Barnsley manager David Flitcroft is 'relaxed and confident' ahead of what he says is the biggest game of his career in which defeat could cost the club up to £6million.
The Reds need to win in the 12.45pm kick-off to be sure of safety and if they do they will cap an extraordinary revival under Flitcroft. They were once bottom of the league, seven points adrift of safety, but the manager feels sure they will survive.
"If I am not relaxed, if I am not confident and if I am not saying the right things then that will feed through to the players and fans," said Flitcroft, who also acknowledged that relegation could be disastrous financially.
"If we go down it is on my shoulders and people could lose their jobs. Whether that's coaching staff, admin staff or players. I'm not sleeping too easy and it's the biggest game I have been involved with. "I have found it difficult to comprehend but I will have to deal with it when the game finishes on Saturday. It's not the players' burden, it's my burden."
If they go down, Barnsley will lose £3million in 'basic award' and 'solidarity' payments from the Football League. The club hopes that the good form the team has shown since Flitcroft was appointed will prevent a large drop in Oakwell season ticket sales, even for League One, but the away gates will be reduced by an estimated 60 per cent because there are not as many big clubs in the third tier.
"£6million is the most negative estimate but it is more likely to be three or four million," director Don Rowing told the Chronicle.
"We would have to make some very difficult decisions if the club was relegated."
Under Football League rules, League One clubs can only spend 60 per cent of their turnover on 'player costs' which includes wages, signing on fees, appearance fees, bonuses, relocation, medical bills and agents' fees. Barnsley currently spend roughly 60 per cent of their turnover of those things but that is set to halve if they are relegated so their player costs will also have to halve unless the money comes from cuts in other areas such as staffing.
