A DAY TO REMEMBER

When a new manager is installed at a club, and they speak about their hopes and intentions, it's fair to say that very few are being honest or realistic. In the main, they're saying things they think the supporters want or need to hear. Usually owing to the fact that the club have just dispensed of another manager who failed to live up to his own hype. 



But for us, and with David Flitcroft, it's impossible to look back upon his first interviews with the media and call him unrealistic or dishonest when he outlined his aspirations for Barnsley Football Club. 


He spoke of a 'no fear' approach. Of uniting the club from top to bottom. He promised to take us on an 'adventure', a 'journey'. He was - he claimed - nothing like Keith Hill, his predecessor and best friend. He was his own man, and had his own ideas. 



Now, I bought into Hill's rhetoric when he arrived in June of 2011. Hell, I lapped it up. I believed him when he told us that topping the table was his aim. I found his cocky manner, his arrogance quite refreshing. It was difficult not to get excited after a mundane couple of years under Mark Robins. 


But this time around, when 'Flicker' took the reins, I wasn't having any of it. 
Don't get me wrong, I was fully behind him and felt he deserved a crack at it after witnessing some promising performances during his caretaker stint. But the aforementioned aims and objectives he stated on appointment smacked of fantasy. 


It was mine and many others' opinion that he was a key part of the failed Hill regime, and so I found it difficult to accept that he would be much, if at all different from the other half of Hillcroft. I went as far as referring to him as 'sidekick'. 
Yes, I'd dropped that nickname before he got the job on a full time basis, but my anxieties remained. 


He was talking about uniting a fanbase that his best pal had attacked, then divided, then grovelled to at the end... 

How was he going to turn a squad of players that he'd helped to assemble, from frightened rabbits scared of their own shadows, into a squad showing no fear? 

The 'adventure' and 'journey' quotes I just shook my head at. I'd heard it all before... 

 

I can say now, some 4 months on, that being proven wrong on pretty much all counts is an incredible feeling. 

I won't apologise for my fears, my doubts at that time. I don't recall too many reds fans or media types suggesting my worries were without foundation. 

But I do feel I should admit I was wrong. 

I was wrong. So very very wrong. He has delivered on his manifesto 100%. 

For the record, I would have said the same no matter the division we compete in next season. 2013 under Flicker has been nothing short of miraculous. This Barnsley side would murder the 2012 version. 

I certainly wavered early on, however. A few niggles got to me and my initial negativity towards him did resurface on one occasion. My motives were honest, but I ought not to have let them come to the fore. I even posted a blog piece about that very 'Doubting Thomas' moment. And a lot of my regular readers will now realise that it is I that is the 'lucky pillock'.... 

Now, where was I? Oh yes. I was at Huddersfield.. 

 

I would like to start this review of Saturday by first thanking a special couple of people who were it not for them I wouldn't have been at the game to witness a truly remarkable day in the history of Barnsley FC. 

So yes indeed - thank you. You know who you are. 

Very rare for me on a matchday, I attended it without a pre-match alcoholic beverage, or three. My partner dropped me off at the retail park just outside the stadium with about 15 minutes to kick off, and I collected my ticket from reception before climbing the steps leading up to the away stand. I could already here my fellow Tarn fans in great voice. 

The first match of the season at Rochdale was drenched in sunshine, and so I felt it was rather fitting that the final game was set in a similar summery fashion. A similar result would do nicely, I thought.. 

I can't even begin to describe how nervous I was. I mean, I was at Oakwell the day we had to beat Bradford City to reach the Premier League. I was at Wembley in 2000 for the playoff final. I was at the Millennium Stadium for THAT penalty shootout in another playoff final. I've felt nervous many many times as a Tarn supporter. But Saturday? Beyond nerves. And I'm struggling to explain why it felt so more amplified. 

I think my only explanation at this point, is the fact that I care so much about so many people connected to the club - be it my fellow fans, my family, employees at Oakwell, my friends, the players, the management - that to see us undeservedly relegated (and everything that consists of) now would have spoiled what I see as a rather rare opportunity for this little club of ours to be something better. And I'll come back to this point later... 

Chris O'Grady Is A Red... He Hates Wednesday

We started the game as I'd hoped we would. In the manner we're now accustomed to under Flicker - hard, fast but pleasing on the eye. 

I'm not exaggerating when I insist that the way we've played under him, is exactly how I want my Barnsley to play. 

We're not Barcelona (you listening, Keith?). We're not Wednesday either. I want my side to play 'football' where possible, but in the right areas and at the right time. Flicker (and his staff) recognise that. No longer do we play 'football' in defence, with forwards closing us down. 

