BARNSLEY'S FA cup heroes have been rewarded for dumping Liverpool out of the competition with a mouth-watering clash against holders Chelsea.
Avram Grant's star-studded team will visit Oakwell next month and cup fever is sure to grab the town in the build-up to the big match.
Barnsley earned the right to take on Chelsea with a brilliant performance at Anfield on Saturday. One fan was excited but apprehensive about the tie.
She said: "It's a big game, I'd been hoping for Bristol Rovers or Cardiff so we'd stand a better chance of winning. At least it is at home and nobody expected to beat Liverpool, so who knows?"
The victory against Liverpool came courtesy of an injury-time strike from captain Brian Howard. His goal sent Barnsley into the FA cup quarter finals for the first time since the 1997/98 season when the Reds beat Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United before losing to Newcastle United.
Barnsley Chronicle sports editor Andrew Lodge said the atmosphere at the club had not reached such a level since that famous victory at Old Trafford.
He said: "This cup run and the victory against Liverpool has generated more interest in the club than anything since the day Barnsley got promoted to the Premier League, that includes the Manchester United cup tie in 1997/98.
"The atmosphere at the moment surpasses that because cup fever has enveloped the whole town."
The Chelsea cup clash will be played on the weekend of March 8 and 9. For a full reaction to the draw and the brilliant victory at Anfield see Friday's Barnsley Chronicle.
