Hartlepool (TBC) The Match Thread Taking a Dip In The Pool

[Bee_Forever]

So...... Saturday sees the bees return to competitive action in the Bananarama National League as we kick off our 2023/24 season playing recently relegated Hartlepool. This match is scheduled to take place at Barnet's "Home" ground but given the 10 year tempoary permission has expired on the Hive and there have been no updates from the club it will be fascinating to see where this takes place.

While of course I am being facetious and we will be returning to Hive comforts this season there are two sides to every story when it comes to our club and it's ground;(or three sides if you are at the Hive) and given that the Council seem to be unwilling to give the club permission for purchasing a postage stamp let alone a new stand we will once again be wondering whose car is in danger from stray shots in to the south stand.

It is fair to say that Hartlepool are following the Barnet model in recent years with a media celebrity (they have Jeff we had Motty) and a club which has found itself inexorably drawn back in to the non league by bad ownership and limited resources. While both Barnet and Hartlepool have gone up and down more frequently than the power supply to the Scoreboard, both clubs will be hoping they can have a strong start to the season and can push for promotion.

The monkey hangers will be hoping that they can ape previous seasons and push for promotion via the playoff places. While it may be optimistic for them to make it macaque to the league at the first time of asking the will be marmoset to push as high up as they can go. It is hoped that we can take advantage of them being in transition and in lemur times than they are likely to be later in the season when their squad has the baboon of being settled in.

As for Barnet we have got most of our transfer targets through the door and aside from cover for Gormo and Nicke we are well set. It is unusual for us to be this well prepared and I always worry that complacency will set in given we over performed last year and much will be expected this year. A bit of confidence however is no bad thing if it is properly managed and in Brennan I honestly believe we have the best manager in the league and things can always be worse. In the past we have failed to invest in the squad until September or October as we played contract chicken with new signings resulting in some horrid early season teams (a defence of O'Brien, Warren, Kamdjo, Fortune and whatever ate Jordan Brown still sends shivers down the spine). This time I am happy we will be going in strong as follows:-

--------------------------------------Walker------------------------------------

----------------Collinge-------------Oluwu-----------Potter------------------

---Hall-Johnson--------------------Gorman-------------------------Coker----

----------------Kanu------------------Brunt---------------Pritchard------------

---------------------------------------Kabamba------------------------------------

Subs: Gilmore, Okimo, Wynter, Stead, Senior

I am missing this weekend as I am seeing friends in the Manchester sunshiiiiine, but hoping we will get our season up and running with a win against the rebuilding poolies.

COYBS.

[JWTBee]

Where is Barratt? A possible starter surely?

[Bee_Forever]

Where is Barratt? A possible starter surely?

Barratt is at Homes for this one. Given he has started alot in preseason I agree he will probably be preferred on the bench. Given the options Dean's may go without a sub gk. It's a sign of how strong we are that Beard and Armstrong are also outside the 16 potentially

Sent from my SM-S916B using Tapatalk

[Tickets]

788 Home
349 Away
1137 Total

With sales tomorrow and on the day still to go, i imagine there will be between 1300-1500 home fans and 500 away

[Jimbokav1971]

As good as it is having effectively 2 different 11's at the club, DB mentioned in the recent pod that he's already had talks with 1 player who was unhappy about not being in the squad for Saturday.

Even if he doesn't pick a GK on the bench and Barratt is added to those picked by @Bee_Forever it still leaves the following not in the squad.

Gillmore
Revan
Armstrong
Beard
Diarra
Brunt (suspended).
Granville (out on loan).

I don't think Diarra will be an issue and Gillmore obviously likely to be more accepting, but the other 3 aren't going to be happy not being in the squad and when Brunt becomes available it will mean that there will be 4 outfield players not in the squad and that's before we sign the DM and the SC that DB wants to bring in, (at which point it will be 6 outfield players).
Usually you would say yeah but half of ours squad are usually injured at any one time, but not this group.

Best squad we've had in a LONG time and I hope he's sensible with the rotation, (at least on the bench). Expect it to pay dividends later in the season though.

