Long serving Barnet defender, Ismail Yakubu today joined Blue Square premier club, AFC Wimbledon. Yakubu was released by mutual consent this summer by the Bees. Yaks, as he was affectionately known, made 262 league appearances for the club, scoring 14 goals since his debut for the Bees as a 16 year old in 2002.
Yakubu joined the club as a schoolboy, signing professional forms at 16. He made his first team debut at 16 too, coming on as a substitute in the away derby at Stevenage Borough in the Conference, the home side winning 3-2 despite a brave fight back by the Bees who had been 3-0 down at one point.
Four days later, Peter Shreeves gave Ismail his full debut, partnering Greg Heald at centre back away at Boston United in a match that ended 1-1 against the eventual champions that season. The following Saturday, Yakubu made his home debut in the 1-0 home defeat to Nuneaton Borough. In all, Yakubu made 3 starts and 1 appearance as a substitute in 2001/02, all at centre back. Yaks missed the away trip to Yeovil Town as he was sitting an ‘A’ level exam!!
The following season, 2002/03, saw Yakubu start on the bench, making a number of appearances as a substitute before coming into the side at left back against Telford United at home, in place of the injured Lee Flynn. Yakubu was to retain the left back position for two months until the arrival on loan from Hull City of left back, Michael Price. Yakubu was then moved into central midfield, a position in which he played competently until February when he was finally given a central defender role. In the away match at Farnborough Town, Ismail scored his first goal for the club in a 2-2 draw, bending a fine shot into the corner of the net following a corner. Soon after, Shreeves resigned as manager and Martin Allen’s era at Underhill began.
For the following season, 2003/04, Martin Allen produced anew look side with a number of young players backed up the experience of new faces such as Giuliano Grazioli, Danny Maddix and Ian Hendon. Yakubu missed the first few matches of the season, but, after a somewhat disappointing start, was brought in for away trip to newly promoted, Burton Albion. Allen played Ismail in yet another new position; that of left midfield and again, Ismail made a success of it. In the match at Eton Park, it was his run and cross that led to Grazioli opening the scoring for the Bees. Barnet won the match 3-2 and went on a barnstorming run that saw them win 7 out of the next eight matches; a run which took them into the play-off places, a position they were to hold for virtually the rest of the season.
Yakubu spent most of the season in midfield, apart from occasionally filing in at centre back or left back because of injuries. In the play-offs against Shrewsbury, Yakubu played out wide on the left under new caretaker manager, Paul Fairclough, following the departure of Martin Allen in March to Brentford. Yakubu scored two goals during the season, a header from a Hendon free kick in a 2-2 draw at Scarborough and in the last league game of the season at home to Leigh, it was Yakubu’s header from a Joe Gamble cross that brought the scores level in match that Barnet went on to win to clinch a place in the play-offs.
Paul Fairclough accepted the offer to take over as manager on a permanent basis before the start of the 2004/05 season and he restored Yakubu to centre back, this time alongside Simon King who had been converted from left back by Fairclough during pre-season. Yakubu started the season against Forest Green Rovers and then missed the next three matches through injury. By the time he had returned, Chris Plummer had left to join Peterborough and the Yakubu/King partnership was cemented for the rest of the season. It proved to be very successful too with the Bees going on to win the Conference title by a clear margin of 12 points and gain promotion back to the Football League after a gap of four years.
Yakubu made 35 league appearances and was a big part of the club’s success that season. He scored three goals that season; stabbing home the third goal in a 4-0 home win over York City after Ben Strevens had headed down a Richard Graham free kick, heading home a late winner from a Graham cross in an FA Cup 4th Qualifying Round tie at Underhill 2-1 and then heading home a late corner in the New Year derby match against Stevenage Borough which again won the Bees the match 2-1 and gave Barnet a 13 point lead at the top of the Conference.
In the second part of this look back on Yakubu’s career at Underhill, Barnet Mad will look at Barnet’s return to league football through to the end of the 2009/10 season.
Ismail Yakubu’s playing record for Barnet 2002-2005
|
Season |
Conference |
FA Cup |
FA Trophy |
Total |
|
2001/02 |
3(1) |
|
|
3(1) |
|
2002/03 |
29(7) Goals: 1 |
1 |
1 |
31(7) Goals : 1 |
|
2003/04 |
34(7) Goals: 2 |
4 |
1 |
39(7) Goals: 2 |
|
2004/05 |
35 Goals: 2 |
2 Goals: 1 |
|
37 Goals: 3 |
|
Total |
101(15) Goals: 5 |
7 Goals: 1 |
2 |
110(15) Goals: 6 |