WEDNESDAY AWAY - A TARN PERSPECTIVE

Liam Dyson

In this edition of the blog, and what with it being 'Wednesday Week', I asked fellow Barnsley blogger and Tarn fanatic, Liam Dyson to give us his thoughts on this particular fixture and our local rivals. 


Here - in his inimitable style - is what he came up with... enjoy! 








I suppose there was no choice who I was going to support.. My Dad has been a regular at Oakwell for about 40 years and ever since the 3rd round of the League Cup in ’95 when a Bergkamp inspired Arsenal beat us 3-0 at home I was hooked. 

This was my Dad’s town, my Dad’s team and now it was ours. Something to share and from that day it’s probably been the main source of our time together.

Ever since that Autumn I’ve had arguments at school, college, work, in the boozer, toilets and street with Wednesday fans, born and bred in Barnsley who apparently ‘hate’ their home town team. 

I still have those arguments today nearly twenty years later. How can you hate your town? In essence, a football club is just that – your town. Your name. Your history.



"Where you from mate?"

"Barnsley."

"Do you go to games?"

"Nar, can’t stand ‘em. I’m a Wednesday fan."




Now I understand someone following a side because - just like me - a parent did. But the key difference here is my Dad made the right choice. Yours didn’t. 

He went to watch Wednesday on a club trip with my Grandad but had the moral character to rise above it. Yours didn’t. 

Unless you have real links to an area, at one point in the past someone in your family started watching a side because they thought they were good. Simple as. 

Leeds fans fall into that, so do Liverpool, Man Utd etc. Deep down, you know you and your family shit on your home town. I hope you’re proud.

This post isn’t a dig at Wednesday fans. It’s not your fault where you were born and I’ve utmost respect in you HAVING to support that shower of shite.

The majority I meet are idiots. But there’s scientific proof somewhere that it’s an environmental factor – there’s too many for it to be coincidence. 

This post is about those who have ‘Barnsley District General’ on their birth certificate but lack any sort of respect for their own town’s team. 

I grew up with plenty. Still class a few as mates although they have something in common – they’re usually bells whose opinion on football I’d rank alongside Andy Townsend’s..

But there’s one thing that bugs me about these ‘glory hunting’ Wednesday fans from the local areas. 

What glory attracted you? 

The mid table Premier League years? The stats in your 96/97 Rothman’s Annual that talks of the days of 1902-1904 where you retained the Div 1 title? Or that controversial yet memorable 1934/35 FA Cup glory? 

I don’t get it. I understand for the Leeds/Liverpool/Man Utd. I do. It’s not right but it’s understandable. But Wednesday? Really?

I suppose there is some poetic justice that those lads pretending to be Waddle on a Barnsley playing field have seen no glory at all - just failure. Under achievement and being that ‘sleeping giant’ the likes of Peter Beagrie goes on about. 

It’s a lesson to future generations – supporting your team is not about glory. You don’t know what winning is until you’ve seen your team lose 1-0 at home on a Tuesday night to the bottom of league with a last minute winner in the middle of January where you can’t feel your feet, they've run out of Bovril and you’ve left your gloves at home.

These Barnsley lads went searching for gold – they came back with a MASSIVE bag of shit. Natural justice. 

You Reds. 

Thanks to Liam for his honesty, and help with this particular article. 

You can follow him 'HERE' on twitter. 

Also, he has his own Barnsley related blog page: 'West Stand Bogs' 

I can certainly relate to what Liam is getting at. 

I remember growing up surrounded by Wednesday fans in Elsecar. 

But it was amusing to see so many of them at Oakwell in 1997/98. We'd done the impossible and reached the promised land, and a load of them jumped on board the bandwagon.. 

I don't see so many of them nowadays down Grove Street, though. Perhaps I'll drop on a few down Leppings Lane on Saturday. Or, perhaps they've magically sworn allegiance to Man City by now, Chelsea even...? 

Bollocks to em. 

THIS is my club. 

When we beat someone by more than a goal it's special. Even more appealing is doing it with just six or seven thousand fellow Tarn supporters alongside you. 

I don't look at those empty red seats and wish they were occupied. 

I see them empty and pity the soft gets who clearly prefer to support a Man City or United from the comfort of their sofa. 

I don't pay much attention to the Premier League, and I didn't get all excited when Sergio Aguero scored THAT goal last season. 

I do though recall Mansfield Town turning us over at Oakwell, with another 'Andy White' scoring in front of the Ponty End. 

When Wednesday line up with their latest high profile loanee on Saturday (some foreigner from Hull with a funny name) I'll stand proud as ever, as the likes of Perkins and Dagnall run amok. 

We're a proper club. With proper supporters. Nobody 'picks' Barnsley as 'their' team for the glory. 

You're from Tarn? Then if you choose to 'support' some other team you're doing football all wrong. 

Sithi. 

Thanks for reading. And remember, tomorrow we have my good friend and Barnsley Player commentator, Matt Bailey with us.. 

UP THE TARN!