In 1887, the Reverend Tiverton Preedy, curate of St. Peters Church on Doncaster Road formed a new football club called Barnsley St. Peters.   The Reverend was a forthright, determined man and his initial idea was to set up a club that unlike, many of the other teams set up in the area in the past would not fold due to lack of interest.  Although taking the name Barnsley St. Peters they almost immediately drew support from a wider area and within a year had began to play at Oakwell.

Barnsley St Peters joined the Sheffield and District League in the 1890-91 season and moved to the Midland League for the 1895-96 season.   The footrball club also entered the F.A. Cup for the first time during the 1893-94 season.

By the time Reverend Preedy moved away from Barnsley in the summer of 1893 to take up another post in London, the football club had a strong foundation and was still moving forward.  The club was now a feature of the Town and at the end of the 1896-97 season St. Peters was dropped from the name.

A season later Barnsley applied to enter the Football League.