03/01/81: Barnsley (A) FA Cup R3

Here's a strange one. Torquay United reach the 3rd round of the cup, Timbo posts the programme and nobody responds.

I guess it's because this is one of the forgotten 3rd round ties. Not unlike Bolton away in 1972. Plenty of anticipation leading up to the draw. Then the draw greatly disappoints; hardly any of our fans travel and we lose.

In 1981 coal is "Barnsley's biggest supporter" and Norman Hunter is manager. It sounds like a different age. It soon would be.

There are significant names in that Barnsley side none the least being local lad Mick McCarthy.

There's also Ian Banks who I'd not realised is the father of Oliver Banks, a creative midfielder I've seen playing for FC United. Young Banks has just signed for Chesterfield and had previously played for Rotherham. Indeed he'd scored on his Rothetham debut against TUFC at the Don Valley. A solitary league appearance for Rotherham as a substitute and a very late goal that just added to our disappointment on the day even though we still qualified for the play-offs.

The wheels of fortune as they say.