..of one match involving BFC, which would it be? Stole this thread off a rival clubs board. Thought it might be interesting. Better than squabbling, init? Init.
barnsley ipswich at wembley when barndoor missed the pen. yes i feel the squabbling should stop now for a while
The obvious one is going to be the 2000 Play off final and maybe the 2008 Semi Final against Cardiff, but for me i would change the 1-1 draw against Tottenham in 1998 because had we won that game i firmly beleive we would have survived that season.
Has to be Wembley 2000. Hignett stays, we finish 5th in the Prem (instead of Ipswich), Bassett is revered as our greatest ever manager, Kevin Miller plays for England, and Nigel Spackman never happens.
Easy February 24 1982, Reds 0-1 Norwich If we'd have won that one we'd have finished third at the end of the season and would have gone up to the First Division when we had big crowds and a team including Glavin, McCarthy, Banks, etc. As we showed that season we were more than capable of beating top flight teams, as we knocked 3 out of the League Cup and drew at Anfield. We'd have only needed to add three or four players to our squad to have been able to comfortably survive the next season. As Swansea and Watford proved around the same time, a well managed, well organised team with enough flair could do more than survive in the top flight in those days. The other time that we could have been promoted to the top flight (in my lifetime) if it came down to changing one result was when we lost to Ipswich, but we would have just spent one season back in the top flight, we'd have been battered week in week out and we'd have spent a load more money before coming back down. 1982 would have been a much better year to go up. If I could change two results though it would definitely be the Cardiff FA Cup Semi-Final. I'm old enough to remember when the FA Cup games were more important than league games and when the Cup Final was a great occasion. I had never dreamed that we'd be able to get to the Cup Final, so to get so close was heartbreaking. I know that it became another of those black and white issues on here, as most things do (basically, if you showed any excitement over potentially winning the Cup it meant you didn't care about our league position, or something, as you didn't seem to be allowed to want us to do well in both!), but I didn't buy into that argument. We've spent plenty of years in the second division and we'll spend plenty more there. We'll go down at some point and we'll come back up at some point. But we won't get chances as good as that to win the Cup very often. Once every 100 years to be precise. I desperately wanted us to win the Cup and I can't see us coming anywhere that close again in my lifetime.
Tough but as the Spurs game wouldn't have guaranteed survival (and we could have built a better defence the year after) got to say Wembley 2000. Money talks more in football at that time than 82. As for Wembley. Possible final but I bet I wouldn't have got a ticket
Ipswich Play off final. With the squad (still a few of our Prem), crowds (16k) we were attracting we could have gone on and done a Wigan in the Premiership.
I'd have to change one of the premier league losses. I'd probably change the 6-0 hammering at home to Chelsea to a victory. Maybe that confidence from beating one of the top teams so early at home would have had an impact and helped us string more results together. Otherwise i'd be tempted to turn the draw with Tottenham to a win when Vega got sent off. That would have dragged them down more and boosted our morale going into the last few games.
great thread idea. would have been interesting to have won the game at Leicester in the Premiership, taking it to the last match V Man Utd for survival. They had nothing to play for, we would have been fighting for our lives in front of a capacity crowd against the dethroned champions. Would have been one hell of a game to watch.
I was thinking about the Leicester game actually for that exact reason. Other than that the two very painful Wembley defeats, plus the FA Cup quarter final at Newcastle. I am sure we would have beaten the blunts in the semi, and even if we had lost to a brilliant arsenal side in the final, we would have been in Europe.
Tuesday May 3rd 1977 Barnsley 3- Exeter 4 ******* of a result, worst feeling after ANY match at Oakwell. Those that were there will remember !!
the fa cup semi final against cardiff, came home devastated after that game it was the only game in the run i was confident we could win. also we had every chance of beating pompey in the final, after reading all books on the history of barnsley its the fa cup win that enthralls me the most wondering what the atmosphere was like in the town, think i got a taste of it the night we got promoted to the prem and was hoping for more on that occasion. great thread by the way Merlin
Either the play off final against Ipswich, the FA Cup semi, the Liverpool game in the premier league (I am convinced we would have stayed up if we hadn't been so blatantly cheated in that game) or one loss to a win in the 81 season when we just missed out.
Agree hugely about the Liverpool game. unbeaten at home since before Christmas and with an excellent disciplinary record, it was after that game where it felt like the wheels started to come off.
The defeat against Leeds Scum in the last game... my mate hasn't stopped gloating since!. Joking apart, if we'd beaten Everton in the Premier league, we'd have finished above them and stayed up. The other obvious ones are of course the 2000 play off final and the FA Cup Semi, but also, any of the last day defeats that have sent us down in the past.
Sorry Rich, forgot about that one. If we're talking about those days it's got to be Bardsey v Atlanta. We needed a draw to win the league and Wilky missed a penalty with the game finishing 2-1 to Bardsey. He'd blasted a dozen down the centre that season and scored every one but decided to place that one for some reason and put it closer to the corner flag!