Two minutes with… Brentford

It was another cup competition for Barnet on Tuesday night, in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy this time, as fellow Bees, Brentford came to Underhill in the area semi-finals. The winners were to face the winners of Southend V Swindon in the regional finals, a two-legged affair. Brentford fan Terry Latham went to the game, and in this edition of ‘two minutes with…’ shares his experience.

06/12/11
Barnet 0–0 Brentford (5–3 on penalties)
(Hughes, Holmes, Deering, McLeod, Senda – Alexander, Reeves, Saunders)
Attendance 1.970 (away 899)

How did you get to the game?

Living in Hutton, Essex, I went by train. I went to Liverpool Street, before getting the tube to High Barnet on the Northern line, via Tottenham Court Road.

What did you do pre-match?

I met a few mates en-route at Tottenham Court Road and had a few drinks at a pub there.

Where did you stand/sit in the ground?

I stood on the away (East) terrace.

What did you make of the game?

I thought the game was very poor – as the scoreline suggests (0–0 at the end of 90 minutes).

Was the scoreline a fair reflection?

I felt Brentford were the better side and could have won the game in the first 20 minutes – but we were guilty of not taking our chances. Although credit has to go to Barnet’s keeper for pulling off some outstanding saves to keep them in the game. I have no real complaints, I’ve seen us play a number of times this season and know we’re capable of better. Well done to Barnet for scoring all their penalties.

Who, in your opinion, was man of the match?

That has to be Dean Brill, Barnet keeper for some of the saves he pulled off.

Who have you got next and how do you think you’ll get on?

Back to League action for us after two bad results in Cup competitions (the FA Cup and JPT). It’s Hartlepool at Griffin Park. On paper, we should win this one, particularly as Hartlepool haven’t won a game in a while now, and sacked their manager. However, we need to play better and take our chances.

Thanks Terry.

Important dates:

Barnet V Swindon (first leg) – Underhill – Tuesday 10^th January

Swindon V Barnet (second leg) – County Ground – Date to be confirmed

Two minutes with… MK Dons

Saturday saw us face MK Dons at home in the second round of the FA Cup. I think it’s fair to say when the draw was televised, nobody really wanted them – an easy tie would have been a bye to the third round when the Premiership and Championship teams join in. Dan (@MKdan08) came to the game and shares his post-match thoughts:

03/11/11
Barnet 1–3 MK Dons
(McLeod ’87 – Potter ’39, MacDonald ’78, Powell ’88)
Attendance 2,608 (away 912)

How did you get to the game?

I came via coach, which dropped us off at the pub next to the stadium.

What did you do pre-match?

I went to the pub for a quick drink before going into the ground where I watched the players warm-up; grabbing some food and a programme.

Where did you stand/sit in the ground?

I stood on the East Terrace, next to the food bar.

What did you make of the game?

The game was great: good possession at times from both sides, despite some sloppy play. It was really exciting with chances at both ends. The best team won though – if you don’t take your chances, you deserve to be punished.

Was the scoreline a fair reflection?

I suppose so as both teams had chances – Barnet didn’t take advantage of theirs, though.

Who, in your opinion, was man of the match?

I thought that Darren Potter for MK was man of the match – he scored a great goal, set up opportunities for the team and played a great passing game.

Who have you got next and how do you think you’ll get on?

It’s back to League games for us next weekend and we play Tranmere away. I reckon we’ll win, as they’re not doing too well at the moment. We have a good chance.

Thanks Dan

My final word:

It’s always disappointing to be dumped out of the Cup early on (particularly before the third round when the big teams join in!) and on a different day, we could have sneaked at least a draw. It’s fair to say that wasn’t our best performance of the season, and although once again we looked decent going forward, we didn’t take our chances. McLeod, in particular squandered countless chances, despite scoring our (consolation) goal. There’s no doubt he’s a quality player who will probably leave us shortly for a bigger, better club, but at times you have to question his decisions – he’s awful at one-on-ones and there were two chances in the game, where, had he squared it to another player, would have resulted in goals. It was great to see Ricky Holmes back after some time out and for me, Sam Deering played very well. There’s always next year…

The FA Cup: is the magic gone?

Fan Poll:

Following on from my previous piece, I thought it apt to ask readers for their opinion, asking: ‘Has the FA Cup lost its magic?’ with the results shown below.

