In the hope of drumming up what could still be much-needed support for the game here are a few little-known facts to help you plan your weekend.
1. If you hear a Barnsley lass muttering "Schwabisch gmund" after a few beers, she may be referring to Barnsley's German twin-town (or she may be about to be sick). Schwabisch Gmund is also twinned with the French resort of Antibes, which must be as unlike Barnsley as any town on earth.
2. At a Barnsley wedding it is customary to pin chips to the bride's wedding dress.
3. The most famous local landmark is the Barnsley Interchange. This is a combined rail and bus station. The design was entered for international awards. It is not thought that it won.
4. Geoff Horsfield was born in Barnsley. He played for twelve professional clubs but was turned down in a trial for Barnsley. He is not thought to be related to King Arthur who played every game for Charlton in three seasons between 1972 and 1975 scoring over 50 goals.
5. The Domesday Book records the town's name as name "Berneslai". Tykes fans can occasionally still be heard chanting this.
6. Arthur Scargill was from Barnsley. He was not particularly fond of Margaret Thatcher.
7. If you stay over, the Grimethorpe Colliery Band are playing a gig at Emmanuel church, on the 15th. Tickets a tenner each.
8. Joseph Bramah was from Barnsley. His patented design created the flushing kharzi as we know it today.
9. Several chip shops claim to be the best in Barnsley but try the famous Jumbo cod at Woody's which is said to be 18 inches long. Mind you, Woody said the same about his willy. On opening their first shop the founders allegedly said "if you can't make money selling chips in Barnsley you shouldn't be in the chip business".
10. Barnsley is a bit of a real ale oasis with numerous pubs and local breweries including the Barnsley Beer Company (motto: "Thar's niver seen owt like it!") whose beers include Ronnie's Owd Cock, Shut Thi Gob, Get Thi Coit and Nutty Slack.
So, come on, get your tickets and support the lads next weekend. What's not to like?
The earth beneath Barnsley is riddled with tunnels from centuries of mining, one day it is forecast that the entire town will simply dissapear underground! Happily its more than likely that Barnsley life will continue unaffected by being 300ft below the surface.
I write from Antibes. It is indeed nothing like Barnsley and they don't mention Barnsley at all in general conversation. Mind you, I'd be surprised to hear Antibes referred to at all in Barnsley, so I guess that's fair enough.
In response to the Football Museum at Deepdale, Barnsley FC opened The National Flatcap Museum which for 2 decades proved to be Yorkshire's most popular tourist attraction.
Exhibits included various dummies modelling the height of coalmine fashion, the brim down 1970s look and the more modern sport aesthetic. However, due to thefts of both caps and mannequins, plus its arch-rival at Preston closing its doors, Addicks looking for a few photos and souvenirs next week will be left sorely disappointed.
When Barnsley lost 8-1 to Leeds United in a wartime cup game, it was rumoured that the entire Barnsley team played with a ferret in their trousers. It later transpired that it was Leeds United that had ferrets in their trousers. The FA banned the use of ferrets in 1946.
The men in Barnsley are on average 7" (17.8cm) shorter than in the rest of the country. Many look thin and malnourished and have a tendency to be short tempered and narky in the presence of strangers. It has been generally recognised that since 1899 the town has been a regional hotspot Vegrandis Moenia, or Small Man's Syndrome as it is more commonly known. Several studies have taken place and articles published in The Lancet, but it wasn't until 2003 that the World's cleverest Northerner, Prof Brian Cox, figured out the cause. He saw a pattern linking Small Man's Syndrome with high localised instances of Rickets and realised that is due to a deficiency in vitamin For the past hundred and fourteen years the entire town has been in the shadow of the massive football stadium situated just 10 miles to the south at Owlerton. It is hoped that a with a daily ration of margarine supplied by the South Yorkshire NHS Trust and the good work of local charities like, Take A Northerner For A Walk In The Park that this debilitating shortness may one day be overcome.
Every public house within the city limits must be named La Pick n Shovel in tribute to the women (and a few men) who spent their entire lives down pit excavating the black stuff without mechanical assistance
Wikipedia : The name Barnsley is believed to originate from the old Anglo Saxon words T'Barn meaning desolate place and from Sley meaning muddy pool. The town appears in the Doomsday Book under the name used by the Norman Lord given the land in 1067. Perigord Du Barnnesleigh. By 1365 the current name was in common use and the population had grown to more than 27. It was not until in the reign of Henry VII that the muddy pool was filled in allowing the town to grow reaching a peak of population in 1952 of some 168,000. It remains desolate to this day.
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@Bryan_Kynsie
In the hope of drumming up what could still be much-needed support for the game here are a few little-known facts to help you plan your weekend.
1. If you hear a Barnsley lass muttering "Schwabisch gmund" after a few beers, she may be referring to Barnsley's German twin-town (or she may be about to be sick). Schwabisch Gmund is also twinned with the French resort of Antibes, which must be as unlike Barnsley as any town on earth.
2. At a Barnsley wedding it is customary to pin chips to the bride's wedding dress.
3. The most famous local landmark is the Barnsley Interchange. This is a combined rail and bus station. The design was entered for international awards. It is not thought that it won.
4. Geoff Horsfield was born in Barnsley. He played for twelve professional clubs but was turned down in a trial for Barnsley. He is not thought to be related to King Arthur who played every game for Charlton in three seasons between 1972 and 1975 scoring over 50 goals.
5. The Domesday Book records the town's name as name "Berneslai". Tykes fans can occasionally still be heard chanting this.
6. Arthur Scargill was from Barnsley. He was not particularly fond of Margaret Thatcher.
7. If you stay over, the Grimethorpe Colliery Band are playing a gig at Emmanuel church, on the 15th. Tickets a tenner each.
8. Joseph Bramah was from Barnsley. His patented design created the flushing kharzi as we know it today.
9. Several chip shops claim to be the best in Barnsley but try the famous Jumbo cod at Woody's which is said to be 18 inches long. Mind you, Woody said the same about his willy. On opening their first shop the founders allegedly said "if you can't make money selling chips in Barnsley you shouldn't be in the chip business".
10. Barnsley is a bit of a real ale oasis with numerous pubs and local breweries including the Barnsley Beer Company (motto: "Thar's niver seen owt like it!") whose beers include Ronnie's Owd Cock, Shut Thi Gob, Get Thi Coit and Nutty Slack.
So, come on, get your tickets and support the lads next weekend. What's not to like?
Exhibits included various dummies modelling the height of coalmine fashion, the brim down 1970s look and the more modern sport aesthetic. However, due to thefts of both caps and mannequins, plus its arch-rival at Preston closing its doors, Addicks looking for a few photos and souvenirs next week will be left sorely disappointed.