Barnet travel to Yeovil Town for a first round tie in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy. So it seems an opportune time to have a look at how Barnet have fared in the Football League Trophy, to give the tournament its generic term, through the years.
The Football League Trophy began in 1983, then known as the Associate Members’ Cup, but Barnet were a Conference side at the time and didn’t play in the tournament until after they gained promotion to Division Four in 1991.
The tournament began with a preliminary group round, in which there were 3 teams in each group who played each other on a ‘round robin’ basis. This was a feature of the tournament until 1996 when it reverted to being a knock out tournament from the start.
Barnet’s first match in the trophy, then known as the Autoglass Trophy, was at home to Aldershot and the Bees ran out 3-0 winners on a cold November evening. Mark Carter put Barnet ahead early on with a fine shot from the edge of the penalty area and went further ahead just past the hour when Roger Willis, known to the fans as Harry, scored following a Paul Showler corner. Soon after, substitute, Nicky Evans headed home the third. The Barnet side that night was: Phillips, Poole, Naylor, Bodley, Howell (Evans), Willis, Wilson, Carter, Bull, Lowe (Horton), Showler.
The Bees then won their other match in the group 6-3 away at Brentford to top their group. Mark Carter bagged a hat trick, Gary Bull scored twice and Gary Poole completed the scoring for Barnet.
The tournament then reverted to a knock out competition and in the 1st round, Barnet knocked out Northampton Town at Underhill, winning 3-2 with goals from carter, frank Murphy and an own goal. Unfortunately, the Bees went down 1-0 at home to Leyton Orient in the 2nd round.
The following season, Barnet made the knock out stage again. After losing 2-1 at Northampton in the first of the group matches, the Bees defeated Colchester United 4-2 at Underhill to go through. Mark Carter, Brian Stein, Nicky Evans and Jonathon Hunt scored the goals for the home side. In the 1st round, Barnet lost 4-1 away at Stoke City, Carter scoring for the Bees.
In 1993/94, Barnet went out in the preliminary group stage, losing 1-0 away at Wycombe and drawing 2-2 at home to Brentford, Alan Walker and Kelly Haag scoring for Barnet. The following season, 94/95, the trophy’s sponsors were changed and the tournament became known as the Auto Windscreens Shield. However, Barnet’s form in the trophy didn’t change and they again went out in the group stage, losing both matches; 0-2 at home to Cambridge United and 1-3 away at Northampton, Mark Cooper scoring for the Bees.
This poor showing was repeated in 1995/96, Barnet losing 2-0 away at Bristol City and 3-2 at home to Oxford United, Cooper and Terry Robbins scoring for Barnet. Alan Pardew scored an own goal for Oxford, lobbing the ball over Bees’ keeper, Maik Taylor to put Oxford ahead. Barnet equalised in the 71st minute when a Lee Hodges shot was blocked and Cooper rammed it home from close range. Matt Murphy then walked through a pedestrian Bees’ defence to put Oxford back in the lead a minute later and moody soon after made it 3-1 to the visitors curling a 25 yard free kick into the top corner. Substitute, Terry Robbins grabbed a consolation goal for the Bees four minutes from time. The Barnet side was: Taylor, Gale (Robbins), Dyer, Pardew, Primus, McDonald, Tomlinson, Scott, Cooper, Devine, Wilson (Hodges).
For the 1996/97 season, the tournament changed to a knock out trophy from the start. Barnet received a bye in the 1st round, but then went out in the 2nd round, losing 2-1 away at Brentford, Dean Samuels scoring for Barnet. In each of the next two seasons, Barnet failed to make the second round, losing 2-1 at home to Walsall in 97/98, Paul Wilson scoring and 4-1 away at Swansea City in 98/99, Scott McGleish getting the Bees’ goal.
In 1999/00, Barnet made the 2nd round defeating Cambridge United 2-1 at the Abbey Stadium, Frazer Toms and Ken Charlery scoring for Barnet, but lost by the same score at home to Reading in the 2nd round, Warren Hackett scoring the Bees’ goal.
For the 200/01 season, there were new sponsors in the shape of LDV Vans and the top Conference sides were also included. Barnet were drawn at home to play Conference league leaders, Rushden & Diamonds in the 1st round and the Bees won 2-0 with goals from Rob sawyers and Wayne Purser in the first half. Rushden, of course, gained revenge at the end of the season, gaining promotion to the league at the expense of Barnet who finished the season bottom of Division 3. The Barnet side that beat Rushden was; Harrison, Stockley, Sawyers, Heald, Arber, Gledhill (Pope), Brown (Berkley), Bell, Niven, Purser (Strevens), Riza.
In the 2nd round, Barnet won 3-1 away at Peterborough to reach the 3rd round of the Football League Trophy for the first time. Barnet’s goals came through Scott McGleish, Omar Riza and an own goal. Barnet’s run ended in the 3rd round with a 2-1 defeat at home to Brentford, Mark Gower scoring on his debut for Barnet.
In the second part of this series, Barnet Mad will look at Barnet’s showing in the Football League Trophy, first as a Conference side and then as a league side again, following promotion in 2005.