Big Crowds at Oakwell

Man City for me too. It was an amazing atmosphere that night. Oakwell was buzzing.

A few months earlier we played Wednesday and the crowd that night was 28,870. We won 1-0 and if memory serves me right the winner was a 30 yard stunner from Banger. I've looked for it on Youtube but can't find it. Would love to see that again.

 

Everton for me.

I was nine. I nagged my dad (who isn't a football fan) to take me. He had to sit me on a crush-barrier(?) so I could see, and so that I wouldn't die if they (Barnsley were 'they,' then, and not 'we') scored.

Lad I went to school with supports Everton, and wore his shirt to the game. Half-a-brick whizzed past his head on the way out, he told me...

I remember 'Southall, Southall, where's yer wife?'

 

Everton for me. Got in ground about 12.45, cos being a short @rse I wanted to get down near the front left of the Ponty End as there was an extra step up against the perimeter wall! I think we had a 20,000 plus crowd for the replay v Stoke in the previous round?

Man City game, my Dad got me out of bed to watch Sportsnight and the great Barry Davies.

Also remember crowds over 26,000 for the two FA Cup games against Sheff Utd in 1990.

 

I was at all those games as well and also at the Luton 5th Round tie before we played Leicester in the 6th round. There wasn't room to swing half a cat never mind a full one!
That Man U game wasn't as one-sided as you suggested. Back in those days, there were no subs and our star centre-forward Tony Leighton was brought down by the United goalkeeper Gaskell. The ref bottled it and didn't send him off and if my memory serves me rightly, we were given a free-kick on the edge of the box. However, Leighton was carried off on a stretcher and Barnsley played the remainder of the game with 10 men against the 11-men of United. Naturally they ran riot after that but we held our own up until the foul on Leighton.

 

I was 12 for this one and went on my own. Started off at the back of the Ponty End - couldn't see much. Decided to go round to the other end and stood next to that sliding gate that used to be half way up the Kop, towards the Paddock side. Had a perfect view from there.

Segregation? No need. There may have been trouble inside or outside but I wasn't aware of any. I was just starstruck watching the fabled Man Utd of Best, Law and Charlton vintage.

PS Just to be pedantic the crowd was 38,076 exactly. Well, that was the reported figure. We never really know the true figures do we?

 

That's the one. By the way, I have just consulted Greville Firth's "The Official History of Barnsley Football Club", published in 1978, which gives the crowd as 39,250, with gate receipts of £7,727 - an average of just under 4 shillings per person - or 20p per person, post-decimal. This was the price of 8 Mars Bars.

 

I'm afraid I do not remember the match in as much detail as you seem to. When I said "hammered" I was referring to the scoreline. I remember Leighton; he was the proverbial old-fashioned centre-forward - no frills but tough and with a good shot on him. I remember the goal in the 5th round v Luton by Jacky Lunn was a cross which ended up in the net. Three years ago, by coincidence, I met a Luton fan who told me he was also at that match; he was the grandfather of my daughter-in-law.

 

Man City in '81 for me too. We'd had over 19,000 at home to Brighton in the previous round and followed the City game with a 17000+ away following at Anfield.

The Liverpool replay was a sell out for all home areas but the crowd was less than 30k as less than 2000 scousers turned up.

 

Round the back of the paddock, there was a lowish wall near the bogs where 1,000's of men got in for nowt.
There was a hole in the fence near the corner of the Ponte End which they climbed through first.
Happened every time there was a big game so all of those 38,000 gates in the 60's were probably nearer 40,000

 

Mines Everton 89 too

 

Was that the one in 1923...

 

Ooh, you cheeky bugger!
'Like'

 

3,016 against Port Vale in 65. It's the only game I've ever been to.

 

Forest Programme 1957

 

Man City for me ....... magical night.

Left school in Bradford to 'go to the dentist' at about 2.30. A couple of buses and a train later and I joined the queues and just made it to the Ponty End in time for kick-off. Then probably the quickest drive ever with my Uncle back to Bradford in time to watch it all again on Sportsnight with Barry Davies. "He's got a touch of class about him, this McCarthy".

Happy Days.

 

I was at

Man City and Liverpool games (81/82) and the Everton game (89/90) - That was the game with the "No 10 Red Hot Currie" T-shirts wasn't it?

 

I was 8 and was stood in the Ponty at the wall near the right-hand post against Man City. Probably too young to appreciate just how big that crowd was.

The Everton game in 88 / 89 is the biggest i've stood in at Oakwell - i'd progressed to the wall in the Brewery by that time.