Barnet Fair?

Blimey! What a week. Available time for the Internet has been limited to the Swindon match as I followed events in Wiltshire. I work on the Internet practically all day from waking to sleeping and yet I literally haven't had time to check any of my favourite websites and I have had a phone stuck to my ear on trains all week. I am expecting some respite at Christmas but it looks like it's going to be frantic until then. I may even have to get some work done on Sunday but Saturday has definitely been cleared.


I'm off to Barnet with my Lieutenant of 31 years. He's blown a bit hot and cold over the last ten years. Always fanatically Charlton but riled strongly enough by the Nanny behaviour of our club at times, especially whilst in the Premiership, and dismayed by many of the Johnny-cum-Lately Glory Boys we had to endure during the same spell. Whilst I have had some empathy with these views, it would never have been enough to limit my attendance.


His renewed interest is a reflection on the state of our fortunes and an F A Cup  tie at Barnet is right up his street even if he does have to get a day's work in before we head off. I expect we'll make the pub in EN5 closer to 1pm than Midday as a result but that's a small sacrifice. I will need to get home pronto after the game as I am taking my kids up to Blackheath to see the Lewisham Fireworks, so their will be champagne for me.


This will be my first ever visit to Underhill despite having visited 97 league grounds and I am encouraged to believe we should win this with something in the tank. An old work colleague is a friend of one of the Barnet Directors has attended a number of their games over the last couple of seasons (even though he is a Kent-living Gooner). His feedback has always been that Barnet are a mess and that things are going from bad to worse. Not sure they can get a whole lot worse this season, as they sit bottom of League Two, having been spanked 3-0 at home by Stevenage in the week.


So it's all set for a Giant-killing, but surely we won't succumb again? I can't see it although any dramatic change in personnel could give us a problem. On the basis that Parky played a surprisingly strong side at MK Dons in the paint-drying cup, I think he'll do the same here. The side looks like familiarity and confidence is finally building and he should be keen to an the embers. If anything, he might be tempted to rest players for Tuesday's visit to Southend-on-Sea.


The trip to London Road a week on Saturday will be a huge test but the five that follow are all winnable (Yeovil and Bristol Rovers at home, Rochdale away,  Walsall at home and Hartlepool away), not that I expect a clean sweep.


"Round 2, Round 2, we're the famous Charlton Athletic and we're going to Round 2!"