Barnsley FC chief Neill Collins seeking to avoid 'further distractions' amid key time in League One season for promotion-chasing Reds

On the playing side, he had to cope with the exits of some leading lights last summer, while getting a team ready for a new season in double-quick time.

The Scot was appointed on July 5, just 30 days before the 2023-24 campaign began.

Off the pitch, some much-publicised stories have attracted negative headlines for the Oakwell outfit.

Before a ball was kicked, the Reds were charged with multiple breaches of EFL regulations relating to the shareholdings of former chairmen Paul Conway and Chien Lee. The charges continue to hang over the club.

Then in November, the club were embarrassingly expelled from the FA Cup for fielding an ineligible player.

Further unwelcome headlines have arrived this week surrounding allegations of sexism at the club - claims which Barnsley ‘strongly dispute.’

Fortunately, there have been reasons for positivity as well.

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January saw the club agree a new 30-year lease at Oakwell to secure the long-term future of professional football at the venue.

On the pitch, with a third of the campaign to go, Barnsley are not just well placed to finish in the play-offs, but are in with a chance of automatic promotion.

Collins’ side, who lie fifth, are six points behind second-placed Derby County with a game in hand. Eight points separate six clubs, including the Rams.

With so much to play for on the pitch, Collins is understandably hopeful that further distractions can be avoided ahead of the key time of the season.

He said: “The good thing is we know where we are at as a squad (after the winter window) so that’s not a distraction.

"Everyone knows they are here and they are committed to that.

"Things come up day to day which you just have to deal with. I think we have done fairly well and that will help us as we move into the end of the season.

"Everyone will feel right now that they want to try and take it over (at the top of League One). But there are lots of games in hand to be played out as well.

"For us, it’s ‘can we be there for the final bend’ because anything can happen.”

The fact that the key trio of Devante Cole, Herbie Kane and Jordan Williams remain at the club following the end of the winter window should further strengthen Barnsley’s promotion pitch.

They are out of contract in June and while their future beyond this season is pretty uncertain, Collins insists that the trio remain fully committed.

The Barnsley chief continued: "I have seen nothing other than the fact that the players who are coming out of contract are desperate to do well.

"I think the motivation will be for themselves, first and foremost. But we all know that together, we can be successful and that will help Barnsley and then the players themselves."

Meanwhile, Barnsley have strongly denied claims made in a national report that a female member of staff - who has since left the club - was criticised for flirting with the players and wearing inappropriate clothes by a senior club official.

The allegation led to a formal complaint and an apology - but the row flared up again after it was claimed details of the allegation had become common knowledge within the club.

A club statement said: "We strongly dispute that there have been instances of sexism within the club.

"We are proud to be a diverse football club of which 40 per cent of our board members are female, 33 per cent of our workforce are female and significant investment has been placed into our women’s team which is coached and lead by a female operations team."