WIG Guide to the BFC Past Players

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WIG Guide to the BFC Past Players

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Massive thanks to all who have helped to put this page together especially Brian Armstrong.

A

Steve Agnew

From Apprentice Forms 1983 - Blackburn Rovers Summer 1991
Thanks to Brian Armstrong, "a Local boy from youth team etc, started off as a striker, converted to midfield. Very consistent performer much admired by the fans. Best goal I saw him score was a fiercely struck free-kick right into the top corner against Leicester at Filbert Street (drew 2-2 Coops scored the other before getting himself sent-off)."

Owen Archdeacon

From Celtic 1989 - Summer 1996 to Carlise United.
Defender. Played left back and several places around the defence. Passed well. An injury a couple of seasons before his departure seemed to destroy his confidence.

B

Clive Baker

From Norwich City 1984 - 1990 Coventry.
(Brian Armstrong) "Signed on a free transfer from Norwich, Clive got his chance when Andy Rhodes broke a finger at Grimsby in the first game of the season (lost 1-0). Clive went on to play 300 or so games, being voted player of the season one year. Mad Mel let him go on a free and he ended up playing a season for Ipswich in the Prem."

Ian Banks

From Youth 1978 - 1982  to Leicster City.
Thanks to Brian, Born Mexbrough, product of youth team etc. Finest performance was probably the 2nd division match away at Rotherham (nov '81), when he scored a hat-trick in a 4-2 win Ronnie Glavin (who else) scored the other (The highlights of this match was shown on ITV last season as part of there Goals on Sunday Golden Goals section). This Ian Banks is not to be confused with the fat useless t**t also called Ian Banks signed from West Brom in '89. (Or was it)

Jimmy Baxter

1946 - 1951 & 1959
Forward. Top of Page

Danny Blanchflower

From Glentoran (Ireland) 1948 - 1950 Aston Villa
Winger Famously complained that he didn't get to see enough of the ball during the week to know what to do with it at weekends. Top of Page

Peter Burke

From Apprentice 1974 - 1977 Halifax Town
McDonald ([email protected]) remembers Peter as
"The best central defender the team ever had, from '74 to '78". Anyone disagree?

Mick Butler

From Wosborough 1972 - 1975 Huddersfield
David Gibbins ([email protected]) remembers.
"I played with Mick, after his soccer carreer was ended, at Woolley Colliery and at Riccall Mine in Selby. he has some fantastic memories of scoring hat tricks for Barnsley and I have many memories of watching the little spindly legged twit scoring those hat tricks and many more goals." His Two hat tricks in two games during March 1975 is a feat not eequalled by many in football. Top of Page

C

Phil Chambers

Apprentice 1970 - 1984 Rochdale
Defender. Youth team graduate and former England Schoolboy international, played about 500 games in divisions 4,3 and 2. Nickname "Chippy" - some said because of his neat control and passing (as in Liam "Chippy" Brady), however, a more likely reason may have had something to do with his diet. This can be the only explanation for his total lack of pace. Mick McCarthy effectively played centre/left-back while Phil ambled back just in time to turn round and shuffle back to the half-way line.

Alan Clarke

From Leeds United 1978 - 1979 Leeds United (Manager)
Striker. "Sniffer" Top of Page

Steve Cooper

This from John at Sheffield Uni.
Signed from Plymouth in 1988, Coops was David Currie's unsung partner. A great header of the ball, famous for his acrobatic celebrations - most notably in front of the TV cameras, and 22,000 fans at home to stoke in the FA Cup 4th round replay, February 1989. Also famous for ridiculous 2 footed tackes, challenges so high they threatened to decapitate his oponents, and various other misdemenours that landed him in shit with referees. Signed by Clarke, but seemingly did not get on with Machin, he quickly faded out of the scene the season after Currie's departure in early 1991, and was subsequently sold to Tranmere in 1992, having been replaced by the prolific Rammell / Saville partnership.Top of Page

Tony Cunningham

From Lincoln City 1982 - Sheffield Wednesday 1983
Brian Armstrong "Tall Striker. Scored the winner in a 4-3 win against Fulham after we were 3-0 down inside 10 minutes. Showed promise early on, but he was neatly summed up by an Oakwell wag who was heard to shout: "Cunningham, tha like 14 stone o' black puddin'!". Eventually off-loaded to Sheffield Wotsits." Top of Page

