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Barnsley
Barnsley FC.svg
Full name Barnsley Football Club
Nickname(s) The Reds, The Tykes, The Colliers,
Founded 1887; 138 years ago (1887)
Ground Oakwell
Ground Capacity 23,287
Owner BFC Investment Company Ltd
Chairman Neerav Parekh
Head coach Conor Hourihane
League Championship
2018–19 League One, 2nd of 24 (promoted)
Third colours

Barnsley Football Club is a professional football team from Barnsley, South Yorkshire, England. They are often called "the Colliers." The club plays in League One, which is the third level of English football.

Barnsley FC was started in 1887 by Reverend Tiverton Preedy. They moved to their home ground, Oakwell, the next year. The team first wore blue, but changed to red and white in 1904. Barnsley joined the Football League in 1898. They won the FA Cup in 1912, beating West Bromwich Albion.

The club has spent more seasons and played more games in the second level of English football than any other team. Their main rivals are other Yorkshire clubs like Sheffield Wednesday, Sheffield United, Leeds United, Huddersfield Town, and Rotherham United.

History of Barnsley FC

Early Days and FA Cup Wins

Barnsley Football Club began in 1887 as Barnsley St Peter's. They played in local leagues before joining the Football League in 1898. In their early years, they faced money problems.

In 1910, Barnsley reached the FA Cup final but lost to Newcastle United. Two years later, in 1912, they made it to the final again. This time, they won the trophy by beating West Bromwich Albion 1–0. This was a huge moment for the club.

After World War I, the league changed. Barnsley hoped to move up to the top division, the First Division. They had finished third in the Second Division. However, the league voted to promote Arsenal instead, even though Arsenal finished lower. This decision was very controversial.

Moving Through the Divisions

Barnsley almost reached the First Division again in 1922, missing out by a small margin. In the 1930s and 1940s, the club often moved between the Second and Third Divisions.

Famous players like Danny Blanchflower and Tommy Taylor played for Barnsley in the 1940s and 1950s. They later became big stars for other clubs. Tommy Taylor sadly died in the Munich air disaster in 1958.

In 1965, Barnsley dropped to the Fourth Division for the first time. They earned promotion three years later. They went down to the Fourth Division again in 1972 and stayed there for seven seasons. By the 1980s, they became a strong team in the Second Division.

Reaching the Premier League

Wilson, Danny
Manager Danny Wilson led Barnsley to the Premier League in 1996–97.

In the 1994–95 season, Danny Wilson became the manager. After a few seasons, Barnsley finished second in the First Division in 1997. This meant they were automatically promoted to the Premier League for the first time in their history!

Barnsley only stayed in the Premier League for one season. However, they had a great run in the FA Cup, reaching the quarter-finals and even beating Manchester United. After this, Danny Wilson left, and John Hendrie took over as manager.

In 2000, Barnsley reached the play-off final for promotion but lost to Ipswich Town. This was the last play-off final played at the old Wembley.

Ups and Downs in the 21st Century

In 2002, the team faced serious financial problems. Luckily, the mayor of Barnsley, Peter Doyle, helped save the club.

In 2006, Barnsley won the League One play-off final against Swansea City in a penalty shootout. This win promoted them to the Championship.

The team had an amazing run in the FA Cup in 2008. They beat Premier League giants Liverpool and defending champions Chelsea. They reached the semi-finals but lost to Cardiff City.

In 2016, Barnsley won the Football League Trophy and then gained promotion back to the Championship through the play-offs. Later that year, a coach was involved in a problem and left the club.

New Owners and Modern Approach

In December 2017, new owners took over most of the club. This group included investors like Chien Lee, Neerav Parekh, and Billy Beane. They focused on finding young talent using data, a bit like the "Moneyball" idea from baseball.

Under new coaches like Daniel Stendel and Gerhard Struber, Barnsley were promoted back to the Championship in 2019. They managed to stay in the Championship in 2020. In 2021, under manager Valérien Ismaël, Barnsley finished fifth in the Championship and made it to the play-offs. This was a big achievement for a team with a young squad and smaller budget.

However, Barnsley were relegated from the Championship in 2022. In 2023, the EFL (English Football League) charged Barnsley and some former owners with breaking rules about club ownership.

Home Ground: Oakwell

Barnsley's home stadium is called Oakwell. The name comes from an old well and oak tree that used to be on the land. Oakwell is a big sports area in Barnsley. It's used for the main team's games, as well as for training and youth teams.