On occasion, we play it direct. But unlike all those long ball merchants, the hoof is merely an option for us, an out-ball. We don't rely on it. We instead rely on bravery, and a team ethic. That ethos was first installed by Keith Hill. I won't take that away from him. He got a lot right, Keith. You'd be foolish to suggest otherwise in my opinion. But Flicker has taken it and run with it.

I can't remember the exact figures, but I think it's safe to say that when we start well in games under Flicker, and get the first goal, we don't often lose. In fact, I'm pretty sure Saturday was the first time we haven't won a match that we were leading in at half time. 

That lead was given to us by Chris O'Grady, whose finish was cool as you like into the bottom right hand corner after a slip in the Huddersfield defence. But the play from the reds in the build up to the goal was a joy to behold. 

Knocking the ball from side to side, moving the opponents left to right, right to left, waiting to find the killer ball. Even Scott Wiseman rushed forward in possession at one point from centre half to pin the Huddersfield midfield even deeper, on top of their own defence. 

It may have been a slip by the Town defender, but trust me, it was well conceived by our lads. And expertly dispatched by the Wednesday hater.. 

We continued to dominate the rest of the first half in much the same manner, which did surprise me to be honest. Here we were, in a crucial match, a derby game, and the players didn't seem phased by any of that at all. Only once did Huddersfield really come close, when a fortunate James Vaughan found himself bearing down on goal to the left of the box, only for him to fire a shot low and past Luke Steele's left hand post. 


So we went in at the break comfortably in charge of the game, but not comfortable in terms of the scoreline. Results elsewhere weren't exactly in our favour at that point either, so I felt - quite obviously - we needed that key second goal.. 



The second half began in a more keenly contested fashion, with a couple of typically inspired Mark Robins substitutions doing the trick for Town. And one of those introduced at half time came up trumps with an assist - Danny Ward came off best in a challenge with reds defender Martin Cranie before feeding Jermaine Beckford who through on goal delicately slipped the ball over the advancing Steele and into the far corner for the equaliser. 


Soon afterwards, we almost regained our lead when Chris Dagnall arrowed a shot towards the far corner from a difficult angle, only to see Town keeper Alex Smithies turn it away at full stretch. It would have been some goal had it gone in. I feel for Daggers at times. If you look at his recent form he's gone ages without scoring but it's hardly down to poor finishing. He's often thwarted brilliantly, and that was again the case here. 

Jason, Jason Jason, Jason Jason, Jason Jason Scotland

Moments later it was Stephen Dawson denied by Smithies. It really opened up for the Irishman just inside the Town box, and I have to say I expected Daws to stick it away. But his shot was too close to Smithies who saved well low down. 
It felt like a crucial miss to me at that point. 


We were continuing to knock on the door though, I lost count of the times we got inside their backline out wide, only to see our attempts at cutting it back dashed by last ditch tackles. Jacob Mellis in particular looked certain to find Dagnall at one point but for a fine late interception by Peter Clarke. 



We made a double change after the hour, with Reuben Noble-Lazarus replacing Mellis out wide, and Dagnall going off for Jason Scotland. 


A David Perkins run and shot from distance was again saved well by Smithies, but the second goal finally arrived and it was that man Scotland, who ended his own personal goal-drought. 

Again we found joy down the Town right hand side, where O'Grady - unplayable once more - slipped in Perkins who racked up his second assist by crossing for Scotland to head home from a yard out and send 4,000 of us into ecstasy. 


But our joy was short-lived..


After a number of high balls were repelled at the back, Cranie and Wiseman had a breakdown in communication with both seemingly going for the same aerial ball. Had Cranie held station I'm sure Wisey would have cleared it no danger, but the presence of Cranie resulted in a mistake which Vaughan punished by striking hard into the reds goal, via a deflection. 

I was no longer nervous. I'd become deflated, and felt we'd be unable to find another goal, a goal that was needed what with Peterborough leading in their game at Palace. To make matters worse we had another referee who liked to remind everybody who was in charge, dishing out bookings to our players for having the audacity to try and take free kicks, or having the cheek to point out fouls or time-wasting - Beckford in particular kicked the ball away on three seperate occasions, which FA Cup final referee Andre Marriner was oblivious to. 


I've got to be honest, the lads looked spent as we approached the end of normal time, and the game became stretched as a result. A late effort from twenty yards by final substitute Tomasz Cywka was easily dealt with, and it was growing increasingly likely that Town would grab a winner. 
But then, all of a sudden, we were informed of TWO goals for Palace... 

