Barnard

[Give it to Ron]

Good to see another run out for Lee - currently 2-0 up for the dev squad at home to Brentford

 

Saints U21s Vs Brentford: Bialkowski. Young, Martin©, Dean, Shaw. De Ridder, Ward-Prowse, Chambers, Moore. Reeves, Barnard #saintsfc

[Saint Garrett]

Chambers & Moore with the goals.

[sfc4prem]

Bart saves a pen

[doddisalegend]

Martin is the captain? good lad.

[trousers]

De Ridder playing for the development side? Match fitness I guess....

[Bourno]

Barnard scores

[Give it to Ron]

3 -0 and Barnard scores

[Pancake]

3-1

[Huffton]

I really wish they would bring back proper reserve games that we could go and watch.

[doddisalegend]

3 -0 and Barnard scores

 

Altogether "He's short he's hard......"

 

Would be nice to see Barney back in the first team on match days though he's going to have a hard time getting back in the way the team are playing at the moment.

[Saint J 77]

Altogether "He's short he's hard......"

 

Would be nice to see Barney back in the first team on match days though he's going to have a hard time getting back in the way the team are playing at the moment.

 

I agree. It would be good to see if he can find the form he had at the end of last season before his injury. I'd like to see him on the bench but I don't even know who he would replace on the bench at the moment. I think if he gets fit he could prove to be an important player for us this season.

[The Kraken]

I really wish they would bring back proper reserve games that we could go and watch.

 

Don't think there's anything stopping you from going to watch? I assume you mean the scheduling, weekdays at 2pm doesn't do everyone a massive favour...

[trousers]

3 -0 and Barnard scores

 

De Ridder assist

[trousers]

I agree. It would be good to see if he can find the form he had at the end of last season before his injury. I'd like to see him on the bench but I don't even know who he would replace on the bench at the moment. I think if he gets fit he could prove to be an important player for us this season.

 

I've got a feeling he could be "this season's Connolly" - i.e. find himself in the first team squad with 10 games to go due to others being injured then setting the world alight

[david in sweden]

I've got a feeling he could be "this season's Connolly" - i.e. find himself in the first team squad with 10 games to go due to others being injured then setting the world alight

 

me too ...if the judge is kind to him !

[david in sweden]

I really wish they would bring back proper reserve games that we could go and watch.

 

Reserve games by nature were always a mix of up-and-coming hopefuls, no-hopers and those recovering from injury.

 

Most " reserve " games in the past have been so, but the idea of an U21 side (or an over 21 for that matter), shows how far we have progressed as

younger players who reach 21/22 and haven't yet broken into the first team squad are most likely to be moving down to L2 / Conference sides.

 

Looking at our own " reserve squad " (and only the goalies and walking wounded aside) ..we're only left with Dickson, Holmes and Forte who are older than this and still can't get on the bench - even when fit.

 

I think this shows that we don't expect to be " carrying " a load of sub-standard players who are jut there to make up the numbers in an emergency.

If you watch an Academy or U21 game - you are, in effect - seeing " the Reserves" .

Edited 8 November, 2011 by david in sweden

[Huffton]

Reserve games by nature were always a mix of up-and-coming hopefuls, no-hopers and those recovering from injury.

 

Most " reserve " games in the past have been so, but the idea of an U21 side (or an over 21 for that matter), shows how far we have progressed as

younger players who reach 21/22 and haven't yet broken into the first team squad are most likely to be moving down to L2 / Conference sides.

 

Looking at our own " reserve squad " (and only the goalies and walking wounded aside) ..we're only left with Dickson, Holmes and Forte who are older than this and still can't get on the bench - even when fit.

 

I think this shows that we don't expect to be " carrying " a load of sub-standard players who are jut there to make up the numbers in an emergency.

If you watch an Academy or U21 game - you are, in effect - seeing " the Reserves" .

 

I realise that, the point I was geting at was we used to be in reserve team league, and play regular evening matches at Staplwood, and sometimes St Marys, where you could go along and watch the game. Now looking at the OS you have to write in advance and ask for written permission.

