Keith Hill has admitted that 2012 has been a ‘travesty’ for Barnsley Football Club as the Reds face the third worst calendar year in their history.
Hill’s side have won just eight times in 44 attempts during 2012, with only 1952 and 1986 producing fewer wins. The Reds are currently without a win in 11, have not won at home since September 1 and have slipped into the bottom three. They have scored fewer goals and won fewer games than any other team in the league.
There have been calls by fans in recent weeks for Hill to be sacked but directors Don Rowing and Barry Taylor both refused to comment on the manager’s position when asked by the Chronicle this week. Owner Patrick Cryne is ill and unavailable.
Hill, whose side travel to high-flying Millwall tomorrow, insists he still has the backing of the players despite the slump in results.
He said: “2012 hasn’t been a great year but, firstly, we retained our Championship status and, secondly, we can still do it again. 2012 has been a travesty in terms of results but I see a lot of evidence that we are going in the right direction.
“But I’m not a politician and won’t hide from the fact that results haven’t been going in our favour. If the results (of 2012) were put into one season then we would have been relegated, but we still have an opportunity to achieve our objective, retain our status and keep the wheel moving.
“I’ll carry the burden on my shoulders and am responsible for a good, bad or indifferent run of results. There aren’t too many managers in the football world who haven’t experienced failure. It makes you stronger but there’s also managers out there who bail because of the thought of relegation. They don’t want it on their CV.
“But I’ll never bail out, I haven’t been brought up that way."
