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It’s Non-League, But Without The Charm
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A 5-0 home defeat by York does little to win the crowd over
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By:
Max Bygraves
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02/10/2022
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This article has been viewed 13485 times.
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Regular readers of this website will have noticed a shift towards a more positive tone in recent months. A fresh start, a new outlook, to an extent. If you’re here hoping to find some more of that after yesterday’s events at The Hive however, it’s going to be in short supply here.
I went to the game with a very good friend of mine who hasn’t been for a few years. Someone with a thirty plus year association with the club, but like many, a less happy or regular one since 2013. I’ve been trying to convince him to come and give things another go each game so far this season with no luck until now. What a moment to choose to re-introduce him to watching the club at this venue.
To go chronologically, before even setting off for the game, I found myself biting my virtual tongue on Twitter over the latest matchday graphic from the club. Yes, what a trivial thing to be bothered be; but what on earth is it all about? Red and black colours with a generic footballer in a non-descript kit. It looked a bit like the sort of card you’d receive on your 8th birthday in the 1990s, depicting two unknown teams playing. How hard would it be to use the club colours and a picture of a current player? Never mind something more creative or fun, but at least relevant.
This is a new season though. A new attitude. Let’s try and not get bogged down in minor details. In a conversation with a mate at half time, we were discussing how ‘not thinking about it all too much,’ is arguably the best approach. I fully agreed, this has definitely worked for me so far this campaign. But once at the ground for this one, it was hard to feign ignorance.
Arriving just after 3pm, we were slightly confused to find no teams on the field of play. Convenient for us, but odd. Sourcing an update for this proved somewhat difficult as the tannoy system wasn’t working in the main stand (along with the scoreboards, obviously). By 3:10pm, some sort of muffled noise suggested the delay would be continuing, so the decision was taken to head down to the bar.
Nothing new here. One person serving. No pre-poured pints (mind-boggling), very little movement of the queue. Someone who had finally managed to get a pint was explaining to others in the queue how he’d been informed they couldn’t fill the whole plastic glass due to a gas shortage. But they’d still been charged for the ¾ pint produced. The gas situation was rectified shortly later in fairness – a member of staff came through the bar with two cannisters in an Asda trolley…
It was at this moment, my friend provided the first of a number of amusing comments of the day: “It’s non-league – but without any of the charm.”
The additional 30 minutes prior to the 3:30pm kick off today (due to the club doctor not being around, it’s been reported. At the only club in this division with an on-site medical centre) allowed the club a chance to make a decent amount of additional profit.
However, the relentlessly logicless service system in the bar, combined with the club shop being shut without clear reason, meant money that may have been frittered away as a means of occupying time for some stayed firmly in their pockets.
I don’t think a deep analysis of the game itself is going to be a great read for anyone. This article is going to be long enough already. Fair to say it wasn’t very good. At 0-2 down, there were a few half chances to get back in the game, but it never looked likely.
From my angle, the red card seemed harsh. It looked to me as John-Lewis had done the more significant shoving. The lack of response by Barnet fans to Collinge being shown the red card either shows that I saw this totally wrong, or suggests an apathy and acceptance of an all too familiar situation by that stage of the afternoon. It really is hard to say which is more likely to be the case!
Heading back downstairs at half time, using the toilet facilities was another inditement of the care and interest in the supporter experience. The toilet walls still covered in posters promoting a ticket offer from six weeks ago in addition to the continued lack of a working hand dryer. A few knowing glances exchanged amongst several people suggesting we may be hoping for too much to expect such a luxury.
The beer queue appeared less at half time. See, I’m trying to find positives. Although perhaps it was more that people were deterred by the pre-match experience, or had possibly already gone home.
Those that did leave early were vindicated two minutes into the second half. 0-3, game over. The remaining 43 minutes were a tough watch. From the early viewings of this team, it looked as though whilst there would be some limitations, you didn’t get the sense this lot would just fold and give up. Not the case today. If York had really gone for it, things could have got really out of hand. It was dismal.
My friend, catching up with some old acquaintances at the bar, had decided not to head back up for the second forty five minutes. I got a text just before York’s fourth goal with another amusing quip. “It’s like a very bad Wetherspoons down here.”
Hard to argue. I know the BFCSA put out a couple of pleas last year to help ‘Barnet-ify’ the bar area. I’m assuming these fell on deaf ears. Although why this can’t be co-ordinated by the club is unclear. The TV area is so incredibly sterile. The bar looks good from a distance, until you see that none of the taps work and only one of the six available is being used to serve. It really isn’t the most inviting place for a drink – when it could be utiised so well, given the lack of other local options.
Back in the stands, three more key events before the whistle:
- An outstanding header back into play by a bloke at the front of the stand. The celebration to the crowd was superb too. Fair play and thank you – by far the highlight of the second half.
- Idris Kanu’s half volley, almost a one on one with the ball bouncing in the closing stages, which he managed to skilfully put into the gantry at the top of the away end. That would have taken some doing if he’d meant it.
- York scored a fifth goal. Salt in the wounds to make it consecutive weeks of conceding five goals. For most clubs, that would break a long-standing record. Not us.
Fair play to the players for fronting it up and coming over to applaud the fans at full time. I’m sure straight down the tunnel would have seemed the better option. Credit where it’s due. Whilst we’re coming towards the end of not the happiest article; now seems a good time to ask what on earth is that awful music they play at full time? I’ve noticed this after wins, too. It’s equally annoying then. What is it? Who chose it? Why does it happen? Please can we get rid? A fittingly horrible end to proceedings.
It’s really disappointing to write an article of this nature, and to see such a shift in every aspect of the matchday experience and atmosphere so quickly from where we were only a month ago.
At the Eastleigh game, the stands were full of local youngsters who’d been given free tickets. Why is this not being repeated game on game? Supporter engagement at every level appears to be back to zero, after a promising summer with the brilliant season ticket offer. If the aim was to genuinely deter people from going, you’d have to say this one was a real masterclass in discouraging future attendance. On and off the pitch.
To wrap up a miserable afternoon, the post-match interview with Dean Brennan posted on the club’s social media was a very uncomfortable watch. You can understand when the Premier League managers bite back at the mass media outlets, but talking to the in-house media guy like that is just simply rude. Not a good look. For all his enthusiasm and passion, Brennan’s background as a semi-professional manager has undoubtedly shone through in his recent media duties. Unlikely the digging out of some of the most consistent performers thus far for individual things after last week’s loss will have helped inspire today.
I’ll be there on Tuesday. I will very much be sticking with it. My fifth game of the season; the most in one campaign already for many years. It feels a big game in terms of arresting the current slide. How many digits in that attendance figure?
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