43yrs ago Norman Hunters Barnsley side held European Champions Liverpool to a goalless draw during their QF League Cup tie. Terrible fog over the tops when many missed the kick off. 17000 Barnsley fans there….now that’s MASSIVE
I was 12!! Remember it vividly 30 mins gone when we got in, everyone on the bus jumped out the fire exit at the back of the bus & run the rest of the way to the ground. Fog was awful & it was chaos. Barnsley fans made a LOT of noise that night, incredible night.
I was 14 at the time We got in just before half time after they shut the M62 with dozens and dozens of reds coaches still on it. We all got off the bus for a piss just at the moment the coppers decided to start moving the coaches onto the East Lancs road off the M62 can remember chasing the coach down the motorway and jumping on it while it was still moving. Will never forget that night we certainly outsung the Kop and maybe even outnumbered the Scouser's in the ground. The Scouser's were like feral dogs after the Match picking on any reds fans not in a group and the Merseyside coppers just stood about doing **** all to stop the *****.
I was there went Awol hitched it to Liverpool in my Uniform, what a night, went back next day got charged Awol and did 7 days r / p's.
Whether Bob Paisley was just saying the decent things or not, I hear he said that Barnsley were one of the best teams to visit Liverpool/Anfield that season. And I think he was giving genuine credit, to how Norman had us set up and playing on the night!. I think we surprised them, by definitely NOT going there and looking to hold on, and defend!.
was a student at Liverpool Uni at the time so was one of the few of our fans that was in the ground well before Kick Off great night
"There is something special, a little fantastic maybe, about the Yorkshire side." "Colin Walker - a refuge disposal operative" "The kickoff was delayed for 15 minutes ,,,,,,,,,,, Barnsley's 16,000 supporters" What a magical time to be alive. https://www.lfchistory.net/SeasonArchive/Game/1248
As I said on another 43yrs thread they think the high press is a new invention, Hunter's Barnsley were going it all them years ago see paragraph 4 of the article. It's hard believe these days but it cost money to go into the top division and some at that time including mh late father questioned the will to go up. The squad at that time had more than enough to survive in the old divisions 1 in my opinion.
First 11 maybe did but don’t think we had much depth. May have struggled if we had gone up and picked up injuries
Clubs tended not to have as big of squads back then as a rule. That’s why could virtually name all players in top sides such as Leeds
If we had gone up that season I’m sure we’d have stayed up, with Evans and McCarthy at the back. We played a lot of top flight teams that year and the year before and no one made us look out of place. Such a shame that we didn’t kick on from there.
I think that was part of the theory of not wanting to go up. That and money for ground improvements as the riches Sky brought didn't arrive for several years. I don't think the squads back then were as big and strong as they are today though the money wasn't there back then and one sub rule,as always the bigger club were stronger but I think that team would have stayed up for how long we will never know.
