Barnsley have been handed a home draw in the Third Round of the FA Cup for the first time in six years after being paired with Premier League new boys Swansea City.
The tie which is likely to be played on Saturday 7th January- ironically the exact same date as the last home FA Cup Third Round tie The Reds had, against Walsall in 2005, is only the third time The Reds have been given a home tie in the third round of the famous competition in the last 10 years.
It will be only the second time that these two sides, who contested the League One Play-Off Final in 2006 have met in the FA Cup, and the first since Swansea Town became City in 1969.
They met in the Fourth Round of the 1926-27 competition when both sides were in the Second Division (now Championship) and Swansea Town won 3-1 at Oakwell. Swansea eventully got to the Quarter-Finals where they were defeated byReading.
In more recent times, The Swans, whose best run in the FA Cup is the Semi-Finals in 1926 and 1964 have only ventured past the Third Round four times in the last 11 years and suffered a shock exit at this stage to Blue Square Southside Havant and Waterlooville when they lost 4-2 in a replay in 2008.
That was the same year that Barnsley reached the Semi-Finals of the competition- knocking out Havant’s conquerors Liverpool along the way- but The Reds have failed to win an FA Cup tie in the three years since, suffering Third Round exits to West Ham (twice) and Scunthorpe, with Kayode Odejayi’s historic winner against Chelsea in the Quarter-Finals back in March 2008, being the last time The Reds netted in the competition.
It is well worth noting that Swansea are unbeaten in their last six meetings with Barnsley, and The Reds Play-Off Final success against them is their only victory in the last 10 clashes.