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We're Top Of The League, We're Having A Laugh
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Aldershot has to be one of the best away trips I can remember. The Conference had a lot of teams in and around the London area, which gave us a great excuse to wreck it up on the train. This was one of the first after the Canvey Island game on August Bank Holiday where we had gone top so we were guaranteed a good time.
We were into New Barnet for about 9am including a stop off for drinks, and were off. The traditional Finsbury Park change took us down to Victoria where we all got together in the Wetherspoons above the station, and our numbers totalled around 25. We needed to get to Clapham Junction, I'm not exactly certain how we did that because I'd already managed to get quite wrecked by this stage. Myself and a few others sampled the 'delights' of neat vodka before getting the last train to Aldershot before Kick Off.
Train Cancelled. Oh dear we thought. So a frantic rush to get on a train was formulated, and we ended up in Woking. 25 of us rushed off the train and legged it down the longest platform in history to our convoy of cabs that we had managed to order on the train. There was a bit of panic as with 20 minutes to go until Kick Off, we were stuck in Woking traffic. However, most of us managed to get in before or just after Kick Off.
I found my way into a tight space on an packed terrace, 603 Barnet fans had made the journey. Guiliano Grazioli gave us the lead after seven minutes which was met with some sustained Aldershot pressure. At this point I decided it would be appropriate to launch a one man tirade on striker Jonny Dixon who had a rather comical haircut (which is rich, coming from me). Needless to say, he went and scored and gestured to us by grabbing his hair. I remember thinking at the time that this was at me. I felt silly.
I was still having a moan when Richie Graham twisted and turned his way into the box and scored a marvellous goal which he made look easy. I went on a run from behind the goal back up to the terrace where the majority of fans were stood and joined the wild celebrations.
Again, we were to be pegged back by The Hair who smacked it into the back of the net with 15 minutes to go. That wasn't it though, with eight minutes left a long ball into the box wasn't dealt with, it was headed out and fell kindly to Simon King who sent an unbelievable volley straight into the back of the net. The scenes were just unbelievable, people were falling over themselves and others in pure joy, people were climbing on the nets at the back, others were just jumping and running around, I hugged people anyone who I ran into, people whose names I didn't know. It's the sort of moment that you watch football for, all too rare recently.
Barnet had won 3-2 at a strong Aldershot side whilst playing badly. To make things even better, Carlisle lost at struggling York meaning we went seven points clear at the top of the Conference and we were gonna make some noise about it. From Aldershot to Clapham, to Victoria and back home we sung our hearts out and let everyone know that we were top of the league.
As usual, many of the original group piled back into what was at the time, our regular pub. It wasn't unusual for us to be seen stumbling out of this venue in the early hours and this occasion was no different. I think we may have left at about half two this time around with merriment aplenty. I'm not entirely sure how I got home.
Perhaps the highlight of our Championship winning season. Absolutely superb.
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