A look back at Barnsley's 2025/26 season in which they finished 15th in League One.

AVERAGE AT BEST

FIVE years after finishing fifth in the Championship, the Reds placed 15th in the third tier as they slipped down the EFL standings for the fifth straight season.

The only time they finished lower down the leagues since the 1970s was in 2002/03 season when the club was in serious financial trouble.

They ended up 16 points off the top six and ten clear of the bottom four.

They had the top assister in the EFL in Reyes Cleary, a midfielder who scores ten goals plus every season in Adam Phillips, 15-goal Davis Keillor-Dunn in the first half of the season and David McGoldrick who then hit 13 in 18, while Patrick Kelly is a huge talent. They should have finished far higher than 15th.

But they have been far too leaky defensively which has made it impossible to get any consistency while their attacking threat dwindled late in the season after the failure to sign an extra striker in January.

They never won three league games in a row and have not put back-to-back league wins together since November.

Where do they bottom out?

Assuming the owners keep putting millions into the club every year and season ticket numbers continue to reduce, mid-table in League One may be where they currently belong in terms of budget.

But Lincoln and Stevenage’s success show football is not played on balance sheets while neighbours Doncaster caught them on the last day.

The owners and staff often seem to be doing the club down, or at least their prospects, when they speak publicly – citing financial challenges making it difficult to compete – which goes against the hopeful underdog spirit with which the club has had success in the past.

BOSS

Conor Hourihane has now left the club by mutual consent after taking the charge of 66 games in all competitions, the joint most of a Reds head coach since his mentor Paul Heckingbottom a decade ago.

He won 21, drew 18 and lost 27, scoring 102 and conceding 121 with five clean sheets.

Although it has not worked out, most fans – even those frustrated by him this season – will still remember him fondly, if mostly for his playing career.

Both sides have dealt with the split professionally even if it is strange that the full reasons have not been explained to supporters.

It looked last summer like Barnsley had finally found a manager they could back long-term and let him grow as a then 34-year-old in charge of a young team.

They changed formation and moved away from the pressing style to accommodate his preferences.

Hourihane has clearly had a lot to deal with behind the scenes – some of which we may never know about – while he has been let down by some of his players as well as the recruitment at times.

But it would be hard to make a long list of positive about his coaching other than the 5-0 win over Luton, occasional excellent passing moves and the fact that he comes across as a hard-working young professional. He overcomplicated a lot of tactical decisions and few worked out well. Some of his dour forecasts for next season put off fans and potentially the board.

He acknowledged in an honest final interview on Saturday that his inability to create a solid defence was the major negative of the season and an area he needed to improve in his coaching career.

Hourihane did not seem to rate or trust many of his players. Up until March 17, Hourihane only used the full allocation of five substitutions twice in the league in the August loss at Wimbledon and the thrashing of Luton but he has done so seven times in the final 11 games.

This is the first time no player has made 40 starts in a league campaign for the Reds since the 2012/13 ‘great escape’ campaign.

A stint as a first team coach or under 23s manager feels like the natural next step for him.

CROWDS

Barnsley’s average league attendances have dropped by more than 1,000 to 11,144 this season – the seventh highest in the third tier.

While the last four home games have seen strong away followings boost the crowds, there were eight straight matches from January into March for which the attendances were less than 10,000 with a couple well under 9,000 which were the lowest for league games in more than a decade. Those figures automatically count season ticket holders but the larger and larger gaps in the stands show many have just not been turning up. Season tickets sales are thought to have dropped to around 8,000 for the 2024/25 season and there is another significant reduction expected this summer.

The Reds have won 24 of their last 71 third tier games at Oakwell.

They have not won three straight home league games since early 2023 when they won nine in a row under Michael Duff.

DEFENDING

Last season’s 90 goals conceded in all competitions and just six clean sheets in the league was seen as rock bottom in terms of defending until this season’s team said ‘hold my beer.’

Although they have conceded as many goals as last season in the league, and scored one fewer, it has felt like defence has been the main issue.

