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Questions
Update By: Eric Hitchmo 02/02/2013




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"Hello again. It's been a while hasn't it? I should apologise really, considering this is a website that professes an element of 'fanzine' about it, however the keyword in there is 'fan', and I just don't really feel like one of those of the moment.

The football itself isn't as dreadful as it has been. Edgar Davids has come in and made some drastic changes and now, whilst we are by no means out of the woods, our situation looks far more positive than it did after twelve games of the season where we had mustered three points. Upon thought, I do actually think that given a summer and a bit of a clearout, Davids could build a half decent side for next season, should we survive another League Two relegation battle that is. However, I have found myself questioning for the very first time whether I really, truly, want to be a part of that. As people who have been reading this site for the last few years will know, I have always had a bit of a downer on things, always taken the negative view, however I've not really got to the level where I'm questioning if I really want to be going anymore.

I have only travelled away from home twice this season. Yes, a change in circumstance may have played a part, but the overriding reason behind this is that I simply don't enjoy it anymore. Fewer and fewer people could continually justify the money they were spending which impacted on the social side of the away trip. When the football becomes as bad as it has done, the social side becomes almost all that there is left, and once that was gone I was finding it very hard to consider visiting Rochdale for the 7th time. Even the local games like Gillingham and Dagenham I found that the sofa and Soccer Saturday were far more inviting.

In all honesty, if we showed any signs of being any good, I might fancy going to a couple more aways. You could define that as fickle. You could say I'm supposed to stay with Barnet through thick and thin. I would argue that until the club start showing a bit of on-field ambition, which we have continually failed to do, as well as not treating us like fools, then I may consider getting back on the road. Until then, the local bookkeepers will take my money, not the overpriced turnstile and petrol fares of the average League Two away day.

That really is the crux of my argument. I have continually bleated about this, through sporadic updates on here but moreso on our Twitter page that the way us supporters are being treated is a little bit of a joke. It was bad enough a few months ago, but we are now THREE months away from playing our last game at our home of Underhill. Three months. I can't even recall the last time the club mentioned it. Communication has rarely been a Barnet FC stronghold, however this really beggars belief. I am staggered by the silence and the lack of respect this shows to the supporters. Not even a one-liner to say that discussions are ongoing. In around five months we are due to be playing our first game at a new ground, based on the last information we received. What do we know of it? Nothing. It really is laughable.

Though it is key, I'm not even going to get into the politics of whether the move to The Hive is the right thing to be doing. That particular debate rages on and on. It is clearly a matter of concern to all involved with Barnet, fraught with emotion and passion. People are happy with it, people are unhappy with it. What appears to be completely unanimous however is the feeling that the club are keeping us in the dark. Why is this? Even if there is nothing to tell (and I find that very difficult to believe when you factor in the timescales we are talking about), surely that could be stated?

I will ask the questions directly.

Why are Barnet Football Club failing to keep fans informed about one of the biggest steps in the club's history?
Where will Barnet Football Club be playing its home games next season?
Do Barnet Football Club believe that its fanbase has been extensively consulted about this move?

On the other hand, I may have some questions for supporters to consider too.

What pressure are the fans putting on the club to keep them informed?
If the fans are vehemently against the move to The Hive, why aren't those voices being heard?
Will those same fans simply give up, shrug their shoulders and stop going if we do move?
Do people actually care enough, or has the apathetic tide drained that feeling out of them?

There are more questions, but they are all along the same lines and I'm quite sure you get my drift by now. The club are not keeping the fans informed, and from where I'm sitting, far too many people are willing to accept it and not say anything about it. That leaves me confused, I must say.

Ugh. Shall we talk about football now?

Things still look rather precarious at the bottom of the table after two narrow defeats on the spin. Bristol Rovers was a game we could have done without losing really, however they look like they're going to fly out of trouble now that their managerial change has galvanised their efforts. I still fancy us to be safe, however let's not take too much for granted. Oddly, we haven't won any of the teams below 13th in the table. In fact that's quite ridiculous.

The bottom of the table has been a rather interesting place in the last few weeks, with everyone picking up wins all over the place. As a result there are sides who may be looking nervously over their shoulders in a League Two that is ever so tight. 18th placed Wycome are seven points off the Playoffs and ten points from the automatic spots with games in hand. They are also only eight points above safety. A good run or a bad run will shape the seasons of many in the middle. Even we could put a run together and be in contention. No, no, let's not be silly.

We can put our feet up today and hope that the teams around us stumble. I'll leave it on a footballing note as believe it or not, that's the only thing about Barnet that could be construed as positive at this point!

Back in six weeks."




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03/04/2013 Away
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