Authored by Max
An away win? Sorry, a what? I dont think I was alone in being happy, but very much in disbelief in witnessing a Barnet away win at Vale Park on Saturday. I hadnt seen us win at a game home or away since that night at Northampton at the start of September, though to be fair, wins since then have been few and far between. I hadnt even seen a goal in something like the last ten games I was able to attend, so it was a great sense of relief as much anything just after 5pm in sunny Stoke on Saturday. Anyway, not only was this a good result, but it also proved to be a somewhat unlikely belting day out...
I doubt many people reading this wont know who I am anyway, but those that do will be aware I am Nottingham based (for just a bit longer now). So as unappealing on paper as Port Vale v Barnet was, this was one of my most local away games this season and Id never been to Vale Park. I was always likely to go, but hadnt exactly marked this one down as a big day out. I managed to persuade a uni mate to come along, despite him being to eight or nine previous away games and had not only never seen us win, but not score a goal. Couple that with the fact Barnet had never scored at Vale or beaten them, it didnt bode too well.
Nonetheless, we were in good spirits when we met up in Nottinghams main Wetherspoons at 10am for a bit of breakfast and a wake up pint. After a leisurely one there, we made the short walk down to Nottingham station getting the 11:11 train. Once we got on the cans and in my mates case bottle of rose wine were cracked open and we were on our way. We had to change at Derby and board a tiny ramshackle train to Stoke-on-Trent from here. Pretty uneventful, though I ought to note the vodka also came out at this point and by the time we pulled into Stoke just after 12:30, we were both very comfortable to say the least.
Not many of my usual lot were making the trip, but a few other friends had marked this one down as a random day out and had been in a Wetherspoons in Stoke from something silly like 11am. So we jumped in a cab from the train station and met them in town. It didnt take long before things got a little bit silly. Theyd not exactly held back before we got there and we certainly didnt want to be the ones to slow the pace. Rounds of shots from 1pm onwards, always a sign of where the day is going. We stayed in Wetherspoons rather than moving about, largely due to it being cheap and eventually left for Vale Park in a cab at about 2:15.
I knew Id had a drink before this, but it hadnt quite hit me to what extent. Im not sure it had anyone. The cab ride to Vale Park was eventful to say the least. Thankfully, the cabbie was a nice fella, a Mr Sardar Ismail. He was more than happy for us to sing Barnet (and thanks to two of the lads other allegiance, West Ham) songs all the way there, before the final bit we gave him the recognition he deserved. ONE SARDAR ISMAIL! and YOURE THE PRIDE OF STOKE TAXIS being two examples of how we showed our gratitude for the pleasant journey. Didnt cost much too. There are a few videos of it flying about on Facebook, slightly cringe worthy looking back, but certainly amusing at the time.
We didnt have a great deal of time before kick off, but managed to fit one more drink in, in Tommys, the Vale social club by the away end. This being after the five us, all very merry to say the least, had gone and purchased under 18 tickets for the game, for £8. Touch! It was a swift pint in the clubhouse and then into the ground, pretty much bang on kick off.
The away end was sparsely populated to say the least. Just 92 Barnet fans had made the trip, but there was 15-20 of us at the back who were stood up and with our throats well oiled, in the mood for a sing song. In fairness, our jovial mood was certainly helped by a Mr OFlynn, popping up after just eight minutes to give us a lead down our end. There may not have been many of us there and it may not have been in the most significant game, but I havent gone that mental for a little while. Everyone was loving it. I ended up falling backwards over a row of seats in the commotion. Fun though and the noise we made when it went in sounded good on the Football League Show. Well done the other 91 of you!
The rest of the first half wasnt the best. I didnt notice too much, though. I was happy just to sing lots and take the odd swig along with Downhill Second Halfs editor on a suspect bottle of coke. Slightly worrying moment when a steward came up to me while I was enjoying some, but he simply asked for the lid, nothing about the possible alcohol content inside. Brilliant.
Half time came round quickly enough and everyone congregated in the concourse, a group of about five Barnet fans (myself not included) near enough emptied the Vale snack bars fridge of beer, the girl behind the counter told me theyd spent £75 in there, madness! Barnet fans are partial to a beer or two, clearly. It was a good laugh as half time breaks go, even a bit of a sing song downstairs, before heading upstairs for me of the same in the second half.
The game was by no means a classic, Vale were shocking. We played quite well though, I was very impressed with Livermore, who Id not seen play for us before. Even my favourite (please note the sarcasm) player Albert Jarrett had a very good game and it was him who delivered a lovely ball into the box six minutes from time for Flynny to latch onto for his and Barnets second. 2-0, 84 minutes, game over. Similar scenes to goal number one. A few of us decided to leg it down the steps to the front of the stand. Im not sure why, given the goal was up the other end of the pitch, but its fine anyway. Lot of hugging people and jumping about with arms flying everywhere. An enjoyable moment.
The last few minutes were just a bit of a sing song. Largely one in amazement that we were clearly going to win away for the first time since September 4th. As Eric pointed out in his article about the game, an amusing couple of tongue in cheek songs about us being shit, but winning, but youve got to laugh at yourself sometimes, very much so.
Full time and it was a feeling I hadnt had for a while. The players got a good ovation from the 92 and everyone was going to go home happy. Ill say this, theres a lot of (often unnecessary) in-fighting amongst various little sections of our support, but everyone was tip top on Saturday. There was a really fun, enjoyable atmosphere. The older and younger fans all stood together, all got behind the team; it was what it should be like. No one tried to act like they were in the Football Factory or Green Street films as unfortunately some of our younger followers seem to like to do some weeks, it was just a good day out with everyone willing on a good away win. Can we not have that more often?
Everyone went there separate ways after, with I think everyone bar the original five of us travelling by car or coach home. We said our goodbyes and then waited for a taxi back into Stoke. This taxi ride wasnt quite so eventful, though me and my mate had a lovely (and not at all homosexual) rendition of Youve got the love by Florence and the Machine after it came on the radio. Once again, we had a friendly cabbie, no problems there.
We went back to the same pub as before the game, which seemed easiest. Had another cheeky round of what were now celebratory shots and another pint before my friend and I who were heading back to Nottingham afterwards bid the others farewell, making it to the station just in time for the 18:33 train home.
As usual when in a state like we were by the time we boarded the train home, we made several new friends and talked to just about anyone whod listen. Very pleasant Wolves fan in his 60s seemed to be quite amused by us anyway. We had to change at Derby again and after a short wait were on the train back to Nottingham and there just after 8pm. The days alcohol consumption had begun to really take its toll by now and memories of the last leg of the train journey are very hazy.
We got to Nottingham and me and my friend went our separate ways. I managed to annoy one last cabbie on my way home from the station by basically forcing him to have a chat with me, before I got back and fell through my front door, much the amusement of my housemates just before half eight.
Somehow I managed to carry on going, as it was a friends 21st birthday, so a trip to the famous Nottingham Trent Student Union was in order and plenty of those cheap VK drinks were consumed. Im going to leave it there, though, as the night pretty much just went from one scandal to another from this point onwards. A little bit of a naughty one, but fun nonetheless. I went to bed at 7:30am, having been up for just shy of twenty four hours. Still, Barnet dont win away often, so youve got to make the most of the days they do and celebrate it! Or something like that.
A lot of fun. Well done to the rest of the away following on Saturday. A good effort on and off the pitch. After a few months of being very fed up of Barnet, Saturday was a very, very nice change. A different away day in many ways, but a very good one. You cant whack it.
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