Memories of season 86-87

Ok then get your thinking caps on, its another season memories thread (yeah another one!!).
What about season '86 then, the one just after the Mexico World cup.
We had somebody in charge then called Clarke, and the club was skint. Apparently we didn't even have ten bob or two tanners to spend.
Which all sounds very very familiar to now doesn't it lol.
Ohh, and the League Play offs were used for the first time!.

 

We won at Roker Park on the final day of the season which pushed Sunderland into a playoff which they subsequently lost to Gillingham thanks to a certain Tony Cascarino meaning relegation for the first time in their history to the 3rd tier.
Leeds got done by Charlton in a replay at St Andrews meaning Charlton retained div 1 status.
We had to dig deep to stay up lost the first 6 on the spin, scraped past caernarfon and Aldershot in the cup, our form in Jan/Feb and having Paul Futcher kept us up, loved our kit that season and bought both home and away although I decided to iron my yellow away shirt (no idea why) and leave most of it on the iron, a poor season on the whole

 

Yeah us losing the first six games in a row, and my mates would take the mick at school, as we were rock bottom of the table lol.
Clarke (Alan) would still say though, that we were playing some good stuff, and weren't getting deserved results!.

 

Speaking of that game at Sunderland (Roker park), I don't think we ever won there again did we. Before their move to the new Stadium of light.
We did also draw there that season in the new Full members cup, and eventually lost on pens.
And by the way, was that our first ever Cup tie penalty shoot out ?.

 

My first season attending on regular basis ...cracking kit!, lost first 6 as we couldn't hit a cows arse with a banjo up top, sound at the back mind and we had a decent midfield.

Results started to turn after we signed John Mcdonald and Rog Wylde returned from injury. Plenty of young lads in that squad fetched through the ranks or signed as free agents.

Alan Clarke doesn't get the credit he deserves for that second spell. We were decent to watch considering we hadn't a pot to piss ar the time and the cub was on its arse.
That squad from his second spell peaked in 88/89 just missing out on a play off spot.
I enjoyed following us more back then than I do now..........sithi.

 

Remember we had some good footballers then , played good football . Steve Agnew / Stuart Gray . Enjoyed watching us more then than now

 

I used to look forward to going to games at Oakwell, now I don't give a toss.
I'll support BFC forever I expect but I've lost the desire to actually go there.
The olden days were the golden days, even if we were bottom of the 4th division.

 

Our first win was at Blundell Park.. it was our tenth game of the season. We won only two matches out of the first twenty.

 

Still reeling from the effects of the miners strike. Prior to season we sold David Hirst for a pittance to Owls due to club being skint.

Playing wise we had Clive Baker Paul Futcher Joe Joyce John Beresford Stuart Gray (Did he end up being our top scorer that season?) Steve Agnew Gwyn Thomas John MacDonald Roger Wylde Darren Foreman

 

So skint they we selling a spot in the dugout for £100 a game.

Wish I'd done it.

 

Agree 100% - he worked miracles to keep us up to be honest.

 

I can't recall much about that season, as I was 12 and just started to get taken to games more regularly.

I do have an inkling that I felt it was impossible for a Barnsley player to score more than 9 goals in a season.

 

Just checked and Gray was top scorer with 11 goals that season.

 

Was it the season after he got sold and everyone seemed to finish on 8 or 9 goals?

As I say, I was 12 and can't remember a great deal about it. I know my first season ticket was 89/90 for the pricely sum of 20 quid.

 

Think so, went to villa under Graham Taylor......sithi.

 

Hey Monkey man lol, I'm glad you've said that, because it's been bugging me all weekend.
Somebody said on a thread on here, that Ian Chandler and Darren Foreman were one of our worst ever main striker pairings. And for me they were never a main pairing.
I always think of Roger Wylde and John MacDonald as our main two, but Ian Chandler did at least score a hat trick in the 3-4 win at Hull, on new years day.

 

Yeah Connor, I'll say that Stuart Gray was/is one of my all time favourite players.
And I think when we talk about our popular goalscoring midfielders over the years (and there have been many), he rarely seems to get a mention that he deserves.

 

Yeah uncle Wuz lol, we did the Grim mob at Blunder park didn't we, in game seven, after six straight defeats!.
If ever there was a case of 'turning points' in a season, it might have been that win, at Grimsby that day.

 

John Mcdonald was signed around October/November time as a free agent. Not brilliant mind but was a wily experienced forrard in a team that was relying on bairns to play up top. That squad was crying out for a goalscorer but we had to wait another year n half till we got one in David Currie(reight player ..........sithi.

 

Hey Badger, like you say there is often an age thing involved here.
And you might have noticed, that the 80s were (and always will be) my golden era lol.
This is giving me another idea here, by the way!.