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Competitive
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Point taken…
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By:
Max Bygraves
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16/11/2025
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This article has been viewed 472 times.
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Cambridge away felt like one that couldn’t really be missed. Incredibly easy to get to by road or rail. It falling on a free weekend other commitments-wise; a no brainer. Big old pang of nostalgia for this one, too. The first away game I was ever allowed to go to unaccompanied by an adult was to The Abbey Stadium for an LDV Vans Semi Final clash in January 2002. I didn’t take my home made ‘Barnet Boyz On Tour’ sign with me this time, unfortunately. According to the fun tracking feature of your games on this site, this was my 200th Barnet away game in this timespan. Given a decade in the middle of largely avoiding, I’d say that’s a suitably unhealthy number although aware many are far more unwell than me.
A cancelled train at Oakleigh Park looked to put pre-match beers in jeopardy. Some quick thinking, if I do say so myself, to get on a train going south and then jump on a direct route from Alexandra Palace resolved this. No time lost at all. You didn’t need to know that, but nice to celebrate the little wins, eh?
Arriving in Cambridge, we plotted up in the Cambridge Blue. A lovely oldy worldly affair with a vast selection for all. Very pleasant and via The Dobblers Inn, we made it to the ground for just after kick off after a turnstile queue. Not just a Barnet thing, then.
Two things before we move onto the football. The first thing I noted was the sticker wall for away fans. Having been to the loos, not everyone adhered to this, but a good idea nonetheless. Maybe three things actually, on the subject of the toilets. Enjoy pissing against a wall at football whilst you can. I had a half time conversation with someone on their first Barnet away day who was bemoaning how it wasn’t all that nice here. As I said to them, we need to protect venues like this all we can. It’ll be a sad day when we don’t go to places like The Abbey anymore. Run down and basic - absolutely brilliant.
I’ve got distracted but the second thing I was going to highlight I was Cambridge’s kit. Simple question, really. Why is that not ours? Very simple. Exactly the right colour. One day, maybe. Black and amber.
The next thing of note on entering the away end was how full it was. 992 Barnet supporters was an obscenely good turnout and surely a lot more than any of us anticipated. On the train back in the evening, we were struggling to recall anything like this for a run of the mill mid-season game. This weekend last year (with no Prem games) we took 532 to Dagenham. That felt significant at the time but this blew it out the water. You know it already but ultimately, this has to be credited to the man in dugout. Dean Brennan has brought our club back from the dead and all credit to him for continuing to give us days like this.
I’d love to give a real run down of the game but there really isn’t much to say. On 38 minutes, Idris Kanu forced a decent save out of the Cambridge keeper. A spell of Barnet corners followed and a chance Collinge squandered followed but otherwise, that was that.
Cambridge’s away half time set up looked good on paper but was very reminiscent on The Hive. Slow moving queues and a lot of frustration in a very busy bar area.
After an enjoyable breather under the stand, we were back at it and always looked the more likely.
Without much to say about the game, I’d like to use this juncture to say how ‘proper’ the whole thing felt. A swelled away following was complimented by a near sell out home end. As alluded to earlier, The Abbey Stadium is a proper football ground. The rain and dark only added to the occasion. Some great tackles flying in. The steam-like effect of the rain in front of the dominant floodlights looked great. Real football, real fans as a slogan went some quarter of a century ago.
It wasn’t a bad 0-0 but not much happened either way. Callum Stead put in an unbelievable display. My ears were hurting last week when someone behind me suggested our talisman was ‘shit’ and ‘not good enough for this league.’ Yes, we’d all like a better goal return from our number 10 but today was evidence (not that it was needed) about what he brings to our team. Paul Fairclough would have loved to legitimately call him a warrior. He really is. To me, it feels like the goals will come but his overall contribution deserves recognition. Our crisp packet hero.
I’m unusually stuck for much else to say. We were the better side and you’d never have thought Cambridge were the home team. They never asked any serious questions and it was Barnet who pushed for the winner. On this occasion, Oli Hawkins off the bench did not work. No headers won and abject showing from the big man. My head slightly fried by the bloke behind me deriding his every move. We have better footballers but as we saw last week, his role can be effective in certain scenarios. This just wasn’t one of them.
A goal to send the busy away end into raptures would have been a real treat but it wasn’t to be. Brennan and the players rightly got a decent bit of adulation as they came over at the end. We’ve hit the buffers a bit in terms of drawing rather than taking all three points but we’re still in a good place.
Most of my memories of watching Barnet in this division involve turning up to games merely hoping for the best. There are obviously games we are less likely to be successful in but at the moment, there’s no one in the league we should fear. We’ve worked out how to play in League 2 very quickly and are holding our own better than that wobbly start ever suggested.
A tough assignment next week at Gillingham. Another game where a point would be welcomed before looking to get back to winning ways at home to Harrogate to finish the month. But it’s not beyond the realms of going and taking all three.
A 12:30 kick off for tele will reduce numbers somewhat. It’s a horrible away experience there which can really be amplified if it’s a wet and windy one. Due to other things going on, it is looking like the comfort of the sofa at home for me. If you are going, don’t forget your waterproofs.
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