Comment: Why Barnsley FC's League One derby with Rotherham United is about much more than bragging rights

Barnsley’s home game with Rotherham United on Friday evening is one of those occasions, should there be a victor at any rate.

A win for either of these Dearne Valley rivals has the rich potential to be a watershed moment in their 2024-25 story. And here’s why.

For Barnsley, it would constitute the next phase of their development under Darrell Clarke.

While the Reds’ away form is the best in the division - even better than Birmingham City’s - their numbers at Oakwell are underwhelming and hardly the sort to generate confidence.

Only three League One teams have taken fewer points in front of their own supporters than Barnsley and for a supposed top-six contender, that is nowhere near good enough.

The record would have been worse, but for late levellers in their last two home games against Charlton Athletic and Wycombe Wanderers.

Their bout of homesickness has been debilitating for most of 2024. Since late February, they have won just one league match at Oakwell, which is damning.

And what about the Millers? In truth, their situation is in danger of becoming even more serious.

Their lamentable away numbers are there for all to see over the past few years, long before the arrival of Steve Evans.

It’s their form, regardless of venue, during a season which promised much before a ball was kicked off - but has palpably failed to spark thus far and capture the hearts and minds of a Rotherham public whom Evans so equates with - which is so alarming.

Touted as promotion contenders ahead of the big kick-off, the Millers have struggled in terms of identity and consistency so far and fans after getting twitchy as witnessed by their glum mood in last weekend’s poor FA Cup exit to Cheltenham Town.

Evans, never one to be written off in fairness, needs something to change the narrative. Securing the Millers’ first league victory at Barnsley in 13 attempts since way back in March 1969 - in front of a big travelling support - would do just that.

If Evans needs inspiration, he should perhaps look a little bit further west across Yorkshire.

His Huddersfield Town rival Michael Duff was also badly in need of a game-changer ahead of their league meeting with Barnsley early last month.

After a pretty awful start to the autumn, a 2-0 victory proved a psychologically important moment for the wounded Terriers.

Conversely, that defeat at the John Smith’s Stadium, allied to another loss in the EFL Trophy there just three days later, left Barnsley in a bit of strife.

Events on the road at Blackpool, Shrewsbury Town and Port Vale have revived spirits since, but the restoration work is by no means complete.

It all explains why there is plenty riding on this derby, a first meeting in the third tier between this pair in almost 19 years, for Messrs Clarke and Evans.