They have let in 99 in all competitions – the most since 1964/65 – and 73 in the third tier with only bottom club Northampton shipping more.

Barnsley have kept just four league clean sheets which is the fewest in the division by four and the joint fewest in the top five divisions of English football. The only time they kept less was in 1952/53.

You have to go down to Leamington in the National League North – whose goalkeeper for much of the season was Reds loanee Rogan Ravenhill – to find a team who have kept fewer clean sheets. They had more shut-outs at Peterborough’s ground – one in the league in August and another in the FA Cup in December – than at Oakwell where they only avoided conceding in the 5-0 victory over Luton in November.

They also drew 0-0 at Port Vale in April, ending a 26-game club record run without a clean sheet in one season, then won 1-0 at another relegated side Northampton.

They will say they try to play more attacking so they concede more.

But collectively and individually they have been very error-prone and very easy to play against, from set pieces and open play.

That reflects badly on the players but mainly on the coaches who should be getting more out of a defence that cannot be the least talented in the third tier.

It has been the failure of the season and undermined everything they have tried to achieve.

While attackers have put themselves in the shop window, defensive players have been like mannequins as opponents run past.

Most of the defenders are out of contract so the Reds have a chance to wipe the slate clean and rebuild their backline.

ELITE TEAMS

In their ten games against the sides who finished in the top five, the Reds lost five and drew five – scoring 11 and conceding 22.

Other than the opening day at Plymouth, they did not win a game at any of the top 13 sides.

If Barnsley’s ultimate aim is to compete again for those top six places, there is plenty of work to do in terms of recruitment and coaching.

FIXTURE PILE-UP

Barnsley had an extremely gruelling schedule in the final months of the season.

They played just three league games in each of September, October and November with three fixtures being called off due to international breaks and not rearranged until after Christmas.

If even two had been played in 2025 it would have alleviated the hectic run-in.

They then had trips to Port Vale and Stevenage postponed due to wintry weather and a match at Wycombe moved after they reached the FA Cup third round.

Having played ten league fixtures in 100 days, once every ten, they then played 31 in 145, one in less than every five.

They finished with 16 in eight weeks including nine in the last 29 days, taking nine points.

That, along with a thin squad in some areas, meant they badly struggled for consistency and energy.

It also meant Hourihane and his staff had barely any time to work with the players on the training pitch.

GOOD START

It seems a long time ago now but Barnsley won five of their first seven games this season, briefly suggesting they could achieve more than mid-table. The atmosphere for the away win at Plymouth then comeback success over Burton in the opening home game was excellent while they also saw off Huddersfield in an all-Yorkshire clash.

It was seven wins in nine in all competitions.

But, since beating Reading on September 13, they have taken just 43 points from 39 games. Obviously points collected early are just as valid as any other time, but it is worrying for next season that they have been on relegation battle form for so long.

HOME FORM

One of the Reds’ pre-season aims that they did achieve was improving on last season’s home form.

But it was an extremely low bar after they only won six at home in the league in 2024/25, this time winning nine.

They finished with 33 home points, seven more than the last campaign but one fewer than in the 2023/24 season which was seen as a very poor return.

They did not win any of their last six home games and conceded the most on their own turf in the division with 37.

IDENTITY

Conor Hourihane has said his team had an identity but, watching them every week, it is genuinely difficult to work out what that was other than ‘have quite a lot of the ball in most games but struggle to do much with it unless one of our players does something individually brilliant.’

There have been a few excellent performances – most notably the thrashing of Luton – but there have also been a lot of tough watches.

They have played some good football at times but not consistently.

After Hourihane’s two predecessors were sacked, chairman Neerav Parekh said they did not stick closely enough to the club’s preferred style of play which is high-pressing, high-energy football.

But the Reds have had more of the ball than they did last season while only three sides have won it fewer times in the opposition’s final third.

They have passed the ball a lot more than last season but had far fewer shots.

