Team News ahead of Chesterfield Match

Barnet start the new 2008/09 season tomorrow with a League Two match at home to Chesterfield. Chesterfield were relegated from League One in 2007 and were hoping last season to go straight back up. In the end, they just missed making the play-offs last season finishing 8^th, four places above Barnet who finished 12^th, their first top half finish since returning to the league in 2005.

Lee Harrison stands by to play against tomorrow in the season opener at Underhill. Rob Beckwith has recovered from his groin strain but has only trained for one day. As predicted this week on Barnet Mad, former PROTEC keeper, Phil Carpenter has been signed as cover. Carpenter plays for Witney United in the Hellenic League, Premier Division.

Barnet have also signed 17 year old Turkish midfielder, Aryan Taj (Full name: Tajbakhsh) who was previously with Northwood. He played against Barnet in the recent friendly which Northwood won 3-1 and then played for Barnet against Wingate & Finchley and Harrow Borough.

According to the BBC website, Paul Fairclough is set to give debuts to Luke Medley and Nicky Deverdics tomorrow. Elliott Charles has a hamstring injury and misses out but is due to resume training next week.

Chesterfield are due to give debuts to six players tomorrow; goalkeeper, Tommy Lee, defenders, Kevin Austin, Robert Page and Alan Goodall and midfield players, Paul Harsley and Darren Currie.

Currie is of course a former Barnet player having joined the Bees in the summer 0f 1998 from Shrewsbury Town. He made over 100 appearances for Barnet in 3 seasons, scoring 21 goals before moving to Wycombe Wanderers in 2001 following Barnet's relegation to the Conference. He joined Chesterfield in the summer after being released by Luton Town. Current Barnet keeper, Rob Beckwith was at Chesterfield for two months in 2006 and made 2 first team appearances for the Spireites.

Another player who has played for both clubs in recent years is Keith Rowland who was at Barnet in 2003. He made 8 appearances for the club in the 2002/03 season. He made 14 appearances for Chesterfield, scoring 1 goal between August 2001 and December 2002.

Meanwhile, former Barnet midfield player, Paolo Vernazza, who made 17 appearances for the Bees in season 2005/06, has joined Blue Square Premier club, Woking after having been released by Weymouth at the end of last season. Barry Cogan, who played for Barnet in the 2006/07 season and made 45 appearances scoring 3 goals for the Bees, has joined Grays after being released last season by Gillingham.

Meanwhile, there has been speculation that Bees' legend, Giuliano Grazioli, subject of a three part tribute on Barnet Mad this summer, is about to join Conference South club, Braintree. Braintree made the play-offs last season and will be looking for Graz to get among the goals to lift them up to the Blue square Premier. There will be further news on this if/when it is confirmed.