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We can never get it right, can we?
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By:
Max Bygraves
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03/08/2025
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This article has been viewed 957 times.
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Look, I know we moan here sometimes. Guilty as charged. We do try and celebrate and enjoy the good times, too. I feel that we have to be transparent on days like yesterday despite a genuine desire to not be negative. We all know supporting Barnet can be a labour of love but more often than is reasonable or realistic, we have to make concessions to do so. This one was not ok. This one was shit.
I normally can shake off our various inadequacies to enjoy a game of football. This, however, was a really difficult afternoon on an occasion that was earmarked for positivity and celebration.
Barnet debuting in the football league isn’t a new thing. This was the 4th occasion and first ever at The Hive for the opening game. Expectation was understandably high. Let’s pick up where we left off, we all thought. A summer of good recruitment on the back of that season of utter magic. Let’s bloody go.
Before the game, the club announced they’d be promoting the Bring Barnet Back campaign. A great one to choose this in terms of profile with the Sky cameras there and pleasing to see the club push it. It has to stay at the top of everyone’s agenda. Sadly, many of us didn’t see get to see this.
I got to the ground at 2:40pm having got a lift from the Railway Tavern in New Barnet. The mood was high over a couple of drinks in the place where we’d finished last season’s party. We were met with quite a sight as we turned the corner by the ticket office. Myself and a friend were stranded at the back of the queue at the end of the car park. Within a few minutes, this queue extended right out to the exit on Camrose Avenue. Even for Barnet, this was unbelievable.
The queue seemed to pick up pace at some points and then grind to a complete halt again. There was no explanation from anyone official. Whilst waiting, more than one season ticket holder walked back in the other direction explaining that their ticket had been declined as the club had sold their seat to someone else. There were two guys stood behind us who were clearly first time visitors. I offered them an apology. It was genuinely embarrassing.
It was disappointing being stood outside as we kicked off our return to the Football League. You could see swathes of empty seats in the stand. Deprived of that pre game roar and excitement. For a good chunk of those stood outside, loyalty through the not so good times very much not being rewarded.
Once at the gate, we then had the fun of some tickets working and others not. Some decided to squeeze through the fence at the side in an attempt to get in. Not the right thing to do, of course, but an understandable course of action that I’ll admit to considering but not doing. I was fortunate enough that a steward on the gate I chose pressed something to open the turnstile as my card was saying already used. Omnishambles.
Once in the ground, of course, I found my seat and others’ season tickets around me filled. They were taken by other season ticket holders, who had people in their seats. After a bit of a reshuffle, everyone managed to get a spot. Legends stand was sold out - a bit of a missed opportunity the rest of Stand 66 wasn’t opened for general sale beforehand. In the end, the far right hand block was used as an overspill for displaced season ticket holders. A lovely return to action, having to sit in a different stand to your ticket and in some cases, away from friends or family.
It appeared that we’d be able to forget our off field issues via the football at first, at least. We looked bright and minutes after finally entering the ground at 3:10pm, we had the ball in the net. A fine finish by Danny Collinge but no sooner had the ball hit the net, the linesman flagged for offside. It looked the right call on the footage.
Similar to Tuesday against Newport, after a positive first quarter, one chaotic moment swung the pendulum Fleetwood’s way. Let’s be really clear here, Owen Evans has been outstanding for Barnet. His performances last year were near flawless. He has a lot of credit in the bank. However, it was a howler of a moment as he mis-controlled on the edge of his area and gifted the ball to Fleetwood’s new number nine, Will Davies. A horrible goal to concede. Hopefully he will bounce back from that quickly.
It was clear Brennan was unhappy by the time it took to get his deal done over the summer and has cited this as less than ideal prep. I hear him. However, I also think if you want to be the empathetic club we say we are that appreciate players’ lives away from the pitch, you have to consider the enormity of relocating with a new baby, as has been well publicised that Evans and his partner have. Seriously hope that relationship isn’t damaged or that there is further adverse affect on performances going forward. We need him, he’s bloody brilliant.
The rest of the first half wasn’t much to write about. Fleetwood took control of the game and looked extremely well organised and resolute.
It was my mate’s turn to do the half time beer run for this one. Pre-game, they apparently finally did pre-pour some pints. A tiny win there. Intrigue abounded for the interval. After he left on 37 minutes, when I joined him just as we entered first half stoppage time, he was still in the queue. Pre-pour before the game, but not for the half time rush. You couldn’t make it up. There were more servers than last time but huge, snaking queues around the bar. I can only really use this word again; it was an utter shambles. Still no sign of a price list either for those extortionate drinks. It was cheaper to get a pint at Oasis at Wembley the other day than several of the options at Barnet.
Lots of head shaking and frustration in the bar at half time, at events both on and off the pitch.
That got worse in the early stages of the second half. From a rapid attack, Evans made a good initial save but only pushed it out to Elliot Bonds who finished decisively to double Fleetwood’s lead. Though we’d shown our ability to mount a comeback in midweek, it felt hard to see a way back from here.
We never really threatened to do so until the latter stages. Collinge close again to a goal, this time denied by the post. Prior to this, however, the visitors had looked the more likely. Bringing on forwards like James Norwood and Ched Evans as substitutes does suggest a real level of strength in depth. Both went close to getting on the scoresheet but we managed to keep them out.
It was a very unusual feeling succumbing to defeat at The Hive. It has been a long time. Ultimately, Fleetwood played well and a number of our key players didn’t. As with Evans, the likes of Glover and Hartigan have masses of credit in reserve and can be excused an off-day. Although it was great to see Callum Stead return from the bench, having had zero pre season, this was a slightly puzzling choice. He didn’t look quite ready or his usual energetic self.
It’s clear to me at this stage that Brennan is yet to quite work out his strongest eleven, not everyone is fit enough yet and there is an element of new players needing to gel. Nothing is a great panic. In some ways, an underwhelming opening result might not be the worst thing to start off. It’s great that we’re being tipped to do so well by so many, but a reality check on the step up is unlikely to do anyone too much harm.
Those that hung around for one in The Hive Bar afterwards were quite philosophical about things. No big over reaction needed. I’d love to have another high achieving season, however, I’ve seen us return to League 2 before. We’ve never found it easy. I’d very much take mid table mediocrity at this stage. Apologies if that’s perceived as negative though feels more pragmatic to me. I won’t hide my disappointment though that on my new nostalgically purchased football league ladder (for the kids, obviously…ahem) that I had to direct my daughter to put us in 23rd on its first use this morning. Let’s hope we’re changing that in the right direction next Sunday.
One final gripe; please change that awful music that’s played when we don’t win. It’s been there for ages. It’s got no long standing fond affinity for anyone. It takes me back to watching us lose on a stream during covid. Bin it. Please.
See you at Bromley - if the tickets ever go on sale. Maybe it’s not just Barnet after all…
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