During the 2007–08 season, Barnsley F.C. competed in the Championship, where they finished 18th, and also competed in the FA Cup and League Cup, where they were eliminated in the semi-final and second round respectively.

First-team squad

Squad at end of season

Left club during season

Competitions Championship

League table

Match details + Championship match detailsDateOpponentsVenueResultScoreF–AScorersAttendanceRefCoventry CityHL1–4Howard 9' pen.12,616Colchester UnitedAD2–2Howard 28' pen., 85' pen.4,450Plymouth ArgyleHW3–2Ferenczi 12', Werling 45', Howard 60'9,240West Bromwich AlbionAL0–218,310Scunthorpe UnitedHW2–0Williams 45' o.g., Odejayi 65'11,230Stoke CityAD0–013,071SouthamptonAW3–2McCann 27', 40', Devaney 90'19,151Cardiff CityHD1–1Howard 84'10,709Bristol CityHW3–0Howard 67', Souza 72', Devaney 88'9,679Charlton AthleticAD1–1Christensen 90'21,081BurnleyHD1–1Mostto 71'11,560Hull CityAL0–315,761Leicester CityAL0–224,133Preston North EndHW1–0Ferenczi 42'10,223BlackpoolHW2–1Howard 21' pen., Ferenczi 70'8,531Wolverhampton WanderersAL0–122,231WatfordHW3–2Howard 31', Devaney 34', Lee 66' o.g.10,117Sheffield WednesdayAL0–127,769Ipswich TownAD0–019,540Wolverhampton WanderersHW1–0Ferenczi 47'9,956Crystal PalaceHD0–010,298Sheffield UnitedAL0–126,629Bristol CityAL2–3Macken 33', Souza 40'16,588Stoke CityHD3–3Howard 23' pen., Macken 66', 85'12,398SouthamptonHD2–2Togwell 1', Campbell-Ryce 34'10,425Scunthorpe UnitedAD2–2McCann 74', Howard 90' pen.6,897Norwich CityHL1–3Devaney 18'10,117Queens Park RangersAL0–216,197Colchester UnitedHW1–0Macken 45'9,246Coventry CityAL0–416,449West Bromwich AlbionHW2–1Nardiello 30', Macken 45'13,083Plymouth ArgyleAL0–311,346Norwich CityAL0–124,197Queens Park RangersHD0–09,019Sheffield WednesdayHD0–018,257BlackpoolAD1–1Campbell-Ryce 45'8,080Ipswich TownHW4–1Howard 27', 83' pen., Macken 50', Wright 86' o.g.11,333Crystal PalaceAL0–217,459Sheffield UnitedHL0–115,798BurnleyAL1–2Howard 43'11,915WatfordAW3–0Odejayi 36', 54', Foster 47'16,129Preston North EndAW2–1León 33', Macken 55' pen.13,994Hull CityHL1–3Ferenczi 90'13,061Leicester CityHL0–114,644Charlton AthleticHW3–0Campbell-Ryce 11', Nyatanga 33', Macken 85'11,228Cardiff CityAL0–314,469

FA Cup

+ FA Cup match detailsRoundDateOpponentsVenueResultScoreF–AScorersAttendanceThird roundBlackpoolHW2–1Foster 78', Coulson 81'8,276Fourth roundSouthend UnitedAW1–0Campbell-Ryce 22'7,212Fifth roundLiverpoolAW2–1Foster 57', Howard 90'42,449Sixth roundChelseaHW1–0Odejayi 66'22,410Semi-finalCardiff CityNL0–182,752

League Cup

+ League Cup match detailsRoundDateOpponentsVenueResultScoreF–AScorersAttendanceFirst roundDarlingtonHW2–1Ferenczi 65', Reid 77'3,780Second roundNewcastle UnitedAL0–230,523

Preparation for 2007/08 At the end of the season, Barnsley announced the release of first team members Antony Kay, Neil Austin, and Marc Richards. Strikers Daniel Nardiello and Paul Hayes then left to join QPR and Scunthorpe United, respectively. Paul Heckingbottom also agreed a loan move to his former club Bradford City, until the end of January. Manager Simon Davey was quite prolific in the summer transfer window, bringing in no less than fourteen new players and spending around £1 million, the majority of this on three strikers.

New players Strikers: Kayode Odejayi (Cheltenham), Miguel Mostto (Cienciano), Kim Christensen (Odense Boldklub)

Midfield: Anderson Silva de Franca (On loan from Everton), Jamal Campbell-Ryce (Southend United), Dominik Werling (Sakaryaspor), Andy Johnson (Leicester City), Rohan Ricketts (Wolverhampton Wanderers)

Defenders: Rob Kozluk (Sheffield United), Dennis Souza (RAEC Mons), Lewin Nyatanga (on loan from Derby), Stephen Foster (Burnley), Marciano Bruma (Sparta Rotterdam)

Goalkeeper: Heinz Muller (Lillestrøm S.K.)

