September 2009
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Mark Robins, has been handed his perfect draw in the fourth round of the Carling Cup, after Barnsley were paired with the club where he spent most of his playing career, Manchester United.

Fans will now be hoping the Reds can replicate their FA Cup run of 2008 when they accounted for two of the 'big four' in the shape of Liverpool and Chelsea.

Perfectly in line with my Twitter prediction on the 24th September 2009, come on you Reds!

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Give the fans a voice and they will use it. Or will they?

Nobody supporting the Reds would necessarily go about undermining or ridiculing the football club they love, but consistency has to be the key. Surely?

Whilst there was absolute division in opinion on Mr. Davey, most Reds fans stuck to a line - support him or sack him. However, it appears disconcerting that when given the privelege to do so, certain aspects of those reporting on Barnsley FC choose to praise but also chastise very quickly.

In respect to SD, the post advised, "Incredibly some fans were already calling for his head after 45 minutes of the season. Give the man a chance – lets judge him after he has made the signings he wants to and can field his strongest side".

To be told this week, "It has also been a refreshing change to listen to Mark’s post match interviews and feel like you’ve been to the same game as him. Not only does he give credit where it is due, but he’s not afraid to criticise if he feels it necessary. This is in stark contrast to Simon Davey who would often speak in bland cliches and rarely reveal anything insightful (which ultimately contributed to his lack of rapport with supporters)".

Make your mind up, it may be a cliche - but "Rome wasn't built in a day", neither was any fan's opinion.

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Following a number of requests and also to present these three special editions to our visitors from NewsNow.co.uk, OnThePontyEnd.com has released all three parts of the special Podcast recorded in June 2009 with Reds Legend Eric Winstanley.

We owe a debt of gratitude to the great man himself. In just one evening we were given a unique opportunity to capture a snapshot of the depth of affection, commitment and love Eric has for Barnsley FC and football in general.

Quite literally, we could have continued to talk for days and still we would have only scratched the surface on Eric's illustrious career.

So here they are, all three editions "nearly live from the Legend's Lounge, The Full House, Monk Bretton, Barnsley".

We invite you to listen to the full series right here:

Click the play button* below to listen to Part 1:



Click the play button* below to listen to Part 2:



Click the play button* below to listen to Part 3:



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The Reds held on for a point in a difficult encounter against the Swans at Oakwell this afternoon.

Swansea dominated posession throughout the match against Robins' Reds and were possibly unlucky not to have taken all three points at the death when Dyer was through and couldn't convert an almost inevitable goal.

Preece saved Barnsley with a solid display in which the Reds offered very little in response to a versatile handful of chances that the opposition sprung.

Overall it has been a disappointing afternoon, on any other day the Swans would easily have put Barnsley to the sword. Not today though.

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The Reds took their first outing under Mark Robinson stewardship at Oakwell today.

First impressions were of a very capable oposition in the shape of Swansea City, the first quarter of an hour being ruled by the Swans sharp, one touch passing.

On 15 minutes, Hume was cut as a result of what appeared to be an elbow. The Ref failed to act.

Just four minutes later, Hume reappeared back on the turf 'mended'.

It would be fair to say the Ref appeared to be watching more events with 'white' eyes on more than just a few occasions with a potential call for a penalty when Gray went through on goal on 27 minutes. The worrying thing being that if the Europa League experiment is proven to work we may end up with three 'slack-oils' at the 'well rather than just one on a regular basis.

The atmosphere has been superb with the Red Army in vociferous support. None more so than the Ponty End.

Chances for both have been limited, but the Reds are putting in a shift today. Gray coming close on half time with a deflected effort from a drilled ball via Hammill.

Half Time: Barnsley 0 - 0 Swansea

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It's Mark Robins first taste of management at Oakwell today, hopefully the ground will be swelling with support for the Reds in this new management era.

Why not get your comments to the Podcast team via our brand new Call-In service?

What are your feelings on events at Oakwell? Did the manager select the correct tactics? Which players performed best on the day and who were the villians?

Simply call our local rate number 0844 579 6949 and enter our mailbox number 85308. Leave a message for us there.

The best calls will be featured in the very next edition, due out next week.

For information about callinbox please visit www.callinbox.com

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Recorded on Tuesday 8th September 2009, an announcement was imminent on Mark Robins appointment. Would the Reds fan base delight in the news that was released the following 24 hours later?

In this Episode, we look back at the Reading game once more, which was the pre-cursor to the departure of Simon Davey and the Oakwell vacancy. There were early "runners and riders" for the post and other names mentioned too. The panel discuss the options that were available to the club. As always, we bring in your feedack "In off The Post", keep sending us your comments and feedback.

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Click HERE > and provide us with your comments either on this episode or to submit your views on events at Barnsley Football Club - as you see things. Get something over now, we would love to give you a voice in the next Episode.

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After days of seemingly protracted negotiations, the announcement has finally arrived and Mark Robins alongside his staff now takes the helm at Oakwell.

