Haven't seen this mentioned but there was an interview on an American satellite radio station with Dane https://player.siriusxm.com/on-demand-episodes/9341/6abc5f08-0e98-484a-838a-a560381cc27f/audio/page-name=edp_episodes&showGuid=6abc5f08-0e98-484a-838a-a560381cc27f Go to 1h 04 minutes unless you want to hear the USA take on the premiership and also the MLS (which is quite interesting) In summary: Talks about the relegation run-in and his feeling after we stayed up Bigs up Struber and the size of the task given to him in Nov They thought they had to win all of the last 3 games Said there was a 4-6 week period that Barnsley was worried about getting through July paying the bills and wages!! Payment holidays helped especially HMRC Wigan mentioned and rumour there are other clubs on the brink How he ended up in the back office and as a championship CEO - a friend from New York, Connecticut was an investor in Barnsley and asked him to apply. Didn't expect anything out of it. How much is he looking at American players? - Wanted to try and bring in a couple of Amercian based players. Difficult with the visa situation. Thinks MLS is starting to gain traction. Respect is not there. He believes so many guys could do well in the Championship/Premiership. Have targetted 4 or 5 for this transfer window. Billy Beane what does his involvement mean to the club. To be able to work with him on a personal level is amazing. Has a completely different view on sports. The approach is his baby. Open to new ideas. His mentorship and allowing him to progress as a young CEO under him has been invaluable. I don't think our fanbase realise how much he is involved. (Maybe doesnt want them to) Names that we should look out for (in the USA) : One guy I have my Aaron Herrera. Tried to make a move for him but was shut down. Reggie Cannon 2 guys on the barnsley roster to watch out for: Callum Styles - played a pivotal role. Best player on the team in the last 3 games. Simoes - played in 7 division until 6 months ago. Two young talents will be beyond Barnsley before long
Thanks for that summary, Gally. Had no idea Beane was so involved. That's interesting. I had assumed he was a silent partner.
Interesting that both MLS players he mentions are full-backs. It's certainly where we need strengthening. Was the "have targetted 4 or 5 for this window" comment how many players we're looking to bring in, or how many players from the MLS we're keeping an eye on?
From the MLS but obviously there could be a long list of targets for each position we are looking to recruit
I don't care where they come from as long as they're half decent. John Rooney and Brek Shea were babba.
As long as players are replaced I'm not particularly bothered who leaves to be honest. Of course I'd like to hang onto Mowatt and Woodrow. However, as long as a experienced midfielder is brought in and a centre forward I'd be happy to go along with that.
I like what he's saying about us maybe having access to some players that we wouldn't have previously, due to the pandemic. Interesting times, who knows how it'll work out!
Quite why the board's PR has been such a disaster for much of the time when Dane is clearly articulate goodness knows. Barnsley fans can cope with honesty when it's allied to passion and commitment so let's have more openness. Good interview.
It always seems to be after a trauma though. Going back to Ben Mansford there was a clamour after relegation in 2013 to be more open with fans etc. It carries on for 6 months and then silence. Same with GG. It's just telling people what they want to hear to be honest. Unless things were starting to fall off a cliff there'd be silence again.
Knowing how we've signed players over the last year we'll try and sign Reggie Cannon and come back with Tommy Spudgun
Since January we've been more open than ever. Dane has spoken to the press at regular intervals, via the website at various points, had two Supporters Trust meetings (one just before lockdown and then one in lockdown via Zoom), with fans given the opportunity to ask anything they like. He did five separate interviews yesterday with media, all of which are available online, as well as a club piece after staying up. He's admitted it was a mistake to stay quiet before then, and as a club we've done our upmost to be as forward and open as we can be, throughout what has been a horrendously difficult and challenging time. We are in the process of writing up some of the key parts from all of his press calls yesterday, because some of them have not published topics that we believe are massively relevant. They've used the obvious stuff, which is natural. But there are a few bits and pieces that might explain why Dane wasn't as comfortable speaking previously, and some back-story etc. We'll look to put that out on Friday/Saturday so as not to kill the Chronicle's piece. I'll hold my hands up too as someone involved in the comms that comes out of Oakwell, for the October thru November silence. But there were a lot of issues, some legal and we are all humans at the end of the day and things were bloody tough. It's not always as easy as it seems. But there's been a concerted effort to adjust things from a comms perspective and I don't believe there's been any weird silence in 2020. Obviously, there are still issues that remain unresolved and therefore we're like you and waiting for information here and there, but in general, as a club we knuckled the fùck down over the last seven months, stuck together and we've come out the other side clean. It's about building from here now. I hope we can do so. And it can't be said enough, that circa 7,500 season tickets sold through unprecedented circumstances is astonishing backing. Let's stick together.
My point which I should have made clearer is that when everything is honky dory people scrutinise less. When we made the Johnstone's Paint Trophy final and Play-Off final I wasn't too bothered how the club is run.
I get that. Understand your point. But things were about as bleak as it gets when Dane did his Trust meeting pre-COVID. And haven't been rosey throughout the year.
I don't think it was buddy. I understood what you were saying. It just seemed a good excuse to point out we've been trying to improve the comms.
Just listened so thanks for sharing the link, interesting to hear the comments about some targets that may not have been achievable post covid that we may have a chance with now as teams need money and that they have put some bids out. Would love to know who those are and if we land any.
The thing that stands out for me there is the comment about struggling to pay wages. Wasn't it stated in an interview/fans forum previously that all wages were accounted for, for the duration of players' contracts?