It’s the most wonderful time of the year. There’ll be parties for hosting, burgers for roasting, and carolling out in the snow. There’ll be scary ghost stories, and tales of the glories of Christmas wins long, long ago. In reality it was dark, chucking it down, and there was only Tesco Pete for company. To top it all, there was another dose of bad wind too. Our 195-mile journey south was already feeling like a magical Christmas.
There was chaos in our favourite Northamptonshire breakfast stop, service was running 45 minutes late, and our usual table was already taken. Hundreds of over excited children were running in all directions; the noise was deafening. There were strong rumours that Santa was in the building. We were just at the point where a hungry and grumpy Tesco Pete was going to pick up a nearby microphone to share a few festive truths, when our food arrived. On the way out, a bedraggled and exhausted looking Santa appeared from behind a curtain, ‘Good luck to the Shaymen at Barnet,’ he said with a brief handshake, I guess Santa really does know everything…
Admission to Barnet’s Hive ground was a bargain £24 in advance and gave us access to the first two blocks of an all-seater stand with 2000 bright orange seats. The home fans had a similar stand down the side of the pitch, with the other end being an empty grass bank. The other side of the pitch houses a few rows of seats and a new section of safe standing for the ‘Bee’s Ultras’, cheaper admission but you’ve got to sing up for your supper. I leave you to image just how popular that idea has proven to be…
Barnet started the game with much of the possession, but Billy Waters delivered a moment of magic on a cold, dull and soggy afternoon. His goal at the far end rounded off a quick few passes. It could have been two shortly after when Oluwabori set off on one of his wonderful adventures in our half, eventually powering a fierce shot just wide.
The best entertainment of the first half however was the arrival of a few late travelling Shaymen, they had somehow managed to enter the ground by a different turnstile. Cautious that the middle-aged group wearing blue and white hats and scarves may actually be marauding as Barnet Ultra’s looking for trouble, the stewards were not in the mood to let them though their Checkpoint Charlie barrier at any cost. After authorisation from the Prime Minister, and a good five minutes, they were eventually allowed though.
Minutes later, another two town fans appeared, but this time the Bishop Stortford Shayman lost the plot. He headed off down the steep 39 steps to the bottom of the stand just to vouch for them. Whoever said that chivalry was dead? Again, despite his contribution, the portable tables and spotlights were set up and the interviews began. All this whilst the game was ongoing. Five minutes later they were let though, just in time to see Barnet fluke an equaliser that seemed to be a miskick from the edge of the box. The ball somehow floated into the opposite corner of Johnson’s goal to where it was intended.
Town grew more into the game in the second half, most of the action was at our end. The 103 travelling Shaymen were in fine voice, it seemed like we were the only team likely to pinch a winner. As the final rendition of ‘Millington’s blue and white army’ rang out, the referee blew the final whistle. It was yet another solid away performance with a well-earned point to take away.
Driving back up north, we planned our next adventure on Boxing Day at Altrincham. If we have another performance like that, it really will be the most wonderful time of the year.
Miles on the road: 4190. Goals on the road: 16. Points on the road: 19. Merry Christmas!
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