Tykes at the World Cup

Last season was one to forget for the Tykes. However, we can all take a breather because the 2014 World Cup games are well and truly underway and plenty of Reds fans are enjoying the festival of football before another domestic campaign starts.

So far Brazil 2014 has lived up to the hype. We’ve had spectacular goals from Tim Cahill and RVP, the customary England failure, and then of course controversy: stand Up Luis Suarez.

Whilst the bright lights of Rio may seem a long way away from Yorkshire, over the years Barnsley have had their fair share of stars that have graced the big stage.

Danny Blanchflower
A Barnsley, Tottenham and Northern Ireland legend, the midfielder captained his country to the quarter-finals in 1958, their best ever run in the competition. It was at Oakwell however where Blanchflower made his name in British football; playing 68 times for Barnsley before moving on to Aston Villa and Spurs, where he became arguably their greatest player of all time.

Mick McCarthy
The Ipswich boss is never far from the spotlight nowadays and in 1990 he was part of the Ireland squad that stunned the world. They reached the quarter-final in their first ever appearance at the finals, but McCarthy didn’t stop there and took his nation to the tournament once again 12 years later as manager.

Jan Åge Fjørtoft
Barnsley was the Norwegian’s last stop in Britain during a career that also included stints at Lillestrom, Frankfurt and Middlesbrough. He joined the Tykes having already made 71 caps for his nation and was part of the 1994 squad that travelled to the US before being sent packing in the Group Stage.

Allan Clarke
Nicknamed Sniffer, the striker ended his career as player/manager at Oakwell before returning once again five years later to lead them into the fifth round of the FA Cup twice. His eye for goal saw him score 12 goals in his first season at the club and that was enough to secure him a place in the 1970 England squad alongside Geoff Hurst.

Norman Hunter
Norman ‘bite yer legs’ Hunter made 31 appearances for Barnsley between 1979-1982. Many will remember Hunter as part of Don Revie’s Leeds United side of the 1970’s but he was also a member of England’s World Cup winning squad of 1966 and he finally received a belated winners medal in 2007.