Brian Howard interview: Remembering the night Barnsley FC shocked Chelsea in the FA Cup

WHEN ecstatic Barnsley supporters invaded the pitch after the Reds’ last FA Cup tie with Chelsea, the accents were not exclusively from Yorkshire, as Brian Howard recalls.
flashback: Barnsley striker Kayode Odejayi is congratulated by team-mate Brian Howard after knocking Chelsea out of the FA Cup in 2008. (Picture: Simon Hulme)flashback: Barnsley striker Kayode Odejayi is congratulated by team-mate Brian Howard after knocking Chelsea out of the FA Cup in 2008. (Picture: Simon Hulme)
flashback: Barnsley striker Kayode Odejayi is congratulated by team-mate Brian Howard after knocking Chelsea out of the FA Cup in 2008. (Picture: Simon Hulme)

Several Hampshire voices were picked out by the Reds captain during a night – and a Cup run – he will never, ever forget in 2008.

He will always recall the morning after the night before as well.

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Now working as football agent, Winchester-born Howard – who co-owns Momentum Sports Management – told The Yorkshire Post: “We eventually made it to the dressing room as there was a big pitch invasion after the game and I remember seeing about 10 of my schoolmates on the pitch and thinking: ‘What are you doing? Get off!”

Barnsley's Brian Howard (Picture: Tony Johnson)Barnsley's Brian Howard (Picture: Tony Johnson)
Barnsley's Brian Howard (Picture: Tony Johnson)

“I had a coach of about 35 people come up from Southampton for the game. We just wanted to turn up or we could easily have got turned over by a few (goals) and got egg on our faces.”

Instead, it was holders Chelsea who walked smack bang into the equivalent of a giant custard pie following an FA Cup shock which resonated not just across the land in front of millions of Match of the Day viewers, but across the globe as Barnsley reached the semi-finals for the first time since 1912.

For those who had a ring-side seat at Oakwell, the moment when Kayode Odejayi rose above Carlo Cudicini to head the only goal of the game on 66 minutes – his first goal in 29 matches – is forever etched into Barnsley folklore. March 8, 2008.

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Howard, who memorably netted the winner in the previous round at Anfield – he was thrown fully clothed into the bath in the away dressing room afterwards – added: “At the time, Chelsea were at the pinnacle. You look at the team that day. John Terry, (Ricardo) Carvalho, Wayne Bridge, Joe Cole, (Nicolas) Anelka, (Michael) Ballack. It was filled with international world-class footballers.

Barnsley striker Kayode Odejayi is congratulated  by capatain Brian Howard and Jamal Campbell-Ryce after scoring the winning goal for Barnsley. (Picture: Simon Hulme)Barnsley striker Kayode Odejayi is congratulated  by capatain Brian Howard and Jamal Campbell-Ryce after scoring the winning goal for Barnsley. (Picture: Simon Hulme)
Barnsley striker Kayode Odejayi is congratulated by capatain Brian Howard and Jamal Campbell-Ryce after scoring the winning goal for Barnsley. (Picture: Simon Hulme)

“At Liverpool, we really had to hang on and ride our luck. Against Chelsea, we had that confidence at home and gave them a game. They were not in control.

“It was not until Martin Devaney put in an unbelievable cross and Kayode got the header that Chelsea got on top because we were holding onto the lead. It was only then that we really dug in.

“I remember it was a night when there was a bit of drizzle and it was windy. It was a typical winter’s evening at Oakwell with the wind coming in through the gaps in the stadium. It was a proper cup tie under the lights and will live with me forever.

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“Chelsea were fantastic after. I had the same agent as John Terry and Wayne Bridge and I got sorted with their shirts and we were chatting after the game. The management team of Avram Grant and Steve Clarke came into our dressing room after and shook everyone’s hand and said: ‘You deserved it today and were brilliant. Good luck and go on and win it.’ They were a class act.

Brian Howard at a press conference before Barnsley's big FA cup tie against Chelsea at Oakwell Stadium (Picture: Dean Atkins).Brian Howard at a press conference before Barnsley's big FA cup tie against Chelsea at Oakwell Stadium (Picture: Dean Atkins).
Brian Howard at a press conference before Barnsley's big FA cup tie against Chelsea at Oakwell Stadium (Picture: Dean Atkins).

“The next day, I had arranged with Chris Kamara to do Goals on Sunday and a car was picking me up at 6am in the morning to go down to the studios in London.

“We had ended up going out on the town and I took my mates and family out and we did not have to pay for a drink anywhere and we stayed out a lot later than we wanted to as we celebrated.”

If fates had been different, Howard could have donned the jersey of Chelsea and not Barnsley on that feted March night – only for footballing Gods to intervene shortly after he was released by Southampton in 2003.

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He said: “I trained at Chelsea for a couple of weeks and they said they wanted to keep me.

Barnsley captain Brian Howard battles for the ball with Wayne Bridge of Chelsea in that famous cup tie (Picture: Simon Hulme)Barnsley captain Brian Howard battles for the ball with Wayne Bridge of Chelsea in that famous cup tie (Picture: Simon Hulme)
Barnsley captain Brian Howard battles for the ball with Wayne Bridge of Chelsea in that famous cup tie (Picture: Simon Hulme)

“It was pre (Roman) Abramovich and they had not much money and wanted young English talent to come through. That summer, I went away to play for England under-20s in the Toulon tournament and while I was out there, Abramovich took over and Hernan Crespo, Joe Cole and (Juan Sebastian) Veron had all signed by the time I got back!”

Howard, who later joined Sheffield United, isn’t ruling out Barnsley securing another shock tonight and sees similarities between Simon Davey’s class of 2007-08 and the current line-up.

Should they do that, the sight of no fans being resident at Oakwell – a throbbing arena – will leave him with a tinge of sadness.

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Howard added: “It would have been a sell-out and the Ponty End would have been raving. These are the games you want fans for and they are sorely missed.

“It is not just the fans, I feel for the players too. That is part of the experience.

“You want to test yourself against world-class players, but you are also in with the fans who are part of the football club. You are in it together.

Barnsley's captain Brian Howard celebrates scoring in the leagueBarnsley's captain Brian Howard celebrates scoring in the league
Barnsley's captain Brian Howard celebrates scoring in the league

“I just hope Barnsley do themselves proud on the pitch and who knows? It has been done before, let’s do it again.

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“It is pretty similar as they have a young squad like we did. There’s British players with a sprinkling of foreign boys.

“They are settling in lovely and since the (first) lockdown, they have been incredible.”

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