Every July, anticipation heightens in the households of football fans everywhere.
With league fixtures published a couple of weeks previous, attention turns to those friendlies, love them or hate them, the smell of football is back!
For those in the lower leagues, it’s far withdrawn from the money that washes over the Premier League and there’s no £75 million pound bid for your star striker, more a raft of free transfers arriving on their journey down from the promised land.
Whilst a lot of clubs have their ‘business done early doors’, for some the wait for a bargain can easily prolong until almost the last few hours of the transfer window’s closure in August.
Players on trial, others wanting to test the water elsewhere in the hope of better money or a longer contract, not ideal in the eyes of a fan! The constant refresh of the club website homepage day after day will test any laptop or smartphone.
Doing their business quietly
In a small corner of North London, Barnet are going about their business quietly and confidently.
With wages freed up from the release of Shaun Batt, James Pearson and Michael Gash amongst others, most supporters believe a goalkeeper, right back and striker are the only additions needed to push the side from lower mid-table towards a play off and even promotion push.
With no moves across the early summer and discontent among the fanbase, two of those needed additions have been added since the players returned to pre-season training and with still around 3 weeks to go before the season gets underway there is expectation the striker to complement John Akinde will be at The Hive in time to start away to Football League new boys Forest Green Rovers.
Targets to acquire
Striking talent remains within the non-league game, Dagenham’s Oliver Hawkins should be on the radar, Maidenhead’s Dave Tarpey has also been mentioned and with Barnet not shy in paying a transfer fee these days, either could find their way to The Hive before the end of August.
Some might see from the outside a lack of transfer activity and sense a season of fighting to get away from the relegation trapdoor but an array of talented youngsters such as Jack Taylor, Nana Kyei and Justin Amaluzor complemented by seasoned pros Curtis Weston, Michael Nelson and Jamal Campbell-Ryce might just surprise a few people this season.
Eames the man to take Barnet to the next level
Rossi Eames is the man charged with guiding the Bees to promotion, having been given the job full time over the summer after a stint as joint manager with Henry Newman and then assistant during the ill-fated Kevin Nugent spell.
Eames now has the chance to mould a decent looking League Two squad into promotion contenders on his own and with a top standard stadium coming together around him, the scene is set for the Bees to be buzzing come May time.
Written by Trevor Knell
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