I'm not from Barnsley nor

Yep, through my dad, who was introduced by his dad. His dad was Scottish, a Dunfermline supporter and all round football nut. Often used to take my dad to Millmoor as well, so I guess I had quite a lucky escape.

 

Not from nor ever lived in Barnsley.

Born brought up and live in Donny, other than when at uni (and a brief flirt with living in Scunthorpe when my Mrs was carrying our eldest), I always have.

Was taken to games from the age of ten or eleven by my then step father.

Didn’t consider myself a full on Barnsley fan until during the premier league season, age 14-15. My dad was a Liverpool fan and so I was tarred by default. Winning at Anfield should have been the clue as I was pleased about it - put it down to wanting the underdog to do well.

The Willard debacle and how angry I was at what transpired made me realise, just shy of 15, that I’d have to upset my dad.

Not sure he ever got over that. Flaming hypocrite like, Liverpool fan who used to also buy Newcastle shirts as he was from County Durham before he moved to donny as a kid.

Barnsley stuck, got a st as soon as I could afford to buy myself one. Didn’t have one for years due to work restricting my weekends and evenings, have again now.

I do feel a little bit of an outsider when songs about tarn etc go round but I’ve been coming to games for nearly 25 years, I don’t need inviting.

 

No you’ve got me wrong - or I may have used the wrong wording.

I think all Wakefield district people should be encouraged to support Barnsley. - even though there is nothing at Barnsley that the Wakefield people can associate with or relate to.

And this is exactly why - with the people of Wakefield a priority in this - that I have suggested.that Barnsley should try to get more out of their nickname TYKES.

If Barnsley can add Yorkshire Tykes as part of their logo or badge then people from around Yorkshire would then be able to associate with the club.
In effect - Barnsley would then become the primary team of Yorkshire - encompassing ALL the people of Yorkshire.

Leeds United understood this years ago - and have tried to be the football club of Yorkshire by stealing the white rose emblem and changing their playing kit to white.

 

Am in glasgow and born and bred here am a Barnsley fan and I know a few lads in Scotland that are Barnsley fans and travel most weeks to match.

 

It's kind of contradictory. If you want only local people to invest in BFC then they won't progress, nor grow the brand outside the local area. And the same goes for Man U, Chelsea and the rest.
So I have supported BFC by investing thousands over the years. I doubt they'd have gone bust without me, but aye, I've done my bit. I've also introduced a new generation, plus friends.
All us 'off-comed-uns" (sp) have differing reasons for supporting BFC but are you really saying my 40 year investment was unwelcome? And you'd have preferred me to support Bradford City?


For the same reason, I can't slag off those 'Barnsley Owls'. I'd be a hypocrite. But I do understand the Barnsley-born footy fans taking exception, as my City mates have done with me over the years.

 

Wow. My first game 1978 too. Followed ever since. Now my lads a big fan and .......... still comes to games when he's back from Uni. Meeting him at Boro Saturday.

 

Which is all well and good except Leeds united play in white because they copied real Madrid's shirts in an effort to replicate their success a it was nothing to do with Yorkshire and their badge isn't a Yorkshire rose, it was for 14 years in the 80s and 90s but so was ours, in fact ours adorned our shirts for 16 years in the same period. They may have a tiny little one hidden away at the top of their badge (which they have already announced plans to change) but then we have a giant coal miner on ours which resonates with the people of Wakefield who host the national coal mining museum far more than a tiny white rose does

 

Did you used to travel on the bus from the social club in the mid 80s?

 

No mate. Early games used to go with my Uncle - he'd pay as long as I babysat my baby cousins on the Saturday night in Scisset. Then used to get bus / train from home in Clayton, Bradford there and back. By the mid-80's I would more often than not drive to games.

 

I was also born and bred in Thurnscoe, joined up in 71 and never lived back there since. Now live in Stamford Lincolnshire but still a die hard red and follow them home and away.

 

Don Revie changed the Leeds kit from blue & yellow to all white because he loved the Real Madrid kit which they'd won the European Cup 5 times wearing. Nowt to do with Yorkshire.
You might be right about the white rose but we've already tried that and fans preferred the Barnsley Coat of arms.

 

Our badge was the Yorkshire rose for longer than Leeds's badge was

 

SUFC have had a white rose in their badge longer than both ...

Wish we'd go back to original oak&Well badge of late 70s early 80s...
The non distinct whiterose is not a great graphic design and neither is having bmbc badge imho..

 

Here's what archey thought up and i played with a few years ago

 

I don't know if you're deliberately trying to stir this up, but I think you're very wrong.

Wakefield metropolitan district and Barnsley borough go hand in hand.

Both have relied heavily on the coal mining industry for generations.

Barnsley isn't the only area to suffer economically from the death of the coal industry, Pontefract and Castleford were also heavily into mining, as were many surrounding villages.

The industry may be mostly history, but the strong links will always remain.

 

Exactly, what about those of us from Wakey and the surrounding five towns area of West Yorksire ?. (I still look at Wakey as our neighbouring town actually, they aren't fooling anybody with this pretentious 'city' nonsense ).
I could easily have supported Leeds in the late 70s but I chose not to, despite my elder brothers wanting to give me their Leeds scarves and woolly bobble hats lol.

 

Coal mining in Rotherham and Doncaster.
So why Barnsley?
I wish all the football fans in Wakefield are Barnsley supporters.
I know a lot in Hemsworth are - I went up there after the Premiership promotion and there were loads of flags in the windows.

The word TYKE is synonymous with YORKSHIRE.
And Yorkshire is a very powerful brand.
Put a Yorkshire tag on it and it will SELL.
So I’m suggesting the club should use their nickname of Tyke more often to relate to more football supporters from around Yorkshire.

 

We don't go BECAUSE Barnsley is a coal town. I've given you that as an example of what the two areas have in common.

Lots of us SUPPORT Barnsley because it's our local football league club. Rotherham and Doncaster aren't geographically closer to Oakwell for me.

Because we're not born within smelling distance of Albert Hursts Butchers means absolutely **** all. We're still proud to support our local club.

I'm missing my first away game since the playoff final tonight. How many of the 11k regulars that are from the town can boast that type of loyalty?

 

Muchof Barnsley got put in Wakey area in 74.
South hiendley woolley w Bretton ryhill etc etc .. and hemsworth s.elmsall wragby used to beBarnsley many moons ago ..
When it was part ont wapentake of staincross..