To make this particular entry different from others I have done before, I thought it only right to ask football fans for their reasons for voting the way they did. With a handful of teams from Non-League playing in round two, I was interesting in hearing their views. Added to this are the views of a fan so used to not having to qualify for the cup, so imagine the disappointment when not only their team had to join the preliminary stages, and then not even making the first round proper!

AFC Totton are a club in the Southern League (for those who don’t know, this is the league below the Conference North/South), who face Bristol Rovers on Sunday. Ryan is an AFC Totton fan:

“It’s been a fantastic FA Cup run so far and I’m cautiously optimistic of continuing it for a little while longer against Bristol Rovers. The town is buzzing. Ever since the draw was made, it’s all anyone in Totton is talking about. Totton have never made the first round proper in our 125-year history, so to reach round two this season is incredible; this game will be like our cup final. It’s also the first time we have ever played against Football League opposition in a competitive match AND the first time we’ve ever been on live TV. The financial implications are huge. We’ve already made £40,000 in prize money so far, and the club will receive about £72,000 in TV revenue – big money for a club of our size. Win or lose there will be a real party atmosphere at the Testwood Stadium this Sunday.”

You can follow Ryan on Twitter @Ryn_Bru; as well as the club’s official Twitter feed @AFCTotton, which Ryan runs. Check out his blog for match reports and other Totton related articles.

Another team playing at the weekend are Salisbury City from the Conference South, who face Grimsby Town. Liam is a Salisbury fan:

“Some may say the FA Cup has lost its magic, but come to the Ray Mac and you’ll see that it really hasn’t! After starting our Cup campaign in September, slogging through the qualifying rounds, all of a sudden the city has sparked to life, especially when the word ‘proper’ gets used. It’s amazing how it pulls people in and creates a buzz around the place – it captures the city and gives it that spark that doesn’t happen in the league. This being only the third time we’ve reached the second round means it’s a huge thing for the club and the players involved. Only two-thirds of the squad have been involved in the proper rounds and it’s a great chance for the club to make history. Grimsby Town will be a test but realistically it’s the biggest chance to the make the third round we’ll ever get! It’ll be nice to see a big crowd and decent away support – we haven’t had one of them since our conference days! Forest was great in 2006, and a 1–1draw was deserved… hopefully these lads can go one better and mix it with the big boys!”

You can find Liam on Twitter @LiamSCFC

It’s not been a great time to be a Lincoln City fan of late – the club stared relegation to the Blue Square Premier in May, not only losing Football League status, but also having to qualify for the FA Cup. In the final qualifying round they faced Alfreton Town and after drawing 1–1, they then went on to lose the replay 2–1, meaning they failed to qualify for the Cup for the first time since 1924/25. Karl is a Lincoln City fan, who despite his club’s misfortunes, believes the magic of the cup is still very much alive:

“Having to qualify for the FA Cup this season was very strange, due to the fact it was the first time I’ve had to experience it, what with it being my first season as a Lincoln City supporter outside of the Football League. The qualifying rounds made me realise how much I took for granted that instant first round proper status, having that privilege and not needing to qualify. However, I guess it could have been made harder, particularly given all the other qualifying rounds prior to when we joined. I felt this season was more important than ever to at least make round one – to generate some much needed revenue, and hope for a cup run before reaching one of the big boys. All those dreams were diminished, however, losing at home in the replay 2–1. Even though we didn’t qualify for round one this season, I still love the FA Cup and one day hope to have that dream tie at Old Trafford. In my experience as a lower league fan, there is nothing more exciting than seeing the cup draw on TV on the Sunday waiting in anticipation to see who you get – hoping one of the minnows could cause an upset. I still think the magic of the cup is very much alive, especially by the third round stage with the big boys joining in.”

You can follow Karl on Twitter @Lincoln_Karl

The FA Cup: is the magic gone?

“The FA Cup doesn’t start until January” is something I’ve heard far too often of late, and, in my opinion, epitomises everything wrong with the modern game. Chances are, if you support a team from the comfort of your own armchair or are a real supporter of a Premiership or Championship side, these are the sentiments you agree with. For the football fan of the lower leagues, this isn’t the case and is a competition that started months ago.

