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To be a lower league football supporter, there's got to be something a little
bit strange going on. A lot of us complain heavily about all manner of aspects
to do with our respective clubs, be it from lack of fans through the turnstiles
to silly midweek trips to random Northern outposts with 100 other people. What
is it that drives us to go to our run down stadia each week and leave
disappointed? What is it about the summer after finishing in 17th place, and
becoming increasingly desperate for that next fix of perennial disappointment?
I like to think that everyone is due a good season every once in a while. In
2004/2005 we had a season which could quite easily never be matched. Maybe it's
the notion that we could see that all happen again drives us each week. Or even
just one fantastic game once in a while. Even during the lowest of low points in
the 2008/2009 campaign, there was still a Rotherham away to remember and enjoy,
one of the most eventful Barnet game in years, by the way. Games and seasons
like that are worth going through the bad times for, however often we contradict
ourselves and say 'it's not worth this' after another away defeat.
We could just take the 'easy' way out and go and support Arsenal, or suchlike,
but for a number of reasons it just wouldn't feel right.
The last four Football League seasons have been tough for our little club. There
have been highlights, albeit sporadic, but largely it's been a disappointing and
at times horrible experience. Our best finish so far is just 12th, owing to all
sorts of reasons and theories that your average Barnet fan can spout. For the
record, I think it's the ground and setup, briefly put.
We've been a Non-League club for the larger part of our existence, but for now
we are in the basement of the Football League. For all its shortcomings and
stupidly Northern bias, it's a good old laugh here and maybe one day, we'll go
and win it and play in, wait for it, League One! And won't that open up a whole
new barrel of laughs... |
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