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Poya 'disappointed' as Reds lose his dull debut
Poya Asbaghi admitted he would have fallen asleep watching his first game in charge of Barnsley if he was a neutral and was 'disappointed' with a 2-0 home loss to Swansea City.
The visitors netted twice late on after the Reds were solid and compact in the first hour but then made mistakes. The result left them six points from safety in second-bottom.
Asbaghi, who had only had two days of training with...
Five talking points from Swansea loss
Analysis from Barnsley's 2-0 home loss to Swansea City on Wednesday, in Poya Asbaghi's first match as head coach. The defeat left the Reds six points from safety.
ASBAGHI FIRST MANAGER TO NOT WIN 1ST HOME GAME SINCE MORAIS
Poya Asbaghi became the first permanent head coach in five not to win his opening home game since Jose Morais, who oversaw the last relegation to League One in 2018.
Having watched from the stands...
Rec hope for big crowd as they host Church in Barnsley derby tonight
BARNSLEY’S two highest-placed non-league football clubs meet tonight from 7.45pm as Athersley Rec host Penistone Church in front of what they hope will be a bumper crowd.
Rec are currently bottom of the NCEL Premier Division but one of their two victories this season was in September at Church who are eighth out of 20.
Tickets are £2.50.
Athersley manager Jimmy Whitehead, whose first game was the win in Penistone, said: “These are the sort...
Reds want appointment this week, with Asbaghi strongly linked
Barnsley are hoping their search for a new manager will reach a conclusion this week, with Swede Poya Asbaghi again strongly linked to the role.
Swedish news outlets have reported that Asbaghi, the Sweden under 21s manager, is set to land the job. The Chronicle understands it is not as well-advanced as that but he is thought to be a person of interest.
The Reds – who are second-bottom and four points from safety after...
Bailey leaves Oakwell
Out of favour midfielder James Bailey has left Barnsley by mutual consent.
The 26-year-old signed a two-year deal with The Reds a year ago but fell out of favour with both Danny Wilson and Lee Johnson.
The former Derby County and Crewe Alexandra midfielder made 29 appearances in all competitions for Barnsley.
Ducks get four points from tough week
Two home games against their title rivals presented Shaw Lane Aquaforce with a huge test of their credentials and four points from the two games reflect a pass, but without flying colours.
After beating fourth-placed Worksop Town 2-1 on Saturday, second-placed Aquaforce were twice ahead against Handsworth Parramore, who are now fifth, on Tuesday evening but were pegged back and got just one point.
"I would have taken four points from the two games," admitted...
'Best performance by far' but 'mixed feelings' after draw
Barnsley head coach Poya Asbaghi has 'mixed feelings' after what he said was 'the best performance since I arrived' but the wait for a first win went on in a 1-1 draw with Huddersfield Town at Oakwell.
The Reds fell behind but levelled before the break but the draw means they stay second-bottom and eight points off safety.
Asbaghi told the Chronicle: "I have mixed feelings, I am not super happy because we wanted to...
Collins 'doesn't care' about personal form with team struggling
BARNSLEY goalkeeper Brad Collins ‘doesn’t really care’ that he has had a good season personally because the team is in the relegation zone.
The 24-year-old has made 81 saves so far this season, which is 18 more than any other goalkeeper in the Championship.
But he has conceded 32 goals, with just three clean sheets, and the Reds are second-bottom, eight points from safety.
He told the Chronicle: “I am happy with my own performances...
Cole no longer takes knee as it has ‘lost its message’
BARNSLEY forward Devante Cole says he no longer takes a knee before games as the gesture has ‘lost its message’ and that his colleagues at Oakwell respect his decision.
The 26-year-old has not joined his team-mates in kneeling before games as part of English football’s anti-racism campaign which began in the summer of last year.
Cole told the Chronicle: “It’s my personal preference. Taking a knee has lost its message, for me. It’s my choice. ...
Former captain Butterfield training with u23s and hopes to return in future
FORMER Barnsley captain Jacob Butterfield has been training with the under 23s at Oakwell as he looks for a new club – and would love to return to the Reds permanently either as a player or coach in the future.
The 31-year-old central midfielder came through the Barnsley academy and played 100 games before moving to Norwich City in 2012. He then played for eight clubs, mostly in the Championship, before spending last season at...
Moxon and rest of Yorkshire coaching staff leave
Martyn Moxon and the rest of the Yorkshire CCC coaching staff have left the club following the Azeem Rafiq racism scandal.
