Statement from Chairman Craig Wood

First and foremost this was in no way directed at Barnsley FC supporters. Most of my friends are Barnsley FC supporters. I work with BFC supporters and even live with BFC supporters. My comment was directed purely at the club’s hierarchy both past and present.

If I caused offence to supporters then this was not intended and I apologise. My issues with the club have been going on for almost seven years now, going back to a former chief executive who personally phoned me to say that BFC will throw their full financial might behind preventing our attempt to incorporate Barnsley within our football club’s name. We play in a standard of football where our competitors represent towns and cities where the club’s name is representative of that town or city.

Barnsley FC have blocked our attempts to use the word Barnsley in our club’s name and have therefore prevented any attempt to have an identity and be proud to have Barnsley in our title in some format. The football club have blocked every attempt to try and create a working relationship. All we have ever wanted is to do is to work alongside them, not challenge them, but unfortunately they see us as a rival who are hell bent on taking their supporters - even to the extent where they refused to send a first team player to our club to present the end of season awards to an under seven junior team.

Is it wrong of me to want to offer the town of Barnsley another footballing dimension? One which could have been a feeder club for the town’s premier football club? Is it wrong of me to want to grow a club to a level where Barnsley FC fringe players can gain experience in a man’s game at a very high level that will accelerate and develop them in order to step up to BFC’s first team? A local club where people can watch these players develop rather than loaning them out to other clubs around the country. Typical example, we took Ollie Dyson from Huddersfield on loan, a great prospect and a revelation for us over the last couple of months, he will go back to Huddersfield having learnt so much from very competitive men’s football that he simply can’t learn at academy level.

I am proud to be from Barnsley. I live here. I have grown up here and I have a Barnsley business and employ Barnsley people. There was no one more proud to represent our Barnsley based football club in the first round of the FA cup against Mansfield Town in front of the nation, BBC, ITV, Talk sport, five live and many more who all heard me sing the praises of our town.

For seven years now I have been abused on social media from a section of Barnsley supporters regarding my connection with Sheffield Wednesday. Well am I any different from other kids who went to the football as a small child with his father to watch his team? That’s where my connection to Sheffield or Sheffield Wednesday starts and stops, seven years ago I decided to create a football team in Barnsley not Sheffield.

We moved to Athersley Recreation in the summer in a ground share deal to the benefit of both clubs. We have made major developments at the stadium over the last 9 months and ultimately we will work together to end up with a community stadium with great facilities for the benefit of non-league football in the town.

Obviously starting a football team or project from scratch with aspirations like we have needs investment. Fan bases are built over years and years from Miners Welfares, Collieries, etc. We have tried to do this differently. We want a club to be playing National League football and one for the town to be proud of.

If I die trying then at least I can say I tried!

Craig Wood (Chairman)