The place name origins lie in the Saxon word "Berne", for barn or storehouse, and "Lay", for field
The first reference to Barnsley occurs in 1086 in the Domesday Book, in which it is called Berneslai and has a population of around 200.
Barnsley was the site of a stampede that resulted in the deaths of 16 children in 1908, at a public hall now known as The Civic, when children were rushing to watch a film in the building.
In 1977, Barnsley was home to the first bottle bank for glass recycling collection in the United Kingdom.
In 2002, plans were proposed to remodel Barnsley into a Tuscany Village. The icing on the cake would have been a beaming halo of light, circling the centre 60 feet in the air to encase the town in a glow of light. The project was named "Rethinking Barnsley" and after a long and expensive consultation, the final decision was made to put the large-scale model of the town with a ferret sitting in the middle of it, and a model fighter-plane sitting somewhere else, in the museum (where it still resides) and rename the project "Remaking Barnsley".
Ken Loach's 1969 film Kes was set and filmed in several villages in Barnsley.
Barnsley has more pigeon roosts than there are beds in Portugal hotels.
Barnsley FC fielded the youngest ever player to appear in the Football League back in September 2008, with winger Reuben Noble-Lazarus making his debut against Ipswich Town in a 3-0 defeat as a substitute, coming on to the field at 15 years and 45 days old.
Joseph Bramah was from Barnsley. His patented design created the flushing kharzi as we know it today.
Barnsley is the football league club that City has played the most in senior games against.
Barnsley scored the last ever goal in the last ever competitive match played at Boothferry Park when Isaiah Rankin put the ball in the net.
It is home to Pollyanna – the oldest independent fashion boutique in the country.
Tommy Taylor, one of the Busby Babes was from Barnsley. He was sold to Man U for a record £29,999. Busby didn't want Taylor to have the pressure of being the first £30,000 player, so gave the extra pound to the tea lady.
