Radio Sheffield

I sent this email to Gordon Shepherd yesterday - hope he reads it and takes my advice:
Dear Mr. Shepherd,

I would just like to express my support for the stance you have taken
this season regarding BBC Radio Sheffield. I am sure that this issue
will come up once again next season and you may want to consider my
recent experiences when deciding whether to allow them to do commentary
from Oakwell in the future.

I was listening to Praise and Grumble on my way home after the recent
home game with Sheffield United when a Blades caller came on. He said,
"I have just made my way through the mud huts of Barnsley, through the
streets paved with manure. I am now in Barnsley train station where
Barnsley fans are staring in awe at the wheels of the train..." The
presenter, Andy Giddins, said nothing, allowed the call to continue and
asked him about the game, finishing by laughing and thanking him for
his call! I was disgusted - banter between fans is all well and good,
but this I thought went too far. I, therefore, rang in and
complained. I was assured a member of the management team would get
back to me. They didn't, so I rang again on Sunday. This time I spoke
to one of the presenters, Dean Pepple, who took my details and passed
them on to the assistant editor, Mike Woodcock.

Mr. Woodcock retrurned my call on Tuesday. In his opinion this was
just a joke, part of the day to day banter between fans on Radio
Sheffield. I disagreed as I thought it went too far and only served to
breed hatred between communities and reinforced the worst kinds of
stereotypes, something that Barnsley can well do without. I told him
that as broadcasters serving the whole of the South Yorkshire community
they should have reacted differently to this kind of abuse. He refused
to accept my opinion and said that in the context of the programme it
was perfectly acceptable. I wonder how they would have reacted had
Sheffield United just beaten Bradford City and a caller came on making
such comments about their town? You can imagine the reaction to
that...

With this in mind I would urge you to continue the current embargo
that exists on Radio Sheffield commentaries as I feel that Barnsley, as
both a football club and a town, are treated as second class citizens
by the powers that run Radio Sheffield. Mr. Woodcock suggested to me
that this wouldn't bother me if I had more "confidence " in my home
town. I assured him that I have enormous confidence in the people of
Barnsley and couldn't be prouder to name it as my home - I found his
comments to be quite disrespectful. I hope you will bear this in mind
when you are approached regarding negotiations for next season.

Please pass on my best wishes to everyone at Oakwell - I'm sure we can
avoid relegation this season and have a great chance of lifting the FA
Cup! I shall be at Burnley on Saturday cheering them on again.

Yours sincerely,

Stephen Wood (season ticket holder).

Any thoughts?

 

Well said mate

 

A bit too long for Young Nudger to read I expect, but the rest of you might be interested!

 

Are you Richard Wood's brother? nt

 

Yes - who wants to know?

 

Perhaps you can phone again sometime

and whilst on air slip in the fact that Sheffield has the highest teenage pregnancy rate in Europe, make jokes about inbreeding on the Manor estate and the mutants who support Sheffield United....can guarantee they wouldn't be taking it in and talking about "good natured banter between football fans".
Strange how that very sort of banter which they are condoning can lead directly to football violence.

 

didn't hear that myself

but if that was said you are absolutely correct. At first I did not agree with the club's stance, it seemed we wanted more money than others for no good reason, but increasingly it seems they are somewhat biased against us, and allowing such statements is unacceptable. I thought your example about possible Bradford City stereotypes was very astute, they certainly would not have allowed those comments to continue, and in my opinion those two examples, stereotypes of Bransley and Bradford, would be one and the same.

 

Absolutely spot on

club took the correct stance all along, those that think different are fools.

 

I agree with you....

Who cares about Sheffield? well, sheffielders I 'spose.</p>

same with Donny, Rovram, Chesterbloodyfield.... they are not barnsleyfolk and they don't care about Barnsley just like we don't care about sheffield. It is not a bad thing. They have a geographical area which they are the centre of. They should pull their boundary back Chapeltown.</p>

I second your support of Gordon's decision to stand alone as barnsley..</p>

 

RE: Absolutely spot on

We can be just like Fergie (neer)

 

Praise and Grumble .................have you ever thought...........

that the ignorant b@astard on Praise and Grumble let callers spout all this abuse about the TARN because they know they will get a response from someone from the TARN

They bait the hook (fishin) and just watch them jump into the keep net

I've listened to Praise and Grumble when no one phones in.............now thats a laugh

 

BBC Barnsley??

 

RE: Praise and Grumble .................have you ever thought...........

No. I don't believe that. They are just having snide laugh at the dumb old dingles. That is the way it is and feckem. We are what we are and other English folk will always take the mick. I am comfortable with that..... proud of it, in fact.</p>

</p>

It is not new. In fact, what do think the Rev TT Preedy came to Barnsley for? He was a missionary. And he didn't go to fooking Africa to teach them about God and stop 'em from eating each other. He came to Barnsley to educate the natives and improve their lives..... fooking ell</p>

 

Heard another call from "Jud" who claimed to be a Barnsley fan who said Billy Sharp was "faster than our Kes" and scored a "reight goil". And he said he fully expected to go down with the Wednesday. Kept it up for a couple of minutes and they just let him.

Knobs.

 

I heard him ....

So four teams down this year because Scunny and Colchester are down plus us and Wednesday ! He almost sounded pleased that we'd lost! (

 

Works both ways though....I know reds fanswho used to go on (from the pub like) pretending to be de dars...."Warnock Out, Spackman in", "Sign O'callahan from Barnsley, solution to defensive frialty" and "Lets merge sheffield clubs" are some of their funnier ones....

I agree in genral thouigh, Radio SHeff is all about supporting the sheffield clubs

 

I used to tel them regularly but I've stopped now...

For reason already mentioned. They do not challenge any anti-barnsley views/calls. I once criticised the Pikeys and there was nearly hell to pay. Yet on the day of the funeral of Derek Dooley a regular Pikey caller cracked a bad-taste joke. OK he ws pulled up over it but was allowed to complete his call, and still calls up. Radio dee dar would just love it if Pikeys got promoted and we got relegated.

 

Sorry but I miss Radio Sheffield if you don't like it don't listen. Its about time they got together and sort it out then we can have banter
both ways.

 

Is that the same one who said Steele was better than Ferenczi and we never put all our 5 subs on? nt

 

Agreed We Need Them Back Onside

It's doing us no good, having no decent radio coverage on us.