For the first time in 35 years, former Barnsley director Barry Taylor will not have an official role at the Oakwell club going into a new season.
The 76-year-old from Silkstone was on the Reds board from 1984 until January this year, in which time the club had 21 managers and played more than 1,500 games.He still goes to every match and says sitting in the Legends Suite as a fan is far less stressful than being in the directors box when involved in the running of the club.
Barry said: "I am not as anxious anymore. I never really enjoyed watching from the directors' box because I would get so nervous. I don't get as nervous now. I couldn't go out on a Saturday night in Barnsley while I was a director. I would get a tap on the shoulder from someone saying 'I say, what's going on at the club?' Now I can tell them the truth that I have no idea. To be a director for Barnsley was fantastic and it's been an absolute privilege over 34 years.
"It was time, at my age, to let someone else have a go. I believe that, as a retired director, you should just step away. When I first joined the board, a lot of the old directors were always hanging around the club and we thought: what are they doing there?' I don't want to be like that."
One of Taylor's last major acts as a director was to introduce the new owners Chien Lee and Paul Conway to previous owner Patrick Cryne early last year. The takeover deal eventually went through in December, a month before Mr Cryne died after a battle with cancer.
Taylor said: "I was telephoned by a high-ranking official at the FA. He asked if Barnsley was for sale. We'd had eight approaches already and they had all messed us about so I was sceptical. Most of them had been time-wasters with no money but he assured me this one was genuine so I spoke to them and arranged for them to come to Barnsley. We knew they had bought Nice so they obviously had some decent credentials.
"Both Chien Lee and Paul Conway got the train into Barnsley station at different times and I picked them both up and drove them to Oakwell. You'd think, being very wealthy men, they would have a driver and body guards, but they got the train.
"Chien Lee wanted me to give him a tour of the town so I did, but there were a lot of building works at that time and it didn't look very nice.I introduced them to Patrick and, after a long negotiation over a lot of months, they took over.
"Only time will tell if they are the right people to take the club forward, but I think so and I hope so. They are all very decent and very wealthy people. I don't know what the alternative would have been to take over from Patrick."
At the other end of his time on the board – just months after joining in 1984 having become a successful businessman running the Hospital Shop in Barnsley – Taylor played a crucial role in signing winger Gordon Owen from Cardiff City. He said: "The chairman was ill so I was acting chairman. I think we paid £50,000 for him and it was all confirmed, even in the Chronicle. The next day our bank manager rang and said they weren't passing the cheque. He said: 'You haven't got the money.' I had just about enough money to pay for it, so I covered it. I didn't tell my wife Audrey.
"Gordon had a stormer in his first game and Audrey said he was playing well so I said: 'yes, that's your money flying down the wing.' I got it back in the end, and I never did anything like that again."
Taylor also claims that England striker David Hirst walked into his shop and agreed a deal to return to Barnsley from Sheffield Wednesday in 1989 but the £500,000 move fell through when Ron Atkinson replaced Peter Eustace as Owls manager. Taylor – who has also retired from his role as a UEFA delegate which helped him go to many of the 130 countries he has visited – said the promotion to the Premiership under Danny Wilson in 1997 was the highlight of his 34 years.
"I wish now that I hadn't been so nervous for every game so I could have enjoyed it more. In about 1993, I asked the Sheffield Wednesday chairman Dave Richards 'who's the best two in your dressing room?' he said 'Viv and Danny', so we brought them in and the rest is history.
"Viv (Anderson) is one of the nicest fellas you could ever meet but not a good manager, then to appoint Danny was a masterstroke. We made some mistakes, like appointing Nigel Spackman instead of Steve Bruce. We interviewed Steve but decided against him because he'd had about three clubs in a year.
"There were times when we tried to chase success with the money and went into administration. That was very sad. It's been frustrating at times but there have also been some great moments."
As well as not being involved in Barnsley for the first time in several decades, Taylor has not travelled with the England squad to the ongoing World Cup in Russia. He previously was an FA delegate at all the World Cups and European Championships since 1996 expect Japan and South Korea in 2002.
"I'm still involved in the FA but they're not taking any delegates this time. I have enjoyed watching it on TV just as much. I have had some great experiences with England. I was up in the stands when Lampard's shot crossed the line against Germany in South Africa in 2010 and I was showing the coaching staff with my hands how far it went over.One of my favourite memories was seeing Michael Owen's goal against Argentina at France 1998.
"I have had a great time."
