Football provides a great sense of opportunity and optimism, and is why millions around the world label the sport as the beautiful game.
That sense of optimism stems from the top to the bottom, across all aspects of the game. Optimism and an opportunity, a chance on the grandest of stages.
One of the grandest stadiums of them all is Newcastle United’s St. James’ Park – a city and a football club steeped in history. This sense of opportunity was afforded to Barnsley Women in 2022, a record-breaking and historic day for women’s football.
Picture the scene, 28,565 football mad fans packed into St. James’ Park for the FA Cup second round proper. A record attendance for a women’s FA Cup fixture. For Barnsley, a chance on the grandest stage, a chance to build a platform and to raise a profile.
For the clubs, this was more than just a cup tie – it was a statement and a declaration of the momentum of women’s football in the country. Barnsley arrived full of confidence, ready to spoil Newcastle’s party, and for a moment, it looked like they might.
Barnsley Women CEO Steve Maddock talks us through his memories of that day, and the significance of the occasion on the club and for women’s football in South Yorkshire.
“I remember the day well, vividly in fact. Everything about that weekend was fantastic. It cost us about £4,000 but it was worth it. Tickets for our fans, hospitality, accommodation it was all excellent and we were properly looked after.
“We were lucky, we had a table of 10 in Amanda Staveley’s suite, friends and family were there”
“It was great, I walked out onto the touchline as I was back and forth between the suite and the touchline. I stepped out and looked around, twenty eight and-a-half-thousand fans. It is still a record in the FA Cup outside of Wembley.
“We knew it was going to be a tight game, we drew 1-1 with them earlier that season, but I remember this vividly, Emily Pierrepunt picked up the ball, I remember saying ‘she can hit it, she can hit it,’ and she hit it into the top corner. One nil and we all went berserk!”
“We were holding our own, and in the second half two of our best players got carried off, and they scored two freak goals from virtually half-way and we lost two-one, but it was still one of my best experiences. I walked out onto the pitch and looked around and thought ‘look at little old Barnsley Women as independent as they come playing in front of twenty-eight-and-a-half-thousand Geordies’ – just amazing.”
“The girls will have an experience from that day that will live with them forever.”
This provided a sense of opportunity for Barnsley Women. A platform for themselves to write their names into the history books, where, despite a defeat, a record remains. The occasion depicted a team stepping up on the biggest stage, and seizing the moment.
History was created on a day and in a venue with huge historic significance at one of football’s iconic venues. The record still stands, and the memories for a club on the rise in South Yorkshire will remain etched in history forever.
If you want to hear more about Barnsley WFC and their story, we spoke in length with Steve on Episode 2 of the SYWF Podcast, which you can listen to below.