What will Mr. Robins and his team find? Just what expectations do fans of Barnsley FC have and how can this era in the football club's history be regarded as one of the most positive periods we have had since the heady days of Danny Wilson and the Premiership?

Can we dream? Yes we can!

The fans

With an average of just 52% of the ground inhabited on a typical match day, "fickle" or "care-less" could easily be directed at Barnsley's fan base, but the potential has been demonstrated on more than one occasion in recent times.

Take the Play-Off final as just one example, where 20,000 Reds fans hit the road in support of their heroes; to see Barnsley return to the Championship.

Versus Chelsea, Oakwell achieved an attendance of just over 22,400 with the proportion of visitors supporting Chelsea at maybe 6,000. That's around 16,000 Barnsley supporters (who could gain tickets) eager to see the Reds fulfil a fantasy.

Fans will not simply flood back in to the Ponty End and elsewhere over night, but giving them something more than three points is where fans dreams lay. Yes, results dictate almost everything in the modern game but the Oakwell faithful crave for clear evidence that the playing staff and management share our passion for the club. They demand total effort and uncompromising flair.

Expectation

The goal need not be survival for a club like Barnsley, who in comparison to other clubs in this league may seem relatively small in stature. Presently, only Scunny, Blackpool, The Posh, Donny and Plymouth rank lower than Barnsley on their average attendances. Statistically though, Barnsley have spent more seasons in the second tier of English football than any other club in history. Call it our "natural" home.

Would mid-table obscurity suffice then? Possibly, but fans expect to see cohesion amongst the playing staff and fondly remember the team assembled by Danny Wilson. On paper they were not "the cream" of the division as individuals, but they knew and went about their job as a team.

Further evidence of this was shown at Eric Winstanley's testimonial; when a star studded Manchester United side arrived including the likes of Ryan Giggs and Dwight Yorke, against Steve Parkin's BFC squad. From memory it was a lacklustre performance to say the least and an easy going (fruitless) 0 -0 by half time. In the second half however, Danny Wilson and Eric led their "promotion eleven" to replace Parkin's men and the fluidity of play between players and the understanding they had as a team made it clear for all how a unit ought to play.

That day, Barnsley won 1 - 0, but it was more than a result. It was an example of how a Barnsley team could and should play. It was a poignant reminder of what Barnsley had lost after Wilson.

League position is important, especially at this moment in our season. Clearly, fans will expect more than they have had dished up over the last few games, but in fairness they deserve more anyway than an annual relegation scrap. They want to be entertained and excited, not bewildered an alienated by the team they love.

"And where we are met with cynicism and doubts and those who tell us that we can't, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people: Yes, we can."

- Barack Obama (November 2008)

Come on you Reds !!

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According to the popular press, it now seems almost inevitable that Mark Robins will be unveiled soon as the new boss at Barnsley FC.

Presently it seems that this appointment will receive a mixed reception, with many soothsayers likening this appointment to the doomed tenure of Steve Parkin et al from Rochdale in the earlier part of this decade.

It's worth pointing out that as first team coach at (Premier League) Hull, Steve Parkin was cited by Sir Alex Ferguson, alongside Phil Brown and Brian Horton as being a key component in that success.

Whilst I appreciate that there may be some similarities in appointing a young Manager from League Two, there are many more positives to note.

Championship Managers

Firstly, amongst those Championship managers who have retained their position in excess of two years at their present clubs, only Dave Jones and Gareth Southgate have worked at a higher level than the Championship. More often than not, dues have been paid first at lower league level.

Gary Johnson, one of the most charismatic Managers presently in our league, served at Cambridge United, Kettering Town, via Latvia and Yeovil Town before finding his role at Bristol City. Would any Reds fan have turned up their nose at that appointment?

Sean O'Driscoll at Donny, spent six years at Bournemouth before taking the reigns at Rovers. Brian Laws served an apprenticeship of sorts at Grimsby, spending almost a decade with Scunny before moving on to Hillsborough. Nigel Adkins has done a fair job at Scunny too, with the only prior experience of football management gained exclusively at Bangor City.

Mark Robins may be arriving from Rotherham United, but the experience seems to have served him well over the last two and a half years, winning nearly 43% of the games in which he has been in charge, losing just 43 games out of the 128 on his record.

Player Network

Robins is often noted as the player who scored the goal which "saved Alex Ferguson's job" in 1990. Perhaps Sir Alex may now feel at Championship level, he may now be in a position to reciprocate.

Currently both Steve Bruce and Mark Hughes also manage at high profile clubs respectively. Robins was an integral part of the same squad for a large period in their playing days at Old Trafford. On that level alone, appointing Robins has to be good if this improves our player network and scouting reach.

As a fan, it feels good in my opinion to be on the cusp of bringing a winner in to the ranks at Oakwell. Especially for the youngsters who should aspire to reach the top of their game, what better example could we realistically have?

Mark Robins has the credibility, the honours (FA Cup, League Cup, UEFA Cup Winners Cup) and the experience to make this potential appointment a success. I look forward to hearing the club confirm this news soon.

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