[Div3North]

Barnet FC

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Accrington Stanley

2015/16 Prediction League; Game 12 v Barnet (away)


I’m very glad I’m not a Barnet supporter ; in particular, I’m very glad I’m not a Barnet supporter who travels to away games, because if I were, I’d have wasted hundreds of pounds and many days of my life which I won’t get back …………Last season, you’ll recall, they won the Conference Premier with two points a game (92/46) and a goal-difference of +48, beating Brizzle R by one point and seven goals ….this year, on the road, they’ve visited the far-flung outpost of Plymouth, Portsmouth, Carlisle and Bristol, and the near-flung outposts of Leyton Orient and the Wombles ……..and they’ve lost the lot! Played six, lost six, GF5 GA15 ; three times they’ve conceded two goals, and the other three times they conceded three ; it’s really not what you want ….

At home, to be fair, it’s 10 points from 5 games ; 0-2 to Wycombe, 0-0 v Cambridge, 2-0 against the Cobblers, 3-2 against Stevenage and 3-1 against the Daggers; unbeaten in their last four at home – although it might look better than it is, given where Stevenage and the Daggers sit in the League (20th and 23rd, with 9 and 7 points respectively ); against that, it's a heap better than their start - 4 points from 7 games ….overall their current record is P11 W3 D1 L7 GF 13 GA20 for 10 points and 19th place ….only two sides have conceded more goals than they have (20) – 21 having gone in the nets of Dagenham and ………….who else? Morecambe , would you believe, who seem to be playing “We’re Going To Score One More Than You” and getting it wrong; four scored against Notts Co (4-1) and Yeovil (4-2), four conceded to Northampton and Brizzle (2-4 and 3-4), threes against Pompey (3-3) and Brizzle (above) and threes gifted to Pompey and Luton (1-3) ….take out the 0-0 draw at Oxford, and they’ve conceded 11 in 3 ! In the Cups (to date) they (Barnet) beat Millwall 2-1 away before going down by the same score to Wolves in the Carling, and in the FLT they lost 1-0 at Yeovil …………Their leading scorers are Michael Gash with 4 and John Akinde – once of Ebbsfleet (“Pay Your Money and Pick The Team” ) - who has 3, as does MF Andy Yiadom.

Out in the Summer went RW Ifeanyi Tafari Decosta Allen (known as “Iffy”, but I don’t know if that’s a caustic reflection on his skill level ) – born in Lambeth, despite his name - who joined Yeovil, winger Keanu Marsh-Brown (who went to Forest Green, whose season is disintegrating fast – having won 9 out of 9, they’ve drawn two and lost three of the next five and now been overtaken by Cheltenham at the top , although they do have a game in hand), ex Stevenage and D&R forward Jon Nurse (34), who took the Oath to play for the Metropolitan Police (who haven’t had a serving Police Officer in their side since 2011, mainly due to the Commissioner refusing to give them time off to play! – and by the way, Barnet loaned def Tamille Roache to the Met Police as well! – buy one, get one off scot free! ), three or four others who went non-League, and, finally, AM Luisma (AM stands for attacking midfielder, which isn’t his name, of course – he only has one – like Pele; but not very much like Pele ), who signed for Arenas Club de Getxo, who were La Liga founders back in 1928, but who now (by virtue of last season’s promotion) play in the Segunda Division B – Group 2, which is actually the third tier of Spanish Football! Ola!

Ex Newport GK Jamie Stephens joined; so did CB Bira Dembele (from Stevenage), another CB (Michael Nelson (from Cambridge), RB Gavin Hoyte (from Gillingham – once of Arsenal and the Daggers), CM Tom Champion (also from Cambridge), RW Shaun Batt (from Leyton Orient), and three centre forwards (Ben Tomlinson from Lincoln City, who went out on loan to Grimsby, Aaron McLean (32) from Bradford and Kevin “The Pensioner” Lisbie (36), variously of Charlton, Colchester, Ipswich and Leyton Orient, who joined after a 3-game loan spell at Stevenage)

Starter for 10; how many times have Barnet won the Conference Premier? The answer, surprisingly, is 3 – 1990/91 under Barry Fry, 2004/05 under Paul Fairclough (who has been manager 4 times) and 2014/15 under Martin Allen (who has also been appointed to the revolving door 4 times as well). Less well known is that they won the FA Amateur Cup in 1945/46, beating Bishop Auckland 3-2 at Stamford Bridge (and did you know that Middlesbrough and Wycombe have won it too?) .......They once met Man U in the League Cup, a game which GK Ross Flitney will recall with recoil, having been sent off on 2 minutes in a 4-1 defeat ...........In 2013 they left Underhill and moved to The Hive (in Harrow) – and I bet that gave their fans a buzz! Their Club Crest features the red and white roses and crossed swords, which represent the famous (!) Battle of Barnet, a pivotal battle in the War of the Roses in 1471! ... their record League win is 7-0 v Blackpool, but they counter that in the bragging stakes by a 9-1 loss to Peterborough ..........And I’ve no idea who their kit man is!

Head-to-head favours us by a gnat’s; W6 D4 L4..........we also met in the FA Cup in 2009/10 (pre-Fulham), winning the replay at theirs. The most recent game between us (16th March 2013) featured a hat-trick inside 35 minutes by Lee Molyneux , Edgar Davids getting sent off , and a battle to hold on for the win (by the way, that’s two more than said Lee M has scored this season for Morecambe ) ..........famous ex managers include Ray Clemence, Alan Mullery and Tony Cottee (but all to no avail)

Deadline for entries is, as always, scheduled kick-off time, which is 3.00pm on Saturday 10th October ................Back to winning ways, I think; anybody going to join me? And while I remember, welcome to Fortress Crown, Kaid!

Good luck to everyone! ................. Keep the Faith! ............. And thanks for playing!