20 years ago today (27 May), Barnsley FC won promotion to the Championship after beating Swansea City in the play-off final at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium.

The Reds' Manager Andy Ritchie and Assistant Manager Rick Holden spoke to the Club and shared their in-depth and interesting experience of the achievement.

ANDY RITCHIE:

“What fantastic memories I have of my time at Barnsley, but the play-off final and the build-up to it will always live in my memory more than anything.

I remember the preparation being something along the lines of Fred Karno’s circus!

There had been a huge storm in the week leading up to the game, and when we arrived at the training ground we’d booked, it was terrible. In fact, it wasn’t even really a football pitch — it was more like a rugby pitch. There were no proper goals, no real facilities to work with and standing water everywhere.

At that stage, though, we felt we’d already done all the hard work throughout the season. So rather than panic, we decided to make it fun and take the pressure off the players.

When we saw the state of the pitch, we knew we wouldn’t be able to do too much tactically, so we had the lads kicking balls through the rugby posts, sliding around in the water, and just enjoying themselves. Looking back now, it was probably one of the best things we could have done because it relaxed everyone.

On the coach afterwards, we had a really good chat with the lads. We told them they all knew exactly what they needed to do the next day and the players appreciated the way we’d handled everything.

I also remember visiting the stadium before the game and speaking to the groundsman, who basically told us the lads would need studs because the pitch was absolutely soaked. After speaking to the kitman and the players, we suddenly realised hardly anyone had brought any!

So off we went into town, trying to buy boots for everyone before the biggest game of the season.

I remember getting Antony Kay a horrific pair of boots that cost less than £20, just to take the mickey, although we had bought him a proper pair as well. I can still remember him saying, ‘Gaffer, I can’t wear these!’ while we were all laughing.

The pitch itself was in a terrible state because of the weather and all the games that had already been played on it. The groundsman told us he simply hadn’t been able to protect it.

Before we went down to Cardiff, Rick and I had also deliberately involved all the younger lads in the training sessions. As part of that, we practised penalties quite a lot — but always with a bit of fun mixed in as well.

The funny thing was that hardly anybody missed…apart from me!

Because of that, when the game went to penalties, I actually felt strangely calm and confident. I remember saying we’d win because we had lads like Nards, Hayesy and others who were brilliant penalty takers. We also knew Nick had saved penalties during the season, so that gave us confidence, too.

People always say the play-offs are the best way to go up and the worst way to stay down — and they’re absolutely right. Thankfully, on that day, we were lucky enough to win and take the club back into the Championship.

After the game, I remember just looking over at our supporters and thinking how unbelievable they were. The noise, the colour, the emotion — they were incredible from start to finish. Then afterwards, the celebrations were amazing. The scenes back in Barnsley are something I’ll never forget.

For me — and Rick may say the same — getting promoted as a player was brilliant, but promotion as a manager was even sweeter.

As a player, you’re focused mainly on yourself and your own career. But as a manager, you share everything with your staff and your players. You think about everyone who has contributed — Rick, Tom, Martin, Mick and all the rest of the lads behind the scenes. Seeing them enjoy that success made it even more special.

What people also have to remember is that a lot of players never get the opportunity to play in games like that, let alone win a play-off final. That’s why it will always mean so much to me that we helped that group achieve something so special.

Twenty years on, it still means just as much.

You Reds!”

RICK HOLDEN:

"When we worked out that we were in with a chance of the play-offs, we started practising penalties at the end of every training session.

Some players were natural, some jittery, but we managed to identify the best seven or eight for the job.

Following the home game against Colchester, I got a lift to Oxford with Brian Howard and went to watch the League Cup final at Cardiff between Man Utd and Wigan to get a feel for the place. We gave the lads the weekend and Monday off, as we were playing Bournemouth away on Tuesday. I would catch a train from Cardiff to Bournemouth on Tuesday morning. I had arranged to meet an old friend in Cardiff!

I had a really good look around the place and got a sense of it. Also had a word with the groundsman, who told me the pitch was bad and we would need studs. He was a Cardiff fan as it happened.

The whole experience made us decide to go to the final on Thursday and spend Thursday getting to Cardiff. Then Friday was training and visiting the stadium, with Saturday just preparing for the game, feeling nice and relaxed, having seen the place before.

On Friday, the Cardiff City fan groundsman sorted us out and asked me if we had studs for the game. He was anxious that we beat Swansea.

Some lads did not have studs, so it was a trip to a sports shop on Friday evening. We trained at a so-called Cardiff University training ground that someone had organised for us, probably Don Rowing. It was hopeless, a swamp. We had a warm-up, and the lads just turned it into a free-for-all mud bath and water fight, which we just watched the lads enjoy. We couldn't do set pieces or anything.

The game itself, we started really well and dominated it. Deservedly scored through a superb volley by Hayesy.

We had picked a very attacking line-up with a solid back 4. We conceded a worldy and a howler. We couldn't do anything about the overhead kick from Fallon, but the shot which squirmed under Nick could have sunk everyone!

In the dressing room at half-time, it was bedlam. Everyone is talking at once and throwing in their two pennies. Martin Wilkinson, Tom, Andy Barlow, whom we had used occasionally as a coach, Reidy, etc.

When Andy had calmed everyone down, I had a chance to say that I knew Kenny Jacket well from my Watford days and that he would go for a clean sheet, so all we have to do is score, and we will win.

Kidology works wonders.

Again, we started brightly, and the free kick resulted in me having to trot on to see Brian Howard. Andy said, 'Tell Nards to hit the target,' i.e., not blast it into the wall or over the bar.

The rest is history - Nards' free kick is a Barnsley all-time event.

At 2-2, both sides had chances, and how Trundle missed is beyond me to this day.

Penalties.

Four perfect pens from Hayes, Shukes, Hecky and Antony Kay- and a ballooned one from Akinfenwa. Nick Colgan redeemed 'himsen', as we say in Yorkshire.

Game over, and it was job done.

After the game, I stayed down in Cardiff with family and friends from Yorkshire and the Isle of Man. We made our way back for the open-top bus ride, and a big celebration was had. It was a well-planned event.

My overall thoughts were that with the talent we had, we actually deserved promotion winners. Job done.

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