From AFC's own website news archive. (copied & pasted)

Non-League will have a new name among its ranks next term after disillusioned fans broke away from Second Division Barnsley this week to form AFC Barnsley.

Led by law student Paul Bestall, the group - fed-up at the way their club was being run by Mayor of Barnsley, Peter Doyle - have created their own club and have even targeted former Tyke Clint Marcelle as their first signing.

And the dream, which was first mooted by Bestall on a web-site forum after a 4-0 home defeat by Bristol City last November, turned into reality on Tuesday when AFC Barnsley were accepted into the Kitclub Central Midlands League.

Doyle took control of the administration-run Nationwide League outfit last December and promptly removed all board members and shareholders, apart from chairman John Dennis.

Six months on, the Oakwell outfit are still in administration because the CVA has not been settled, are under a transfer embargo and only avoided falling from the Premiership to Third Division in five seasons by five points.

On top of all this, local media reported that most of the first team squad were paid their April salaries late because Doyle was in the Ukraine on mayoral business and paid staff with personal cheques.

For Bestall, 30, and fellow season-ticket holders Paul Hodgkins, Don McCarron and Robert Hoult enough was enough - AFC Barnsley was born. "We've been called every name under the sun this season and we are sick of it," said Bestall. "We have been called the 'slime that crawls from under bricks' by Peter Doyle since he bought the club on December 12.
"For the first month he was saying to us 'you don't deserve a club'. We were getting 10,000 and we were third bottom in the Second Division. If that's not supporting a club I don't know what is.
"In January we were told that £10 million investment was coming into the club, but he wouldn't say any more because he was sick of 'mischievous fans causing him problems'.
"As yet the £10 million hasn't arrived, but that was our fault because apparently our negativity was scaring off potential investors. So we've done something about it."

Bestall has registered AFC with the Sheffield & Hallamshire FA, has another fan looking into a kit deal with Reebok and has contacted previous sponsors of Barnsley for financial support.

Today (Sunday) he will hold talks today with Northern Counties East side Worsbrough Bridge about sharing their Park Road ground.

"We are chuffed to bits that the Central Midlands have accepted us," added Bestall. "The chairman Frank Harwood was very positive about what we could bring to the league.

"He said the average gate is between 50 and 100, and I told him we are looking at between 250 and 1,000. Last season we had 8,000 season ticket holders and now no-one has said they'll get one.

"AFC Wimbledon have been brilliant as well. They have sent us ideas, told us how they went through it, what they did.
"We are in the process of setting all the supporters' trust up, getting forms from Companies House. But is it going to be run with everything we make going back into the club.
"We are trying to track down one of our old players, Clint Marcelle, who played for Harrogate Railway and Hucknall last season. We'd like to make him our first signing - so if he's out there, get in touch!"

Any players interested in joining AFC Barnsley can phone Paul on 07815 790226 or e-mail the club info@afcbarnsley.com.
AFC Barnsley accepted into the Non League Pyramid
22 May 2003
I am pleased to confirm that after discussions that have taken place this week, AFC Barnsley have been accepted into the Central Midlands League as of next season.

I would like to thank League Secretary Frank Harwood for giving us this opportunity, and as such the chance to get a real club for Barnsley fans to get behind.

We have also got a meeting on Sunday in regards to finalising a ground share agreement with Wosborough Bridge FC which will allow us to fulfill our fixture obligations as of next season.

Best Regards
--
Paul Bestall

 

My favourite ...

'He said the average gate is between 50 and 100, and I told him we are looking at between 250 and 1,000. Last season we had 8,000 season ticket holders and now no-one has said they'll get one.'

Yes - we now have zero season ticket holders.

I think that pretty much sums AFC up.
They were set up for a specific purpose which no longer exists.

When the new, acceptable regime took over - why did they not say 'we were set up as a protest, and now we are 100% behind the club so therefore will withdraw from the laegue at the end of the season'.

I can only assume the people who run it have justified AFC's continued existence to themselves.
They have come up with a new list of objectives & are carrying on happily.

My only question is : What happens in the very unlikely scenario that someone they don't like buys BFC?
Do AFC change their policy again & become a protest club.

I wonder if AFC Wimbledon would still exist if the move hadn't happened & someone 'acceptable' to the fans had bought the club.
I suspect not - as they would be protesting against nothing.