League 2 season preview - part three

I thought I’d do something a little different and after completing the Twitter92 a month or so ago, I thought it’d be apt to see what my fellow League 2 supporters thought about their aspirations and expectations for their teams in the coming season. Here is part three (of four):

Hereford United

Matt Rowe – Twitter

“I think we will be closer to mid table than last term, we have cleared out the deadwood and replaced them with players with a better pedigree such as Harry Pell. I would be happy with a stable mid table finish and our chairman has already echoed this.

2 players to look out for are Stuart Fleetwood and Harry Pell. Stuart Fleetwood thrived last season next to big targetman Manset and since we have sold him to Reading we have brought in a similar player in Delroy Facey who i believe will help Fleetwood score more than his 20 overall goals last season. We had Harry Pell on loan from Bristol rovers last season for a couple of months and he changed our midfield. He adds physical presence with his height in the middle of the park (6ft 2) and also has the ability to pick out a decent pass or take on the odd player. He was Bristol Rovers young player of the season but chose to join us last month on a 2 year contract.

Games to look forward are the following away trips: Shrewsbury, Cheltenham, Plymouth and also Southend as it's the first game of the season!

I am quietly confident about our chances of having a decent season. Since we sacked Simon Davey last season, who left us bottom with 5pts from 10 games, we had a change of fortune and if the season had restarted under Jamie Pitman we would've finished 12th (from the 36 remaining games). Hopefully we will see progress on the Blackfriars End where the temporary seating currently is and start to see signs of construction of the new stand”.

Macclesfield Town

Ian Stewart – Twitter

“Every season since the great escape under Paul Ince, various bookies and media outlets have had Macclesfield as the prime candidates for relegation. Every season we've proven this prediction wrong, it's not been easy particularly with our resources and certain circumstances. The best we can hope for is a mid-table finish, although with the right team attitude and good run of form, there's no reason to rule out a push for the playoffs.

The loss of two key players, Tyrone Barnett and Hamza Bencherif has not helped our prospects, but I feel there's great pace and potential in the players bought in the close season by Simmo. Like his predecessor, the late Keith Alexander. Simmo [Gary Simpson] has a knack for plucking talent from the non-league,Tyrone Barnett joined us from Hednesford Town last season. We hope that Ben Tomlinson, signed from Worksop Town, can follow on from where Tyrone left off. Arnaud Mendy is an interesting purchase as well, a big strong midfielder released by Derby County. He had a loan spell at Tranmere Rovers last season, and I've heard positive accounts from Tranmere supporters regarding his performances in midfield.

The one game that stands out is Swindon Town, it'll be a Friday night spectacle, and with the appointment of Paolo di Canio there has to be fireworks. Also looking forward to Bristol Rovers, Northampton Town and Southend United; as well as the newly promoted sides which are two juicy prospects.

We have a positive young squad that Simmo has built up, and some firm experienced league players like Nat Brown and Matt Hamshaw in our ranks. Though the only real concern is the lack of an experienced striker”.

Morecambe

Jack Steer – Twitter

“I am confident that we will do much better this season than last, which is necessary to avoid the drop! There is a much more positive attitude around the club this season under Jim Bentley, and it wouldn’t surprise me if we sneak a play-off place. Conservatively expecting mid-table, but confident that we can do much better.

New signings Izak Reid, Lewi Alessandra and Gary McDonald are all contributing to the renewed optimism around the club and will hopefully do very well. Add to those our consistent good performers Barry Roche and Andy Parrish. I think Andy Fleming will have a great season too.

Optimistically looking forward to the Accrington derby games in hope that we break the football league curse of being unable to beat them – they won’t have the benefit of Jimmy Ryan’s bi-annual deflected goal this year! Also looking forward to seeing Tony Roberts of the Daggers again.

Everything is looking very positive at the moment, the changes that Jim Bentley is making are all positive and are very much fan-focused. Everyone connected with the football club is right behind him and the players would run through brick walls for him”.

Northampton Town

Kris Holland – Twitter

“The chairman wants us to finish in the top 3, Northampton fans generally anticipate the play-offs...and me? Well i reckon we'll wind up around 9th or 10th. Reaching the top 7 is not necessarily beyond the realm of possibility but after coming within a whisker of relegation last time out, expectations have got to be reined in.