David Currie

From Darlington 1987 - 1989 Nottingham Forest  & From Oldham 1991 - 1993 Carlisle United
Striker. Good but greedy on the ball. From Brian Armstrong "Very tricky midfielder/winger/striker, played his best footy in his first spell before Mad Mel stopped the rest of the team passing to him. The best I saw of him was in the FA Cup tie at Stoke where he scored 2 in a 3-3 draw, after the locals had taunted him with shouts of "Gyppo!". Does anyone remember the tee shirts for the Everton match: "Barnsley Take-Away No 10 Red Hot Currie."?"

Top of Page

D

Gordon Duggins

From 1955 Gresley Rovers - Buxton 1957
Brian Armstrong "Inside Forward from Gresley Rovers, played in the 1950's - no I'm not that bloody old! About 10 years ago he refereed a friendly game I played in and he hit me on the backside with a shot when we were warming up. I couldn't sit down for days. My dad says he was a fair laiker."

F

Gary Flemming

From Manchester City 1989 - Retired due to Injury January 1997
Central Defender. Player of the season 1992 - 1993. Part of a terrific centre back partnership with Gerry Taggart. Famously never scored for the club in those 8 years. Saved us on many an occasion though. Top of Page

Paul Futcher

From Derby County 1983 - Halifax Town 1989.
Brian Armstrong remembers.
Defender. Very cool under pressure but liked to argue with refs and dressing room doors. Never scored in 250 or so appearances, closest was a long range shot against Everton.Top of Page

Ron Futcher

From NAC Brenda (Holland) 1984 - Oldham Athletic 1984.
Slightly less well remembered than his twin brother ,by Martin Ellison.
Wasn't it RON Futcher who liked putting his feet through doors and arguing with refs? At Shrewsbury? You know, the dawdling brother who was slow and missed a sitter against Liverpool in the 0-4 defeat on telly.Top of Page

G

Ronnie Glavin

From Celtic 1979 - (Portugal 1983) & 1985 to Stockport
Ronnie Glavin (12k) : A Legend. A Class apart from the rest of the team of the time. Richard Nunn remembers "He scored a superb goal, one of the best I've seen at Oakwell, in a 4-1 victory against Shrewsbury Town. Picture a right wing corner at the Ponty End, which goes to Mick McCarthy who's stood in the box, who does a back header to Glavin who scores with an incredible overhead/bicycle kick. Anyone remember this?"
(Tony Glavin) "Capped for Scotland once and against Sweden in April of 1977 at Hampden Park" Has been Manager of Non League Wakefield and Emley, and has had a short spell as coach at Oakwell Summer 2003 Top of Page

Stuart Gray

From 1983 Nottingham Forest - 1987 to Aston Villa.
"Midfield/Striker/Centre-back/Full-back, Stuart played in all these positions and never let us down. In fact one season he played mostly in defence and finished top scorer. Voted player of the year 86/87. Went on to play for Villa."Top of Page

Phil Gridelet

From 1990 Barnet - 1992 to Southend.
(Brian Armstrong)"Midfielder, signed by Mad Mel for a record price for a non-league player (175,000 I think) and went on to repay this handsomely by playing 6 games in three years without scoring. Nicknamed God, because you knew he was there but no-one ever saw him, he went on to play for Southend. I saw him play for them at Oakwell in a 0-0 draw, funny thing was he looked a decent player."Top of Page

H

David Hirst

From 1985 Apprentice - Sheffield Wednesday 1985.
Striker. Sold before he really blossomed. Top of Page

Glynn Hurst

17/01/1976 : Tottenham YTS. - Scarbrough 1997.
Striker, Arrived from Monk Bretton via South Africa ?? Or was is Australia. Top of Page

J

Chris Jackson

Youth 1992 - 1995
Striker. Product of the Barnsley School of Excellence, Chris played a handful of games showing enough to suggest a successful career before he was seriously injured in a car crash. The club showed a nice touch by continuing to include him in the sponsorship page of the program.