The stadium and the land around it used to belong to Barnsley FC. But in 2002, when the club had financial difficulties, the local council bought the main stadium. This helped the club pay its debts and keep playing in the Football League. Oakwell can hold 23,287 fans.

Team Rivals

Barnsley has several rivalries with other football clubs in Yorkshire. A survey in 2019 showed that Barnsley fans see Sheffield Wednesday, Sheffield United, and Leeds United as their biggest rivals. Huddersfield Town and Rotherham United are also considered rivals.

Team Colours and Kits

Kit Makers and Sponsors

Period Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsor
1976–1977 Litesome
1977–1979 Admiral
1979–1980 Umbro
1980–1981 Taits
1981–1984 Hayselden
1984–1986 Brooklands Hotel
1986–1988 Lowfields Sandal Bayern
1988–1989 Intersport Lyons Cakes
1989–1991 Beaver International Shaw Carpets
1991–1993 Gola Hayselden
1993–1994 Pelada
1994–1995 ORA
1995–2000 Admiral
2000–2001 Big Thing
2001–2002 iSoft
2002–2003 Red Flag
2003–2004 Vodka Kick
2004–2005 Koala
2005–2007 Jako Barnsley Building Society
2007–2008 Surridge Wake Smith
2008–2011 Lotto Barnsley Building Society
2011–2014 Nike C.K. Beckett
2014–2015 Avec
2015–2019 Puma
2019–2022 The Investment Room
2022–2023 Various
2023–2024 US Mobile

Home Kit

Barnsley FC Home Shirt 97-98
Barnsley's home shirt from the 1997–98 Premier League season.

Barnsley has mostly worn red shirts for their home games. In their very early days (1887–1901), they might have worn blue or chocolate and white stripes. But since 1901, red has been their main colour.

Their red shirts often have white or black trim. The design changes each season. In the 1989–90 season, their shirt had white stars on a red background, which some people remember as a unique design. Logos from kit makers were added in 1976, and shirt sponsors appeared in 1980.

Away Kit

Barnsley FC Away Shirt 98-99
Barnsley's away shirt from the 1998–99 season.

The club's away kit is worn for games away from home or in cup matches if their home colours clash with the other team. The away kit changes every season but usually matches the style of the home kit with different colours.

White is the most common colour for their away shirts. However, they have also used blue, yellow, black, dark green, and even black and blue stripes. A memorable away kit was in the 2001–02 season. It was yellow and blue, like the Brazil team's kit.

Players

Current Squad

No. Position Player
3 Jamaica MF Jon Russell
4 England DF Marc Roberts (vice-captain)
6 France DF Maël de Gevigney
7 Republic of Ireland DF Corey O'Keeffe
8 England MF Adam Phillips
11 Portugal FW Fábio Jaló
12 England GK Jackson Smith
15 England DF Kyran Lofthouse
16 Scotland FW Andrew Dallas
17 England DF Georgie Gent
22 Republic of Ireland DF Neil Farrugia
29 Republic of Ireland DF Connor Barratt
30 Wales MF Jonathan Bland
No. Position Player
32 England DF Josh Earl
35 Poland DF Kacper Łopata
36 England FW Max Watters
40 England FW Davis Keillor-Dunn
45 Wales MF Vimal Yoganathan
48 Republic of Ireland MF Luca Connell (captain)
50 Nigeria MF Kelechi Nwakali
51 England GK Kieren Flavell
England DF Jack Shepherd
England GK Murphy Cooper (on loan from Queens Park Rangers)
England DF Nathanael Ogbeta (on loan from Plymouth Argyle)
England FW Reyes Cleary
Republic of Ireland FW David McGoldrick

Players on Loan

No. Position Player
2 Republic of Ireland DF Barry Cotter (at Notts County until June 30, 2026)

Under-21s Squad

No. Position Player
31 England MF Kieran Graham
39 England FW Leo Farrell
41 Northern Ireland DF Bayley McCann
42 England FW Luke Alker
47 England DF Ziggy Kozluk
52 England GK Aston Wilson
England GK Rogan Ravenhill
No. Position Player
England DF Ben Jordison
England DF Kingston Simbai
England DF Tom Senior
England DF Max Swift
England MF Aaron Atkinson
England MF Nathan Willis
England MF Aston Ellard

Under-18s Squad

No. Position Player
England GK Jake Andrassy
England DF Euan Cutler
England DF Arley Kay
England DF Max Rayner
England DF Robson Woodcock
Republic of Ireland MF Joel Devaney
No. Position Player
England MF Charlie Price
England MF Noah Ward
England FW Feyi Afuape
England FW Kalaab Daniel
England FW Chrysolite Ogbu
England FW Jack Woodcock

Club Staff

Ownership and Board

Barnsley FC is owned by several people and groups. The main owner is Neerav Parekh. The Cryne family, who used to own the club, still have a share.