19 year-old Michael Jacobs is one to watch. The kid is absolute dynamite and was essentially the kingpin of our attacking chances last season, scoring 8 goals in league and cup; some of which were absolute corkers, while setting up more than double that. He was also voted player of the season for 2010/11. Not bad for your first season as a pro! He's destined for greater things than a drawn out career at Northampton Town so my advice is to enjoy his rare talent at your local ground while you still can.

I’m looking forward to AFC Wimbledon away. I'm one of those who is totally caught up in the romance of their rise up the leagues and I wouldn't begrudge a loss against them, so that should make for a special evening at Kingsmeadow. Also looking forward to taking on Crawley Town. It's not unfair to say they've bought their favourites tag, so it'll interesting to see what they're really made of.

For as long as I can remember Northampton's summer transfer dealings have always been built from the bottom up. By which I mean, bringing in defenders over strikers. But for this pre-season, the opposite is true The chairman has dug very deep into his pockets to bring success and League One football back to the town, with additions such as Jake Robinson, Arron Davies and returning favourite Ade Akinfenwa. With this in mind, and so very few defenders on the books, I can't wait to see what sort of formation Gary Johnson has in mind for August 6^th”.

Oxford United

Joe O’Callaghan – Twitter – Blog

“I can really see us challenging this season. Play offs definitely but hopefully higher.

Players to look out for would be Peter Leven a new signing who everyone is raving about; as well as Tom Craddock up front and Jake Wright in defence.

Looking forward to the 21^st August, where we have the scum (Swindon Town) 3rd or 4th game in”.

Plymouth Argyle

Dave Weeks – Twitter

“I think we’ll do quite well – we look like we are signing quite a few good players and with Reid as our manager we should get a few premiership loans in. As an Argyle fan anywhere above the drop zone will do us fine after two relegations in a row. I feel we can push for play-offs and reckon we will finish between 6-10th.

Players to look out for would be Luke Daley - I watched him pre-season and he was energetic and loved to take players on. If teams want to stop him running down the wing and putting crosses in they will have to put two players on him. Also Stephane Zubar, Quality defender whom strikers will find it hard getting passed. Surprised he re-signed when he could've joined PNE, proves that there is still a bit of loyalty out there.

Looking forward to quite a few games: Swindon and Bristol rovers – those two because they produce goals. Torquay’s a nice close game; AFC Wimbledon, I chose this one because after everything that has happened to them I'm happy they are back in the football league and looking forward to playing them”.

League 2 season preview - part two

I thought I’d do something a little different and after completing the Twitter92 a month or so ago, I thought it’d be apt to see what my fellow League 2 supporters thought about their aspirations and expectations for their teams in the coming season. Here is part two (of four):

Burton Albion

Rob Dunn – Twitter

“I think we will be around the top half perhaps pushing towards the play off positions if we get a decent striker in. Many of our fans are not as optimistic but I feel we vastly underachieved last season and there's plenty of room for improvement.

Jacques Maghoma is the biggest player to look out for – a talented midfielder with skill in abundance. On his day he is unplayable and can produce great things. Jimmy Phillips is also one to watch, young, tricky winger with lots of promise, expecting a big season from him.

I'm looking forward to all our games, but especially places I haven't been before: Swindon, Plymouth and AFC Wimbledon. I've always enjoyed going to Oxford too.

As long as we don't have a huge backlog of fixtures again and a long list of crippling injuries, I'm fairly optimistic that this season will be a good one, with better quality football and without the worries of being embroiled in another relegation battle”.

Cheltenham Town

James Lewis – Twitter – Blog

“Personally, I’d be happy with a solid mid table finish, somewhere between 12th and 14th. We have a good enough squad, but don’t currently have the budget to really challenge the likes of Shrewsbury, Swindon, Bristol Rovers etc in terms of buying players. What’s making me feel positive though is that last year Accrington managed to get into the play offs despite small gates, a tiny budget, and no real star players. We were crying out of a striker, and have been spoiled with two. I think what we need now is a loan goalkeeper to really battle with Scott Brown for the number 1 spot, and a winger.

