Barnsley's 2015/16 season
League Position: 6th League One - Play-Off Winners (2014/15: 11th League One)
Average league attendance: 9,499 (2013/14: 9,768)
Top league goalscorer: Sam Winnall (21)
Bottom of the table in December, promoted at Wembley in May, it has been an incredible transformation at Oakwell under Lee Johnson and Paul Heckingbottom over the last six months. After an 11th placed finish last season, The Tykes started the season with the focus on a return to the second tier after a two-year absence. It was a summer of squad upheaval in South Yorkshire with Bees defender Alfie Mawson, Ryan Williams [Fulham], and Reece Wabara [Doncaster] among six new faces arriving with 15 players, including Everton bound Mason Holgate, departing.
After a promising start, which including taking Everton to Extra-Time in the Capital One Cup Second Round, the wheels well and truly came off in October as The Tykes lost eight straight games to drop from eighth to 23rd. A 1-1 draw at home to Sheffield United in late November saw Johnson's side hit rock bottom with the calls for the manager's head growing louder. However the board stuck with their man and were rewarded as Barnsley began their improbable climb up the table. December and January saw only eventual Champions Wigan Athletic take points off The Tykes as eight wins from nine meant they went into February just five points outside the Play-Offs.
That form saw Manager Lee Johnson depart to join Bristol City but any fears that a change of boss might affect Barnsley's form were short lived. After Paul Heckingbottom was given the job until the end of the season Barnsley lost just three of their final 18 league games to secure the final Play-Off spot. As well as guiding them to the top six, the temporary boss also picked up silverware at Wembley as The Tykes beat Oxford United 3-2 in the JP Trophy Final. Walsall were beaten 6-1 on aggregate in the Play-Off Semi-Final to set up a meeting with Millwall in Sunday's final. Two goals in the first 20 minutes from Ashley Fletcher and Adam Hammill set Barnsley on their way back to the second tier with Lloyd Isgrove heading home a third late on to give Barnsley's fairytale run the perfect ending.
The Ground
Oakwell Stadium Grove Street, Barnsley South Yorkshire S71 1ET Click here for directions to Oakwell
The Manager
Sunday's 3-1 victory at Wembley saw 38-year-old Heckingbottom pick up his third promotion from the third tier via the Play-Offs. His first two promotions came as a player with Sheffield Wednesday in 2005, after The Owls had knocked Brentford out in the Semi-Final, and then a year later with Barnsley, again after Martin Allen's Bees had fallen in the Semi-Finals. Those promotions were the high points in a 15 year playing career which also took in spells with Sunderland, Hartlepool United, Darlington, Norwich City, Bradford City, Mansfield Town and Gateshead. After calling time on his playing career Heckingbottom was appointed the Head of Football Academy at Barnsley College before becoming Barnsley's Under-21 Head Coach in August 2012. Following the sacking of Danny Wilson in February 2015 Heckingbottom took temporary charge of The Tykes for a three game period before returning to his Academy role. In April he became the first Barnsley manager in 104 years to lift a major trophy after their JP Trophy win and, following Sunday's Play-Off triumph, he is widely expected to be appointed The Tykes permanent manager in the coming days.
The First Meeting
15 December 1934, Football League Division Two - Brentford 8 Barnsley 1 Brentford: Mathieson, Bateman, Poyser, McKenzie, James, Burns, Hopkins, Robson, Holliday, Scott, Fletcher Bill Scott nets club record equaling five goals as Brentford power towards Division One
The Last Meeting
11 March 2006, League One - Brentford 3 Barnsley 1 Brentford: Nelson, Tillen, Frampton, Turner, Sodje, Newman, Rhodes, Brooker, Owusu, Rankin, Tabb Lloyd Owusu scores twice as Martin Allen's side keep up pressure on promotion places
Head to Head
Brentford wins: 23 Draws: 19 Barnsley wins: 11