This Saturday, the day will have finally arrived when my lad, let's just call him "Wilky Junior", takes his first steps in to Oakwell, for our forthcoming match against Derby County. To be honest, I'm like a nervous kitten.

Will he enjoy it? Will Barnsley FC become as important to him as they have been for me? Will they win? ... And many more question and worries are plaguing me at the moment.

It reminds me of the first occasion that both me and my elder brother attended our first match with our Dad, Grandad and Great Grandad. In those days we stood in the West Stand lower, just behind the manager's dugout, albeit we would tend to gravitate to the front and find an alternative position just on the perimeter wall.

That match was in 1976 in the old division four, where the Reds played Newport County. The result that day was 2-0 to Barnsley, but my memory does not serve me with any stand-out or spectacular events to make this a huge occasion for me.

I just seem to remember that sporting a "tash" seemed to be a pre-requisite to play for Barnsley, unless you were Peter Springett. At first, I must have thought the comedian Mick Miller was in the nets that day.

It would be fantastic to hear from other readers and learn about their first time at Oakwell and how their experience went. Maybe these can be a permanent record on the site of how Barnsley fans became drawn to the club they love and support.

Hopefully for my lad, this will be the first step of many more to come in the future. Who knows, but in another fifty years I might have returned to the West Stand lower too, updating a digital blog on Barnsley's victory in the Champions League, with my Son, Grandson and Great Grandson too.

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Ian Wilkinson

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