For me the Cup starts in the first round proper (the clue is kinda in the name) – when the teams of the lowest end of the Football League join those luckiest from its preliminary qualifying rounds. I’m not just saying that because it’s the point in which my team join – if we were to join any later, I’d be saying the same and if we had to qualify, I’m not sure I’d have that same kind of buzz about playing for a place in the competition. Obviously this is with no disrespect to those teams of the lowest end of the footballing pyramid – the cup run and money it accumulates is probably of great importance to them and their fans – but the preliminary stages are just that. For me it’s all about the proper rounds!

Bearing money in mind, though, I honestly never realised how much money was involved in the Cup. After researching, I couldn’t believe how many teams are initially involved. Take a look at this:

Round                                        Clubs                     Prize moneyExtra Preliminary                          763                          £   750
Preliminary                                  559                          £  1500
First round qualifying                    392                          £  3000
Second round qualifying               276                          £  4800
Third round qualifying                   196                          £  7500
Fourth round qualifying                 156                          £12500
First round                                   124                          £18500
Second round                               84                           £27500

I suppose when you look at it from the point of view of the likes of say, Redbridge, the lowest ranked team playing the second round, you see the importance of the qualifiers and cup progression. The sums of money involved obviously mean a great deal to those at the lowest ends of the football pyramid.

I won’t lie, I don’t really follow the cup in its preliminary stages, although I do tend to have a quick glimpse to see how my local teams are getting on (maybe in hope we’ll face them at some point!). Living in Essex and not supporting a club from the county means there are plenty of teams to look out for and I love looking out for those representing the county at the lowest levels. Both Billericay and Brentwood Town are a mere five miles away from my house and as they both regularly feature in my local paper, the Brentwood Gazette, I often check how they’re faring in their respective leagues. This season in the FA Cup, Brentwood got knocked out in the first round of qualifying, losing to Hemel Hempstead Town in the replay (4–2 on penalties) and Billericay did slightly better, losing to Leatherhead 3–0 in the third round of preliminary qualification. East Thurrock and Southend Manor are two other teams slightly further afield that made the final round of qualifying and the first round proper respectively. But for me, the pick of the bunch has to be Chelmsford City – the Clarets play Macclesfield Town in the second round over the weekend.

Of late the Cup hasn’t been too kind to us: last year we were paired up with Charlton Athletic in round one; despite two great performances we were knocked out at The Valley after a 1–0 defeat in the replay (0–0 at Underhill). The previous year we were knocked out of round two, at the hands of Accrington Stanley (again in the replay), after beating Darlington in the first round. The 08/09 season again saw us gone from the competition in its first proper stages – losing to Rochdale – and despite a decent round one tie against Southport this year, we face the MK Dons in the second round. To say it’s not to our likely is a real understatement.

No matter the round and regardless of whether or not we are still in the competition, I always get excited for the Cup draw. I’m not sure what exactly is about it, but for as long as I can remember, it has been my personal highlight of FA Cup weekend – waiting with anticipation through all the discussion for it to start. I think it’s a mix of nerves and excitement, simultaneously – if we’re in the cup, will we be home or away? Who will we be playing? Will we face a non-league outfit? Could we cause a Cupset? If we are knocked out, who could we have been facing?

The coverage it gets (although not as good as it once was, some my say) and the fact it involves teams from the very extremes of football: the highest positioned teams and the lowest, set it apart from all other cup competitions. With a handful of teams from Non-League still involved in round two mean Cupsets are still on the cards and for me, the magic of the cup is still very much alive.

Two minutes with… Macclesfield Town

For the first of many Friday night games planned for the Bees this season, Macclesfield Town came to Underhill last week. For me it was the first game since that horror defeat – 6–3 to Burton Albion – and we beat the Silkmen 2–1. In this instalment I managed to get the views from Macclesfield fan, Ryan and Adam (aka @adamswfc), a neutral who came to the game with his mate.

25/11/11
Barnet 2 – 1 Macclesfield Town
(McLeod ’41 ’45 – Hamshaw ’61)
Attendance 2,200 (away 142)

How did you get to the game?

Ryan: I came down on the coach, put on by the Silkmen Supporters’ Trust.

What did you do pre-match?

Ryan: I went to the Old Red Lion pub, just behind Underhill.

Where did you sit/stand in the ground?

Ryan: I sat behind the goal in the ‘fake seats’ [the North East family stand].

What did you make of the game?

Adam: There was a lack of creativity in the first half, with long ball tactics being employed – eventually leading to two Barnet penalties (which were slightly soft). In my opinion, the referee favoured the home side. Barnet’s number 10 [Sam Deering] looked a very decent player, and should have been man of the match.

