What a season. What a turnaround. What has happened to my bank account? But all good things must come to an end, allegedly and it appears the excitement and buzz amongst some of the Barnsley FC fanbase has sadly started to tail off a tad in the last few days as the realisation that footballers are employees and not servants begins to hit home. Some of them weren't even full time employees. The first of our heroes to leave the club, was actually never under contract here. A bit like having agency staff in your own workplace. We borrowed him. He did a job. He's now signed a permanent deal at another club. As is his prerogative. But I understand some of the angst and ire in certain quarters towards Josh Brownhill. I do. It's because he's joined 'that' club. The club we're now emotionally 'expected' to dislike. The one 'head coached' by Lee Johnson, that little bloke who used to be employed at Oakwell.
Not just that, I suppose part of it is the cringe-tastic choice of words used by Brownhill on twitter to describe his move to Bristol City as a no-brainier. Yes, not a no-brainer, a no brainier. The passion of their fans played a part, he says. Aye, passionate bunch are Bristolians. Well known for it. And he reckons the 'sheer size' of the club was a big factor too. Yep. And so that's irked a few on social media. But if you've got any sense then you know better than to take stuff like that serious. What do you expect footballers to say when they sign for a club?
"well, I've never heard of Bristol FC, don't even know where it is but the little bloke who had me at Barnsley is there and they've offered me a lot more money than Preston have, plus, when I look at the state of the midfielders here at... what's the stadium called? ... cheers.. Aston Estate, then obviously it's a no-brainier."
He gave it his very best when pulling on our shirt and was a key component in a team that's just been to Wembley twice, earning two trophies and a promotion along the way. A year or two ago, we had Brek Shea and Emanuel Frimpong on loan in our midfield.... And so I thank young Brownhill for his efforts as a short-term red. He'll go down in BFC history as an achiever. He's in select and esteemed company in that regard. I expect him to go on to have a very, very good career. But, unlike most, I won't be wishing him luck. I don't think he needs it. But I can't be hoping Bristol City do well, basically. I see them as a rival now. And I'd like three clubs to finish below us next season, minimum. And I'd take enormous pleasure from it were one of them to be 'The Robins'. Which is a nickname I thought belonged to Swindon Town. But yes, I'm sorry if it's not 'football politically correct' to want Lee Johnson and his lads to fail, but that's how I'm rolling. I like a bit of friendly rivalry, bit of pantomime. Adds to the intrigue. And so I hope Josh, Lee and anyone else who rocks up down there have an horrendous season so I can laugh at them.
What I don't advocate is the sort of vitriol and bile aimed at the likes of Stephen McPhail and Jacob Butterfield when they left and later returned to Oakwell with different clubs. It's football. They're human beings. It's a religion to us. To them it's a job, a way to secure a living for them and theirs. If I was offered much more money to do the same job I do now, I'd be off like a shot. But aye. Wishing em luck? Naew. Not for me. There's exceptions, don't get me wrong. Lads we've developed. Lads from Barnsley. Lads where we've got money riding on em. Lads who've done reight well for us.... oops.
Good luck, Josh Brownhill. It's all a stage. A show. It's not serious. I'll be giving him and Johnson a polite clap when they return to Oakwell, but after that they're fair game. In a friendly manner. I'm from Barnsley, not Bermondsey.
It's just bitterness really, isn't it? We've just watched probably the most successful reds side we're ever likely to, certainly in terms of winning games and trophies. So it stings seeing lads leave, especially to a club that most of us see as no bigger/better. Just richer. But we'll soon have new heroes. And those too will one day follow the pound signs, and the cycle continues. It's exactly why I appreciated, adored and supported Bobby Hassell as much as I did. Loyalty in football is rare. As our owner and custodian, Patrick Cryne said to me recently on this very blog, only supporters are loyal. And if anyone deserves hero worshipping, it's that man. Mr Cryne. He still hasn't offered me a job, mind.....
