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Just before the start of the 1970/71 season Barnsley sold promising eighteen years old winger Stewart Barrowclough to first division Newcastle Utd for a fee in the region of £40,000 - which was then a club record. Tommy Taylor being the previous record sum received when Manchester Utd paid the Oakwell Club £29,999 in 1953.
Stewart went on to play more than 200 games for the Teeside club, providing the ammunition for Newcastle's prolific marksman Malcolm Macdonald.
Barrowclough's dynamic wingplay set up many goals for Newcastle's twin strike force of 'SuperMac' and John Tudor which soon brought him England U21 recognition.
Barrowclough's biggest career disappointment was being left out of the 1974 Newcastle Utd F.A. Cup Final line-up when the Magpies were destroyed 3-0 by Liverpool in one of the most one sided Cup Final's ever played at Wembley.
Barrowclough did make a Wembley final though in 1976 when the Geordies lost 2-1 at the hands of Manchester City when Dennis Tueart's bicycle kick won the match for City.
Newcastle's highest league position during Stewart's stay was in the 1976/77 season when they finished in 5th place. After an eleven match unbeaten run which took them to the fringe of the title race, they lost four of their last five matches, finishing the season on 49 points, 8 behind Champions Liverpool.
Birmingham City secured Barrowclough's services in 1978 when he signed for the St Andrews outfit in a £200,000 exchange deal involving Terry Hibbett and John Connely. However, he rarely captured the form he showed at Newcastle and played just 26 matches during City's relegation season.
In 1979 Barrowclough was signed by ex Leeds Utd player Terry Cooper who was then manger of 2nd division outfit Bristol Rovers, for a club record £90,000 fee. Stewart stayed at Bristol for two season's where he had also become player/coach before Barnsley's Norman Hunter snapped him up on the eve of the Reds promotion to the 2nd division. 4
Barrowclough's best game for Barnsley came in the televised 4-2 victory over Rotherham Utd at Millmoor when Ian Banks grabbed the headlines with a superb hat-trick.
Stewart still lives in Barnsley where he used to run a family fruit and florist business and continues to enjoy the game.
Stewart's youngest son, Carl has now broke his way into Barnsley first team and occupies the No23 shirt.
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