All time favourite Oakwell MANAGERS

For me Sniffer, he was the one who started it all for me. Id watched a poor Barnsley team as a kid for about 7 or 8 years, poor crowds, the odd decent player sold and no prospect of ever getting out of the 4th division.

Clarkey put pride back into the club and started what finally, thanks to Danny Wilson, ended up with us in the top flight.

I'll never forget those times and for me they'll never be bettered.

 

Hunter for me nt

 

Clarke started it all for me too. from my memories of that time;
I'm sure Oakwell was a bit of a fortress back then and we rarely lost more than 3-4 at home in a season, the Ponty was loud n all (but it was mostly standing then).

 

Been going to Oakwell since the 60's and for me it has to be Danny Wilson, he got the Reds playing the type of football everyone wants to see and we also had a team that knew how to battle. (I'd have him back tomorrow)

 

started with clarke (1st time)...

... but Danny gave me memories of our club that will never ever be bettered.

some of the football during that season was the best i've ever seen and will probably never see again from a tarn team.

 

Only been going since the days of Alan Clarke. He certainly started the ball rolling but for me its Danny Wilson. they style of play he brought to the club, the players he bought, worked wonders.

 

Lets not forget (as bad as he was) If it wasn't for Viv Anderson, Danny Wilson would never have even come here at all.

 

Danny Wilson

(worship)

When he left I felt as bitter as anyone else. It was staggering.

Looking back at it now though - the promotion season particularly - I don't think we'll ever see that again. It was just awesome. It was like living a dream for just one season. We just had a side playing the kind of football that we knew could humiliate just about anyone in our division on any given day. Remember beating Charlton 4-0 in the run in? Alan Curbishly said he just watched a season of progress unravel in front of his eyes. Walking back up the hill, I think Wolves were beating someone 2-0, the noise went through the crowd that they'd conceded a goal. Then the cheer went up that an equaliser had gone in. Then a huge celebration in the street - as if we'd just scored a goal - because Wolves had let in another goal and were losing. The final cheer going up as it was called full time and Wolves had lost. Amazing.

Or Wolves away - just the first half mind - when we went 1-0 down, but just started putting our football together and played them off the pitch and went in 3-1 up.

And the two Sheffield United games. Especially the game at Oakwell. The way we played them off the pitch that night. They couldn't live with us - it was beautiful.

The performance that Neil Redfearn put in against Bolton at home. We were 2-0 down and he just dug in and got us the point with two goals. It was a captain's performance.

No - it has to be Wilson for me. Great days.

 

Danny's me number 2 but he didn't give the place as much of a buzz as Clarkey. The crowds were piss poor the Prem promotion season whereas we took thousands away even in the 4th division and had around 15,000 at home in an era where your Newcastle's and Chelsea's weren't getting many more in.

 

HANG ON A MINUTE...

You're not really putting forward Viv Anderson on this topic are you?!

 

LOL

Sorry Anderson was pants and he gets no credit whatsoever for snything!

 

fook me..

I cant believe i've just seen Viv Anderson in a post on here for the all time fav managers..

Someone is spiking my drinks..

 

We could have Hart as well ... he brought in Ritchie

 

No, not putting forward Viv - just saying the best thing he did was bring in Wilson.
Here's another - Mel (I'm feeling sleeping typing this) (zzz) Machin.
Mel should get a bit of praise too - he brought stability to a club which could easily have gone down the leagues at the time.
He brought in Ooh Gerry and Gary Fleming who were ROCKS for us. Also held out for a nice pot of gold when Cloughy wanted Carl Tyler.

 

Colin Walker (Bin Man / Caretaker)

did he?

 

Can't remember him as manager ... could be wrong nt

 

No you are right

he was just a bin man and a caretaker at Grove St School.

 

Viv Anderson wasn't suppose to be have been the Barnsley manager. They had Gordon Strachan lined up and a press conference was arranged. Then at 11th hour, Howard Wilkinson scuppered the deal by making promises to Strachan of a future managers job at Leeds.

What would Barnsley's history have been then if that had happened?

I would also say Mel Machin has to take some credit in getting us playing football. He also brought in quite a few younger players and was building for the future rather than 1 season instant success. I remember when we played Cambridge and got 3.5K crowd. Cambridge played the long ball game and got consecutive promotions playing that way, Think Dion Dublin was in their side that day. Mel said he wouldn't cross the road to watch Cambridge play.

When things weren't going too well for Mel and the boo boys were out for his head, I wrote him a letter hoping he'd see the job through ( I was young and naive back then). Anyway, a few days later I got a phone call from Mel himself thanking me for the letter and talked football for 5 mins or so. How many managers would take the time out to do that?

Couple of weeks after that, he was sacked.

 

yes and i decided not to cross the road to watch barnsley fot 2 seasons after mels brill 1 o wins

 

who did viv sign.....

that were part of our promotion winning side...anyone?