oakwell since his retirement?

 

When they say “never meet your heroes” and all that, I can confirm that with my hero, Brendan O’Connell, that isn’t the case. One of the nicest blokes you could wish to meet.

I’ve been lucky enough to spend a lot of time with most of my footballing heroes, and can honestly say that only one or two have turned out to disappoint me.

It was not popular to like Brendan when I was a young lad. In the playground at school, when my mates were Hirst, Robson, Strachan and Rush, I was O’Connell. The stick I used to hear him get at Oakwell served only to strengthen my adoration for him.

I’ve cried about football events a few times in my life. I was in Cornwall, 14 year old when I found out Brendan had left the club. Tears flowed that afternoon. I took a ball onto the beach and recreated his goals for over an hour.

He’d have improved that 96/97 side. It’s the one thing that ruins that glorious promotion. Brendan should have been part of it.



On topic, I’ve nowt to ask that I haven’t already a thousand times! But I will watch it with eyes glued and a grin on my face throughout.

Sheff Utd at home 95, still my favourite ever Reds game. Nobody can take that away! What a f%#^++^ player.

And hats off Benj for these interviews. A joy and pleasure to enjoy content I’ve had no hand in. It’s refreshing as f&*^ and makes me feel just a fan again. You love Nards? It doesn’t come close to how I feel about BOC.

 

Agree with what folk are saying Ben, you’re doing a superb job mate, very impressed with your interviewing skills, it’s not as easy as you make it look

 

I cannot recall any Barnsley player who covered more ground during 90 minutes than Brendan. Did it ever occur to him that if his passing had been more accurate, he would not have had to run so far?

 

Great idea these interviews . Maybe continue them once a month once we are out of lockdown too

 

Could you ask one of my absolute heroes, Mr Brendan 'eye's right' O'Connell, as my friends and I called him, why he only ever, ever, ever passed to players to his right.

And if you don't fancy that...

What are his memories of scoring both goals when we beat Sheff Utd at home.

 

Back in those days players were far more accessible . When I say that what I really mean is you could meet most of them in Japanese Whispers on a Saturday night. Brendan was there a few times I remember and always happy to listen to pissed up idiots (me) talking utter rubbish. From his time at Oakwell which was his most memorable goal and why?

On a purely personal note his goal at Leeds on a Tuesday night sticks in my mind.

Ben, as many others have said, you are doing a fantastic job and please keep it up.

 

Or Do you keep chickens and have they all got heads on ? ..... according to a lot of people who were around me at the time , he definitely did !! I liked him and his enthusiasm , always gave 100%

 

My son has reminded me that when we first met Brendan and Gerry in the Hilton, I appeared so
" star struck", I mixed Brendan up with another of our former players Brian O'Callaghan
and hope that he forgave me for initially calling him Brendan O' Callaghan.?

My sons mate was extracting the urine for months after my faux pas and didn't let me live
it down for some time. He still recalls the incident whenever we meet up all these years later.

 

My mind could be playing tricks on me but I’m sure before Oakwell sandwich shop it used to be a sports shop and I can remember getting some football boots from there and the owner could have been taking the mick but he told me that players used to p/x their boots for new ones...and the ones I bought belong to Brendan, What a salesman

 

It was Oakwell Sports I think, lad called Keith used to run it. I think you're right about the players boots. In the run up to Christmas 1992, I'm sure he bent over backwards to get most of the first team some AstroTurf trainers prior to a Boxing Day game away at Grimsby, because of the weather forecast showing severe frosts and frozen pitch etc. Suppliers were closing down for Christmas, but he managed to sort them out with pairs just in time.

 

You didn't stand in middle of Brewery stand by any chance - they all thought that near me! I liked him - as you said he always gave his all - think most people like it when you give your all for the shirt

 

I've never really understood the 'headless chicken' Brendan got labelled with. He was certainly a tireless worker for the team, but his work rate (in my opinion) always had a purpose, whether it be closing an opponent down, or making positive runs. These runs without the ball were into space to receive a pass from a team mate, or runs with the ball usually directly into the heart of our opponents defence. Also, Brendan was an excellent finisher. Not to the standard of a Ronnie Glavin, or Craig Hignett, but extremely effective and consistent.