Hourihane has been hindered by a lack of depth up front and a striker who can run in behind with pace, which would have changed his attacking scope totally.

JANUARY WINDOW

Barnsley sold a player in the winter window for the first time in seven years since Brad Potts went to Preston.

This time it was then top-scorer Davis Keillor-Dunn who, 48 hours after netting his 14th and 15th goals of the season in a win over Stevenage, joined Championship promotion-chasers Wrexham.

It was a deserved move and £2million is probably a fair price for a 28-year-old who has never played above the third tier – even if his old club Mansfield took a slice of it. But only replacing him with Tom Bradshaw, when Hourihane had wanted a striker with pace all window, left them with a shockingly shallow and ageing group – or pair – of strikers.

Former Red Jacob Brown is thought to have been close to joining the Reds but instead moved to Championship Portsmouth.

Incoming signings Eoghan O’Connell, Tom Bradshaw, Scott Banks and Owen Goodman have all been partial successes but inconsistent like nearly everyone else.

Charlie Lennon has played 64 minutes and Tawanda Chirewa ten.

KEEPERS

After Gaga Slonina and Joe Gauci last season, Barnsley have again had two loan ‘keepers who have not been total disasters but not ultra-reliable. Murphy Cooper was sent back in January and replaced by Owen Goodman partly because the Crystal Palace man was cheaper, and freed up funds elsewhere, and also because he is much bigger so in theory could dominate the box and reach shots Cooper struggled to keep out. Goodman was probably a mild improvement overall.

Kieren Flavell has been back-up to both, until the last week, while loaned-out Jackson Smith has kept more than twice as many clean sheets as Barnsley as a club this season for Grimsby who could get promoted from League Two. Goalkeeper coach Scott Flinders was on the bench aged 39 at Burton on Good Friday with Goodman unwell.

LOSING LEADS

Barnsley have blown a 2-0 lead four times this season.

They were two up at Wycombe in October on 88 minutes but drew 2-2 then again at home to Mansfield on Boxing Day and lost, before doing the same in a 2-2 draw at the Stags in March.

There was also the Valentine’s Day game at home to Wimbledon who came from 2-0 down to lead before drawing 3-3.

The Reds have dropped 22 points from winning positions. They conceded 32 goals after 60 minutes in games – the most in the division.

It must also be pointed out that Barnsley have taken 18 points from losing positions this season.

MLADEN SORMAZ

Barnsley’s first and potentially last sporting director left the role in September.

Sormaz was a much-maligned figure in the fanbase but it is never clear how much mandate those in his role or similar have and how much is just dictated by the owners. He was in position for some very poor transfer windows and coaching appointments which did not work out, but also for last summer’s signings which were much better.

Jon Flatman absorbed Sormaz’s responsibilities into his chief executive role but his expertise is on the business side rather than football.

NEERAV AND CO

There has been a bubbling undercurrent of resentment towards Barnsley’s owners all season. There was a brief protest in the home game against Exeter in March when roughly 100 tennis balls were thrown onto the pitch as well as chants of ‘Barnsley FC is in the wrong hands.’

Usually such protests are at clubs on the brink of financial collapse or relegation or having been moved from their home city.

That is not the case for Barnsley, who are simply struggling to compete financially or overachieve like Lincoln, Stevenage and Bradford while the owners have made some poor decisions in recruitment and coach appointments.

Chairman Neerav Parekh and his fellow board members are not bad actors but it is fair to doubt whether they are good at running a football club or if they are still as enthusiastic about running one as ever or would consider a sale.

People in general now want instant success and many simply do not believe when told the truth by authority figures which, in this case, is that the owners put millions of pounds into the club every year. But it is understandable that a year on year slip down the EFL will foster resentment.

ON THE ROAD

The Reds won six away league games this season.

Two of the them were the first two trips to Plymouth and Peterborough followed by a derby success at Doncaster in November then a win at Leyton Orient in February and relegated duo Rotherham and Northampton in April.

They had reached double figures for away wins in each of their last five League One seasons.

