Barnsley figure speaks out amid fan unrest | OneFootball

Icon: Football League World

Football League World

·20 January 2022

Barnsley figure speaks out amid fan unrest

Article image:Barnsley figure speaks out amid fan unrest

Barnsley have had a tumultuous season so far and with the club staring a relegation in the face, the club’s fans are growing increasingly unhappy with what is going on at the club – but a club CEO has urged fans not to protest, as reported by The Yorkshire Post.

It’s been a far cry from a year ago, when the Tykes stormed into the top six under Valerien Ismael and looked like they could sneak into the Premier League. Now, they’re at the other end of the table and could soon end up back in the third tier.


OneFootball Videos


They’ve already sacked a manager this season and under new boss Poya Asbaghi, they have still struggled to pick up points and remain deeply entrenched in the drop zone. Even Derby, who have had a huge points deduction, have now pulled ahead of them in the division.

Quiz: Have each of these 25 ex-Barnsley players ever played in the Premier League?

1 of 25

Article image:Barnsley figure speaks out amid fan unrest

1. Adam Davies

Yes No

Fans are now unhappy with how the side is being run and fear that they’re sleepwalking back into League One. With the growing unrest at the club and with some supporters getting increasingly vocal about the club’s ownership, one of the CEO’s was questioned in a Q and A about the club’s ownership (as reported by The Yorkshire Post) and spoke out about this unhappiness.

The CEO, Khaled El-Ahmad, has said protests is ‘not the way to do it’ and that Barnsley’s owners are well aware of the supporters feelings towards them, without the need for more to be done.

He said: “I don’t think there should be any protests because it will hurt the club more than it will gain anything. It’s a free world but I am just saying that is not the way to do it.

“The owners already know how they feel.”

Fans though are not content with what is going on at Oakwell – and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them not heed this message and continue with protests if things carry on going downhill for the club.

The Verdict

It’s been a real turnaround for Barnsley since last season and you really wouldn’t have thought it would be the case this time last year.

The Tykes were one of the best surprises of the season in 2020/21 and yet here they are currently fighting to stay in the Championship. It’s a very real possibility that League One will be on the cards for them again next year after a campaign filled with promise and the club’s fans are unsurprisingly unhappy.

Granted, they were likely to not emulate their feats of a year ago, especially considering that Valerien Ismael, Daryl Dike and Alex Mowatt all departed over the summer. However, they likely wouldn’t have expected to have fallen so far down the division.

Protests are a real possibility now with the fans unhappy at the way the club is being run.

The club’s CEO has urged fans not to do it – and the owners are no doubt aware of the unrest and there could be better ways to do things – but they may not heed these words.

View publisher imprint