CLOTH CAPS AND MORTAR BOARDS

There was a call for all Barnsley fans to "don" cloth caps and brings their whippets with them to Wembley, just to add to the occasion. Some of us from the north wore caps, some from the south, brightly coloured yellow and blue oneseys, as once again the Johnstone's Paint Trophy brought a little bit of paradise to all those football fans involved with the lower league clubs, a day out to remember.

As we emerged at Wembley Park station there were seas of red and yellow on all the walkways, more police than you could shake a stick at but there was no need. Only friendly banter, family language and unmusical chants echoed around the Olympic Way. As the afternoon gathered momentum, the beer did its trick and inside our great national stadium around 2.30, nearly 60,000 fans 2/3rds filled Wembley's seats.

For the players it was dream come true, to play on the hallowed turf and regardless of the result, this was a day to savour. For the true fans of the Football League, those few thousands who turn out week in and week out, home and away it was dream come true.

NO neither Barnsley nor Oxford United get gates of 30,000 on match days and the Us brought a much bigger crowd than the Tykes. It didn't matter, the Barnsley lot were just as vocal, cheering on the game which was a brilliant example of a do or die cup final between a good Division One side and a Division Two team on its uppers. There was not a lot to choose between them.

What was great about the whole occasion was the sponsorship, the last of the ten years of which has been provided by Johnstone's Paint. I have been watching local lads try to volley footballs into large inflatable paint cans at half time at a number of grounds for years now. Does anyone buy Johnstone's Paint? It doesn't matter, they get their exposure and this marvellous occasion was provided by their generosity. So good on them.
Let us hope that a new sponsor is found soon. The game needs cup finals like this.

There was an English Schools' FA showpiece match between a girls' school from Shrewsbury and another from Cambridge, there were barrage balloons, flares and fireworks, the warm ups, Dickie Bird and Michael Parkinson  paraded on the pitch, dancing girls with pom poms all over the place and well, I am  not quite sure who was representing Oxford United in the hospitality; maybe a Vice-Chancellor from the Dark Blue University?

Needless to say many of the prawn sandwich brigade missed goals because they either were late out of the lounges or leaving their padded seats to visit the toilets yet again, after over indulging in pre-match and half time lubrication. It's a disgrace. But who cares! We saw it all.

But I didn't see the Barnsley Bard (was he there?) nor a brass band and I told the sponsors, some of whom happened to be sitting with me in hospitality (just thought I would throw that into the text), that they had missed a trick. Why not get the best Colliery Brass Band from Barnsley to play inside or outside the stadium and what about a tripe and onions eating competition; maybe the prawn sandwich lot could join in? Wembley used to do greyhounds, where was the whippets race?

Finally, a special word about Paul Heckingbottom, whom I thought provided the TV cameras with the true meaning of this event, speaking for the people and about the people. There was no hierarchy, no elitism, he was one for all and all for one. Well done young man, born in Royston, made in Barnsley; may you and your team prosper for the rest of the season.