Sunday 6th May 2007
West Brom 7-0 Barnsley
Phillips 21
Ellington pen 25
Ellington 36
Koren 40
Phillips 53
Phillips 71
Gera 75
Barnsley suffered their heaviest defeat in ten years in the final game of 2006-2007. Having secured survival with a game to spare in their first season back in the second tier they were no match for a West Brom side who needed to win to secure a play-off spot and a Barnsley side containing Academy graduates Rob Atkinson and Luke Potter in the back four and a goalkeeper in David Lucas making only his second start for the club were quite simply torn apart in front of the SKY cameras.
Of the 16 players involved in the matchday squad that day only seven ever played for the club again- Hassell, Devaney, Togwell, Nardiello, Ferenczi, McCann and Colgan (although Colgan only featured in the first game of 2007-2008)
Barnsley XI: David Lucas, Neil Austin, Bobby Hassell, Rob Atkinson, Luke Potter, Martin Devaney, Brian Howard, Kyel Reid, Sam Togwell, Daniel Nardiello, Istvan Ferenczi.
Subs: Grant McCann (for Devaney 57), Peter Rajczi (for Ferenczi 57), Simon Heslop (for Togwell 63)
Subs not used: Nick Colgan, Paul Heckingbottom.
Goals: N/A
Attendance: 23,568.
Saturday 6th May 2006
Walsall 1-2 Barnsley
Richards 31
Keates pen 59
Nardiello pen 83
Barnsley’s fixture exactly 12 months previous to the Hawthorns mauling was much more memorable as victory at Walsall secured a League One play-off berth. Drawing 0-0 at home to Bradford the previous week, meant they had to at least equal Swansea and Nottingham Forest’s results against bottom side Walsall and goals from Marc Richards and Daniel Nardiello saw The Reds finish fifth and go on to win promotion.
Barnsley XI: Nick Colgan, Paul Heckingbottom, Antony Kay, Bobby Hassell, Chris Shuker, Brian Howard, Dale Tonge, Stephen McPhail, Martin Devaney, Marc Richards, Daniel Nardiello.
Subs: Tommy Wright (for Richards 73), Anthony McParland (for Shuker 81), Robbie Williams (for Howard 87)
Subs not used: Scott Flinders, Barry Conlon.
Goals: Marc Richards 31, Daniel Nardiello pen 83.
Attendance: 7,195.
Sunday 6th May 2001
Portsmouth 3-0 Barnsley
Bradbury 17
O’Neil 63
Harper 75
After suffering play-off final heartbreak the previous season many Barnsley fans were hoping to go one step further in their quest to return to the Premier League but a promotion never materialised in 2000-2001 with Barnsley going into the final day in 14th place, 20 points away from the play-offs with the hope of finishing in the top half the only prize they could attain.
However they were comfortably beaten at Fratton Park against a Pompey side who started the day in the relegation zone but this victory saw them escape and condemn Huddersfield to the drop instead.
This game also marked a poignant end of an era as it was the last ever game that a player who secured promotion to the Premier League in 1996-1997 played for the club with the last two survivors Martin Bullock and Matty Appleby moving on to Blackpool and Oldham respectively.
Barnsley XI: Kevin Miller, Darren Barnard, Chris Morgan, Chris Barker, Martin Bullock, Carl Barrowclough, Matty Appleby, Alex Neil, Neil Shipperley, Jon Parkin, Bruce Dyer.
Subs: Antony Kay (for Barrowclough 55), Mike Sheron (for Dyer 70), Leo Bertos (for Barnard 79)
Subs not used: Andy Marriott, David Mulligan.
Goals: N/A.
Attendance: 13,064.