Joe Joyce

1979 Trainee - Scunthorpe1990
(Brian Armstrong) Defender and captain. Joe was signed in 1979 on schoolboy forms from Consett, County Durham and went on to play over 350 competitive matches for the Reds before exile in Scunny. Joe famously made is first team debut in a 7-0 drubbing at Reading in the 3rd Division. Despite this Joe developed into a steady and reliable right-back.Top of Page

K

Arthur Kaye

1953 Trainee - Blackpool 1989
Thanks to Richard Nunn "Barnsley career ended in 1959. Small stocky winger, very tricky, excellent ball control, with plenty of pace to beat a full-back. Wore the number 7 shirt If he had played for a first division club, would probably have played for England. He was class, he combined skill with commitment to his home town club. Now lives at Higham, near Baugh Green." Top of Page

L

Alan Little

From 1977 Southed United - 1979 to Doncaster Rovers.
"Midfielder, less famous brother of Brian manager of York. Alan was a real diamond, strong in the tackle, a good passer and posessor of a fierce shot. His tackling was known to make even hardened colliers wince, more often than not he'd take the ball, the man, the referee and both linesmen. Lynch-pin of the 4th division promotion team 78/79." Top of Page

M

Mick McCarthy

From Wosbrough 1977 - Manchester City 1983
Defender. Current Republic of Ireland manager. (Brian Armstrong) "Ever-present from 1977 till he went to Manchester City, one of the hardest defenders I've ever seen, when he kicked somebody they knew about it. Possibly the loudest shouter ever to play for the Reds - you could hear him rawping even when we were defending the kop end. Probably the broadest Yorkshire accent ever to represent the Republic of Ireland." Top of Page

Brian McCord

From Derby County 1989 - Stockport County 1991
(Brian Armstrong) "Brian Sick-Note McCord. Signed from Derby by Mad Mel after Winnie had him on loan. Played right-back/midfield. Neat skillful player, good passer but short of pace. Was the subject of an excellent piece in South Riding describing his injury prone nature. His career was recently ended by a very bad tackle, legal action pending."

Cecil McCormick

From Chelmsford 1950 - Notts County 1951
Striker. Record goalscorer.

Ray McHale

From Brighton & Hove Albion 1981 - Sheffield United 1982
(Thanks to Brian Armstrong) Un-sung hero, he was the midfield general who made the team tick, so much so that Graham Souness half crippled him before the ball had left the centre-circle from the kick-off (League Cup Quarter-Final replay at Oakwell Jan 1982).Top of Page

O

Brendan O'Connall

From Burnley 1989 - Charlton Athletic Summer 1996.
Midfield. "Chicken" due to the fact that his runs were reminiscent of a headless chicken. Scored some marvelous headers running late at the far post. Most noticably against Newcastle in December 1992 when we beat them 1-0 at a time when they had lost only 1 match to top the table by a mile. Player of the season in the early part of his Barnsley career. 

Gordon Owen

From Cardiff City 1984 - Bristol City 1986
(Brian Armstrong) "Barnsley born but scored against us for Cardif in a 3-2 home defeat including Larry May own goal. Best performance was a hat-trick of headers against Oxford (top of the league at the time). Despite this he was known mostly for his penalties which he drove ferrociously into the centre of the net - on the theory that the 'keeper always dived one way or the other. I don't remember him missing one, so it must have worked. He played right-wing and was very quick." Top of Page

P

Andy Payton

From Celtic 1993 - Huddersfield Town Summer 1996
Striker. First season his goals saved us from relegation. Scored 20 goals in his final season, but missed about 40 a season. Top of Page

R

Niel Redfearn

20/06/65 : 1991 Oldham Athletic £180,000 - Charlton Athletic June 1998 £1,300,000
Captain Marvel. Captain of the promotion winning side of 1996/1997. First player to score in the top flight for Barnsley. Famous for blistering shots from outside the box. My favourite being the goal against Newcastle United in the Coca-Cola Cup 1994. We all sang "BARNSLEY FOR EUROPE"

Dave Regis

03/03/1964 : Part Ex From Southend United Early 1996 - October 1997 Released from contract.
Striker? Makeweight in sale of Andy Rammell. His only goal for the club came from a massive keeper error. That says it all really. Top of Page

George Robledo

From Huddersfield Town 1946 - Newcastle United 1949 £26,000
Born in Chile. Came to Oakwell along with his brother Ted. Good enough to play for England apparently. I wonder if they used to sing "It's just like watching Chile?" Top of Page

Jimmy Robson

From Blackpool 1976 - Bury 1969
From Paul Sherwood "Although past his prime when he arrived at Oakwell, he brought a style and a touch of real class to the ground. As a very young boy, Jimmy astounded me by controlling the ball by catching it on his foot (we were always told you had to trap it). He inspired me!!"