Season overview Barnsley Line Up vs Chelsea on 08/03/08.

With the departure of six first team players (Daniel Nardiello, Paul Hayes, Antony Kay, Paul Heckingbottom, Neil Austin and Marc Richards), Simon Davey dipped heavily into the summer transfer market and ultimately brought in fourteen new players, the majority of whom were foreign. The most successful of these signings included goalkeeper Heinz Muller, midfielders Anderson and Jamal Campbell-Ryce, and a new defensive line-up made up of Rob Kozluk, Dennis Souza, Stephen Foster and Lewin Nyatanga (who returned on an extended loan spell after becoming a fan favourite).

Barnsley had a very positive start to the season, surpassing expectations and finding themselves in the top six of the Football League Championship with ten games played. Most of the summer signings found their way into the squad early on, making it quite common for there only to be two or three players in the starting eleven who were with the club in the previous season. Top scorer Brian Howard was rumored to have attracted Premiership interest along with new signings Heinz Muller, Dennis Souza and even manager Simon Davey. The team managed to maintain a decent level of consistency, remaining in the top half of the table throughout the first half of the season. Derby striker Jon Macken arrived on loan in November, and scored his first three goals for the club in his last two matches before being recalled by Derby at the end of December along with Lewin Nyatanga. Barnsley's form finally began to stutter through December and January, when they went for eight league games without a victory and dropped to 16th in the table. They did, however, beat both Blackpool and Southend in the FA Cup to secure passage to the last sixteen.

The first new signing of the January window was Spanish midfielder Diego León, followed by a short-term loan signing for Miguel Tininho and a controversial loan deal for ex-reds striker Daniel Nardiello (who had turned down a contract offer to leave the club for QPR the previous summer). Shortly before the transfer window closed, Davey signed previously loaned players Jon Macken from Derby County and Anderson from Everton (each for an undisclosed six-figure fee), as well as securing yet another loan spell for Lewin Nyatanga, with a fee agreed for a permanent summer switch. Outgoing from the club was reserve goalkeeper Nick Colgan to Championship rivals Ipswich, so an injury to first-choice keeper Heinz Muller forced a late loan deal for goalkeeper Tony Warner on a month's loan from Fulham. Anderson also suffered an injury in late February which would keep him out for up to seven months.

Barnsley continued to maintain their lower mid-table position in the Championship, unable to put a winning streak together. On 16 February, the team travelled to Anfield to play Liverpool in the 5th round of the FA Cup and pulled off a surprise 2–1 victory, with a strong defensive display and a 'Man of the Match', 'Player of the Round' performance from loaned keeper Luke Steele (who was brought in at the last minute for cup-tied Tony Warner). After conceding a goal in the first half, it was Stephen Foster who equalised in the second and captain Brian Howard who scored the last-gasp winner which allowed them to progress to the quarter finals for the first time since 1999, where they would face Chelsea at Oakwell. Here, the Tykes put in a 'sensational' performance against the FA Cup holders and 'Player of the Round' Kayode Odejayi's second-half header (only his second goal of the season) was enough to put the Yorkshire side into the semi-final for the first time since they won the cup in 1912. Even Chelsea boss Avram Grant admitted after the game that the Championship side fully deserved their win Davey hails giantkillers Barnsley. With Portsmouth the only Premiership side remaining in the competition, what had begun as a shock result at Anfield had now developed into a genuine chance to reclaim their FA Cup glory, and when they were drawn against Cardiff City in the semi-finals a repeat of the historic final versus West Bromwich Albion was well on the cards. However, in front of a Wembley crowd of 82,752 they narrowly lost the game 1–0 to Cardiff thanks to an 8th-minute strike from Joe Ledley.

Meanwhile, in the league, losses against Crystal Palace, Sheffield United and Burnley saw them drop to a precarious position and relegation fears were brewing, but a surprise 3–0 away win at Watford followed by a 1–2 victory at Preston North End were a big boost to their survival hopes. Their survival was secured on the second-to-last matchday with a 3–0 home victory over Charlton, and they eventually finished at 18th in the league with 55 points.

Goalscorers League Goals (Cup Goals) Brian Howard 13 (1) Jon Macken 8 Istvan Ferenczi 5 (1) Martin Devaney 4 Kayode Odejayi 3 (1) Grant McCann 3 Jamal Campbell-Ryce 3 (1) Dennis Souza 2 Stephen Foster 1 (2) Diego León 1 Daniel Nardiello 1 Lewin Nyatanga 1 Sam Togwell 1 Kim Christensen 1 Dominik Werling 1 Miguel Mostto 1 Michael Coulson (1) Paul Reid (1)

References

Notes