Barney Daniels: A tribute

Local football is in mourning after the death of a true legend.

Barney Daniels, the second highest goalscorer in Ashton United’s history, sadly passed away last month at the age of 74.

Leading the tributes is former Tameside Reporter sports editor, Mike Pavasovic, who writes:

If you picked up a winter copy of the old Ashton-under-Lyne Reporter in the early 1970s, it’s a pound to a penny the back page headline would have featured Barney Daniels. 

And the by-line on the accompanying story would have read “by DCN Jones”.

Dai Jones, the crusty but likeable Welshman who was group editor at the time, had covered Ashton United since their pre-war days as Hurst FC. 

Right until the end of his long life, there was always a sparkle in his eye when he talked about the goalscoring feats of Barney Daniels.

But he wasn’t alone in that. Back in my radio days I did an interview with another Robins veteran, Ronnie Thomasson, who has spent a lifetime serving the club in every capacity from groundsman to chairman. 

Now in his early nineties, he’s what might be termed an elder statesman.

“In all the years you’ve been watching Ashton United, who’s the best player you’ve ever seen?”, I asked him. 

Without a moment’s hesitation he rapped back: “Bernard Joseph Daniels.”

Ronnie, in yet another of his Hurst Cross roles, played a key part in getting Barney to join the Robins at a time when Ashton were a struggling Cheshire League outfit.

Anyone who saw Barney playing at Hurst Cross 50-odd years ago would have similar memories, blond-haired and powerfully built, he was a striker supreme. 

You couldn’t miss him on the pitch and he rarely missed the goal. 

He was the kind of player everyone looks for — the one who guarantees goals.

You won’t be surprised to learn that I was quite excited when Les Sutton signed him for Hyde United in the summer of 1981. 

At Ewen Fields he formed part of a lethal strike trio alongside Peter Coyne and George Oghani which was to realise 71 goals as the Tigers won the Cheshire League treble.

Despite being named as sub (there was only one in those days) on 19 occasions — leading to the popular shout of “get Barney on” from the Ewen Fields terraces — he finished with the highly impressive record of scoring 17 times in 25 appearances.

Four of these came in a late burst as Hyde closed in on the title in April. 

The final one came in the 4-1 victory at Formby where they clinched the championship they had so narrowly and heartbreakingly missed out on the previous year.

Barney left Ewen Fields at the end of the season as the Tigers prepared for a return to the Northern Premier League. 

The last I heard of him as a player was around 35 years ago when I was told he had been seen turning out as a goalkeeper in the Salford Sunday League.

The final time I saw Barney was at a Hyde United reunion in 2012. 

Sadly, his health deteriorated soon after leading to a bad stroke and I believe he was affected by dementia. 

It all led to his untimely recent death at the age of 74.

Of course, as with so many footballers, there are plenty of “what ifs” associated with Barney’s career.

What if he had made it at Manchester United where he was a youth player from 1967 to 1969? 

What if he had been able to build on that fantastic start at Manchester City when he scored two goals in a 4-1 defeat of Leicester in 1974? 

What if it had worked out at Stockport County or Chester?

As it stands, Barney will have to be remembered as an Ashton United player. 

But what a player and what a favourite. 

His goalscoring ability certainly warmed up some cold nights.

Listen closely, and you can probably still hear his name being cheered by the ghosts that lurk at Hurst Cross.

RIP Barney Daniels, an old-fashioned star and a true non-league great.