Was the scoreline a fair reflection?

Ryan: No the score wasn’t fair.

Adam: Probably not – I’d say Macclesfield created more chances, but couldn’t finish. The Barnet penalties were a bit dubious and they only really started playing in the second half.

Who, in your opinion was man of the match?

Ryan: Jose Veiga.

Who have you got next, and how do you think you’ll get on?

Ryan: It’s FA Cup weekend and we play Chelmsford City in the second round. I think Macc will win 3–1.

Thanks lads.

My final word:

Unbeaten throughout November, and finally good to turn our cup performances into League games. Although it wasn’t a particularly good game, largely unhelped by the tactics employed by Macclesfield (particularly in the second half), I think everyone is more than happy with the three points that get us further from the drop-zone. It’s the first game to I’d been to since Burton at home, so was pleased to see a couple of the new loan signings in action – even more so, after hearing many good things about them over the last couple of weeks or so. The two defenders Jack Saville (from Southampton) and Michael Hector (from Reading) impressed me, and have definitely helped to stabilise the back four. Maybe the turnaround is finally on…

Who’d be a football manager?

Being a football manager must be a tough job, because let’s be honest, unless you are the calibre or have the successes of the likes of Sir Alex, you never know when you’ll be hitting the firing line. There will always be someone else out there who can do a better job than you! If you take into account all the money involved in the modern game, particularly in the top flight, the chances of job security are very slim – having money pumped into a club which reaps no real benefit or reward can only consequentially mean you’re back on the job search. And football fans have the right to express their displeasure when needed, as after all, it is them paying their hard-earned money to watch their teams. If the fans aren’t happy surely those who are the reason behind their unhappiness should hear about it. That’s not to say sometimes it’s taken one step too far…

For an example of that just take this first example of Glenn Roeder. I quite clearly remember back in 2001 when he was made manager of West Ham. At school a lot of the boys were Hammers fans and season ticket holders and I clearly remember them, and plenty of others being unhappy with the decision – particularly given the other names circulated in the media for the role. However, as is usually the case in these kinds of scenarios, they were willing to give him a chance. Coming originally from a London borough in Essex, West Ham was a reasonably local club for him, so there was no need for relocation. In fact, at this time, he was living in the next town from me (in Shenfield) and my family and I had seen him and his family about in the high street a number of times (I don’t think we ever spoke to him though). The club were going through a rough patch, which saw them in the relegation place at Christmas (which eventually saw them demoted), but the way in which he was treated shocks and sickens me, even to this day. It began with hate mail and death threats to him in his family, which were posted through the letterbox of his family home – both of which were totally unjustified – but eventually culminated in the vandalism and attacking of his home, by angry ‘fans’. It began with bottles through windows. I still recall it making the local newspaper, as well as obviously all the national reports. I think it was the fact that occurred so close to me and it was most likely to be local people behind it that scared me the most – of course, I was fairly young at the time. The fear that people could treat someone and the family of someone they didn’t personally know in that way was slightly harrowing. The abuse the family got as a result of his management was totally unnecessary and could well have been a reason behind his own personal health. I am all for expressing what you feel, but in this case, it was just one step too far.

Now to Barnet, which from an outsider’s view may appear somewhat like a circus, particularly when you look back at last season. I don’t think I have ever known two managers to be as disliked (openly disliked as well) as Mark Stimson of the previous campaign, and Lawrie Sanchez of this. Let’s start with the former. A ‘funny’ appointment it has to be said, particularly given his previous record. In all fairness he was given a chance, but it was near impossible to with some of the 17 or so signings he made and the final straw came on Tuesday November 2^nd, following a 3-0 home defeat to rivals Stevenage. Really that should have been the end of it all – the humiliation of defeat in that way, the ineptitude he possessed, that single dire performance – but of course, it wasn’t. Every week the boos and jeers got louder and louder. It even got to the stage whereby someone even brought a “Stimson Out” banner to Underhill, only for it to be confiscated and the perpetrators to be ejected from the ground. The phrase ‘truth hurts’ springs to mind and I believe we went about it all the right way, there was no violence or vandalism…

