STONES WANTS TO BE ENGLAND'S ROCK

Local Barnsley boy, John Stones, who is another product of Penistone Grammar School football, made his England debut last Friday playing against Peru at Wembley. Now at Everton, the South Yorkshire defender is hoping for great things in the future. Dave Watson, former Tykes goalkeeper is the national goalkeeping coach so he and Jones had a “Barnsley conversation” at the England traing session recently, sharing their love of the club. A third Barnsley local with the tour party is Barry Taylor, a Red’s director and FA delegate.

Best known Barnsley footballers who have made the grade are David Hirst from Cudworth, playing for his national side in the early nineties, Brain Greenhoff won 18 caps between 1976 and 1980, Gordon West, another Everton player, who played in place of Gordon Banks three times in the 1960s, Tommy Taylor, a legendry international with 16 goals in 19 games but sadly killed in the Munich air crash and ten others dating back to the first ever capped player, Harry David from Wombwell, playing for England in 1903.

Eric Blenkinsop won 26 caps in the 1920s, four as captain, and was originally bought by Hull City from Cudworth Village FC for £100 and a barrel of beer! He ended up making his way into the national XI with Sheffield Wednesday. Rather like the Welsh, all you had to do was shout down a  mine shaft and up would come a decent footballer.