Star attraction, Adam Hammill is also set to join up with our friends from cider country, if reports/rumours are to be believed. That would sting even more. I'd love Adam to see out his career here. He's already a legend in my eyes, staying wouldn't cement that legacy. But I imagine it will come down to money again. And again, we won't compete. And I wouldn't want us to either. It's not sustainable. We don't have a billionaire owner nor 30,000 bums on seats inside Oakwell (which would be some feat.. think about it). We're a small fish again in a bloody big bowl. It's only become bigger since we last lined up in the second tier. Plenty of clubs who'd be quite at home in the upper echelons of the top flight were they run in the right manner. We've eight Yorkshire derbies to look forward to too. It will be some achievement just to preserve our status, but it was ever thus previously, give or take a couple of years following our Premier League relegation. We're always tipped for the drop. Just like dem blades are always nailed on for promotion out of League One. Bring it on.
I'm pretty sure we'll lose players this summer. Some are bound to have attracted admirers. I'd be hoping the club would be looking to offer new deals to our key players, the likes of Adam Davies, Marc Roberts, Conor Hourihane, Marley Watkins and Sam Winnall. They're all under contract for another year or so, but their value to us is decreasing all the time. If they don't want to extend their contracts, then perhaps you look to move them on? I wouldn't know. I'm not clued up on all that nonsense. We've clever folk in charge of the club these days and so you trust them to serve us well. Which they've managed in fine style this past nine months, despite it looking more like a bed full of shit than a bed of roses before Christmas 2015. Good luck to them on that. It never ends does it? We've just achieved special things, but the wheel keeps on turning. You can't stand still.
We've England to watch fail this summer in another tournament. I hope John Stones is involved and does very well. We could do with him moving on. See? It works both ways. I don't remember too much sympathy for Wycombe when we took Josh Scowen and (sort of) Alfie Mawson off them. We're a Championship club again. That's ace. I love it. But we're now the little tiddler again. And there are sharks circling. We're now the Wycombe. With - bizarrely - Bristol bloody City as the Barnsley.
Ah well. I'm all Barnsley'd out for one season. I need a break. And so I shall wish you all well for the summer, enjoy your holidays if you're having any, enjoy spending time with your kids, revel in those free Saturday's traipsing round garden/shopping centres with the other half. We shall reconvene in eight weeks or so. For another exciting chapter in the good religious book that is, Barnsley FC.
Whitey xx
Here's a video to remember this season by. You Reds etc.
City fan in peace. Don't shoot!
ReplyDeleteEmpathise with a lot of what you say, and can even feel your antipathy towards us as we all have clubs we dislike for similar reasons as yours. Players have always followed managers, so Brownhill signing for us isn't too much of a surprise, especially given we can probably offer higher wages. Don't forget that's done on FFP, mind, not because we have a billionaire owner. So we must be bringing in decent revenue to be able to offer bigger wages than some Champ clubs, although not all as we will no doubt see when a similar situation arises for us and Lee Tomlin signs for a bigger fish than us in this div.
Not sure Hammill will follow Brownhill, though. Brownhill might not have had a future at either PNE or yourselves so a move here represents a good one, but Hammill, Hourihane, Winnall et al will take more persuading to leave as they are more permanent fixtures of your quality team.
I would contend one point, though. I'm not bothered about who's better/bigger (akin to your excellent swipe at Millwall, there's no room for some things once you're older than 14; plus 'better' is a temporary arrangement, bigger a little easier to quantify but still tricky and fairly meaningless), but we are a decent sized club compared to the bottom half of the Champ/top half of L1. Averages of 11,000 plus in the third tier are rare and we achieve that even when not winning the title.
I think I can speak on behalf of the vast, vast majority of City fans who have nothing but good things to say about Barnsley (and I say that with friends from Cawthorne) and we wish you no ill. As you point out, it's a question of bitterness, largely. There are clubs we are bitter about - although I have forgotten who they are in my middle-to-old-age, frankly so, here's hoping by August you've made some signings to make someone else bitter/enhance your squad.
And here's to 3 clubs finishing below both of us.
Cheers.