HERE’S a selection of stories as they were reported in the Chronicle at the time in May 1998.
PEDESTRIANS risked their lives when they clambered over the jammed Jumble Lane crossing barriers in the town centre.
Railtrack branded the handful of pedestrians as ‘idiots’ and, at one point, staff were summoned from the new signal box to keep them at bay.
The barriers were jammed for about 40 minutes on Monday afternoon, leaving parts of the town gridlocked.
Kendray Street was closed, traffic was diverted through the Metropolitan Centre car park sliproad and trains approaching Barnsley Station were held at red signals.
Tailbacks went beyond the railway bridge on Eldon Street North and bus services were diverted via Harborough Hill Road and Westway by Yorkshire Traction staff.
An electrical fault had jammed the barriers.
A SCHEME to cut traffic queues at Broadway traffic lights is being examined by Barnsley Council.
The highways department is carrying out a feasibility study on the possibility of widening the carriageway on Dodworth Road.
This would allow an extra lane of traffic from the Town End roundabout to the traffic lights near the Polar garage.
Head of highways Ted Dinsdale said: “We’re not going to be taking anyone’s garden
away. We’re looking at ways of alleviating traffic at peak times.”
HERE come the Men in Black...
A group of Reds’ barmy football fans came up with a rather unusual way of travelling
to Leicester for the game on Saturday.
Each donned the black suits, ties and sunglasses made famous by the Hollywood
blockbuster. And it didn’t end there.
They stumped up 45 quid each to take an out-of-this-world ride to Filbert Street in
an eight-seater stretch limousine.
Unfortunately the reds lost and are now relegated from the Premier League. But the lads had a great time nonetheless, and drowned their sorrows with the on-board bar.
A DYKE at Silkstone Common, swollen by recent heavy rain, has disappeared down a big hole...
The dyke burst its banks and the weight of water flowing across a field broke open the surface, sending thousands of gallons pouring down a disused shaft into old mine workings.
Trout were left stranded in puddles as the Hollin Brook dyke bed at Partridge Dale ran
dry and were picked off by herons.
A FOOTBALL fan who ran onto the Oakwell pitch in the heated Liverpool game and had to be rugby-tackled by World Cup star Paul Ince has escaped prosecution.
The unnamed spectator made for referee Gary Willard after he sent off three Barnsley players in the Premiership match in March.
Liverpool captain Ince had to step in to prevent the furious fan confronting the referee.
But this week, it emerged the fan had been let off with a caution.
A RECORD number of police officers will be on patrol at Oakwell on Sunday — even though there is nothing at stake.
The relegated Reds face runnersup Manchester United in the final match of their first-ever season of top flight football. Around 250 officers will be on duty in and around the ground — 75 more than at the Liverpool match which was marred by crown trouble.
Police chief, Superintendent Rick Naylor said: “We are not anticipating any trouble but this could be a very emotional game.”
