Why is coming to Barnsley Football Club now so unenjoyable?

It seems that I am not alone in losing my desire to attend Oakwell.
I had forgotten that many more people have other problems getting there ... the Jumble Lane affair and other road closures on the day.
Between them all, the club, the council and SYP appear to want to make it nigh on impossible for us to get to the ground. Is there some hidden agenda here or am I too much of a believer in conspiracy theories for my own good?
The problem is that nobody who can do something positive will ever read our worries so nothing will change. A happy customer is a satisfied customer.

 

I can’t imagine they fancy undertaking the costs of a new ground but making it a complete pain in the arse to get to Oakwell would be a method of making that more attractive to some I guess.

 

It's the ground ownership issue. Until it's sorted nothing will change and until someone takes over who wants to invest without any monetary return the club will just meander on.

 

The decline started long before the charlatans took over. We have been stuck in the year 2000 for years in terms of progression in & around Oakwell. In fact with all this going on it’s more a regression.

 

Not even having a bus service where I live, I’m finding it very hard to sympathise with the petty annoyances of motorists..

 

Couldn't help but think of this song:



The club hasn't shown any ambition since summer 1999 when they appointed Bassett and that was out of panic because the money was running out.

 

Many reasons why I didn't renew thus season. The absolute pain in the arse getting to and from Oakwell is was a factor for sure. That's not all down to the club I admit but it's still a pain.
Oakwell is also run down, facilities are awful.

 

Stop moaning man and pay your extra fiver for tons of rimming.

 

Park away from the stadium somewhere free, turn up five to three, go home at full time. I used to buy a drink at half time but wouldn't bother at the expensive prices they charge. Yesterday people were queuing to the exit gate to get served because the staff at catering are so slow and have no system in place. The match day experience hasn't improved and this board have had five years to sort it since they said they would. Going back to Accrington they put us to shame. Yes it had a few issues like only 5 cubicles and 2 hand dryers and serving pints in plastic cups. However the surroundings were great, you were served quickly and they put a band on at full time to tempt the thousands already at the ground to go get somewhere to eat and drink after the game.

Who owns the old school land behind the west stand? Whoever it is doesn't deserve it for leaving it all these years looking like an eyesore. If you're not going to do anything with it, sell to someone who will.

 

If Khaled and the rest got out from their ivory towers and stopped scoffing prawn sandwiches they might actually SEE what it's like for fans and do something about it.

Hard to solve problems when you're enjoying your complimentary dinner in the board room so have no idea what working people are having to deal with.

 

The bloke hasn’t a clue how to run a football club.

 

The media team aren't actually actively outside before or after games either. Nobody is. Sure messages can get relayed back in a nicey nicey fashion but it's not the same a actually showing you care and getting on the shop floor yourself to see it. It is much easier to see the real problems if you use your eyes than it is to use your ears after the event and try to understand the situation someone is explaining.

As for the beevor court thing, I think it's absolutely rubbish. We clearly have over zealous coward's in the SAG of Barnsley council and that's not the clubs fault but you know what? Grow a pair and fight back using courts if needs be. The club allow themselves to be bullied by the SAG and it's so frustrating. Again I have to ask though. If it was affecting them directly rather than just their customers would they be stronger in their objections?

It just seems to me like they aren't interested in the fan experience at all and the reason they aren't interested is because while the fans are having a torrid time with everything about the matchday at Oakwell they're all having their complimentary food in a nice warm boardroom. They need to get their arses out and get to where it matters. If Khaled isn't allowed to nominate someone else to take over his role for a week then maybe the other directors or even owners should make themselves seen around the stadium instead. Isn't Robert Zuk the operations director? Surely he can look at the operations. Or Andrew Clark. I'd say the matchday experience is under the remit of the marketing director isn't it? Surely they aren't all required to wine and dine the visiting team.

In fact I'm pretty sure that I have seen Andrew Clark in the concourses on matchday quite regularly but only to use them as walkways rather than giving the refreshment stands for example even the slightest of looks as he walks past.

The entire matchday experience is at an all time low. I've had a season ticket for well over a quarter of a century and I can never remember hating going to Oakwell as much. We've played some absolute cross football and I've always enjoyed the general experience, as Ive said on here before I find Oakwell a 'safe place' where I feel at home. Sadly I no longer feel like that. The friends have been driven away, the place is crumbling, theyve made it as unaccessible as possible, even toby has disappeared, the fanzone is shut down, kids club shut down, queues everywhere despite low crowds. It's a **** show and nobody will accept responsibility for it and that pisses me off massively because they can't just blame over people forever. They just can't.

 

Thought provoking thread this!

When I think back to the times I recall most enjoying visiting Oakwell it was the mid to late 70s and 80s - all in the 'old' Oakwell, prior to the development of three sides of the ground. And I've been thinking about why I have that view. Am I recalling things through rose coloured spectacles and imagining it better than it was? Or if it really was 'better' then why?

