Barnet to end Paul's title pain

14 April 2012

If results go their way, Barnet will be a Football League club by the end of Easter.

Fifteen points clear at the top of the Conference, wins against Forest Green tomorrow and Canvey Island on Monday could be enough to spark Bank Holiday celebrations in north London.

For manager Paul Fairclough, the timing is perhaps symbolic because promotion would not only fulfil a lifelong ambition but also represent the resurrection of his career.

Despite a wealth of coaching experience, the 54- year- old remains the only manager to win the Conference in the last 10 years not to have managed in the Football League.

The reason for the anomaly dates back to 1996 when Fairclough led Stevenage to the title only to be cruelly denied promotion because the club failed to satisfy ground safety regulations.

Legal action failed to overturn the ruling, which has haunted Fairclough ever since. After leading Stevenage to three successive promotions, his progress up the footballing ladder was dramatically halted with far-reaching consequences for his own career.

While contemporaries such as Martin O'Neill used the Conference as a springboard to greater things, Fairclough was left in the wilderness with no interest forthcoming from League clubs, despite his record of achievement. He was sacked in 1998 before returning two years later only to be sacked again. After that, a scouting job with Arsenal followed before being given the chance to rebuild his reputation with England's semi-professional team.

A year ago this week he was asked to take over at Barnet following the shock resignation of Martin Allen and now his freescoring team are on the verge of the big league.

Fairclough said: "To win it this year is so important to me. I am almost at the point of saying that it is so significant I would contemplate walking away if we achieved it. That's how much the problems over the last 10 years have affected me.

"Because of what happened in the past, this season has become all consuming. I have to be careful.

"My family are in a terrible state at the moment. My wife and two daughters have gone through the pain I have suffered. They were there when I was sacked twice by Stevenage and in the courtroom when we were not allowed into the Football League. Why should they have had to go through that?

"To get this job done this year would just be such a massive relief for all of us."

Fairclough's emotion must be set in the context of 20 years in coaching, much of which has been spent battling against preconceptions related to his modest playing career - mainly with Wealdstone and St Albans City. Barnet is his first job as a full-time manager and even now his future is not secure as he is yet to agree a contract extension beyond this season.

He said: "I passed my coaching badge in 1978 and back then I thought I was going to be the next Alf Ramsey. But I soon became aware of how incestuous the situation was in terms of getting a job in the Football League. Every door was shut. The only way was to try and work my way up the football pyramid.

"At Stevenage, we set a target of four championships in 10 years to get into the League. In actual fact, we did it in six, but because of the complications we never went up.

"After that, I took on the role of a victim and felt I definitely regressed. I was frightened to fail again. For years I was resentful - we all think we are better than we are - but I think I am over the resentment now. I am much more spiritual, what will be, will be."

Even if their promotion rivals Halifax or Woking win over the Easter weekend, Barnet only need three victories between now and the end of the season to go up.

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Barnet to end Paul's title pain

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