Our Crowds

Strange one that as I started to go to Oakwell as a young lad shortly after we moved to Barnsley. Perhaps my memory is playing tricks or you are referring to the early 60s before I started going.

I used to stand in the Ponty end behind the goal and remember it could be quite crush and regular crowds of 10000-14000 on Saturdays. That said I also remember some wet Tuesday night games with 2-3k attendances but also handful of 20k+ FA cup games (Cardiff and Leicester??).
Of course the ground capacity was much higher then with all standing (apart from upper tier West stand). Even with the Brewery stand and the Kop (most of which was only partly terraced the top half being basically a slag heap) being much smaller compared to the East and North stands we have now , safety regs and no seating meant, I think, the ground could hold up to 30k.
Those were the days - and into the early 70s - of 'battling Barnsley' - Winstanley, Robson, Howard, Murphy, Brookes, Earnshaw and Evans. I always rated big Eric who had... 'presence'. As an aside, those who slated Davies last season should have seen Roy Ironside (or Roy Cyanide as I used to call him in goal) who wasn't perhaps the worst goalie I have seen play at Oakwell (but F**king close!!)

 

Heres our attendances, this era is the best its ever been. We all like to reminisce and think it was better years ago but it wasnt, in the 40s we had a few years of decent crowds but nothing like the crowds since the prem. Majority of the last 20 years we've averaged over 10k.

http://european-football-statistics.co.uk/attnclub/league/bars.htm

 

This is some sensible analysis. Football is expensive now. If your parents aren't taking you, you're not going. The scheme of really cheap STs with a full price adult was a really good idea - get them in, and get them hooked. However, someone at high school isn't going to be able to fund their own tickets.

What are we doing as a club to bring in new fans for the future from traditional areas, never mind looking further afield?

 

I think the crowds more younger these days than when l started watching in the 80's. I was probably one of six Barnsley fans in my class, everyone else "supported" the big clubs. I made the comment to my dad the other week about my six year old - l take him to football and out of the 40/50 kids around 30 of them have the Barnsley strip on, there would have been about four of us wearing it back in the mids 80's. What these owners and Cryne have done for the kids has been brilliant in my view.

 

Away at Doncaster, it seemed to my mate and I that there were hundreds of teenagers who'd all got in one particular area behind the goal.

It is only one example, but I do think we have a good number of young fans.

I think school-aged kids are alright: the bank of mum and dad pays them in. 40-year-olds like me are alright: there is some disposable income and you pick how you want to spend it.

It's the 20-somethings whom I think struggle in general, not just at Barnsley.