 Marlon Pack will be our key next season; signed after he impressed on loan from Portsmouth, I could see us getting a large fee for him later down the line. We have Russ Penn partnering him in midfield and they complement each other well. Then there’s Danny Andrew. Opinion has been slightly divided on him as he’s a little naive defensively, but he’s an excellent attacking left back. Josh Low is also a very important player for us, though most of you will already know about him! There’s also Darryl Duffy who will likely be our main outlet for goals. 

I’m looking forward to the games I can go to really! I don’t live in Cheltenham now so I can only go to a handful. Swindon at home is one – great local derby and Northampton away for the same selfish reason. In terms of games in general, Hereford at home – we need revenge for them giving us a hiding at our place in February, and of course there’s Crewe, who beat us by a humiliating and downright degrading 8-1 scoreline back in April.

Aspirations – in terms of positives, we’ve largely retained the core from last season. The year before we built pretty much an entirely new squad, but this time the players won’t need as much time to gel.  Spirit in the camp appears great and the players seem confident of the season ahead. Listening to some of the fans however you’d think there was no hope”.

Crawley Town

Louie Elmer – Twitter – Blog

“I genuinely think we can achieve promotion this season, and I think the key to that will be the tremendous fitness levels the players possess and the strength in depth as well.

Matt Tubbs is seemingly the obvious stand-out player to watch, with 40 goals last season. But Scott Neilson is particularly dangerous and the two central defenders, McFadzean and Mills were arguably one of the best pairings outside the Championship last season. Young Charlie Wassmer has a lot of potential as well.

I'd say games to look forward to are: Port Vale away (first game of the season), Wimbledon (home and away) and probably Swindon at home, as well as Barnet away (nice bank holiday away day). They're the ones that jump out at me.

To be honest I'm really glad practically all of our transfers are already done and dusted, giving the players time to blend in before the season kicks off- I think it goes to show, whilst he's not everyone's favourite, Evans really knows what he's doing”.

Crewe Alexandra

David Gallagher – Twitter

“I think we may have missed our chance last season by conceding too many goals. We've lost the league's top goal scorer and not signed anyone yet, so I think we'll finish in the top half, but that's about it. I think it'll take at least one more season before we're good enough to go up though.

New players coming through will definitely be ones to look out for; especially Nick Powell and Max Clayton, with Arsenal and Liverpool rumoured to be after both already. I think Shaun Miller will build on last season too.

Looking forward to Port Vale home and away, as always. The league has traditionally had quite a large number of northern teams, so I'll think we'll struggle away from home, even more than we did last year.

I'm looking forward to seeing how these young players turn out. The team is basically full of kids right through, with only a few experienced players. That said you'd expect us to struggle to improve on last season, but you never know”.

Dagenham + Redbridge

Matt Lees – Twitter

“Realistically, I think we have a good chance of promotion via the play-offs. With the departures of Danny Green and Romain Vincelot, next season will be quite difficult. Danny Green in particular was a huge part of everything good while he was at Dagenham. That said, we still have a good squad of players and John Still always manages to pull something out the bag.

D J Green. Another Danny Green, who at the end of last season showed he has quite some talent and may be well be the stand out player for 2011/12.

Three stand-out games for me: Barnet, Oxford and Southend away! Barnet because it's always a feisty game. Southend will be a fun game that's not too far away and Oxford because they were kind enough to let us secure promotion at their ground a few seasons back!

With Dagenham's limited budget I'd say everyone who runs the club has done a fantastic job in bringing in such talent and keeping positivity at the club despite relegation. Still being a league club for players and fans alike is amazing considering where we've come from in such a short amount of time, so I can only praise the fact the club are aiming to bounce straight back up into League One”.

Gillingham

Andy Manion – Twitter – Blog

Gillingham is one of the bigger clubs in League 2. At the start of last season the manager, Andy Hessenthaler, stated that if we weren't promoted last season would be seen as a failure - the target is the same this season. Anything less than promotion will again be seen as failure. Most fans expect promotion and with the new summer acquisitions this should be possible. Realistically promotion should be attainable, but whether it will actually happen is contentious. It will depend largely on managing to keep the squad fit. There isn’t a great deal of depth there and last season was largely injury plagued. However there is still optimism there and amongst the club there is still the belief that Gillingham is still too big a League 2 club. The optimists predict promotion – personally I reckon without further depth the club will once again fall short of expectations.

