Barnsley 4 Fleetwood Town 2: Off-the-pitch drama overshadows big win for Reds

At this time of the season, when prizes are up for grabs, the drama is usually reserved for the pitch.
Daniel StendelDaniel Stendel
Daniel Stendel

There was certainly action on it as Barnsley took on Fleetwood, with the Reds winning an entertaining game 4-2 to boost their automatic promotion hopes in League One.

But the real drama came afterwards as Fleetwood manager Joey Barton clashed with Reds boss Daniel Stendel in the tunnel after the game.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Barton is alleged to have assaulted Stendel, who was reported by eye-witnesses as being injured.

In scenes that were more reminiscent of a TV drama rather than a football match, Sky Sports News later showed footage of South Yorkshire Police officers stopping Barton's car from leaving Oakwell.

The force have confirmed they are investigating the incident, which Reds striker Cauley Woodrow claims left Stendel with “blood pouring from his face”.

The striker later deleted the tweet and everyone was left in the dark as neither club fulfilled their media duties after the game.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Barnsley did put an official statement out, which read: “The club can confirm there was an alleged incident in the tunnel area that took place following the conclusion of today’s match, which South Yorkshire police are currently investigating.

“The club is assisting the police with its enquiries and, as a result, we are not in a position to make any further comment at this time.”

Fleetwood are yet to make any comment, but if Barton, who has a lengthy rap sheet over his career which has included a prison sentence, is charged and found guilty, surely his position must be under threat.

The Football Association could take action, but will wait for referee Sebastian Stocksbridge's report along with the police investigation.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The unsavoury scenes took away from what was a thrilling game at Oakwell, which saw the Reds consolidate their position in second place.

They went 2-0 up by the 34th minute as Mike Bahre's opener was followed up by Woodrow's 17th goal of the season.

Ched Evans, back in South Yorkshire, reduced Fleetwood's deficit before their numbers were reduced as Harry Souttar saw red for an elbow on Cameron McGeehan.

Barnsley made their numerical advantage count five minutes later as McGeehan nodded home after good work by Mamadou Thiam, only for Wes Burns to get his side back in it.

Jacob Brown finished off the game once and for all immediately after and Barnsley saw it out before it all kicked off.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.