In your time as a Barnsley supporter

1, How long have you been watching us ?
2, How many seasons have you really enjoyed what you've seen on the pitch ?
3, have you ever seen us look a solid unit defensively ?
4, do you prefer football now or when you first started watching ?
5, will you be introducing your off spring to the delights of supporting BFC ? ( or have you already?)

 

1. 39 years
2. 6
3. Joe Joyce. Mick McCarthy. Ian Evans. Phil Chambers. The only defensive unit worth a light that we've ever had.
4. First started watching. With halcyon days between 1995-2000 due to alcohol and freedom
5. Yes.

 

Since 1988.

That season when we had them cheerleaders.

That season we had a back four of Wiseman, Edwards, Collins and McEveley for a few weeks.

I hate football.

I can't have kids.

 

A

1 - Since Easter 1977
2 - 78-83 were fab, 83-95 not so fab, but enjoyed watching the likes of Futcher, Currie and Hirst, 95-00 mainly fab and most exciting, with promotion and Wembley, since 2000 mainly rubbish, with occasional glimpses of enjoyment, like the crazy end of season under Flicker
3 - Not a lot got past McCarthy and Evans,or at least they didn't generally try it more than once!
4 - From 77 to 86 pretty much obsessed with football. Interest remained, whilst reducing, over the years, but still keen to watch big matches, Cup Finals, tournaments, etc, until around 2000, but over past 15 years my interest in the game as a whole reduced to zero. Won't even watch the Cup Final any more, let alone the Premiership, Champions League or international games. May watch England's games in tournaments if John Stones is playing, but that's it. Hate what has happened to the game.
5 - My daughter (9) had her first season ticket last season and my son (5) is joining us next season. I presume I've been put on to some sort of child abuse register for this?

 

1, How long have you been watching us ? 27 years
2, How many seasons have you really enjoyed what you've seen on the pitch ? Let's not be too down, but seasons as a whole rather than individual games, barely in double figures.
3, have you ever seen us look a solid unit defensively ? Wilson's first year 94/95
4, do you prefer football now or when you first started watching ? Then, four divisions and no one stopping a club achieve promotion. Where as now top leagues seemingly doing best to keep smaller clubs out.
5, will you be introducing your off spring to the delights of supporting BFC ? ( or have you already?) daughter now 11 and not a fan. Son nearly 4 so won't be long. Taken to few reserves games to test the water and he's too young at moment.

 

1, How long have you been watching us ? 27 years
2, How many seasons have you really enjoyed what you've seen on the pitch ? Let's not be too down, but seasons as a whole rather than individual games, barely in double figures.
3, have you ever seen us look a solid unit defensively ? Wilson's first year 94/95
4, do you prefer football now or when you first started watching ? Then, four divisions and no one stopping a club achieve promotion. Where as now top leagues seemingly doing best to keep smaller clubs out.
5, will you be introducing your off spring to the delights of supporting BFC ? ( or have you already?) daughter now 11 and not a fan. Son nearly 4 so won't be long. Taken to few reserves games to test the water and he's too young at moment.

 

1. 40 years (until end of 2013/14 season)
2. years 78-83 and 94-2000
3. Evans McCarthy, Futcher Taggart, Maybe Davis Moses and Dezeew
4. First, but mainly during the periods in answer 2 for obvious reasons
5. Did do and they both packed it in when they got to 16... not been back in over 10 years.

 

1, How long have you been watching us ? Easter 1978 ......... so ....... er ........ 37 years ish
2, How many seasons have you really enjoyed what you've seen on the pitch ? All of them cos I'm daft, but 50% have been 'entertaining'
3, have you ever seen us look a solid unit defensively ? Yes, but not recently. The days of Macca and Evans, and the days of May and Futcher.
4, do you prefer football now or when you first started watching ? Deffo back then. Hate it now.
5, will you be introducing your off spring to the delights of supporting BFC ? ( or have you already?) Already have (Tom, 16) even though I told him he doesn't have to. Daft sod loves them.

 

Dec 2014 - May 2015

Games: 31
Clean Sheets: 12
Conceded one goal: 10
Conceded 2 goals: 6
Conceded more than 2 goals: 3

If you keep a clean sheet in 39% of your games and if you concede one goal or fewer in 70% of your games then I believe you've got a solid defensive unit. Crawley was a bit of a nightmare, but I can allow for that after the upheaval of sacking a manager. In the other 30 games we conceded 28 goals. If you concede fewer goals than the number of games you play, then you have a real chance of promotion. Only the top 3 clubs in our division managed it this season.

Unfortunately we've broken up that solid defensive unit and released Cranie. Maybe he wouldn't have signed anyway, but to allow him to leave without offering a contract seems barmy to me considering how few goals we conceded once the midfield offered a bit of protection.

