One thing I've noticed...

personally think you are reading too much into it,Ive been going since the mid sixties and lost count of the number of fowk I've stood next to or followed up Oakwell Lane saying never gain only to see them in their usual places at the next home match, the only diff being there was no internet in those days.Got to say though currently its as bad as I can ever remember it, we've often had a team that could throw away a goal or was a bit light on goal threat but rarely at the same time and not when money has been so tight generally so people are a bit down to start with.That being said I can't remember a time when you came away from the ground having experienced such a lack of goalmouth excitement, you could usually look back and think if only that had gone in etc

 

I daren't say how long I've supported the club for obvious reasons (perhaps we should introduce a 'short-service award' for those hardy souls who have only recently started supporting the club). I agree wholeheartedly with much of Fired's view. In my case it's actually not just about Barnsley FC. I said to someone the other day that I could sum up my disenchantment with football in two words - Didier Drogba. So for me it's a general malaise as much as anything. And in my case it's taken since 1966 to get to this point. Damn.

 

Re: I've been watching since the old 4th division days

Is that really true though Jay? I just think its becoming a bit self-perpetuating based on away performances most people haven't seen. Our last 7 homes games are as follows:

Barnsley 0 - 4 Reading
Barnsley 1 - 1 Forest
Barnsley 1 - 3 Birmingham
Barnsley 2 - 0 Portsmouth
Barnsley 3 - 2 Derby
Barnsley 1 - 3 Millwall
Barnsley 4 - 1 Leeds

Won 3, lost 3, drawn 1. The only shocking result is the Millwall game. Within those Leeds and Derby were two of the best games I've seen in years. I think you said yourself that we were decent against Birmingham but were beaten by a much better side. I didn't see the Millwall and Reading games so I can't comment, but both Reading and Birmingham may well go up this year.

So that's 10 points in 7 at home and we've only failed to score in one. I completely agree that a starting XI that has lost Butterfield, Vaz Te, Drinkwater, O'Brien, and Perkins is a poor team that would struggle over the course of a season, but is at as bad as all that? And that is a team that with some of the unused higher earners gone will be strengthened in the summer.

 

What's so strange about this season is that we've seen the best and worst of Barnsley in the space of 6 months. Surely it's not actually the worst we've ever been, we were pretty dreadful under Simon Davey for year after year. This has just been a 3 month blip, before christmas we were brilliant. The reaction just seems a little excessive to me, but maybe we all praised too much during that period before christmas and raised expectations too far.

 

I agree with that apart from the season ticket renewal, I doubt the wisdom most seasons.