Strange, but my phone wouldn't pick up an internet signal, and neither could those with me get one either. But it filtered through that yes Palace had scored, but it was just the one goal and at 2-2 we were still set for the drop. 
To say I was gutted would be an understatement. 


I spent the next couple of minutes contemplating trips to Crawley, Oldham and Rotherham, when the Huddersfield supporters' chanting of "we are staying up" was matched by a growing number of our own supporters.. 


"PALACE HAVE SCORED AGAIN!" 

"Serious?" 

"Yeah, 3-2!" 

"YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSS!" 


Cue myself joining in with the "staying up" chant, whilst also trying to keep an eye on the pitch, where the ball was now in Steele's area, at his feet. The board for injury time had already been shown a few minutes earlier, 5 minutes I think they indicated. Flicker, Mickey Mellon etc were giving signals to the players, especially Luke in goal. 

He just kept the ball. At his feet. Seemingly implored to do so by a Town striker. Even "look at me" Marriner didn't know what to do. One of the Town defenders sat down on halfway. Some of the home fans were converging onto the edge of the pitch. It was surreal. You literally did have to be there. When all of a sudden the ref blew his whistle while at the same time running off the field, followed by both sets of players - Town's were celebrating, a few of ours were too, others weren't sure what to do - it was absolutely barmy. 

Nothing was confirmed to me, to us, when the Town fans who had invaded the pitch then raced towards us and began singing the "staying up" chant again. 

Soon after, I noticed the reds players celebrating by the touchline, and indeed we got news ourselves that Palace had won. WE WERE SAFE. 


I then witnessed well over a thousand Huddersfield supporters, and the best part of 4,000 Tarn followers singing "Yorkshire! Yorkshire!" in unison. A pretty unique event, and a proud one too. Although, had one of us gone down...... 

(I didn't find the printed Margaret Thatcher faces very fitting, though. Poor form, Huddersfield. Minority of them, but still.)


The next 20 minutes or so was about as emotional as it gets, as the reds came over to celebrate with us. 


No doubt you will have seen the myriad videos, so I won't bore you with a rundown of each truly memorable moment. But the "Chris O'Grady Is A Red" song, sung by players and fans together was a highlight, as was Flicker doing his best John Travolta dance whilst singing along to 'Three Little Birds'. 

Just unreal it was. Memorable. 

I didn't leave the ground until I'd applauded the Huddersfield squad, and our former boss Mark Robins. It felt good that. Closure of sorts. 


Off then I went down the tunnel and out down the steps, greeted by happy smiling faces everywhere, both sets of supporters sharing the moment. 


I got back onto the main road, let my girlfriend know by txt that I'd walk home, or at least part way.


The sun was shining, and I honestly felt emotions, feelings, that I can't describe. I can't say I've felt some of them at any point before, and doubt I will again. I know it's 'only' football, but it's not really, is it? It's peoples lives. 


I'm not one for drinking cans of lager in the street etc, but the day was unique. I'd been sober at a match for the first time in many a year, and so I popped into an off-license and procured a couple of tinnies, to sup on the walk back. 
I found a nice bit of countryside about a mile on and sat down reading twitter on my phone, finally a signal, and enjoyed a drink. It was special. (the occasion, not the brew....) 

So we're still in the second tier. 

Which means we're financially stable, record profits I would imagine considering events since New Year. 

We have a bright young manager, ably assisted by another bright young manager, and we've a squad that has been in promotion form for over 20 games. 

The fanbase is at one. United. Galvanized, as Flicker would say. 

THIS is the opportunity to better ourselves, to take advantage of the feelgood factor right now, and to show a modicum of ambition. 
I'm not talking about paying daft sums out for players on daft wages. I'm talking about rewarding the management by giving him better tools to work with, allow him to tie down his players, and let him (them) continue taking us forward on this journey. 

I don't want another Robins scenario. We have to speculate (a little) to accumulate. Be as brave as Flicker, as brave as his players, and as loyal as we supporters have been during a few years of utter monotony.. 


It's over to you, Patrick. 


But I can assure you (and Don/Barry etc) that should we maintain this policy of setting our sights on 21st in the Championship every season, we WILL eventually drop. We've been too close for two years now. 

Not only that, but I get the feeling that Flicker (and his staff/players) have the required ambition, and back themselves to REALLY overachieve. And you'd be a 'pillock' to bet against them, wouldn't you...? 

SIGN THEM UP.. 


 

 

Up The Tarn! 

I'll be doing a review of each players performance over the season in the coming days, but for now I'll say thanks for reading, and keep on not worrying about a thing, cos every little thing, IS indeed alright...