When Kayode Odejayi and Barnsley FC felled big-spending Chelsea in the FA Cup

American artist Andy Warhol said that ‘everyone will be famous for 15 minutes’, but the former Barnsley forward’s place in the sun lasted a little bit longer after he and his Reds team-mates basked in the glow of their famous FA Cup quarter-final victory over Chelsea at Oakwell in March, 2008.

The personal glory belonged to Odejayi, who outjumped Blues keeper Carlo Cudicini midway through the second half to seal an unforgettable 1-0 victory for Barnsley.

Expect re-runs of that moment to do the rounds ahead of the Reds’ latest meeting with the Londoners – they visit Stamford Bridge for a Carabao Cup tie on Wednesday evening.

On that golden moment in his journeyman career, Odejayi, who wound down his career in Yorkshire at Guiseley, said: “I still get the odd mention, but do not really like to talk about it!

“But it is still a massive part of the history of the town and was a great occasion.

“For a big club like Chelsea to come down to Oakwell, on paper it was an away win nine times out of 10.

“But on that day with a bit of luck and a great performance, we managed to pull off a result.

“But it was not just that performance on its own, but the whole run of managing to get to semi-finals at Wembley and also beating Liverpool.

“It was a real good story for the town.”

On his own recollections of his goal, the much-travelled striker, 38, who also had a spell at Rotherham United in his career, added: “I remember Martin Daveney crossing it. He put in a similar ball in the previous round.

“We go back to our Cheltenham games and still keep in touch. It was a great ball in and I just managed to get above the keeper and head it in.

“I actually got John Terry’s shirt and have it along with a few others I will frame and put up somewhere. But at the moment, they are still tucked away.”

Ahead of the visit of Cup holders Chelsea to Yorkshire just over 12-and-a-half years ago, even the sentimentalists among the home supporters in the 22,410 crowd would have scoffed at the suggestion that lightning would strike twice after Barnsley caused a monumental upset in the previous round by winning at Anfield.

But the magic of the Cup again held strong on a madcap March night witnessed by millions of viewers on Match of the Day as Barnsley – incredulously but magnificently – booked their place in the semi-finals of the competition for the first time since 1912.

After beating Liverpool and Chelsea, all bets were off as far as Barnsley were concerned.

Summing up the post-match emotions and speaking for many, then manager Simon Davey said: ‘I cannot believe it. I just hope I don’t wake up tomorrow and find it is all been a dream.

“I think the players went out and enjoyed the game. Nobody was found wanting. Everybody put a shift in and they have come up trumps again.

“To go to Anfield and win and then to beat Chelsea in the same season is a fantastic achievement and the players deserve a lot of credit.’

“I really don’t know what to believe any more. But when you’ve beaten Liverpool and Chelsea, then there is no one to fear.”

Barnsley went onto lose in the semi-finals at Wembley against Cardiff, with Odejayi gaining further notoriety for a bad miss. But their supporters always had Liverpool and Chelsea.

Chelsea crashed 4-0 in the pair’s previous FA Cup meeting in 1989 – and won 6-0 on their last visit to Oakwell in the league in 1997 – but found life distinctly more uncomfortable on this particular trip to this corner of Yorkshire.

Barnsley knocked on the door in the first half against Avram Grant’s aristocrats, whose line-up included the likes of Terry, Michael Essien, Joe Cole and Michael Ballack.

Istvan Ferenczi spurned a glorious opportunity and Cudicini – deputising for Petr Cech – did well to thwart Odejayi, who was signed from Cheltenham in the previous summer, after the striker benefitted from lax defending from Ricardo Carvalho.

At the other end, Luke Steele – the hero at Anfield – was rarely troubled as Chelsea seriously underwhelmed.

Cole and Nicolas Anelka – who saw his effort blocked on the line by Jamal Campbell-Ryce – missed chances on the resumption as Chelsea sought to establish some order and then it happened.

Midway through the second half, Odejayi – the son of a minister – rose highest to plant a header past Cudicini in front of the ecstatic Pontefract Road end to etch himself into Oakwell folklore and a magical story was penned.

In his Barnsley career, Odejayi would score just one more goal at Oakwell. Prior to that feted strike, he had also not netted in his previous 28 appearances for the club and had scored just once in that 2007-08 campaign.

Stirred into action on the evening, Chelsea pushed for an equaliser, with Terry missing a chance in a frantic finish.

But the night belonged to Barnsley and what a Saturday night it was, with fans invading the pitch in jubilation at the final whistle and the songs about it being ‘just like watching Brazil’ were sung heartily.

Casting aside his bitter disappointment to magnanimously congratulate Barnsley, albeit with a slight dig at the Oakwell playing surface, Grant commented: ‘I need to congratulate Barnsley. They played well and showed good spirit.

“It is not a pitch that we could play quality football on. In the first half, we didn’t play good but give a lot of credit to Barnsley.

“There is always a lot of pressure as manager of a big club like Chelsea.

“We knew this team beat Liverpool away, so I don’t think it’s a case of taking them lightly.

“Maybe this year is the [FA] Cup not for the big teams. This was a game we needed to win and we did not win. We lost the game. We are not happy about it, but it happened.’

Summing up an epic night for the club, former Reds defender Rob Kozluk, a semi-finalist with Sheffield United in 2003, commented: “The scenes at the end were amazing. At half-time we said ‘imagine those scenes’ and I think that’s what drove us on.

“We came in knowing that it was in our hands and we were 45 minutes from Wembley. That is what motivated us. Everybody in Barnsley should be proud.”

They certainly were. Just a shame that no Barnsley sipporters will be present down the King’s Road for the club’s latest Cup meeting with Chelsea in a couple of days time.

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James Mitchinson

Editor