The biggest signing this summer was undoubtedly Adam Birchall. The former Dover Athletic player was prolific in the lower leagues. Not being blessed with any particular physical presence or speed he has good control, an eye for a goal and good vision. He has already impressed pre- season. The other players to look out for are Chris Whelpdale who impressed last season and possesses both skill and pace. He was a regular starter for Peterborough last season. The other Peterborough signing is also set to impress – Charlie Lee was notable last season in his Loan spell at Gillingham.

There aren't many big games in League 2 for Gillingham as there are no local rivals to speak of. Playing Swindon will be interesting given the controversy over the signing of Adam Birchall. (Swindon agreed a fee with Dover Athletic for him before Gillingham came in last minute and snapped him up, despite being bitter rivals with Dover). The other game to look forward to will be playing Southend United, both teams have a good following for League 2 teams and are fairly close to each other.

The season could go either way, whatever happens we should get off to a better start than last season but whether we can keep it up having lost our two main goal scorers from last season is hard to say. Overall there’s plenty to be optimistic about at Gillingham”.

League 2 season preview - part one

I thought I’d do something a little different and after completing the Twitter92 a month or so ago, I thought it’d be apt to see what my fellow League 2 supporters thought about their aspirations and expectations for their teams in the coming season. Here is part one (of four):

Accrington Stanley

Mel – Twitter

“I think we will finish mid table at least. Although I still think we could do another push but will play safe.

Key players: Winnard, Coid and Barnett.

Looking forward to the local derbies, although not many this season. Games to look forward to: Morecambe & Macclesfield; as well as AFC Wimbledon, Port Vale, Torquay & Bradford. Not looking forward to playing Crawley.

We've started from scratch, but as always Coleman can turn nobodies into football players; no ownership battles this season is a plus. Hoping for decent referees this season, ones who keep the flow, keep on pitch & have decent eyesight - yes it may appear a bias whinge but this has been a big blight on our promotion pushes”.

AFC Wimbledon

Matt Griffin – Twitter

“Our manager seems to have made it clear that getting the 50 points to ensure survival is the priority. Anything else would be a bonus for us in our first season back in the football league, although I don’t think a mid-table finish would disappoint or surprise many fans.

Again we’re strong at the back, with Dons fan and playoff final hero Seb Brown between the sticks. New captain Jamie Stuart is enjoyable to watch and alongside him in defence is steady defender Brett Johnson who’s also likely to get a few goals. There are also a couple of youngsters worth keeping an eye on in Reece Jones and Brendan Kiernan.

Looking forward to a couple of decent London derbies again – the long trips across town to Dagenham and Barnet. Also personally wouldn’t mind stuffing Creepy Crawley.

Can’t wait for the new season to start. Just 9 years ago we were in the Combined Counties League so looking forward to some more great memories and fun away days out for this strange little SW London club”.

Aldershot Town

Laura Chiverton – Twitter

“Realistically I think this league will be fairly tough. I would like to think we will make the playoffs. The team has looked incredibly strong during pre season & are looking as strong as the end of last season.

Adam Mekki & Alex Rodman are the players to look out for and are both great players from Conference roots. Bradley Bubbs scored 40 goals last season & has set a target for this season’s campaign.

I’m looking forward to playing AFC Wimbledon. Terry Brown, our former manager was a true legend & gent. He left the club to care for his terminally ill wife before Waddock led us to promotion as champions.

I’m hoping that all clubs this season will spend & budget more wisely to ensure their football league status”.

Barnet

Ben Kentish – Twitter

“Who knows how we’ll fare this season! We've got what is on paper the best manager and backroom team we've had in quite a while, and we've kept most of the squad that played so well at the end of last season, but as ever with Barnet it's impossible to predict. I'd say lower mid-table has to be the minimum aim, and with a few more good signings and a bit of luck with injuries etc, a play-off push is a definite possibility.

Mark Marshall is probably the biggest threat to defenders, but new signings Mark Byrne and Sam Deering are both pretty skillful and will set up a fair few goals, plus score a few themselves I would imagine. McLeod and Kabba (when fit) up front must on their day be one of the best strike partnerships in the league, and in defence we've got a couple of good, solid centre-backs. We've actually got the backings of a pretty good side. 

For some reason I'm quite looking forward to playing AFC Wimbledon. It's a shame we've lost the Stevenage derby for this season, although I'm sure we'll be playing them against next year! But Pompey away in the Carling Cup should be a good one”.

