Barney’s season through poetry… Enjoy.
At this stressful juncture, let me add some levity
Deep within this column, a certain need for brevity.
So, my fellow wanderers, I thought we might digress
And look back at the season, that began in such a mess.
For reasons best known to others, we began the year with Coyle
So it was absolutely no surprise, it ended in turmoil.
I began to feel uneasy, from the start of our pre-season
When we hardly won a single game, for no apparent reason.
Even then, the omens were, written large enough to see
That life in the ‘nPower Championship`, would be as tough as it could be
We were not to be disappointed, the team never rang our chimes
The disaster that was ‘Burnley’, being compounded many times.
Our suffering came to an end, after a calamity at Crawley
The chairman`s patience petered out, and Owen went quite early
He took his medicine like a man, and even wished us well
But thought he`d done a marvellous job…that much you could tell
We all loved the time and effort, that ‘stand in` Jimmy did
He organised a fitter bunch, and with ‘science` made his bid.
Gartside turned him down, however, and got in touch with Palace
But Prince Harry wouldn`t leave the ranks, so in Freedman he found solace
At last, we had a brand-new breed, with all the modern know-how
But would our failing footballers, find it all a little high-brow?
By Christmas we had the answer, after several well-fought draws
The team showed understanding and began to show its claws.
When Dawson took his appointed place, in the centre of defence
The difference in our quality, was simply quite immense.
The Reebok became a fortress…the defence a revelation
The midfield ran the show each game, the strikers? A cause for consternation
After eight wins on the trot at home, a feat not often seen
We arrive now at the end-game, with everyone quite keen.
Like a tantalising siren, the Premiership stands before us
Seducing us to dream again, we`ll get there; little or no fuss
The ship`s now on an even keel, and we know what lies ahead
One more win will no doubt leave, the also-rans for dead
And then we`re in the play-offs, with confidence sky-high
A draw away and win at home, will see us high and dry.
Just four more games lie between, the Wanderers and glory
And I`ve a feeling in my water, it`s gonna turn out hunky-dory!