# Why do we play smaller clubs in pre-season, and will there be a tour abroad again?

Topic: Academy and Football

Pre-season fixtures are built to get harder through the summer, and Premier League and Championship clubs are usually touring or contractually committed elsewhere, especially in World Cup years when the calendar is squeezed further, so the club has no automatic way to secure a big-name opponent. Home fixtures are also limited because the Oakwell pitch is re-laid every summer and is unavailable for much of pre-season; many clubs in the same position play most of their friendlies away ([minutes of 4 August 2026](https://images.gc.barnsleyfcservices.co.uk/a65debd0-ac45-11f1-a0bc-9359ad8c111a.pdf)).

A supporter-facing tour abroad, like the trips during Daniel Stendel's first spell, is a recurring request and the FAB pressed it again in August 2026. The Chief Executive acknowledged the appeal but set out the trade-off: the financial cost, and the difficulty of fitting a tour around recruitment, since an early tour risks missing new signings entirely, as happened in summer 2026. He would not commit to a tour but agreed the club would look at the idea properly before Christmas 2026, in time to plan for a future season rather than decide at the last minute.

## Related minutes

- https://fab.barnsleyfc.co.uk/minutes/2024-10-16.md
- https://fab.barnsleyfc.co.uk/minutes/2026-08-04.md

Source: https://fab.barnsleyfc.co.uk/faq/pre-season