Barnsley kick-off the Cod Army's preview of the new campaign
Name: Barnsley Football ClubFounded: 1887
Stadium: Oakwell
Capacity: 23,009
Manager: Lee Johnson
Last season: 10th in League One
2015/16 will be Barnsley’s second successive campaign in the third-tier of English football.
The Tykes secured a tenth placed finish in the 2014/15 season, having been 16th in the league standings at the time of Lee Johnson’s managerial appointment. They will certainly be looking to push for a place in the top six next term.
One of the brightest young manager’s in the Football League, Johnson moved to Oakwell in February following a fruitful two-years at Oldham Athletic.
Johnson’s role at Boundary Park was his first managerial post since retiring from a prolonged playing career which lasted over a decade, and included spells at Bristol City and Yeovil Town.
The Newmarket-born manager oversaw an improvement in results in his first few months in south Yorkshire, after replacing club Danny Wilson in the hot seat, with Barnsley eventually finishing seven points shy of the Play-Offs.
Barnsley will be hoping that Irish midfielder Conor Hourihane can produce similar form that he showed in his first campaign at the club, having signed from Plymouth Argyle in the summer of 2014.
Born in Cork, the 24-year-old started his career in the ranks at Sunderland, before signing for Ipswich Town in 2010.
Hourihane failed to make an appearance during his time at Portman Road, with his next port of call being Plymouth Argyle in 2011. Whilst at the Pilgrims, Hourihane would spend a further three-years in Devon, netting 15 times in 125 appearances.
His exploits at Home Park paved the way for a £200,00 move to Barnsley last summer. Hourihane became a crowd favourite in his first season, finishing as their top scorer with 14 goals, and scooping the club’s Player of the Year award.
Fleetwood locked horns with Barnsley for the very first time in October 2014 at Highbury Stadium, with the game finishing 0-0 on a warm Wednesday evening.
However, in February 2015, the Cod Army recorded one of their most memorable results of the season, beating the Tykes 2-1 at Oakwell with goals from Conor McLaughlin and Liam McAlinden.