Here we are then, as per 12 months ago, twist or bust. A good 17 other clubs would love to be in this position but they’re not and we are, Barnet FC 90 minutes away from Wembley.
Of course we’ve been here before, in the FA Trophy last season. That wasn’t our day, but on Saturday afternoon at The Hive it’s in our hands once more to make it happen.
Just recently I penned a piece for another site I write for, The Real EFL and you can read that for yourself right here. A remarkable two years in the life of being a Bees fan that you can read there without me repeating a majority of it again.
But, cast your mind back to Peter Beadle, Tim Flowers, even Harry Kewell, the depths of despair and a lucky escape from relegation to the National League South.
Let’s flip it the other way, remember Simon Bassey, Dave Anderson and now Dean Brennan. People who gave our club an identity back from those above and a club once more to be proud of.
Players who are playing for the shirt, for our club, those darker days replaced with hope but also expectation, the bar has been raised. It was hard work after those three and even after Bassey, coining the phrase ‘Trust The Process’.
Now before you groan, we’ve trusted it haven’t we! We’ve understood the pathway to get to this point on Saturday early evening. Not every weekend or midweek was smooth, we’re not a club prepared to go and spend big to get what we want, we do it by methods.
Sometimes they work out, sometimes they don’t, for two years running the players have achieved their points target, that tells you a lot about where we are now.
We’re all desperate to see the club at Wembley, we also know it’s one of TK’s dreams for the club to get there. But first we have to get past a stubborn Solihull Moors. They have more than surprised a few this season, their fantastic unbeaten start, their encampment inside the top seven of the table.
I have to give Andy Whing credit, I like him as a manager but I didn’t expect him to get this tune out of the Moors, they were bottom four for me, how wrong was that!
As I write on Thursday evening it appears everyone is fit for Saturday and the gaffer has one or two selection dilemma’s to attend to, I picked my XI and five subs leaving out two players who could offer something, that’s the strength we have this year, upgraded on last year, the constant evolvement of a football club.
If for all intents and purposes it doesn’t go our way, then you have to go again, learn the lessons and get ahead of the pack. We all remember nine years ago this week we returned to the Football League, we can all point to good omens etc. but it’s down to those Bees on the pitch and us to drive them home from the stands.
It's looking like it will be a home sell out by the time kick off rolls around, a chance to make the place a fortress and make it intimidating for Solihull to be in.
IF the journey ends on Saturday then it wasn’t meant to be, IF the journey continues the dream is alive and kicking, I would certainly like to think ‘we’re on our way’……..
If you’ve enjoyed reading this piece, feel free to ‘buy me a coffee’ or drop me a donation here, your support is greatly appreciated.
Great read sir so True 👍
Actually brought a tear to my eye Trev, Saturday will be emotional on many levels but win or lose this team deserves our full support and love🖤🧡🐝