1912 and all that.

My grandfather lived by the canal at Worsbrough Bridge. He walked to work at Rockingham every day. My mother told me how proud he was when we brought the cup home.

I started going to Oakwell in my early teens, saving up the money from my paper round (The Independent) to stand on the Ponty on winter evenings in coal dust surrounded by big blokes shouting.

I took my girlfriends to Oakwell. Just to show them it wasn’t about having a great day out. It was what you had to do.

Later on, I moved down to ‘that London’ but still got up to Oakwell whenever I could at weekends. I took the girl who would become my wife there. Because I had to. She had to understand who I was.

And now I have been betrayed.

Not by Oakwell, or BFC, but by the people who own the club. They have betrayed me, my grandfather and everything my town stands for.

A hex on you.

 

Did he live in one of the houses that used to stand on the canal bank

 

Did any of those girlfriends ever stay with you for a 2nd date?

 

Well my wife did, sadly for her. I do remember that in the mid 70s one of my first girlfriends persuaded me not to go to the match one Saturday. We won 5-3. It didn't last.

 

Not quite. My grandparents lived on New Street, just off West Street.

My mother told me how she'd scramble up the heaps of coal on the canal banks hen she was a little girl.

 

Ahh yes the "good" old days

 

Probably. Then again a bit more interesting then spending your whole life staring at a small piece of glass like we do.

 

I was living in Stoke, but having a first night over with my girlfriend in Derby. I was only meant to stay one night and then go back home the next day to go out with another girl to watch the Stoke Barnsley game. We went 2-0 up early on but lost 5-3. I didn't get there though as I stayed in Derby for the weekend, and I've been there ever since

 

Kick-can, or the BBS? Nar let me think...

 

Strange that I was thinking earlier today how my grandad would have felt about the current events.

He introduced me to BFC with talk of watching Robledo at Barnsley and then in Newcastle where he lived shortly after marrying my grandma.

He told me stories of walking to Hillsboro for matches. Of lifting kids over the turnstiles. Of standing in the Ponty End and as he got older the Brewery Stand.

I'm not sure what he'd make of recent events. Uproar over a virtual/fictional currency, the club owned by people who aren't local and so on. Maybe the fact that he fell out of love with football in the 90s might have meant he wouldn't care that much, although I think the fact he ALWAYS read the back page of the Chronicle first means he never truly disconnected from the club and would be concerned at recent events.

Sorry. Bit of a ramble. Might be time to put the rum away for the night.

 

Paragraph Four there is me. Not so much the mid 90s, more the early-mid 10's. I still love BFC though. I mentioned on here the other day, I'd much rather we have no sponsor, no money and play in league two next year then stay in with hex. Because f*ck them, they're awful predatory homophobes and I'd rather follow a crap BFC than one that has to use people like them as a crutch to get by in the world of modern football. It's about Barnsley, and *my* club and *our* club, more than success.

 

My Great Grandad, Jack Hodgson was at the game. He was wounded at the Somme in 1916. Lived to 97 years of age. Never met a person like him & never will I suspect. His last job was on Blackpool North Pier as security & he was in his late 60's then. He's well documented via Barnsley Chronicle. He was a nightmare to go to football with though.

 

Persuaded you not to go to the match

Are you insane?

 

I know people that are in their mid thirties and early forties who still watch Barnsley F.C religiously home and away and still haven't got girlfriends or wives and kids. There are more important things than Barnsley F.C to dedicate your life to.

 

started going to Oakwell in my early teens, saving up the money from my paper round (The Independent) to stand on the Ponty on winter evenings in coal dust surrounded by big blokes shouting.

Did you chuck the "independents" behind the 1st wall you came to, like all the other deliverers?

 

lol, I know. It was a joke

 

I don't think it's just settling down with me. I lost my motivation to go somewhere in the mid 2000's. Not that I'm a glory fan but when I realised it was very unlikely we'll ever be in the topflight again mate.

That's probably where my dislike of the Cryne regime stems from. That took took the bounce from my Barnsley bungee and expunged any expectancy I had left after the Ipswich game in 2000.

 

That’s a really nice post and I enjoyed reading it. Shame about the bitter end; what is it in particular that they have done to betray you?

 

My Dad died in 1994. He spent 65 years watching BFC. In that time he never saw us even come close to the top flight, never saw us get to an FA Cup semi final, never saw us play at Wembley. Saw us come much, much closer to extinction than the old First Division. Saw a 20 year gap where we floundered as a lower 3rd or 4th Division side.
He never lost his enthusiasm but you have to say people of our age are extremely lucky to have seen what we have. Some of it was just not the norm for the club.
Like you said earlier there's more to life than BFC. By all means be enthusiastic. Enjoy the ride when it's a good one but don't get sucked down when things aren't going our way. Life has way more to offer.

 

Last 22 years has been a melancholy in footballing terms. You could say I'm in a Barnsley F.C induced malaise.