Almanac Soccer: The Tykes Survive
It must be one of the most unbelievable outcomes in British Football. Barnsley, who have been sitting on the bottom rung of the Division for most of the season have pulled off a remarkable late season form reversal and survived.
In early July they were stone motherless last, just having been thrashed by Stoke City 4-0, they then drew with Luton Town 1-1, a nil all draw with Wigan Athletic and then a loss to Leeds United 1-0.
I almost stopped looking up the scores on BBC Sport thinking League One here we come, when they beat Brentford 2-1 and then knocked off Nottingham Forest 1-0 to somehow scramble out of the relegation zone.
Unfortunately I have lost contact with the lads from Barnsley that I shared many a pint of John Smith Lager and I’m not sure if the Fitzwilliam Hotel is still standing, so tonight I will have a Coopers Pale Ale to celebrate the Tykes great survival.
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About Rod Oaten
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A day of highs and lows for many Rod! After a few years in the Championship my VIllains had been promoted back to the PL last season and managed to stay up for the next, thanks largely to local lad Jack Grealish (geez I hope he sticks fat!)
Hope the pale ale went down a treat!
I’ll fire your post off to my mate Geoff Sleight, who played for Barnsley, then came to Australia, played for the national team before they were called Socceroos and was part of the great Prague team in Sydney in the 1960s. He’s been back home since then but came out for the reunion of the 1965 team in 2015. I watched the Leeds game and thought they were very unlucky to lose that one and Bielsa was a very relieved man at the end of that one. Keep the faith, Rod, with the players they have and the commitment, they will do better in the new season.