Tuesday's woes

Now that I've calmed down somewhat, I thought I'd throw this one out for comment. Whilst Tuesday night at Barnsley delivered, yet again, some sumptuous entertainment, I'm afraid it did have a sour side; one that got right under my skin!

Leaving Leeds at 6pm to make the short trip down the M1 should have had me in the bar at the leisure centre comfortably by 7pm. Heavy traffic on the motorway, or should I say getting off it, slowed me a touch, but I was still in the vicinity of Oakwell by 6.40pm. Gridlock then meant I didn't go anywhere until after kick-off, eventually turned away from the ground and told to "go into the town centre" by a gruff motorcycle cop. On returning on foot some 25 minutes after kick-off, I kicked-off with the local plod.

In their defence they told me that Barnsley Football Club had a 'footprint' of less that 10 police officers on duty. Further, none of these were traffic. Those that had turned up (after the game had kicked off) did so independently with the sole objective of clearing the traffic congestion from the area; their strategy being to disperse it away from the vicinity of the football ground. Barnsley police made it very clear that a very avoidable situation had not been in their control. They pointed at the club and at the council.

Next I collared a steward. If the Police weren't responsible, then surely the club were? No! "It's not us mate, we're subcontracted - nothing to do with us". Then the best bit, "we have no control of anything".

I'd suggest that because it was the away fans affected, no one really gave a fig. Radio Sheffield mentioned the traffic congestion some 2 minutes into their commentary. Very kindly they said 'hello' to those still out in their car (twits). If they knew, then surely Barnsley Football Club did. But no, because apparently there were no senior staff, with any responsibility, on duty!!!

To rub salt into my wounds, I was then held up by the turnstile man, too busy counting his money to take my ticket and allow me in. Another minute or two delayed!

When I finally got in, we were already one nil up. I found a place to stand, with many others on the yellow cross-hatched stairway running up between the blocks of seats. The stewards inside were clueless. Clearly disinterested in safety and let us do what we wanted (thankfully, but not a good advert for Barnsley FC).

Half time came: One, yes one tea bar open. No pies and no tea (quote: they'd run out of tea bags).

What a truly amateur performance all round by Barnsley FC, on and off the pitch!

Despite their locality to me in Leeds, the song "we'll never play you again" which struck up towards the end was met by an overwhelming thought of "thank fig for that".