My thumb hurts from liking so many comments on this thread. Long live big Val. I don't care how bad the football was, we were winning most weeks against teams who were literally worth millions more than us. If we'd have gone up, I dare say he might have kept us in the premier league with that style and those players. It's no coincidence that it all started falling apart when he left.
I could actually ****** cry reading this. One of my favourite ever Barnsley teams, and we had to watch them all on the telly.
Our best season since I’ve been watching us. God it was so incredible. Can’t believe we only got to actually be at 1 game for it. That will never not pain me.
That first game back with fans is something I’ll never forget. About 14 months without supporters at games. Where - on top of the obvious personal issues we were all going through with the virus, lockdowns and whatever else - the team had not only risen from the dead to stay up in the final seconds of the final game, they then pushed for the Premier League. When those who were lucky enough to get a ticket for the Swansea game last attended Oakwell, the team was bottom and about nine points adrift. Booed off the pitch. It was one hell of a feeling that night in the first leg. Even during the warm ups, fans were giving the players a standing ovation. Even coaching staff and physios were applauded. The noise (despite the small numbers) was deafening before kick off. Just a very weird but enormously uplifting moment. A complete change of direction had occurred during the most testing of times. I often said to my colleagues in that last couple of months that I was convinced we’d go up. It just felt like it was meant to be. I felt broken after the second leg. I know Val, Dane and the players did too. It seemed like the end of a journey. And so it proved. Great memories though. And that’s what it’s all about. Let’s hope the club finds its way towards that sort of successful blueprint again soon!
Val ball worked a treat. Right until the end of the season when Steve Cooper sussed us out. I genuinely think, as good as it was for that season, had we tried it the season after it would've been far less effective. IIRC the last couple of matches prior to the play offs starting were a lot closer than the earlier parts of the season? Is that right?
