Who was your first BFC hero and why?

Shhhh about the age, my mate next door and I are 52 and have known each other since infant school, today we sat on the front wall swapping ailments...like Statdler and feckin Waldorf...

 

I was 55 the other day. One day, as I'm getting older, I'll start to mature.
But not today!

 

55! Young whipper snapper'

 

Ooh, I DO like you!

 

Growing old is compulsory.

Growing up is optional

 

'Like'!

 

Andy Payton. He might have been a lazy, moody bugger but he banged em in.

 

Mick McCarthy. And he still is. I don't think I need to explain why.

 

I thought you were a goalkeeper? Everyone blade of grass - are you Renee Higuita??

 

Was it because of his facial hair back in the day?
Mick was in the year above me at school.*












*Boring fact No.6288.

 

Gerry Taggart. In fact most of my BFC heroes have been centre halves (De Zeeuw, Morgan, Foster). Probably because I'm a centre half I suppose. Although Redfearn epitomised everything you could ever want in a football hero.

 

only 1 so far for clarkey?
i'd wager he was the catalyst on our rise over the 80's & 90's
i was only 8 when he came and was my hero before that,
probably liken it to say if lampard becoming player manager of southend now
unbelievable appointment at the time

 

Johnny Evans, used to play in goals so liked Roy Ironside(think he was about 60 when he played for us lol) but then Eddie Loyden signing was a big deal, he even got a colour photo in Shoot magazine so he must have been good...Winnie, Howard.....loved all those guys from 67 or so......

 

Did you know him mate? What was he like?

When I was a kid he was a brilliant footballer. As I've grown up I've also come to the realise he is a brilliant man. To hear someone speak so eloquently and so intelligently in my own accent is just fantastic. People look down on Barnsley. I love the place, and the one man we have in the media kicking against the *****s is Mick McCarthy. It helps that he's proper old school Barnsley too. Rough, but intelligent, with no prejudices. He takes people as he finds them. Doesn't matter what race, creed or colour you are, doesn't matter if you're rich or poor, gay or straight, man or woman, if you're alright you'll do for Mick. If you're a nob head then you'll get short shrift. That's what I associate with Barnsley people. That's what all the old fellas and old lasses were like when I was a kid. It's not what you are are or where you've come from, it's who you are.

And Mick is a bloody funny guy too.

 

Banger for me - couldn't half hit a ball!

 

I think it's more to do with timing, when someone actually started going down to watch the team and the first player they hero worshipped. For example, my first two heroes (Pat Howard & Mick Butler) had already left the club quite sometime before Clarkey was appointed. No one who watched Barnsley at the time will ever forget the huge impact Allan Clarke made at the club.

 

Mick was so much bigger physically than anyone else at school and had a certain presence about him. The likes of me were simply in awe of him and could never pluck up the courage to speak, even if it was just to say 'hello'. However, unlike so many others who played in a school team, Mick was never cocky, arrogant or a bully. He was simply a decent, unassuming lad.

 

Dick Hewitt. I became a regular in 1966just as we reached our nadir starting the season rock bottom in the old division 4. He started as a winger. he gave 100% every week and was drafted into playing as a striker at times! because we didn't really have one. he then slotted into a midfield role and helped move the club forward. An unsung hero in my opinion. I was pleased he had some success with Scarborough in the FA Trophy.

 

where is Eric now...??

I know he went overseas....... but I would love him back as a coach in some capacity

 

Well my first reds hero was Paul Futcher. He was just class. He was like a continental centre half, so calm and composed. His ball play was superb and he was two yards ahead of everyone else. Just a king.

Agnew was also superb. Then Currie arrived. He was a hero. I was gutted when we sold him to Forest but we had to take the money (which seemed like a lot at the time). Over the moon when we got him back.

Neil Redfearn is my all time BFC hero. That bloke would run through walls, sweat blood, murder himself up and down the pitch for ninety minutes. If a player ever kissed a badge and meant it, that was Neil Redfearn. I'm convinced of two things - we wouldn't have got to the Premier league without him, and I genuinely believe we would've gone back up if we'd kept him.