BARNSLEY BRED; BARNSLEY FLED!!

https://www.acmewhistles.co.uk/stories/the-places-that-produce-the-most-england-international-footballers The North West of England appears at this time to be the leading region for providing English internationals. Manchester and Liverpool with the surrounding regions supplies 73. London supplies 56 internationals. Yorkshire and Humberside supply 37 and the North-east 31. The South-west hosts 8 and the South-east 20 and the Midlands provides 5. I'm chuntering on about this data, because my latest edition of the Barnsley Chronicle's "Memories of Barnsley" occasional magazine has an article of the "Players from the home town who never played for their own town club!"

Gordon West, was an accomplished goalkeeper, who was in the shadow of Gordon Banks, favoured by Sir Alf! West played for Blackpool and Everton in his prime. Born in Darfield, he started his career as an outfield player for Don and Dearne Schoolboys but ended up trialling for Blackpool, getting signed at 17 years' old in 1960 at 17 years old. Harry Catterick liked him and signed him for Everton for £27,000, the most expensive fee for a goalkeeper at the time. West played with stars such as Stanley Matthews, Jackie Mudie and Jimmy Armfield at Blackpool-I'm testing your knowledge now! West helped Everton win the Football League Div 1 (top) in 1962-3 and won the FA Cup in 1966, beating Sheffield Wednesday 3-2. In 1969-70 West kept a clean sheet in half his games for Everton as the Toffees won the top division again. After over 400 appearances, he was only capped three times and one reason was turning down the invitation to join the England squad in 1970 in Mexico. He retired at 30 in 1973.

Jimmy Greenhoff was a Barnsley lad, playing for Man U in 123 games, scoring 36 goals. He was part of the Barnsley boys squads in the early 1960s, especially when his Schoolboy team beat Liverpool in the ESFA Trophy in 1961. He was signed by Don Revie at Leeds in June 1961 joining Sprake, Hunter, Reaney, Cooper and Lorimer. Jimmy spent six seasons at Leeds, went to Birmingham and then Stoke where he helped the "legendary" side win the League Cup in 1972, playing alongside Alan Hudson, who Jimmy rated as the best ever! Greenhoff then moved to Man Utd as Stoke wanted to raise money to build their new "stand"! He remains an "Icon of the Potteries".

Arnold Sidebottom from Barnsley signed for Man Utd, not only played 20 times in a three year period. He did, of course, star at cricket from 1973-91, winning an England cap v Australia in 1985, playing his county cricket with Yorkshire as well as continuing his football with Huddersfield and Halifax Town. Son, Ryan, continued the family involvement with YCCC. Here they are.

I can mention Alan Woodward who spent seasons at Sheffield United and went to the US in 1978 and joined American Football team Oklahoma Tulsa Rednecks (as they were then know) as a goal kicker!

I could go on...but Keith Burkinshaw rates highly in his achievements for Spurs, having gone to Barugh Green Junior School near "ME", a school I helped at, a few years ago!!

There is also Colin Grainger at Doncaster Rovers playing for £30 a week (1960-70s) in the Fourth Division. Grainger sang on stage at various "clubs" locally to supplement his wages!, he signed for HMV!! once performing on the same bill as The Beatles.

Eddy Holliday (1939-2021), below, played for 5 league clubs (1956-66), but made his name at Middlesbrough. He played for England U23 and was a cousin of Colin Grainger and featured on the cover of Football Monthly!! (Jan 1960).

If you don't know Charlie Williams, then shame on you. Born in Royston, he was born in Yorkshire with a Barbadian father, a sugar cane worker who fought in the Great War and an English mother. Charlie worked down the pit from 14 years old, played for the Upton colliery team, then as an amateur with Leeds, a semi-pro at Donny, alongside Harry Gregg and Alick Jeffrey. He ended up at Skegness Town where his comedy humour would have gone down well in the local pubs! Charlie A. Williams MBE remained "down to earth", close to his roots at Barnsley, passing on at 79 years old.