Almanac Soccer: Sheffield Bloody Wednesday! – Barnsley FC update
Rod Oaten in his Barnsley FC away strip circa 1982.
Sheffield Bloody Wednesday!
I now know why my old drinking mate from the Fitz in Barnsley, told me never to mention their name again anywhere near him. That was forty years ago and I remember it, like it happened yesterday.
I checked the BBC Sport website a couple of days ago to see how the Tykes were going, in a very positive mood. You see Barnsley were playing their next two games against the two bottom teams in the Championship division, Wycombe Wanderers and Sheffield Wednesday.
The game against Wycombe Wanderers known as the Chairboys, turned out to be a good result for the Tykes 3 – 1. It was their twelve unbeaten game and consolidated their place in the playoffs section for promotion to the Premier division.
Three days later, the team who shall remain nameless took it right up to the Tykes and presented them with a 2 -1 defeat. It could have been two nil except for a late goal by Barnsley. Manager Valean Ismail, was disappointed and admitted the other mob was too good on the day. It was only the eighth time in thirty one games that Barnsley has been beaten since he was appointed to the club which at that time was stone motherless last and destined for demotion.
So I won’t mention The Owls, ( hope Paul doesn’t read this!!!!) however I can report that the Tykes are still 5th on the ladder despite their loss. According to their Manager, Barnsley need to have 75 points (64 now) to assure promotion to the Premier League. There are eight games to go, the next is against Reading (Royals) on April 2, followed by Luton Town (the Hatters) on April 5 and Middlesborough (the Boro) on April 10. Barnsley is above all these teams on the ladder, but that doesn’t a thing when last week they were beaten by the then. bottom team.
It’s a really action packed season. This year is very different from the last three or four, instead of the Tykes battling to avoid relegation to League One they have a chance of promotion.
I will follow with a bated breath.
More from Rod Oaten HERE
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We all need a multitude of leagues and sports to follow Rod. There has to be a winner somewhere in the pile of misery. Love the team nicknames. AFL is all Americanised superheroes. Giants. Suns. Eagles. Bombers. (Sorry I forgot – don’t talk about the war).
I am a little fascinated by most things Yorkshire. Only been there once in ’19 for about a week in September. Would like to go back, but unlikely now unfortunately. I do keep an eye on the Owls once I found out they were cricketers who started playing football on a Wednesday. Just to clarify Rod, is the pic or the uniform circa ’82?
Nay, Rod, steady on. The Owls are still going down whilst Barnsley still have a chance of going up. Don’t begrudge embattled Wednesdayites a moment of glory, please. I followed Wednesday from the 1966-67 season until I left to come to WA in 2000. Apart from the almost glories of 1993 (two cup finals; two losses to Arsenal) there have been too many moments of despair. Give us this moment of pleasure, you can afford it.
Daryl, I bought this strip in 1982 and took this pic. a few days ago. Pretty rapt it still fits.
John, I feel your pain, both of our clubs have not had a lot to sing about in recent years, so I really hope the Owls win enough to stay in the Championship.
Barnsley, one of those old, traditional Yorkshire mining towns. I imagine it would have done it hard during the Thatcher years.
Barnsley’s favorite son, Harold ‘Dickey’ Bird: is he still around?
Glen!
And so you should be Rod. Well done.