The teams they beat away finished eighth, 14th, 18th, 21st, 23rd and 24th.

PENALTIES

Barnsley were given two league penalties and conceded nine, all of which were scored which is the most in the top four leagues.

Adam Phillips scored one against Reading in September then, 33 league games later, missed at Port Vale in April. David McGoldrick also scored from the spot in the EFL Trophy against Manchester United under 21s.

Patrick Kelly was clearly tripped at Huddersfield, Reyes Cleary’s shot hit an arm at Mansfield then Cleary was also booked for diving against Bradford when obviously felled.

When they conceded a very soft penalty on Saturday, as Eoghan O’Connell touched the ball and not the man, it was as if they had run out of energy to even protest. They were lucky with some decisions such as when Jack Shepherd went to ground against Leyton Orient who then had a leveller harshly ruled out or when Luca Connell hauled down a Wycombe player in front of goal.

QUESTIONS

There is plenty we don’t know about Barnsley at the moment. Why did Conor Hourihane and the club part company? Who will come in as the next head coach? Will Reyes Cleary or Patrick Kelly be sold in the summer?

Can they fill the holes in the squad with clever recruitment under the guidance of James Cryne?

Who will score the goals if David McGoldrick joins Davis Keillor-Dunn in leaving?

Can they improve on taking just over a point per game across the last eight months?

Will the EFL finally introduce the type of regulator Barnsley have wanted to curb the big spending of their rivals or is that an unrealistic pipe dream?

Can the Reds at least dream of Championship football again or does the near future involve third tier mediocrity while nervously looking over their shoulders to League Two?

RECRUITMENT

On a scale of Clement Rodrigues to Daryl Dike, Barnsley’s recruitment this season has been reasonably good.

With part-owner and data whizz James Cryne taking more of an active role again, the incoming business has been much better than last season but – like the home form – it was a very low bar.

David McGoldrick was an inspired signing through Hourihane’s connections while bringing in Patrick Kelly and Reyes Cleary on long deals for free looks like superb business.

The other permanent signings were Tennai Watson and Eoghan O’Connell, who have been fairly solid if not outstanding, and Charlie Lennon who is one for the future.

The loan signings have been less successful.

Murphy Cooper, Caylan Vickers and Jake Rooney were all sent back in January while Nathanael Ogbeta perhaps would have made it four out of four if there was the right clause in the deal.

January loans Owen Goodman, Scott Banks and Tom Bradshaw have been an upgrade in general if still not making a huge impact while Tawanda Chirewa was barely seen.

The other major black mark was, as is often the case for Barnsley in recent transfer windows, missing out on the extra striker the head coach wanted on both deadline days.

They paid for the sins of last season during they signed 14 players and, for long spells of this campaign, none of them were involved in the first team.

There is another big summer to come for the recruiters. They will need to almost totally rebuild both the defence and the strikers’ department while replacing anyone who is sold.

SZOBOSLAI

Hungarian international Dominik Szoboslai has been the stand-out player in Liverpool’s difficult season and had an eventful night when they beat Barnsley 4-1 at Anfield in the third round of the FA Cup in January.

He scored a sensational long-range strike to open the scoring then inexplicably gifted Adam Phillips a tap-in in the home box after trying a back heel pass which Hourihane said was ‘disrespectful.’

The Reds also played Premier League opponents in Brighton in the EFL Cup in September, losing 6-0 with Diego Gomez netting four times.

In the EFL Trophy, they won a game for the first time in three years – thrashing Manchester United under 21s 5-2 after a red card for Jack Fletcher who was later given a six-game ban for using homophobic language.

They lost their other two group games but reached the knock-outs where they were hammered 5-0 at Port Vale.

TERRIBLE LEAGUE

League One is clearly not the highest standard usually but this season’s edition has been particularly bad.

Plymouth missed out on the top six with 80 points in 2022 but this time 77 put Stockport third. More evidence is provided by simply watching Barnsley’s games and seeing a series of visitors, some quite high in the league, arrive and look very average – often gifting ridiculous opening goals to their hosts who were usually no better.

