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Boxing Day Bore
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Plonkers go to Rodney Parade on Boxing Day
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By:
Max Bygraves
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27/12/2025
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This article has been viewed 446 times.
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Whoever in the Football League organisation was responsible for scheduling Barnet going to Newport County on Boxing Day, take a long and very hard look at yourself.
123 of us had the stupid idea to spend their Boxing Day in South Wales. Some of us may have dropped this in to their significant others’ at gone 10pm last night as a reasonable idea. Who knows quite how it was passed.
Come 11am Boxing Day morning, double-trousered, socked and suitably layered up, 5 of us made for the M4 West in my mate’s black cab. Sounds like the start of a bad joke. Arguably, it was.
I’ve explained here before how Newport County are opposition of significance to me. Having been born and spent the early years of my life a few miles away (notably not in Newport, I am keen to point that out given the state of the place), this was the first away game I’d looked out for on fixtures release. I was hugely disappointed to miss out on a likely weekender with old friends when it came out as December 26th. What proved a fleeting visit won’t live long in the memory.
We arrived and parked up just after 2pm. An easy motorway run with a Gavin and Stacey themed stop at Membury. Great services. Given the Baltic conditions and relative short time, we didn’t get to sample the delights of Newport city centre. It’s been a few years but I can’t emphasise just what a depressing state of affairs that is, in my experience. Instead, we made our way to the ground and plotted up in the very nicely set up away end bar. Inside, warm and unsurprisingly not very busy. Not quite South Welsh expected beer pricing but worth it for a toasty, heated space. Good selection on offer, too.
Anyway, we better get to the game itself. As mentioned last time, we’ve been spoilt in recent times in so many ways. Good football, busy away ends, enjoyable times. None really applicable here. No slight on anyone that didn’t make the Boxing Day trek by the way. Of those that did, it was a spread out and largely sat down affair. Always willing to dish out a bit of credit for those trying to make some noise but the ‘Last Christmas’ effort was a real low point amongst some pretty poor stuff. Sometimes quiet is better.
Simply, the match started as it meant to go on. Uneventfully. From early proceedings onward, there was little suggestion either team was going to bring much to the party.
On 16 minutes, Adam Senior recovered from a rare error to make a decent block on the line. That kept the scores level and then for the first of the first half, not much looked like changing this. We ended it the better side and it was apparent why Newport find themselves in the lowly predicament they do. A little hope was on offer in conversations back in the nice warm bar. It was unlikely to be vintage but a win didn’t seem unachievable.
After Joe Kizzi’s surprise return from the bench last Saturday, this time he was given a full 90 minutes. Don’t think anyone saw that coming. He acquitted himself well but was largely untroubled in the right back role. Just after the hour, Dennis Adeniran also reappeared for his first minutes since a cameo at the end of the game v Grimsby on September 20th. With Hugill in recent weeks too, it really isn’t over til it’s over in the current squad. Odds on when Ronnie Stutter comes back into the mix?
Maybe this is something of an indication that the up to now exceptionally high standard of recruitment under Dean Brennan has not been maintained this season. It did feel in the summer we were a little heavy on quantity with quality to be seen over time. It’s been a mixed bag thus far. Given some of those coming in have been at the expense of previously reliable individuals, it is all a little uncomfortable. A lot of people calling for January to change it up. There’s an element of alarm in that for me. Harking back to the early and pre-Brennan days of a hugely transient squad. It’s been great in recent years having a settled core who you can rely on and become fond of. Let’s hope anything in January simply tidies things up for a more settled period ahead.
I’ve veered away from the game because there’s really not very much to tell you. We looked the slightly better but it was a turgid affair. With fifteen to go, Adeniran had a slightly less high profile Gazza Euro 96 semi final-esque slide where he couldn’t quite reach the ball. That would have won it and done him a world of good.
The only other thing I made a note of in the second half was a poor attempt at a protest from the home fans at chairman Huw Jenkins. A half hearted ‘HUW OUT’ banner was briefly on display. Not much else made of it. It’s not surprising given recent results there’s such discontent although with their reported financial situation, it sounds like whoever is in charge without some new investment is facing an uphill task.
More changes followed. Of limited impact. By no means are yellow cards the barometer of entertainment, but the fact the first was issued in the 94th minute gives some indication of what a tepid affair this was.
The players received a decent applause at the end. Everyone probably just quite happy to warm their hands. It wasn’t one to hang around too long with a long drive ahead. Based on this evidence and their current plight, I don’t suppose we’ll be coming back to Rodney Parade anytime soon.
Thankfully, we managed a swift exit and I was back through my front door before 8pm. A brief nap and the first go at the newly discovered 501 appearance game during the journey. Like darts, you have to go from 501 to 0 but in this instance, naming Barnet players and the number of appearances they’ve made. Great, if frustrating fun. There’s your next away day time-filler; I know a good website to use to check your answers.
We are now 9 points off the play offs and 12 above the relegation zone. The very definition of mid table, if at least still the right side of that. Bristol Rovers capitulation today provides some hope for Monday. Crawley also not setting the world alight ahead of New Year’s Day.
This is a tough patch amplified by a number of should have been wins only being draws in the previous month. We’re still in a healthy position but hopefully one of the upcoming games against lowly opposition can provide the springboard to kick on.
Good luck to you if you’re going to Bristol, that was enough M4 for me today thanks. Onwards and upwards to watching Barnet in 2026. Very much take the way the last 12 months has panned out since we drew last Boxing Day.
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