Last season we really struggled when Beard, Wynts & then Gorman were out. No such issues this season.

[Ajtheone04]

Am I right in saying the 2 clubs rule isn't a thing at this level and below? I wouldn't be surprised if the couple of players who are left out the most end up going out on short term loans to teams in the lower half of the league in order to keep match fit. Probably won't happen until the table has sorted itself out though as we don't want to accidentally give a player to a rival.

[bfc_mo]

Am I right in saying the 2 clubs rule isn't a thing at this level and below? I wouldn't be surprised if the couple of players who are left out the most end up going out on short term loans to teams in the lower half of the league in order to keep match fit. Probably won't happen until the table has sorted itself out though as we don't want to accidentally give a player to a rival.

What a rubbish idea this is

[Ajtheone04]

Am I right in saying the 2 clubs rule isn't a thing at this level and below? I wouldn't be surprised if the couple of players who are left out the most end up going out on short term loans to teams in the lower half of the league in order to keep match fit. Probably won't happen until the table has sorted itself out though as we don't want to accidentally give a player to a rival.

What a rubbish idea this is

Why so? I'd rather loan out people like Revan so that he is sharp and ready to make an impression upon returning instead of having him sulking and potentially trying to engineer a permanent move because he is out of the squad.

Granted, this is assuming we're competing at the top end of the league.

[Bee_Forever]

Am I right in saying the 2 clubs rule isn't a thing at this level and below? I wouldn't be surprised if the couple of players who are left out the most end up going out on short term loans to teams in the lower half of the league in order to keep match fit. Probably won't happen until the table has sorted itself out though as we don't want to accidentally give a player to a rival.

What a rubbish idea this is

I would disagree. Beard back to Dorking makes a lot of sense

Sent from my SM-S916B using Tapatalk

[barnetboys]

As good as it is having effectively 2 different 11's at the club, DB mentioned in the recent pod that he's already had talks with 1 player who was unhappy about not being in the squad for Saturday.

Even if he doesn't pick a GK on the bench and Barratt is added to those picked by @Bee_Forever it still leaves the following not in the squad.

Gillmore
Revan
Armstrong
Beard
Diarra
Brunt (suspended).
Granville (out on loan).

I don't think Diarra will be an issue and Gillmore obviously likely to be more accepting, but the other 3 aren't going to be happy not being in the squad and when Brunt becomes available it will mean that there will be 4 outfield players not in the squad and that's before we sign the DM and the SC that DB wants to bring in, (at which point it will be 6 outfield players).
Usually you would say yeah but half of ours squad are usually injured at any one time, but not this group.

Best squad we've had in a LONG time and I hope he's sensible with the rotation, (at least on the bench). Expect it to pay dividends later in the season though.

Last season we really struggled when Beard, Wynts & then Gorman were out. No such issues this season.

I thought that Brunt was available, although nobody seems to know for sure.

[becbee]

I thought that Brunt was available, although nobody seems to know for sure.

Brunt isn't suspended. He has served the one match friendly suspension.
Suspensions only count for the competition that the red card related to.

[Bee_Forever]

Thanks Becbee. That was my understanding too hence including him in the lineup

Sent from my SM-S916B using Tapatalk

[Jimbokav1971]

I thought that Brunt was available, although nobody seems to know for sure.

Brunt isn't suspended. He has served the one match friendly suspension.
Suspensions only count for the competition that the red card related to.

If you are sent off in the league, you are still suspended for the FA Cup for example. Aren't you?

[jerroll]

I thought that Brunt was available, although nobody seems to know for sure.

Brunt isn't suspended. He has served the one match friendly suspension.
Suspensions only count for the competition that the red card related to.

If you are sent off in the league, you are still suspended for the FA Cup for example. Aren't you?

The suspension would be for x competitive first team games, the Dunstable wasn't a competitive game. Yellow cards are individual competition specific.

[AmberBattalion]

Our numbers for the august fixtures will be slightly lower due to the fixtures still being in the holidays etc, we still expect decent numbers of us there tomorrow, but hopefully with the club promoting the singing section we will get lots more joining us