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Programme Notes Stevenage, 8 March 2003 Good afternoon and welcome to the BFCSA page. WEBSITE Just a quick word to say a lot more information has been put on the supporter's associations' website lately. John Snow has been working hard keeping things like statistics, match reports and much more up to date. The A-Z feature, listing all Barnets' results since turning professional in 1965 has got as far as Hoddesdon, so if there's a result you want to know here's the place to look. Another popular section is the old programmes. Bill Cresswell can be contacted through the site and he has thousands of the previously mentioned stashed in various parts of his house. Do him (and his wife) a favour and buy some from him. Attention Stevenage fans - There might be a few you have missing from your collection. Check it out when you get home. MEET THE COMMITTEE
I started regularly following Barnet in the 1976/77 season, my first game being an away trip to Guildford and Dorking. We won 1-0. We won the Southern League South at a canter that season and I was hooked. I joined the Supporters Committee a couple of years later following a momentary lapse when I was approached by the now Mrs. Percy on the terraces at Worcester City. In 1982/83 I had a further lapse when the then Treasurer Dave Stokes took a long vacation to Australia during the season and I volunteered to take over the duties in his absence. I enjoyed the experience so much that when Dave indicated a wish to surrender the role at the end of the season I agreed to take over full time. Some twenty years later and the nearest I've got to Oz is being served by 'Skippy' in the Queens Arms! The Supporters Association used to be a lot more involved in activities on the ground, including running the catering outlets and programme come merchandise shop. I was kept pretty busy then but things have been a lot quieter for me since the Club decided with the advent of challenging for promotion to the Football League and with the increased crowds that brought, that they needed to bring those services and fund raising activities 'in house'. The day at Fisher when we won promotion to the League is not surprisingly my happiest memory but my favourite experiences were visiting new grounds and playing different clubs when we joined the newly formed Alliance Premier League and again the Football League. I have fond memories of travelling to places like Bangor, Barrow and Scarborough in those early Alliance days sharing train carriages with jars of pickled eggs being consumed by people who shall remain nameless. The 1991/92 season, our first in the Football League, was brilliant. I drove with my three daughters to nearly all the away games in those days. It cost me a fortune in fuel and Little Chefs but I loved every minute. Unfortunately two of my girls found other interests and only Vanessa now accompanies me to matches where we stand on the East Terrace. The best Barnet performance I can remember was when we tore Wycombe Wanderers apart 7-0 away in the 1987/88 season. That side was one of the best Barnet teams I've seen, bettered possibly only by the team of 1992/93. That side would have gone through the Second Division like a dose of salts - they did, but the wrong way! The pre 1993/94-season crisis saw the Supporters Association really keep the Club alive. Had we not paid the entry fee to the FA Cup we would never have had the money spinning matches against Chelsea. My favourite ground visited, apart from Underhill, is Turf Moor in the 1991/92 season. How a football ground should be - before the obsession with all seaters. Best player seen in a Barnet shirt? A tricky one, I'll go for Kenny Lowe the midfield conjurer. I am also for my sins secretary of our Quiz Team, which has played in the Home Counties Football Quiz League (HCFQL) since 1993/94. We have also entered a team in the National Federation of Football Supporters' Clubs (now FSF) national competition for many years. We have enjoyed a fair amount of success, winning the third and second divisions of the league in our first two seasons and since being League Champions three times, including a league cup double. We also won the National competition in 1999. The HCFQL consists of teams representing South East clubs but also those representing London branches of provincial clubs like Sunderland, Manchester City, Burnley and Blackpool. Anyone interested in testing their footy knowledge is welcome to contact me on 01767 681413 or 07879 807014. |
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