  • Neerav Parekh 63.92%
  • Cryne family 21.30%
  • Julie Anne Quay and Matt Edmonds 11.50%
  • Chien Lee 2.30%
  • Pacific Media Group 0.98%

The club's board members help make important decisions:

  • Chairman: Neerav Parekh
  • Directors: Jean Cryne, Julie Anne Quay, James Cryne
  • Chief Executive Officer: Jon Flatman
  • Finance and Operations Director: Robert Zuk
  • Sporting Director: Mladen Sormaz

First-Team Staff

Role Name
Head Coach Conor Hourihane
Assistant Head Coach Richard Keogh
First-Team Coach Tom Harban
Goalkeeping Coach Scott Flinders
Head of Performance Danny Nye
Physical Performance Coach Luke Jelly
Head of Medical Daniel Turner
Physiotherapist Sarah de Mello
Club Doctor Dr John Harban
Dr David Arundel
Performance Analyst Tom Yeomans
Ed Davies
Head of Football Operations and Club Secretary Ann Hough
Academy Manager Bobby Hassell
U-21 Manager
U-18 Manager Nicky Eaden

Managers Through the Years

Barnsley F.C. managers from 1898 to present
  • England Arthur Fairclough (1898–1901)
  • Scotland John McCartney (1901–1904)
  • England Arthur Fairclough (1904–1912)
  • England John Hastie (1912–1914)
  • England Percy Lewis (1914–1919)
  • England Percy Sant (1919–1926)
  • Scotland John Commins (1926–1929)
  • England Arthur Fairclough (1929–1930)
  • England Brough Fletcher (1930–1936)
  • England Matthew Walker (1936–1937)
  • Scotland Angus Seed (1937–1953)
  • England Tim Ward (1953–1960)
  • Scotland Johnny Steele (1960–71)
  • Scotland John McSeveney (1971–1972)
  • Scotland Johnny Steele (1972–1973)
  • England Jim Iley (1973–1978)
  • England Allan Clarke (1978–1980)
  • England Norman Hunter (1980–1984)
  • Scotland Bobby Collins (1984–1985)
  • England Allan Clarke (1985–1989)
  • England Eric Winstanley (caretaker, 1989)
  • England Mel Machin (1989–1993)
  • England Eric Winstanley (caretaker, 1993)
  • England Viv Anderson (1993–1994)
  • Northern Ireland Danny Wilson (1994–1998)
  • Scotland John Hendrie (1998–1999)
  • England Eric Winstanley (caretaker, 1999)
  • England Dave Bassett (1999–2000)
  • England Eric Winstanley (caretaker, 2000–2001)
  • England Nigel Spackman (2001)
  • Wales Glyn Hodges (caretaker, 2001)
  • England Steve Parkin (2001–2002)
  • Wales Glyn Hodges (2002–2003)
  • Iceland Guðjón Þórðarson (2003–2004)
  • England Paul Hart (2004–2005)
  • England Andy Ritchie (2005–2006)
  • Wales Simon Davey (2006–2009)
  • England Mark Robins (2009–2011)
  • England Keith Hill (2011–2012)
  • England David Flitcroft (2012–2013)
  • Scotland Micky Mellon (caretaker, 2013)
  • Northern Ireland Danny Wilson (2013–2015)
  • England Mark Burton (caretaker, 2015)
  • England Lee Johnson (2015–2016)
  • England Paul Heckingbottom (caretaker, 2016)
  • England Paul Heckingbottom (2016–2018)
  • England Paul Harsley (caretaker, 2018)
  • Portugal José Morais (2018)
  • Germany Daniel Stendel (2018–2019)
  • England Adam Murray (caretaker, 2019)
  • Austria Gerhard Struber (2019–2020)
  • England Adam Murray (caretaker, 2020)
  • France Valérien Ismaël (2020–2021)
  • Austria Markus Schopp (2021)
  • Germany Joseph Laumann (caretaker, 2021)
  • Sweden Poya Asbaghi (2021–2022)
  • Republic of Ireland Martin Devaney (caretaker, 2022)
  • Northern Ireland Michael Duff (2022–2023)
  • Scotland Neill Collins (2023–2024)
  • Republic of Ireland Martin Devaney (caretaker, 2024)
  • England Darrell Clarke (2024–2025)
  • Republic of Ireland Conor Hourihane (caretaker, 2025–)