 

That Pearson is ****

 

Disagree. Under Machin we were excellent defensively. Mark Smith, Paul Futcher, Carl Tiler, Gerry Taggart, Mal Shotton all laiked for us during that era and were outstanding. Especially when it came to tw@tting people with kettles.

 

Just blame the bloke the bloke on the gate he's the one that let's everyone in.

 

Yep, Mel's 9-1-1 formations were certainly solid defensively.

 

Laiking with 10 defenders and a goalie we should've been watertight.....

 

Since 1990
1994-2000 and 2005-2006
Yes the season we just missed out on playoffs. We Beat Middlesboro last game at home but I think Ipswich won to pip us. Gerry Taggart, Carl Tiler in squad
When I first started watching.
Yes

 

1. Started 60-61 season. Earliest memory is of Luton cup-tie in Feb. 61 but I know I started before that. I went to Ressies often too cos they used to play on alternate Setdis to first team. (Saw some reight players too eg Billy Liddell for Liverpool).

2. Have enjoyed more than I haven't. Think that's because my first 20-odd years were spent struggling in 3rd or 4th Divisions so my expectations are lower than many. Also if youre looking at the whole experience I've ALWAYS enjoyed the prematch pint/craic and the steady walk down Oakwell Lane. Get the buzz every time even if its preseason friendly or JPT.

3. Of course I have many times. My first hero was Duncan Sharp. Proper centre aif. If you think its always been bad at the back either youre delusional or you havent been watching long enough lol!

4. Might as well ask whether I prefer chalk or cheese. Answer - it depends if Im eating or drawing on the blackboard with my granddaughter.

5. My younger son has been a season ticket holder alongside me for the last 20 years. He's expecting his own offspring very soon and its first pressy will be a BFC babygro!

 

I may be wrong but think it was a 95th minute winner by clive walker for Brighton that pipped us. I was ont pitch goin nuts only for some old bloke to tap me ont shoulder and tell me we had missed out. Gutted

 

Weren't it Dean Wilkins? I was sat in the staff canteen at Broadgreen Hospital in Liverpool with my radio on. My mate, who was a Chester fan, was congratulating me and we were about to head back to the ward when Brighton scored.

 

1. 36 years.
2. More than 5, less than 10 when you look at the season as a whole. Although every season has highs and lows.
3. Yes.
4. When I first started.
5. Not had kids and not planning on any.

 

1, how long have you been watching us?

My first season or serious watching was 1965/66, but I had watched them on and off for many years before.

2, how many seasons have you really enjoyed what you've seen on the pitch?

It would be insane to watch a team and not enjoy it for close on 50 years. When I began watching the team, we had just descended into the lowest tier for the first time in our history and at the start of the following season, we were 92nd after 10 games. I think that going through those times has conditioned me to expect less than those who began watching after that, and particularly those who began watching during the 20 seasons in the 2nd tier which culminated in our only season in tier 1. The team does not necessarily have to be winning for me to enjoy games, but it does have to be attempting to play the type of entertaining football that I enjoy watching. It is easier to tell you the managers that I believe have not played that type of football, and have not had any excuse for so doing, in my opinion. The season under John McSeveney was awful and accounted for me no longer travelling to away matches. I was tempted to list Jim Iley’s final season, but have omitted it because he had an excuse. Mark Robins damn near stopped me going to home matches, and that is about it.

3, have you ever seen us look a solid unit defensively?

There is more to defensive solidity than a strong back four. A team defends and attacks as a team. A clean sheet has to be just as important as a goal. The team must work as hard without the ball as it does with the ball. The team must be just as good at retaining possession as it is at winning it back. As long as you think of the defensive unit being the back four and goalkeeper, then you are missing the fundamental reason that a team concedes most of the time, that is, the midfield players were not in their defensive positions quickly enough after the ball was lost and consequently were unable to cover in front of the back four.

4, do you prefer football now or when you first started watching?

When I first started watching, the game was a different game. The players were not as fit or as skilled as they are now. Tackling and physical contact were both still allowed. Players were not expected to run solidly for 90 minutes and consequently there was more room for those with skill to play. Another reason that the modern team would beat any team from the 1960s is because the tactical knowledge in the game now is far superior. As more money has come into the game, it has definitely become more professional, but the money has created a barrier between the players and the fans, the person sitting next to you on the bus will never again be the person you just watched score a hat-trick on Oakwell. Nevertheless, the game has got worse as a spectacle. It is less entertaining and the biggest problem with the game today, is there is less goal mouth incident and more emphasis on keeping possession. The law-makers have not kept pace with advances in the game, and in consequence, the game now more resembles the Latin version of the game that was despised by all right thinking devotees of the British game back in the 60s. I enjoyed the game more back then, but I was also young then, and everything is better when you are young.

5, will you be introducing your off spring to the delights of supporting BFC? (or have you already?)

No, I only have a daughter and she has never shown any interest.