Yorkshire say they have to make 'significant change' after Rafiq's revelations led to the club being stripped of the right to host England games and a hearing at Westminster as well as a raft of measures by the ECB.
Stairfoot man Moxon, who had been in the role for more than a decade, had...
Gough replaces Moxon as Yorkshire director of cricket
Barnsley man Darren Gough has been named Yorkshire CCC's new director of cricket, replacing fellow former Monk Bretton CC player Martyn Moxon.
Gough, 51, will give up his role with TalkSport to return to Headingley where he played for 15 years while also representing England.
The appointment is on an interim basis for the 2022 season.
Moxon, from Stairfoot, was one of 16 staff members sacked last week in reaction to the racism scandal brought...
Laumann’s Reds hunt back-to-back victories against fellow strugglers Hull
BARNSLEY will look to achieve back-to-back wins for the first time this season when they host fellow strugglers Hull City from 3pm tomorrow.
The Reds are third-bottom in the table, a point from safety, after beating bottom club Derby County 2-1 on Wednesday, and now host City who are second- bottom.
Hull began the season with a 4-1 success at Preston North End but have won just one of their 16...
Reds ready to 'suffer' against Swans in first game under Poya
Poya Asbaghi says Barnsley must be willing to ‘suffer’ against visitors Swansea City in his first game as head coach on Wednesday.
Barnsley are second bottom, four points from safety, after their 4-1 loss at Fulham on Saturday which Asbaghi watched from stands before taking over on Monday.
The Reds will hope to get revenge over the Welsh club who beat them in May’s two-legged play-off semi-final, winning 1-0 at Oakwell then drawing...
Anfield prodigy McLaughlin promises to attack with Barnsley
He has man-marked Francesco Totti and played with Luis Suarez in friendly matches, but now Liverpool's highly-rated Ryan McLaughlin is looking forward to making his professional debut with Barnsley.
The 19-year-old right-back from Northern Ireland signed for the Reds yesterday on a 28-day loan which means he will be available from tomorrow's visit to Charlton until the match at home to Ipswich Town on February 8. He has been at Anfield for three seasons and...
Bridge ‘massively exceeding expectations’ as they target play-offs
WORSBROUGH Bridge are ‘exceeding expectations massively’ and will push for the play-offs in the second half of the NCEL Division One season.
Bridge are two points off the play-offs – the top five – after a 5-1 win at Humber United, their biggest victory of the season. They are seventh with 37 points from 21 games. Manager Luke Forgione said: “We didn’t really know what the season would entail for us. We’re a young...
Iseka, Brittain and Williams could return for derby
AARON Leya Iseka and Callum Brittain could return to Barnsley’s squad on Saturday for the home game with Huddersfield Town.
Forward Iseka – who is the joint top-scorer this season – and full-back Brittain missed Saturday’s 0-0 draw at Peterborough through illness and injury respectively.
Head coach Poya Asbaghi said: “They are both training with us.
“The ambition is that they will be in the squad.
“We will wait and see if they can start.
Joey Barton set to stand trial
JOEY Barton is due to stand trial at Sheffield Crown Court for the alleged assault of Daniel Stendel at Oakwell.
Barton has pleaded not guilty to one charge of assault occasioning actual bodily harm against then Reds boss Stendel in the tunnel following Barnsley’s 4-2 win over Fleetwood Town on April 13, 2019, which was 958 days ago.
The trial has been delayed several times, including in June when Stendel was giving evidence via video...
Double Paralympic medalist Sagar retires from international basketball
IAN SAGAR has retired from international basketball after winning two Paralympic medals in a career which marks him out as one of Barnsley’s most successful sportspeople of recent decades.
The 39-year-old made the decision after returning from four months away from his Italy-based family, due to the Tokyo Paralympics in which he captained GB to a bronze medal – having won the same in Rio 2016.
Sagar told the Chronicle: “When I got back, I...
Lucy aims for top of game after shining under manager Redfearn
LUCY Watson is enjoying playing for Reds legend Neil Redfearn and would love to form an all-Barnsley frontline for England in the future with Bethany England.
Despite only turning 18 on Sunday, the striker from Royston is the leading scorer for Sheffield United women with five goals and the top assist-maker with two, as well as an England youth international. The Blades, managed by Barnsley FC hero Redfearn, are currently ninth in the WSL...