Will it change next season?

Leicester and Sheffield Wednesday are coming down – huge clubs for the level but struggling badly financially.

Oxford have also come down while going up from League Two are MK Dons, Bromley, Cambridge plus one of Salford City, Notts County, Chesterfield and Grimsby in the play-offs.

Lincoln and Cardiff have gone up to the Championship along with one of Bolton, Bradford, Stockport and Stevenage.

U18S AND 21S

The under 18s were in contention for the play-offs for most of the season before falling away and finishing fourth while the under 21s came sixth in their division.

The Reds received significant sums for young defenders Joshua Kenchington and Oliver Wilkinson from Newcastle United and Ipswich Town respectively – the latter through compensation after he did not take up his under 18s scholarship. Kieran Graham, Luke Alker and Robson Woodcock featured for the first team in the EFL Trophy off the bench while Arley Kay won Academy Player of the Year.

VALLEY PARADE

Bradford’s ground was the scene of one of the most extraordinary goals in Barnsley’s recent history.

Reyes Cleary, starting his second EFL game, hit a shot from 70 yards which flew over goalkeeper Sam Walker and dipped between his hand and the crossbar before hitting the net in front a joyous away end. It was beaten to EFL Goal of the Season by Swansea’s Josh Tymon.

WOMEN

Barnsley closed their women’s team down last summer. They had been playing on the astroturf pitch at Oakwell but the FA told the club that was not up to standard, after a period of grace, and they would either have to play on the main pitch or find another ground to share.

The Reds felt both options were too expensive so withdrew their team from the fourth tier of English football, just two years after making them officially part of the club.

Barnsley FC Ladies then re-started in the Sheffield and Hallamshire League Division Two, four divisions below, with a young team who won the title. Manager Mick Daphne said: “A lot of teams really raised their game against us.

“There was a belief among some people that these were players who had dropped down from the old women’s team and we should be at the top end because of that, which was obviously far from the truth. People around the town have been a bit confused as well because they thought there was no women’s team at all associated with Barnsley over what had happened in the summer. Hopefully winning the league can draw a little more attention and we can get a few more out to come and support the girls.”

XU BIN

The China senior men’s football squad for their March internationals contained 25 players who play in China and one who had been playing for Barnsley under 21s.

Xu Bin joined Wolves during the January transfer window then was loaned out to the Reds where he was a regular in the under 21s’ midfield.

He was called up for the China first team for the first time and started twice in a March tournament in Australia.

Groups of young Chinese fans attended Barnsley under 21s matches to meet him and get his autograph, while he also played in the Sheffield Senior Cup semi-final at Worsbrough Bridge which they lost on penalties.

His season was cut short by injury.

YOUNGSTERS

Barnsley have a new generation of young talents coming through.

Patrick Kelly and Reyes Cleary were brought in last summer aged 21 and joined academy prospects Vimal Yoganathan and Jono Bland, who each turned 20 during the campaign, in being part of the first team squad all season.

They have had highs and lows but, in general, are an impressive crop of prospects. The Reds believe developing players like that – either to sell for big money or become Barnsley stars – will put them in a better long-term position than clubs who mainly sign experienced players and have had better seasons. Before he left, Mladen Sormaz suggested that Barnsley may have to rethink their strategy of developing players for big money sales as Championship clubs do not have as much cash for those type of signings as they used to.

ZONAL MARKING

Barnsley were generally good from set pieces last season when it was Conor Hourihane’s role in the coaching staff. They scored a series of clever routines from corners and free-kicks and netted 18 in total.

With Hourihane moving up to head coach, Ed Davies took over as set piece coach having been an analyst. The Reds have scored 12 set piece goals, with only Leyton Orient netting fewer in the division. The only defenders to net any league goals this season were Josh Earl against Reading in September then Eoghan O’Connell against Bradford in April. They have been slightly better at defending set pieces this season, conceding 18 compared to 20 last season.