Almanac Soccer: The Tykes go up

 

There hasn’t been a lot to shout about the exploits of Barnsley over the last few years, but things are looking up, as they move from League One to the second tier Championship competition.

 

They came home with a “wet sail” winning four out of their last five games. They lost their last to Bristol Rovers but had plenty of points on the ladder to finish second to Luton Town.

 

The season started well with a couple of early wins, however like a lot of previous seasons The Tykes lost a couple drew a few and mid way through were in the bottom half of the ladder. This form continued with a few more wins, losses and draws and I was convinced it was another year in League One.

 

To my complete surprise in the latter half of this very long season, something happened at Barnsley and wins and honourable draws became the order of the day so much so, they continued to climb the ladder, and for the last few weeks sat in second spot and automatic promotion at the end of the season.

 

The Tykes spent three seasons in The Premier many years ago then dropped to Championship.  They stayed there for three or four years before dropping down to League One this time last year.  So the drop has stopped, things are looking up at their home ground called The Kennel.

 

 

What joy for the lads at the Fitzwilliam in Barnsley, I’m sure they celebrated long and hard with many jars of John Smith lager. I would have loved to have joined them, but on second thoughts for my health’s sake I’m glad I didn’t.

 

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Comments

  1. Stainless says

    Rod
    The promotion and relegation dramas of UK soccer add a dimension to following a team that’s completely missing in Australian Rules. Imagine if our AFL teams could be relegated if they finished bottom of the ladder!
    There’s a great series on Netflix called “Sunderland til I die”, which charts the sorry story of Sunderland’s 2017/18 disastrous season in the Championship and eventual relegation to League 1. The thing that really hit home to me is the huge financial consequences of promotion and relegation. In their previous season Sunderland dropped from the Premier League. 85 of their staff lost their jobs. Little wonder that a further relegation was seen as catastrophic for such a big club and cause for major worry among the remaining employees. When you see this sort of stuff unfolding, Bill Shankly’s famous remark about football being more important than matters of life and death suddenly doesn’t sound so silly.
    At this very moment when you’re enjoying Barnsley’s automatic promotion, Sunderland is locked in a two-leg tie against Portsmouth for the right to go into the League 1 playoff final. The winner of that match will join Barnsley and Luton in the Championship next year. It’s a time of great celebration and despair.

  2. Rod Oaten says

    Stainless.
    Thanks for the reply, The English football competition is dominated by about six wealthy clubs, all other clubs battle like made to try and hang in there. Occasionally a club like Leicester City bobs up as an unlikely winner but if you look back over the years it’s the same rich and powerful clubs that take out the prizes.
    The VAFA has promotion/relegation, Fitzroy won promotion to Premier B this year after winning the Premier C flag last year and they are battling. MHSOB who were for years a power in Premier A are now down in Division 2. How I would love to see those teams back in A, but who would I barrack for in a Grand Final?????

  3. Greetings Chaps. My knowledge of soccer is next to minimal, but i thought i’d ask youse a Q?

    I read recently about Cyrille Regis, a soccer player in the early 1970’s. There didn’t appear to be many black faces on the soccer pitches back then but Regis was considered a pioneer, an inspiration.Can you give me some information/details re him?

    Glen!

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