The Who's who of Barnsley FC
written by Grenville Firth and David Wood

The Who's who of Barnsley FC is excatly what it says on the cover.  The book covers every player who have featured for Barnsley FC first team since the club was formed up to the start of the 2011-2012 season, a total of 1069 players.  There is a short summary of each player, including statistics on the number of appearances and goals scored by each player.  Yet more remarkable and probably unique amongst books is the fact that there are over 990 pictures of the players, with virtually every players photograph from those who played since the cup final in 1912.  This is a massive testiment to the hard work and research by the two authors.

This book will become one of the essential guides to Barnsley FC for years to come.  The book comes in hardback form and costs £25.00.

Barnsley FC - My Club, My Passion
The new book about Barnsley FC. Written by the fans, for the fans.

When the Reverend Tiverton Preedy founded Barnsley Football Club in 1887 in what was then a staunch Rugby town he was said to want to build a soccer team the Rugbyites will not crush. By the time of his death in 1928 it was clear he had achieved his dream, but it's unlikely he appreciated the importance that Barnsley FC would have in the lives of so many people in later years. Barnsley FC - My Club, My Passion is a book about the relationship that Reds fans have with their club, the thoughts, feelings and emotions they have and the passion they feel for Barnsley FC.

A book to stir the emotions of every Reds fan....
I received my copy of the book today and have nearly finished it already, what a fantastic read!
Lindsay Sharp

The book is a fantastic read, thanks for your time, efforts, tenacity and persistence in making this book happen - it is a great achievement and something that will stay in the history of BFC forever!
Chris Foster

Very good read, brought back some great memories and great to read other folks stories from things you'd forgotton but remember well. Read my copy on Saturday and Sunday (when my daughter put it down!) Well done, would like to see a follow up.
Fiona

You have done a wonderful job in bringing together some very honest responses in true Barnsley fashion to the questions you posed. It seems to me that you have been able to resist the temptation to over edit the contributions so that the text has a real live feel to it. I think I have spotted already that supporters, whether old codgers like me who started at the outbreak of war, or those getting involved only four seasons ago share the same thrill and the same goes for all the years in between! The family unit comes out very strongly in building a fan base and all the tensions seem to be well illustrated. In addition to the excellent content I particularly like the typography and choice of photos.
David Bawcutt
 

“Lifting the Cup” The story of Battling Barnsley

Barnsley Football Club were formed in 1887, entered the Football League in 1898 and at the start of the 1909-10 season were facing their twelfth season in Division 2 under the direction of Manager/Secretary Arthur Fairclough.

Having finished in seventeenth place the previous season, and with little in the way of finances to spend on new players there was little to suggest that the club’s most illustrious and successful period was just around the corner.  Yet over the next three seasons a magnificent Barnsley side thrilled their supporters by winning their way through to the FA Cup Final, then the most prestigious cup tournament in the World, on not one but two occasions and capping things off by beating West Bromwich Albion in the 1912 Final to capture the FA Cup for the only time, so far, in the club’s history. We should also not forget they became the first English side to avoid defeat in the ‘Championship of the World’ by drawing at the home of Celtic, the winners of the Scottish Cup, at the commencement of the 1912-13 season.

One hundred years on this book brings to life through match reports, photographs [some never previously seen before] and memorabilia the matches and excitement of these momentous times that included the extraordinary commitment shown by some Barnsley fans to see their side in the FA Cup. Against a background of major social and political change this book also examines the players who made history and became legends in their own right. 

'Lifting The Cup - The Story Of Battling Barnsley 1910-12' is written by Mark Metcalf and Club historian David Wood.

David Wood was born in Barnsley in 1963 and was first taken to Oakwell by his father in 1970. He has seen 'The Reds' play matches on 124 different grounds and now serves as Official Historian to the Club. Married to Sarah, with a daughter, Rachel, David lives in Bedfordshire.

Mark Metcalf is a freelance writer with a passion for football, especially the formative histories of northern teams. His recent work includes books on Manchester United, the 1960 FA Cup and Sunderland (he's a lifelong fan). Mark has also completed a biography of the Sunderland legend Stan Anderson. Born in County Durham, Mark now resides in Halifax with his wife Ruth and two-year-old son Charlie.