S

John Saunders

From Huddersfield Town 1975 - Lincoln City 1979
(Thanks to Brian Armstrong again) For those with long memories, I don't think I need to remind you how crap he was, for the rest of you I only need to tell you his nickname - Dobbin. What amazes me is that he kept his place throughout the promotion-winning season 78/79.

Duncan Sharp

From Wooley Colliery 1953 - Bedford Town 1961
(Brian March) "he was my first hero ( after Tarzan ) and I saw him play several times in his final seasons before he was replaced by Eric (Winstanley). I dont know much about him except his style of play which was tough to say the least, in fact it made him something of a legend in the town."

Malcolm Shotton

From 1988 Huddersfield Town -1989 Hull City & From Ayr United 1994-1995 Coaching Staff.
Part of the current coaching staff. (Brian Armstrong) "No-nonsense Centre-Back. Had two spells at Oakwell, the first one ending after a bust up with John Deehan on the coach coming back from a cup-tie at Bramall Lane. He was reputed to have smacked Deehan in the gob and was instantly placed on the transfer list - can anyone add anything to this story?"

Peter Springett

From Sheff Wed 1975 - 1979 to Scarbrough. Died 1997.
Goalkeeper. Big, Bald and liked Milky Bars before the game according to one programme!

T

Gerry Taggart

From Manchester City 1989 - June 1994 to Bolton Wanderers
Ooooo Gerry Gerry. Legendary centre back. Combined with Gary Flemming to become a terrific centre back pairing. Just how much ale was this lad famous for dirinking? My favourite ever cover to an issue of South Riding. It read, "Taggart Departs. Pub takings Plumett" followed by a small graph depicting the years during his presence and after he left. Top of Page

Tommy Taylor

- Manchester United 29,999 pounds.
Centre Half / Centre Forward. Big strong and a great header of the ball. When sold he was the most expensive player in the british league. Sir Matt Busby didn't wan't to put the pressure of a 30,000 pound price tag on him. Career was tragically cut short in the Munich air disaster. Top of Page

Gwyn Thomas

From Leeds United 1983 - 1989
(Brian Armstrong) Thomas the Tank. Hard-working midfielder and occasional Welsh International, always gave 110%etc. His career was cut short by a vicious tackle from a Chelsea player (Graham Roberts I think) in an FA Cup tie at Oakwell (4-0 to the Reds).

Carl Tiler

- Summer 1991 to Nottingham Forest 1.5 million
Defender. Instrumental in nearly getting Barnsley in the playoffs at the end of the 1990/1 season. Refused a return to the club in March 1997 in favour of Sheffield United. Top of Page

V

Carel Van Der Velden

03/08/72 : Undisclosed Fee From Den Bosch (Holland) April 1996 - Scarbrough May 1997.
Midfield. Thoughtfull midfielder. Didn't really get a chance in the first team. Top of Page

W

Colin Walker

1980-1982
(Brian Armstrong) " 'Dusty Bin' signed from Rotherham corporation refuse collection department (hence the name) in 1981/82 season. Made his debut against Liverpool at Anfield and scored in the replay. He was a fixture for the rest of the season scoring 13 goals in 21 games. The following season he faded from sight and eventually went to Australia (I think). He is now the club's youth team coach." Top of Page

Paul Wilkinson

30/10/1964 : Free From Middlesborough Summer 1996 - Millwall September 1997 £150,000.
Paul Wilkinson (20k) : Striker. Target man.Scored the first goal against Bradford in the promotion game. Got through an enormous amount of work during a game both in defence and attack. Thanks Paul you helped us to the top and will never be forgotten as far as i'm concerned. Top of Page

Eric Winstanley

15/11/1944 : From Juniors 1961 - Chesterfield 1972
Thanks Paul Sherwood "A real team leader back in the 60s. Who could forget the buzz of anticipation that you felt everytime "Big Eric" came up for a corner kick."

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