Bradford City

Tim Roche – Twitter

“After the debacle of last season, when the hapless Peter Taylor very nearly led City into non-league, a mid-table finish would represent an improvement. New boss Peter Jackson has brought in a varied selection of youngsters and a couple of more experienced heads, so while the play-offs may just be beyond us in what is likely to be a transitional season, a finish of 9th place would be acceptable. This being our 4th season in League 2, our fans are now more accustomed to the reality that promotion might not always be a realistic target.

 Ross Hannah banged in a staggering 52 goals for Matlock Town last season, so it will be interesting to see how he fares in the step up to League 2 football. Mark Stewart, a striker from Falkirk, has also looked impressive in pre-season so City will be very hopeful of improving on last term’s dismal goals scored tally. Of the youngsters we have signed, the 16 year old Scott Brown from Clyde looks to be the most exciting prospect. Although he was brought in with the newly formed Development Squad in mind initially, there is every chance we will see him in the first team sooner rather than later as Jackson rates him as the ‘one of the best 16 years olds (he has) seen in a long time’. No pressure then!

 With the majority of League 2 teams being southern-based there will be some lengthy away trips for the City faithful. AFC Wimbledon should be a particular highlight, as away days in the capital are always fun and it’s a new ground to visit. There’s also the Carling Cup tie away to our dear friends Leeds United to look forward to in the first week of the season – it would be nice to get one over on them, especially as the game will be live on Sky”.

Bristol Rovers

Richard Crew – Twitter

“As it’s Bristol Rovers first Season back in League Two it’s hard to tell, but pre-season has gone well and I've got a lot of confidence in Mr Buckles ability. The signings we've made appear to be sound and the vibes coming out are positive so I have a sneaky suspicion we'll make the play-offs or better if everything gels quickly.

Gill, Zebroski, Virgo, Carayol and McGleish will be the key figures to look out for. I believe we'll be a team that entertains; Mr Buckle has an eye for attacking football judging by the signings and tactics he's employed so far.

AFC Wimbledon stands out for me as the big one, not because of any rivalry but simply because of Wimbledon’s history. I feel it’s an honour to be the club they play first on their League return. I hope it’s a classic for the present Sky Cameras. Of course the Derby games against Swindon, Hereford, Cheltenham and Torquay will hold some added spice as well”.

Where are they now? – Part four

This installment of 'Where are they now?' looks at the team that managed to preserve League status for another season, after beating already promoted Rochdale 1-0 at Underhill. Of course it was also with thanks to Burton Albion who smashed Grimsby (the only other team threatened with relegation) at the Pirelli stadium.

Jake Cole

Jake joined from QPR after never starting for the then-Championship side. He quickly cemented himself as the Bees first choice goalkeeper, pulling off many a match-winning save! After January of this year, following a hip injury he fell out of favour with the manager – rumour has it there was a bust-up of some form, and it was probably understandable, yet unfortunate he left at the end of last season. Considering the defence in front of him over his time with the club, Jake was definitely a fan's favourite, and wasn't usually to blame for any of the silly and unnecessary goals conceded. At the time of writing, he is currently having a trial at recently relegated Plymouth Argyle, yet to seal a contract anywhere.

Joe Devera

Joe joined the Bees first team squad after being a member of the Protec Youth system. He quickly cemented his place in the squad and over six seasons with the Bees racked up just under 200 appearances. He also won the Player of the Year title for two seasons, firstly in 2007/08 and most recently in 2010/11. He rejected a contract at the end of the season and consequently joined recently relegated, Swindon Town.

Gary Breen

Former Republic of Ireland defender, Gary Breen ended his career with Barnet after appearances with many clubs, most notably Sunderland and Coventry City; as well as playing in the 2002 World Cup. He joined the Bees in 2008, where he signed as player/coach and the following season signed on as a player/assistant manager to Ian Hendon – leaving in June 2010, when he hung up his boots.

Kenny Gillet

French left back Kenny joined Barnet back in 2007 after a year at Caen which saw him never play. He lasted three seasons before being released in 2010; however when new manager Mark Stimson took over, he offered the previously released players contracts. Kenny rejected the offer and ended up joining SPL club Inverness Caledonian Thistle.

