Cauley Woodrow pleads with Barnsley FC fans to get behind struggling team

AS Barnsley captain and their focal point up front, Cauley Woodrow has had a welter of pressure placed on his shoulders amid a bruising start to 2021-22.

His hurt at the Reds’ fraught opening is clear to see and things boiled over when he briefly became involved in a confrontation with a group of fans after Saturday’s painful late loss to Millwall.

It was an afternoon when emotions were running high as the Reds’ winless streak extended to nine games. Supporters care and so does their captain, who feels an added sense of responsibility and could do with some help.

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Woodrow said: “Last season was a season they (supporters) missed and it was such a shame.

Cauley Woodrow: Barnsley captain had a confrontation with fans at Oakwell last weekend.Cauley Woodrow: Barnsley captain had a confrontation with fans at Oakwell last weekend.
Cauley Woodrow: Barnsley captain had a confrontation with fans at Oakwell last weekend.

“We need them to support us as much as they can. It is easy to support a team when times are going great, but when times are bad, that is when we need them the most and that’s when we need to hear them more than ever.”

He may not go in for Churchillian speeches in front of his team-mates in the dressing room or rabble-rousing on the pitch, but Woodrow’s quiet leadership should not be construed as a lack of passion. Quite the possible.

His pride at captaining the Reds runs deep and in his early years at Fulham, he learned from one of the best in Scott Parker.

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He continued: “Wearing the armband is a great honour and I am really proud of doing that.

“The days are gone of a captain running around screaming at people, it does not do anything. All the best captains I’ve had have never been screamers or shouters, but calm personalities who you could approach and who led.

“Last season, Alex (Mowatt) didn’t shout and led in his performance. Davo (Adam Davies). was also a quiet character who led by his performance in goal and I am not going to go around shouting and screaming at players.

“I want to lead as much as I can with performances and it (captaincy) is more off the pitch with players than anything and things behind the scenes that fans don’t see. I think that’s the most important thing I have learned through my career with captains before.

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“Scott was the captain when I was there at Fulham and in management, you can now see he is quite a calm and composed manager. He is a great man who had a great career and was a great captain and someone you could approach off the pitch and he led on it with his performances.”

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