Letter I sent to Flicker last week...

Dear Flicker,

I have supported Barnsley Football Club for nearly forty years, first going to Oakwell as a young kid when Barnsley were in the old fourth division and managed by Jim Iley. Things were pretty grim in those days with crowds below 4,000, but over the following years I was privileged to see the team rise to the second tier of English football under Alan Clarke, Norman Hunter and Bobby Collins. We had a great team, which played superb football, with the likes of Parker, Aylott, Banks and especially Ronnie Glavin, who still ranks as the greatest footballer I’ve ever seen in a Barnsley shirt.

After many seasons under various managers in the second tier without ever quite reaching the top flight, Danny Wilson finally achieved what many thought was impossible and took us into the Premier League. The 1996/97 season will probably rank as many fans’ most enjoyable ever. At the time I was living down south, but I still travelled to many games home and away that year. Neil Redfern led the team brilliantly and drove us onto promotion. That game against Bradford will live forever in the memory.

I moved back north for the Premier League season, seeing every single game home and away, including the incredible night when we knocked Manchester United, Beckham, Scholes, Cole and all the rest, out of the FA Cup. I was there when Gary Willard sent off three Barnsley players at home to Liverpool and there was almost a riot – we were actually outplaying Liverpool with nine men, but going down to eight was just beyond us! I was there when we were relegated at Leicester, but we’d lived the dream.

Then came some darker days: administration after the collapse of the ITV Digital deal and the real possibility of going out of business. We finally regrouped and Andy Ritchie led us to a superb play-off final win at the Millennium Stadium and we were back where this club belongs, having spent more seasons in the second tier of English football than any other club.

You might be wondering what all of this has got to do with you and the current squad? Well, over recent seasons my love for football has been seriously tested. Big money has come into the game and I began to feel that the dream was over and Barnsley would no longer be able to compete at this level ever again. Season after season battling against relegation with little hope of achieving anything more than survival; was that what football for our town had become? The media talked about Financial Fair Play being introduced into the game, but parachute payments for clubs relegated from the Premier League have now increased to £60,000,000 over four seasons. It doesn’t seem that the Championship is that fair a league to me. I listened with some sympathy and a feeling of resignation to Keith Hill as he continually bemoaned the inequalities of life in this division. However, he then got the sack and you took charge…

What I have witnessed over the last four months has been nothing short of incredible. You seemed to quickly understand what the people of Barnsley wanted – an up and at ‘em, never say die spirit and a work ethic that can confound all the football pundits, upset all the odds and expectations and show that money isn’t the only key to success in football. The Barnsley public aren’t rich in monetary terms either, living as they do in one of the most deprived areas of the country, but they would never accept that someone was better than them just because they’ve got a few bob. They’re proud of their town and all they wanted was a football team that gave absolutely everything even against seemingly impossible odds. You’ve given them that. You, your management team and the squad of players have played with such desire, such bravery and such skill and determination that they have begun to believe that the football dream is still alive.

Whatever happens next Saturday at Huddersfield, this second half of the 2012/2013 season will never be forgotten. Whether we are playing next season in the Championship or League One is in some ways irrelevant as what you’ve done is so much more important: you’ve rekindled the fire, reignited the passion that for me, and no doubt many others, had virtually been extinguished. So I wanted to personally thank you, Mickey Melon, Martin Scott and all the players for giving us some outstanding memories and a team that we as a town can be truly proud of…

I’ll be at Huddersfield next Saturday with thousands of others who all feel the same as me. Thanks Flicker.

 

Cracking stuff mate.

 

Nicely put. Let us know if you get a response from Flicker or the club.

 

I think you are speaking for most fans there, its nice to look forward to going to Oakwell again.

 

Roooring again, in the pub this time.... sob, sniff....

 

Quality letter.
Your comments speak for all reds fans.
Lets hope the board don't **** this one up.

 

Well said. I think it's days like this when we all realise how this club has continually upset the odds by having a 2nd tier football team. It really is something to be very proud of and taking a step back we should be thankful we've had some cracking teams and managers over the years. We've played more games in this tier than any other team, and that's a record most clubs in the country would give their right arms to have.

 

Great letter Steve, echo my feelings too. What a fantastic end to the season - glad it's over though!

 

In January it was just a case of damage limitation and restoring some pride and even regrouping for life in Division1 Not quite the greatest comeback of all time but still amazing and I agree with your sentiments.

 

The ball is in Patrick Cyrne's court. Not anyone else's.

 

Has there been any/many better? We did have the worst record in the country over the past 12 months when he took over....

 

awesome letter mate straight from the heart just like flicker and the team have been, today as been one of the most rollercoaster emotional wreck of a day for me and lots more and we pulled off mission impossible, after we got battered by watford back in december i was there and sat with head in hands thinking how low we had sunk then when the other manager was sacked (cant even say his name) wondered where we were heading especially when we were turned down and when it seemed nobody wanted to manage us in comes the number 2 toprevious manager we all though thats it we doomed but how wrong we were and since the peterborough game we have never looked back, the Barnsley Board now have to take on board what flicker wants and if it means taking a slight loss we have to speculate to accumalate and under dave flitcroft and crew we can do it. STAND TOGETHER FIGHT TOGETHER ONE TOWN ONE CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM and remember the words of the great Robert Nesta Marley "Dont Worry Bout a Ting cos Every Little Ting Gonna Be Alright"

 

Great post

 

Well said fella, my sentiments as well.

 

Certainly echoes my thoughts - top quality post

 

Cheers Simon, was a nervous wreck yesterday but somehow just knew it would all work out in the end...

 

Inspiring stuff, Woodbine. Spot on!

 

In tears reading this, and I'm born and bred in Hull. But got that Barnsley/Yorkshire pride/passion in my heart!!!

 

Reading this now and looking at the sack Flicker poll it seems popular opinion has swung. I can't imagine the poll looking the same when the OP posted this and certainly not after the season ended.

Here's my two penneth:

He definitely deserves time and backing. I don't think anyone else within our financial means would have walked in the club in the summer and then done any better than he is now. He deserves our full support. It looked extremely bleak at certain points in the Huddersfield match, some very very late on and it seemed all hope of survival was lost and yet we all kept singing and backing him and the lads in the face of adversity. It's still November. We're not 5 minutes away from relegation, praying for a Crystal Palace goal so we should be full of optimism that "every little thing's gonna be alright".

There was probably too much optimism in the summer from some sections which has led to them feeling disappointed rather quickly that we're not at least safe and soundly tucked in the mid-table pack. Ben and Maurice know what they're doing in transforming the club. We should trust them and Flicker. It was never going to be an overnight turnaround but I am confident we are going in the right direction and I'm more confident of long term success even if we're relegated this season than I would have been had we gone down last season.

 

Great letter written with passion.. as a small town fighting the big boys we have always punched above our weight... I remember some friends who supported Chelsea coming to Oakwell in the premier season... they were amazed how a small tarn like ours could have made those dizzy heights...but we did..and with passion like that shown in your letter, and the effort given by Flicker and the boys.. they could return..