Ahmed Deen

Sierra Leone international, Ahmed Deen joined Barnet in 2009 after being released by Macclesfield Town. Despite signing a two-year deal, he only lasted a season before being released at the end of his first year at the club. After leaving the Bees he joined Hayes and Yeading, in 2010 and lasted six months – he now plays for Dulwich Hamlets, a side in the Isthmian League Division One South (the eighth tier of football).

Albert Adomah

Albert was a much-loved member of the squad in his two years with the club. His tricks were something special and his performances were the highlight of what was, a terrible season. He always played with a smile on his face and his runs and flair were unpredictable – the majority of the time he was double marked by opponents, but he always managed to get passed them! He left the Bees in 2010, and now plays for Bristol City where he features regularly. Glad he’s been given the chance to play at a higher level, and he can only go on to bigger and better things!

Mark Hughes

Mark Hughes joined Barnet in 2009, from Chester City, where he was a regular starter with the club. He’s managed to continue that feat with the Bees and is now, an integral member of the midfield. As well as appearances for the Northern Ireland under 19 team, he has also two full international caps to his name. He is still with the Bees and was the first member of the squad to put his name to paper and commit his future to the club last month.

Micah Hyde

Jamaican International, Micah Hyde has been in the game for just under twenty years and will probably be best known for his days Cambridge United, Watford and Burnley. He joined the Bees in the 2009/10 season at the age of 35, and only lasted a year before being released. Now at the age of 37, he’s at Billericay Town.

Ed Upson

Ed joined on loan from Ipswich Town where he never made an appearance for the club. After a largely unsuccessful loan at Stevenage in the previous season, Ed only made nine appearances, scoring a solitary goal. After returning to his parent club, he was released at Portman Road and snapped up by Yeovil Town where he continues to play.

John O'Flynn

JOF was a definite fan’s favourite and joined after spending six years at Cork City, his home town club. It’s fair to say he definitely lived up the number nine shirt, racking up the goals in his two years at Underhill. He rejected a £100,000 offer to join Shrewsbury which was to the delight of the majority of fans. However, the elation turned to disappointment when he left, after rejecting a contract at the end of the 2009/10 season. He went on trial with Bristol City, but was unsuccessful; consequently joining Exeter City where he remains today.

Mauro Vilhete

Young, hot prospect, Mauro Vilhete was a result of the club’s youth system – he joined in 2009, after rejecting a scholarship from Aston Villa. A tricky winger/forward, Mauro was called up to the first team that same season, but only ever made the substitutes’ bench. However, he broke through to the first team last season, becoming the club’s youngest ever player, at the age of 17. He’s still with the club, and will hopefully continue to progress!

Next week’s ‘where are they now’ will look at the players involved in the most recent great escape of 2010/11 – the starting XI that managed to beat Port Vale in the final game of the season to preserve League status.

If there are any squads from yesteryear you would like to see included in this feature - whether it be from a season, or particular match – don’t hesitate to let me know.

Send suggestions / comments to my Facebook or Twitter.

.

Where are they now? – Part three

I was recently asked to compile my All-Time Barnet XI to the programme team (you can find my article here). This week it only seemed apt after my previous entry to focus ‘where are they now’ on the team I selected as my All-Time XI.

Lee Harrison

Lee spent most of his career with the Bees and managed to reach the feat of 300 appearances for the club in two spells; as well as receiving Player of the Year for three consecutive seasons with the club. Lee left Barnet at the end of the 2009/10 season and as well being a goalkeeping coach at Dagenham and Redbridge, he then went on to join non-league Hayes and Yeading. These days he is assistant manager at Newport County.

Ian Hendon

Hendon joined the club in 2003 after a spell on-loan from Sheffield Wednesday. He was made captain in his second season with the club and epitomised everything a skipper should be – playing a key role in the back four for four years. After retiring from playing at the end of the 2008/09 season, he decided to concentrate on management – following a role in the team’s management alongside Paul Fairclough. He became manager after Fairclough stepped down, and although was on a two-year contract, was sacked in April 2010 – joining Dover Athletic. He left that post after 18 days and is now assisting Andy Hessenthaler at Gillingham.