Club Records

Barnsley FC League Performance
This chart shows Barnsley's league positions over the years.
  • Biggest League Win: 9–0
    • against Loughborough, 28 January 1899
    • against Accrington Stanley, 3 February 1934
  • Biggest Cup Win: 6–0 against Blackpool, FA Cup, 20 January 1910
  • Biggest League Loss: 9–0 against Notts County, 19 January 1927
  • Biggest Cup Loss:
  • Most Games Played: Barry Murphy, 569 games
  • Most Goals Scored for the Club: Ernie Hine, 131 goals
  • Most League Goals in a Season: Cecil McCormack, 33 goals in 1950–51
  • Most International Games Played (while at Barnsley): Gerry Taggart, 35 games for Northern Ireland
  • Highest Transfer Fee Received: £5,000,000 from Swansea City for Alfie Mawson (2017)
  • Highest Transfer Fee Paid: £1,500,000 for Georgi Hristov (1997) and Mike Sheron (1999)
  • Record Attendance at a Game: 40,255 fans against Stoke City, FA Cup, 15 February 1936
  • Youngest Player in Football League History: Reuben Noble-Lazarus, 15 years and 45 days old
  • Oldest Player: Mike Pollitt, 41 years, 5 months and 30 days old
  • Most Goals in One Game: 5 goals, achieved by several players including Frank Eaton and Cecil McCormack.

Cup Achievements

Barnsley St. Peter's FC

  • Best FA Cup Result: Reached the 1st round in 1894–95 and 1896–97.

Barnsley FC

  • Best FA Cup Result: Winners in 1911–12; Runners-up in 1909–10.
  • Best EFL Cup Result: Reached the Quarter-finals in 1981–82.
  • Best EFL Trophy Result: Winners in 2015–16.
  • Best Anglo-Italian Cup Result: Played in the Group stage in 1992–93 and 1993–94.

Player of the Season Awards

Year Winner
1970 England Johnny Evans
1971 England Les Lea
1972 England Barry Murphy
1973 England Eric Winstanley
1974 England Mick Butler
1975 Scotland Bobby Doyle
1976 England Kenny Brown
1977 England Brian Joicey
1978 Republic of Ireland Mick McCarthy
1979 Republic of Ireland Mick McCarthy
 
Year Winner
1980 Scotland Ronnie Glavin
1981 Republic of Ireland Mick McCarthy
1982 England Trevor Aylott
1983 Scotland Ronnie Glavin
1984 England Andy Rhodes
1985 England Paul Futcher
1986 England Clive Baker
1987 England Stuart Gray
1988 England Paul Cross
1989 England Paul Futcher
 
Year Winner
1990 England Steve Agnew
1991 England Brendan O'Connell
1992 England Mark Smith
1993 Northern Ireland Gary Fleming
1994 England Neil Redfearn
1995 Northern Ireland Danny Wilson
1996 Netherlands Arjan de Zeeuw
1997 Scotland John Hendrie
1998 England Ashley Ward
1999 England Craig Hignett
 
Year Winner
2000 England Chris Morgan
2001 England Kevin Miller
2002 England Bruce Dyer
2003 England Bruce Dyer
2004 England Antony Kay
2005 England Chris Shuker
2006 Republic of Ireland Nick Colgan
2007 England Brian Howard
2008 England Stephen Foster
2009 England Bobby Hassell
 
Year Winner
2010 Argentina Hugo Colace
2011 England Jason Shackell
2012 England Luke Steele
2013 England David Perkins
2014 England Chris O'Grady
2015 Republic of Ireland Conor Hourihane
2016 England Adam Hammill
2017 England Marc Roberts
2018 Scotland Oli McBurnie
2019 Jamaica Ethan Pinnock
 
Year Winner
2020 England Alex Mowatt
2021 Poland Michał Helik
2022 England Brad Collins
2023 Denmark Mads Juel Andersen
2024 England Adam Phillips

Honours and Trophies

League Titles

Cup Titles

  • FA Cup
    • Winners: 1911–12
    • Runners-up: 1909–10
  • Football League Trophy
    • Winners: 2015–16

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Barnsley Football Club para niños

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