www.barnsleyfc.co.uk editor and Barnsley FC Head of Media Rob Knowles casts his eye over the beautiful game in our weekly column.

Here we are - just hours ahead of a vital World Cup Qualifier and London is thrown into chaos because of a tube strike.

With FIFA's Sepp Blatter due at Wembley tonight I hope the 70,000 or so England fans make it to the game and show him just what supporting the national team means.

This strike cannot derail England's World Cup hopes of hosting the 2018 competition and there's part of me that thinks Mr Blatter will be the only one with a smile on his face should today's strike cause disruption and a low turnout at Wembley.

Well the holiday is over and I've been back at my desk for two days. There does not seem to be enough hours to work through everything as preparations start for the new campaign.

There's the new-look programme to work through as well as all the stuff for the Official Website and Barnsley World. Jon Macken's just been in to sign his new contract - hopefully the first of many putting pen-to-paper on deals at Oakwell in the coming weeks.

In the wake of the controversy surrounding Stuart Pearce's decision to play goalkeeper Joe Lewis as a striker in the closing 15 minutes of Monday's U21 romp against Azerbaijan, Jon also remembered the England coach's decision to throw David James on as an emergency striker during Manchester City's draw with Middlesbrough in 2005.

Jon was left on the bench as City went for a vital last-gasp goal to secure qualification for the UEFA Cup.

It's fixture release day next week so, by the time I write another blog, we'll know where we will be kicking off in the Championship come August.

SEASON TICKETS 2009 2010

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