Linvoy Primus

Linvoy joined Barnet at the start of his career, after two years at Charlton and quickly cemented himself within the first team, racking up over 100 appearances in three seasons. He left the club for £250,000, joining Reading – where he lasted another three seasons. From there he went on to Portsmouth, where he is probably most remembered; spending nine years with the South coast club. However, towards the end of his career, injuries persisted; eventually causing him to retire at the end of 2009.

Ismail Yakubu

Yakubu was once the longest serving member of the squad – joining at the age of 11 and signing a professional contract at 16. He made his debut at 17 at the same time he was taking his A Levels and was integral part of the squad – falling just short of 300 appearances, despite being plagued by injuries. After being released in 2010, he joined AFC Wimbledon, coming off the bench and scoring a penalty in their play-off final against Luton Town. He now plays for Blue Square Premier outfit, Newport County.

Simon King

Kingy, another long serving defender joined the club in 2003 and notched up over 150 appearances as well as winning Player of the Year in 2006/07. Unfortunately he left that season (although for a ripe sum of £200,000) and joined Gillingham where he’s currently playing – although an ankle injury kept him out for an entire season in 2009.

Albert Adomah

Albert was a much-loved member of the squad in his two years with the club. His tricks were something special and his performances were the highlight of what was, a terrible season. He always played with a smile on his face and his runs and flair were unpredictable – the majority of the time he was double marked by opponents, but he always managed to get passed them! He left the Bees in 2010, and now plays for Bristol City where he features regularly. Glad he’s been given the chance to play at a higher level, and he can only go on to bigger and better things!

Nicky Bailey

Nicky was another popular player amongst fans, particularly with the partnership he had in the centre of midfield with Deano – also leaving in 2007 for a fee. He joined Southend where he lasted a season (winning the Player of the Year award) and moved to Charlton for a large sum of £750,000. He now plays for Middlesbrough.

Dean Sinclair

Deano was a popular face amongst the squad throughout his three years with the club, and many were sad to see him go in 2007, despite the £125,000 we managed to get for him as he headed off to Charlton. Despite never playing, he also played on loan in numerous spells with Cheltenham and Grimsby; as well re-joining us for 3 matches. In 2010 he joined Grimsby Town, where he was loaned to Cambridge United. Released by the Mariners at the end of the season, he’s now a free agent.

Jason Puncheon

Puncheon, again, was another that gave the impression his time at Barnet would be limited as he’d be destined to go on to player in a much higher league. And that was the case when he signed for Plymouth Argyle in 2008. His time there was largely unsuccessful and spent most of the 18-months on loan at MK Dons, with three spells at the club. He joined Southampton in 2010 and played regularly under Alan Pardew; however when Nigel Adkins took over, he became out of favour – joining Millwall on loan, as well as then-Premiership outfit Blackpool. In his career, Jason, therefore, has managed to score in all four tiers of the Football League and I wouldn’t be surprised if he joins a Premiership club in the current window.

Giuliano Grazioli

Graz is a real Barnet man who lives and breathes the club. After his countless goals won us promotion to the Football League (and won golden boot for 2004/05), he joined Braintree Town and Dover Athletic before a horrific injury caused him to retire. After playing though, Graz joined Barnet again in April 2010 working in a behind-the-scene role as community development officer. He was then made assistant manager to Martin Allen last season, and after his shock departure, was made caretaker manager – managing the great escape! He is now assistant manager to Lawrie Sanchez. One word sums him up: legend!

Dougie Freedman

Dougie began his career with the Bees, joining from QPR’s youth team (he never made a first team appearance). He only lasted a season but scored 24 goals, propelling a £800,000 move to Crystal Palace. He spent 10 of his 16 playing years at Selhurst with three years in between at Wolves and Notts Forest. In his second spell with Palace, Dougie racked up well over 200 appearances and was given legend status for his time and services to the club. He ended his playing career with two years at Southend United before having his contract terminated to join Palace’s coaching staff. He’s now managing Palace where he’s held in highest regard. Of late he’s also continued to big us up on BBC’s Late Kick Off.

Next week’s ‘where are they now’ will look at the players involved in the first great escape of 2009/10 – the starting XI that managed to beat (already promoted) Rochdale in the final game of the season to preserve League status.

If there are any squads from yesteryear you would like to see included in this feature - whether it be from a season, or particular match – don’t hesitate to let me know.

Send suggestions / comments to my Facebook or Twitter.