Now onto the man behind our frustrations this season. Some fans are still undecided and there is a definite divide amongst the masses as to whether we should get behind him or want him gone. In all truth, he has done very little to endear himself to the faithful and the fact of the matter is that his past experience is, well, in the past! Very little has changed in this space of time: we find ourselves in a similar League position, we still concede unnecessary goals and too many of them, and don’t really look like improving. The fact he has taken the glory for our survival from last season is almost laughable and in no way a fair representation of what really happened. The way he presents himself to the media, whether that be talking about us or other aspects of football hasn’t helped matters. The comments regarding Nigel Worthington and hinting at a return to the national side only angered fans more and encouraged the weekly chants of “Sanchez for Ireland”. I can’t help but think had he kept that quiet, not so many would constantly be calling for his head. However, the complete contradictions he makes are somewhat confusing:

Friday 14^th October – “Lawrie says the squad is good enough”

Sunday 30^th October – “Lawrie Sanchez accepts the blame”

There is quite a big difference in what he says from one minute to the next – “the squad is good enough” … “I can’t find two in the centre half positions that work – new players need to be brought in”.

Fair enough, this has now been addressed with three defenders being brought in on monthly loans, but surely this should have been arranged sooner – and as a manager, this should have been his responsibility and priority. Obviously injuries (particularly to the back four), but the squad is not dissimilar from last season. If it wasn’t good enough then, he had plenty of time and windows of opportunity to do something about it.

Of course negativity gets you nowhere and probably doesn’t help the players on match day with the boos and chants, but I don’t think really, it should affect them in anyway – after all, the fans’ frustrations aren’t aimed at them! It would also be interesting to hear the opinions of those in the dressing room, as I can’t see him having any real control or ownership; especially if his demeanour is as blank as his expression from the dugout on a match day.

Fans’ poll

The question asked this time was ‘have you, or would you ever consider booing your own manager?’ – with the results being shown below:

I don’t think it’s any real surprise that ‘yes’ shaded it as football fans these days are known for saying and showing how they feel – particularly when their teams aren’t performing. Managers are under pressure the majority of the time, and even the views of fans could have an impact on their jobs. The people that voted ‘no’ were clearly not Barnet fans, either!

Two minutes with… Burton Albion

It took me a while to find one (over a week in fact), but ‘Two minutes with…’ this time round comes from the point of view of Burton Albion fan, Adam Drew (@adamBAFCdrew, on Twitter). Another day for us to forget in terms of the scoreline, but a thriller nonetheless at Underhill. Thanks to Adam for his contribution.

29/10/11
Barnet 3–6 Burton Albion
(McLeod ’39, Holmes ’55, Deering ’88 – Kee ’7 ’31 ’62, Yussuf ’74, Dyer ’84, Zola ’90+4)
Attendance 1,745 (away 209)

How did you get to the game?

I went on the coach, leaving from a pub called The Beacon.

What did you do pre-match?

I went to the Queens Arms for a few pre-match beers and a meal. Lovely pub – and the meals for were two for the price of one!

Where did you sit/stand in the ground?

I stood in the away end, next to the fence where Barnet’s fans stood. The bantrer exchanged between the fans was very good. It started off with Barnet’s fans singing about their 4-1 win over us last season, and continued to the songs until they equalised at 2-2. However, they were a lot quieter when we slammed in three goals to go 5-2 up.

What did you make of the game?

It was a fantastic game to watch – a goal-fest and great for the neutral. It was a tale of two awful defences, and could have ended up about 8-8.

Was the scoreline a fair reflection?

Yeah, I thought it was fair on the day. But if Barnet sort out their defensive troubles, they will climb the table as they are brilliant going forward.

Who, in your opinion was man of the match?

Our hat trick hero Billy Kee. He scored three fantastic goals that the keeper had no chance of stopping and worked extremely hard all game.

Who have you got next, and how do you think you’ll get on?

We have got Oldham Athletic in the first round of the FA Cup. Since the Barnet match, we’ve played Aldershot away and Macclesfield at home in the League. The FA Cup is famous for its upsets after all, anything can happen.

Thanks Adam

My final word:

Not much to say at all was there. It seems that every week our defence look like they’ve never met, and in truth, are as bad if not worse than last season. You don’t play a match, scoring three goals and expect to lose – but for every goal we seem to net, we concede countless more. It’s really frustrating as we are so good going forward, and most teams in the League would probably love to have Izale playing upfront for them. Luckily since the Burton game we’ve got two defenders in on loan, so hopefully they’ll make a difference!