The 2014-15 campaign for Barnsley, their first back in the third tier, was a season of vital transition as The Tykes looked to rebuild after relegation. The year saw a change of guard in the dugout, with Lee Johnson taking over from Danny Wilson in February. Despite the turbulence, the team secured a respectable 11th-place finish, a platform secured largely through the immense influence of Irish midfielder Conor Hourihane. His 13 league goals, coupled with his excellent playmaking, saw him named the Supporters' Player of the Year and earned him the League One Player of the Month for August. It was a foundation-building year at Oakwell, memorable for the emergence of this new talisman and a decisive 3-1 Yorkshire derby victory over Bradford City, which offered the faithful a glimpse of the promise to come.