Stupid things I've done

Criminally long post alert! (Part 2)

Let's fast forward two years. It's April 2002 and my big dream is about to come true - I'm going to visit England and Barnsley for the first time. Now that was pretty exciting, especially when the match that I had decided to attend to was the "relegation match" against Norwich. About a week before my trip I got a phone call from an English number - Ms Shaw from Barnsley Chronicle was asking all sorts of questions about my forthcoming visit to Barnsley and wanted to meet me when I come over. Huh? It turned out that a friend from the mailing list had tipped Chronicle about my visit.

I arrived in Barnsley a few days before the game, so I had plenty of time to see the town. To be honest, it turned out to be a pleasant surprise! People were helpful and friendly (although I couldn't understand a word of what some of the old geezers with strong accents were saying) and the town was bigger than I had expected it to be - the definition of a "small town" in Finland and England isn't the same!

So I also met lovely Ms Shaw from Barnsley Chronicle again. She picked me up from my hotel (The Black Bull in Stairfoot) and took me to the Oakwell to take some photos. Steve Parkin showed me around, gave me an autograph "folder" signed by the whole team, and said that if I had brought my football shoes with me I could have got into the team - I assume that he was only joking, but I probably could have made it to that team. Just seeing the Oakwell for the first time was pretty cool, but I even got to step on the hallowed turf when they wanted to take photos of me playing with Chris Morgan. Fortunately Chris kept his elbows down that time and my head was still intact after the photo shoot. The next day my friend texted me that there was a big photo of me on the front page of the Chronicle and a little story next to it, and there I was indeed, me with a silly over-sized hat and a big smile on my face, sitting at the empty Oakwell. It was quite fun to be a "celebrity" for one day!

Our big game against Norwich ended in a 0-2 (if I remember correctly) loss and we got relegated that day. It was sad and people were feeling sorry for me for my "terrible timing", but in a way I'm happy that I was there at the Oakwell that day. You got to experience the lows, so that you can really enjoy these little moments of success that we so rarely have.

I met a lot of friends during my visit to Barnsley, and I'll always be grateful for all their help and hospitality. Some of my friends from the mailing list had got me the yellow away shirt (the "Brazil" one) signed by our relegation "heroes". One friend took me on a day trip to Yorkshire Dales, and another one took me to a reserve match in Burnley! I was also invited to one of those supporters' meetings where I got to meet John Hendrie and was presented with another autographed item, a signed football. And of course I had a guided tour to Barnsley's famous nightlife too.

I've been to Barnsley a few times after that as well, although I think I've attended more away games (mostly in London area). The playoff final day in Cardiff was something that I'll remember for the rest of my life, even though I was sure that my life would end there during that awful nerve-wracking penalty shootout. On one of my visits (can't remember when exactly) we had this BBS meet-up where I got to meet loads of people from here. It was a fun night and it was nice to finally be able to put some names to faces. That happened about ten years ago though, so many of those people no longer even post here, and of course there are now a lot of "new" people too. I propose that we arrange another BBS meet-up when I come over again.

So why just Barnsley? To be honest, I don't even know! I suppose it was a mixture of all those lucky coincidences and events, and many other little things. There have been days when I've been so frustrated with our <s>damned</s> beloved little club that I wonder why in the hell I ever started supporting Barnsley in the first place, but I can't say that I've really regretted a single day of it. In fact, it's one of the best things that I've ever done! I know that we're most likely never going to win anything big during my lifetime, and all my big-club-supporting can laugh at me all they want, but like I said before, it's these little moments of success that really makes it all worthwhile. Being there at the Millennium Stadium with my fellow fans and friends to witness Nick Colgan save that last decisive penalty must have felt a hundred times better than what winning the FA Cup feels like to your ordinary Manchester United fan.

So thanks for (probably not) reading all my rambling, I always get a bit carried away! I still listen to every game that we play, but I'm a bit ashamed to say that it's already been too many years since my last visit to England and Barnsley. But mark my words: I'll be back.

 

Brilliant stuff Tomi!

 

Re: Criminally long post alert! (Part 2)

Tomi, thanks for that, an absolutely fascinating read mate - read every word and really enjoyed what you had to say.

The Black Bull Hotel you stayed in - I literally live about 100 yards away from there.

Next time you're over, give me a shout.

 

Re: Criminally long post alert! (Part 2)

Superb posts, Tomi old friend. I'd certainly love to meet up with you next time you're over here.

 

Re: Criminally long post alert! (Part 2)

Really enjoyed that Tomi. Much respect

 

Fantastic read!

 

Thanks for the compliments and thanks for reading it all in the first place - I was wondering if anyone would even find my posts, let alone actually read them!

I will certainly announce my next visit to Barnsley here on the BBS when the time comes (whenever that'll be), it'd be good to see some new and old faces from here again.

 

Brilliant stuff Tomi, thanks for taking the time to post it,

 

Rather than phoning the RAC, I tried to drive my car whilst it was overheating. I was going through Manchester and just carried on with steam pouring out of the bonnet. Decided to go on the motorway which to this day, I'll never understand why I did. Car conked out in the middle lane of the M60. The fan had broken which had caused the car to overheat, cracked the head gasket and a load of other things I don't remember the name of. Scorched the inside of the ending. £600 it cost me to get fixed. The car struggles up hills now especially on motorways. I could have saved myself a few quid had I just gone to the garage the first time it happened a few months before.

 

Re: Criminally long post alert! (Part 2)

glory supporter im joking

i never knew about this its a nice story and nice to know