I first started attending in 1968/69 and despite relegation in 71/72 and the team struggling in Division 4 in the early/mid 70s there was still a magic about the place - I vividly remember Winny, Barry Murphy, Phil Chambers, Ally Millar, Mick Butler, Les Lea, Bobby Doyle, Frank Sharp, Kenny Brown and slightly later Graham Pugh, Alan Little, Brian Joicey etc as heroes to a young'ish boy. Of course there's an element of excitement being in a crowd but I believe it was more than that. Thinking about that era, several of the players appear on our list of highest appearance makers and I suspect that the average number of appearances in the team was considerably higher than in the last few years. Perhaps greater continuity created more of a connection between the players and the fans? And a greater sense that the team represented the town?

The arrival of Allan Clarke and the success over the next few seasons produced further improvements. There was a new pride in the club and by association the town. Average attendances were double / treble just a few years earlier and this was also reflected in massive support for way games. I'm sure that the success meant increased pride in the club which in turn meant greater enjoyment at Oakwell - at least for me. So is it all about that? What about the stadium and facilities?

Whilst the East Stand and Ponte (I don't know about the Barry Murphy Stand but suspect it'll be the same) are undoubtedly deteriorating, I'm pretty sure that they're better than the facilities back then. I don't recall there being many (if any) food outlets around the ground, I seem to remember the only club shop being a tiny shack at the back of the Ponty and I don't think I'll ever forget the state of the 'bogs' behind the Brewery Stand, particularly when a bigger crowd was in - it was sometimes necessary to pick a path around the rivers of p**s! I recognise the work that's been done re the fan zone and congratulate those who have worked hard on it but at present it's not enough to encourage me to turn up earlier - it somehow lacks scale and permanency and 'comfort' and it isn't something I would be proud to talk to friends or supporters of other clubs about. It's clearly very important to resolve the ground ownership issue and start to invest in the stadium again. There's little to be proud of about Oakwell right now and I actually feel slightly embarrassed about the state of it.

Average crowds at the moment are lower than in the 1978/79 promotion season (albeit I know they grew as the season progressed) and the early 80's when we were again promoted and became a very good Division 2 side - so it's not a case of the ground then coping better with smaller crowds. I think the majority of the ground being standing helped the atmosphere and experience - imo it's just easier to interact with others around you and feed off enthusiasm and excitement. I was reminded of that recently at Accrington when despite the cold and hail and somewhat disappointing result, I enjoyed the experience of standing on the terrace. All seater stadiums may be safer but generally I don't think the atmosphere is as good which is why fans of most clubs who have moved to new all seater stadiums seem to say that they preferred the atmosphere at their old stadium. I believe that Barnsley should be progressing plans for safe standing.

Getting to the ground certainly seemed easier, with fewer restrictions despite the often bigger crowds. I get the need for safety but as others have said, some of the restrictions at the moment are excessive and idealistic rather than realistic. I find it hard to believe that those who have imposed them actually understand the impact and the increased risks in other areas.

I've concluded that whilst it's partly about success on the pitch, it's at least as much about the 'connection' between team / club and fans. In my opinion the club fleetingly created it again under Patrick's stewardship during Hecky's period as Head Coach but it was lost with the sales of Hourihane, Roberts, Mawson, Winnall etc - all of which I understand were necessary or beyond control btw. But in the Conway / Lee era there was massive and for some irreparable damage done. I think the new ownership group are attempting to rebuild it but the challenge I think they face is that it's much more about connection with the players / team and much less about the laudable but peripheral things e.g. food banks, driving fans to the ground etc. How do the owners maintain the connection if and when they need to raise money through player sales? Can they retain enough players to maintain the connection? In fairness though, the contract extension for Kitching is a good sign. Clearly the need to invest in and develop the ground and it's surrounds is important too. I'd love to see development which means the West Stand is fully open again and I'd like to see a permanent fan zone too. But appreciate these things will cost a lot of money. Nevertheless, I wonder if the ground has become a symbol of several contributing factors and I'm not convinced that improvements to it would make much difference overall. It'll require changes in multiple areas and even then will take time to build.

 

It's a joke shutting Queens Road. Away traffic should be sent down Harborough hills back up and onto Queens road to the away car park. Who on earth can possibly think that sending dozens of coaches up Bala street to do a tight turn onto Windermere Road then another turn onto Queens Road wants sacking. Foot traffic up Bala Street more than 5000 I would think. Up Queens Road about 40. God knows what's going to happen when we play Wednesday I might leave the car at home and walk from Hoyland

 

That took a long time to read ..... and for you to write !!
It was well worth the effort though.
I'm so glad that so many people are bothering to reply to my original post and it really does show the depth of feeling by Barnsley fans due to the way we are treated as cattle, shoved hither and thither until we crack.
And of course we mustn't forget the new farce of the Sheff Weds rescheduling. Another smack in the face by those who don't care about us.

 

Are they looking to renew it early and it replace existing lease, or when the existing ones expires...