From The Sporting Life.... (apologies if already been posted)

TYKES CHAIRMAN CAN'T WAIT
By Mark Walker, PA Sport

Barnsley manager Andy Ritchie and his players are leaving all talk of nerves ahead of Saturday's Coca-Cola League One play-off final clash with Swansea to chairman Gordon Shepherd.

Ritchie, skipper Paul Reid, Stephen McPhail, Bobby Hassell and Paul Heckingbottom were all coolness personified at an Oakwell press gathering - but Shepherd confessed nerves were already playing havoc with his appetite.

Barnsley booked their Millennium Stadium showdown in Cardiff after turning their semi-final tie with Yorkshire rivals Huddersfield on its head in the second leg.

Trailing 1-0 following a late goal in the home tie, the Tykes hit back in the return with Paul Hayes' penalty, Reid's header and Daniel Nardiello ensuring a 3-2 aggregate win.

"I started feeling it on Sunday," said Shepherd. "I told my wife I just didn't fancy my Sunday dinner.

"I'm anxious, but I've every faith in this lot - they're not showing any nerves at all yet."

Barnsley have fallen on hard times since famously reaching the summit of English football in 1997.

They tumbled straight back down to the second tier the following season and like others since have paid for the temerity of lording it briefly at the top table by eventually slumping into administration following their freefall into League One.

Dave Bassett led the Tykes to the Championship play-off final at the end of the 1999/2000 season - they lost 4-2 to Ipswich - but two summers later under Steve Parkin they had slipped through the trapdoor again.

Now Shepherd is looking only ahead.

"It's an extraordinary game for a club which has been losing money heavily for the last few years," Shepherd added.

"We have been funded by Patrick Cryne to the tune of about £5million, which has bought us some time to try and rectify the situation, so any extra revenue we can bring in has to be extremely beneficial.

"We could get between £400,000 and £500,000 from the play-offs."

Promotion could also add an extra £600,000 to Barnsley's coffers from the Football League's distribution money, although Shepherd is still waiting for exact figures.

"The bottom line is this game is extremely important for the club," he said.

"We hope to generate more from bigger games against the likes of Wolves, Leeds, Hull, Leicester, Norwich and Ipswich with more (fans) coming through the turnstiles as well."

Current manager Ritchie, who cut his teeth in management at former club Oldham where he spent three and a half years in charge, was promoted from first-team coach to replace Paul Hart at Oakwell in March 2005.

In his first full season in charge Ritchie, a former striker with Manchester United, Oldham and Leeds, has steered the Tykes into the play-offs.

"Our build-up is going fine, we've no problems and are trying to keep things as low key as we can," Ritchie said.

"At the end of the semi-final the Huddersfield lads showed the disappointment they were feeling and our lads need no greater spur to get them up for this game - you don't get any second invitation.

"Peter Jackson (Huddersfield manager) was absolutely gutted after that game and I'm just hoping I won't feel that pain after this one and I'm sure the lads are the same."