[Stu Man Do]

I realise that, the point I was geting at was we used to be in reserve team league, and play regular evening matches at Staplwood, and sometimes St Marys, where you could go along and watch the game. Now looking at the OS you have to write in advance and ask for written permission.

 

Crazy isn't it!? I remember going to a reserve game at SMS against Chelsea that got something like 8000 fans watching. 3-3 if I remember rightly I'm sure Beattie scored!

[SuperMikey]

I realise that, the point I was geting at was we used to be in reserve team league, and play regular evening matches at Staplwood, and sometimes St Marys, where you could go along and watch the game. Now looking at the OS you have to write in advance and ask for written permission.

 

I was going to go to a reserve match once, but I couldn't make it. That was the match where Peter Crouch scored an overhead kick, I think against QPR or Villa reserves? One of his ex-teams.

 

I think reserve matches should be open to the public tbh, it's good to see our young players coming through the ranks and it gives us the chance to see how our fringe players are playing too.

[The Kraken]

Crazy isn't it!? I remember going to a reserve game at SMS against Chelsea that got something like 8000 fans watching. 3-3 if I remember rightly I'm sure Beattie scored!

 

It's a shame, but the only thing crazy were the Premier League rules that prevented us from playing decent teams when we were relegated to the Championship. Despite our team always having done well in the reserve league, just because the first team weren't in the Premier League we couldn't participate in a league against the likes of Chelsea, Tottenham, Arsenal etc and instead had to fill a league with, literally, Forest Green Rovers.

 

So, with the prospects of the likes of a weekday evening trip to Gloucester, to play against the reserves of a team not even in the football league, I can fully understand why the club pulled out of the league; they get much more flexibility over who they play and when. Look at today, de Ridder and Barnard involved, and without any extensive travelling or a late finish they can be in training tomorrow as usual.

[teamsaint]

proper football, back in the old combination days.

 

One o r two decent players, one or two that might make it. Most people more interested in scores from the first team away game. A chance to go in the main stand on the cheap.

 

Gone forever. There might be a nice documentary in it for some desperate film maker.

[JRM]

I see the under 18s are home to the skates on Saturday, any idea if we are allowed to go and watch?

[david in sweden]

It's a shame, but the only thing crazy were the Premier League rules that prevented us from playing decent teams when we were relegated to the Championship. Despite our team always having done well in the reserve league, just because the first team weren't in the Premier League we couldn't participate in a league against the likes of Chelsea, Tottenham, Arsenal etc and instead had to fill a league with, literally, Forest Green Rovers. QUOTE]

 

I always thought there was some behind-the-scenes skullduggery..perhaps the London clubs didn't like our Academy lads turning them over every game.

[del boy]

I used to love going to see the reserves at SMS - a mixture of enthusiastic and raw youth, with a few aging stars. I particularly remember the young Theo, Oxo, and from the opposition an impressive Darren Bent - you could see something special in all of them. It was an affordable way to see footy!

[ecuk268]

Back in the Dell days there was usually a reserve game on Saturday afternoon when the first team were away. Free to season-ticket holders.

 

If you had small kids, it was a good way of seeing if they would be interested before taking them to a first-team game.

[BJBSAINTS]

My first ever glimpse of the mighty red n whites was a reserve game at the dell circa 1984 aged 6! My grandad was a Season ticket holder and took me along to see if I liked it. got the bug straight away and have been hooked ever since, great memories and now taking my son down to SMS to keep the tradition going.

[Fan The Flames]

Reserve games were the only way I got to go to the Dell when I was little, as my old man was a Plymouth fan thats who I would be taken to see on a Saturday and to the Dell for the occassional reserve game, loved it. It is a cheap way of getting the kids involved.

[Saint Without a Halo]

I've got a feeling he could be "this season's Connolly" - i.e. find himself in the first team squad with 10 games to go due to others being injured then setting the world alight

 

 

Like a certain Tony Funnell did the last time we went up from the equivalent of this league in the late 70's?