Barnsley 3 Tottenham 1 : 23 years ago today

Players I remember us being linked with that season

Colin Cramb Donny
Darren Moore Donny
Freddie Ljungberg Halmstad
Ian Dowie QPR (fortunately we then signed Ward instead)
Dion Dublin (Coventry)

 

I knew you'd pop up on this thread, and I knew it would be something about Bullock.

Never change!

 

He was.

Totally different players and we are privileged to have had them both at our wonderful club.

In many ways, Redders personifies the Barnsley spirit: tough, hard working, loyal, skilful, determined to complete with the best and come out on top. And always came across as a good, genuine lad. When he kissed the badge, I knew it meant something to him - see also Adam Hammill.

But Ronnie had class. And the thought of how brilliant he made us Reds fans feel when he played for us still brings a smile to my face and a tear to my eye.

We shouldn’t forget also the great players from earlier times who few of us will have seen play but who would be right up there with these two. Like our very own Tommy Taylor.

 

Redfearn was all about power.

Glavin was finesse.

 

I wouldn't say power. He wasn't that big, fast or strong. But he had more drive than any player I've seen in a red shirt. And i think his technique could easily be missed because of how energetic and bustling he was. Best all round player I've seen for us and i doubt we'll see anyone better that plays for us for so many games.

Absolute legend.

 

Redders was all guts, determination, drive and a leader of men.
Glavin was a genius with the ball with great vision and sublime finisher. He’d be classed in today’s world as a No10.

I’ll probably get pelted for this but Redders never went missing in a game, whereas Ronnie would disappear for large parts only to pop up with some sublime skill or to score the winner.
Totally different players who probably would have complemented each other nicely.

 

What about Craig Hignett? Where does he rank? Never saw him live but watched highlights and when we were rarely on the telly.

 

Superb player for us but won’t dislodge the other two in our list of all time greats.

 

A midfield 3 of Redfearn Glavin and Hignett would be awesome but you’d need a strong defence!
In my time Higgy would be 3rd on my list of best midfielders. Very similar to Glavin in many ways.
It’s hard to compare being 18 years apart, The game had moved on so much.

 

Darren Barnard's invisibility cloak was at full strength that night. Spurs decided to just not mark him at all for some reason - three sides of the ground all pointing at him, for whoever had the ball to pass to the left wing.

 

Not so much pelters, mate, as a swift clip round the ear.

Remember, Ronnie often had one or two men marking him the whole game in an effort to nullify him. Personally I’d take him having a quiet game then getting us the win. Or in the 91st minute sprinting the length of the pitch at Millmoor to poach a fourth goal and put the game beyond doubt.

 

I was still fuming when I watched the replays on TV that night. the cat was hiding under the sofa and even my missus who never takes football seriously knew to not make any comment whatsoever.("it's only a game"!! )
There was a view from the Kop camera 'front on' showing the incident with Michael Owen and Chris Morgan where he put his arm across Owen's chest when they were side by side and Owen went down clutching his face. Willard had got the red card out before he even reached the spot where Owen was writhing around. He couldn't wait to send Morgan off. I am ashamed to this day that I used some language that a 10 year old girl next to me should never hear her father utter. Whilst I can never condone people running onto the pitch I also understand the hotheads who lost their cool and did so. knowing full well the impact it had on the game and the fact that, as usual the 'man in the middle' would never suffer any real sanctions in spite of incompetence or worse.

 

Craig Hignett was a class player and probably more naturally talented than Redders but nowhere near as present throughout a match.

 

I think I have only watched the highlights once since that day, just can't bring myself to watch it. Or in other words can't afford to buy a new telly once I punch a hole in this one

 

Is pushed it all into a heavily sealed box in my memory until I watched Daydream believers and the anger and disbelief came flooding back, just as I felt watching in the Ponte.

 

That's the only time I've watched it back Helen on Daydream Believer's, why @Dyson had to include it I'll never know lol.

 

Right up there with both of them. It's difficult to judge. Glavin and Redfearn were brilliant. Hignett was brilliant. Banks was brilliant first time round, although more inconsistent but he was much younger. And the other is Stuart Grey, who was different again, but a sublime footballer. All blessed with genius. They're that good we haven't, until now, mentioned Hourihane. Just think how bloody good Hourihane is, and yet we're not even comparing him to these buggers. They could take your breath away. They genuinely could.

 

Great player, in the top 10, but can't get close enough to King Ronnie or Redders

 

For some bizarre reason Hignett left Middlesbrough for Aberdeen (Deam Windass also there at the same time).

If only he had come here instead sooner.

 

When I've selected my All-Time Favoutites Barnsley XI, it contains Glavin, Redfearn, Hignett & Hourihane.