First time poster but after reading the board for a few months i thought i would give my own and some other "stay away fans perspective on the low attendances at Oakwell. I will start with the usual of having being a regular visitor to watch Barnsley with this season being my first for 17 years without a season ticket and the same can be said of the group i have sat with for most of that time . Money is not the object of my lack of attendance, it is quite simply "enthusiasm" which was gradually knocked out of me last season especially the later half and then the "belittling" comments from Keith Hill which i thought to be very "condescending" and treating fans with no respect. I accept the arguments of losing good players, as a "Manager " in industry myself you do lose good people...... but a good manager always has a plan "B". we did not. and his excuses were always the same. I know the argument will be that one should support the team and town without question, and i would agree but unfortunately if you are not enjoying the games for what ever reason then you just stop going if there is no enjoyment. Apparently i am not "alone" with this syndrome as a number of the group have not renewed either. We will still attend a few games mostly away but unfortunately while the club and the manager start to be more "straight" with the fans especially those who have seen all the ups and downs at the club then the last seasons low is alienating some fans from renewing. Lastly, when i did think about renewing this season i made the trip to Oakwell and for the first time in 18 years I did not get that excitement and"hairs on the back of my neck" feeling when approaching the ground which was very sad but part of the reason for not renewing,and also a culmination of the "manager" and his attitude last season I wish the Reds and all the fans a great season and i hope one day to get that buzz back .
Fully understand your reasoning and not knocking you at all, but I think we've got the most 'straight' and honest manager in years. I think that may be the problem in some areas. Whether he's as good as some think has yet to be proven.
Fair enough. See you when we draw Arsenal in a cup, or win four league games in a row. You are missed. The club needs you.
never fear... some folk would turn up to oakwell if they made it £200 entrance per game....cos it's their lives..... ordinary folk however object to paying through the nose to watch dismal sh ite.......... the bottom line is.........win games consistently and the crowds will go up no matter what the price is. hth
Why was last season the tipping point though? We've had managers in the past who were (almost) as annoying as Hill i.e Davey but you stuck with the club through that. I think in terms of performance the second part of last season was the worst I have ever seen but it's still better than slumming it in the alehouse league with the likes of Hartlepool and Yeovil. For me, the reasons I keep renewing are blind loyalty and the hope that one day things will improve. If people stop attending and the income decreases then things won't improve. I can't understand the mentality of going to away games and giving money to your rivals rather than your own club.
im a bit bored of the attacks on the manager loosly veiled under another thread... he said what any right minded supporter could see, but theres folk in barnsley who dont like being told the truth and see it as some sort of slight when they are.... oh and the football was ***** too
Where as I am the complete opposite Keith Hills and Honest and frank oppions are the reason I have faith him in. Given time he wi ll succeede. I have bought a season tickets. However, I do consider that football in General is far too expensive
I don't understand why it's taken you until this year, to sack it off. We've seen far worse over the last 17 years of your attendance, in terms of managers, players and results. Unless you slept through Spackman, Parkin, Hodges and Davey's time at the club. And, I'll never truly understand a BFC supporter who can both afford to watch the club, and have no other commitments that deny them that privilege, choosing not to. I wish I had the spare time/spare money to be at every game this season, but unfortunately my circumstances have altered drastically, and now dictate my ability to attend. But I'll be there, home or away, whenever possible, because it matters to me. I hope 'Freeway' does the same.
Glad you are always try o be honest a nd give an honest open view my next point is that Barnsley Football Club will strgule to move forward whilst Rowing Boat is running the place
We will struggle to move forward while we're working to break even and teams around us are raking in parachute payments and relying on sugar daddies. Don is just running the club to a strategy set by the gaffer.
Just try to post on an honest un biaseed and contructive way But I do beleive that Barnsley will never move forward whilst Rowing Boat is in charge
Does the gaffer till him to Ban OAp's Does the Gaffer time him to Ban under fives Does the gaffer tell him to threaten people when they aask him a question
I find it strange that this season you have decided this, I was the same under Robins had he stayed I wouldn't have renewed but under Hill he has given me that buzz and good feeling back. This current squad could possibly turn out to be the strongest since we got promoted with a Manager that won't be fully appreciated until he's gone!