Simon Clist interview

Q HOW DOES IT FEEL TO WIN YOUR FIRST MEDAL IN SENIOR FOOTBALL?
A It's great, and I feel it is a major achievement for both the club and myself. So many players go through their entire careers without winning a medal, so it's pleasing to get my first one under my belt relatively early in my career.

Q WERE TOU SURPRISED BY HOW EASILY BARNET WON THE TITLE IN THE END?
A Yes I was surprised because at one point it looked like Carlisle were going to push us really close. But over the season we showed more consistency than any of the other teams and when Carlisle suffered a dip in form we were able to run away with it.

Q WHAT GAMES YOU ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO MOST NEXT SEASON?
A I'm looking forward to going to Torquay because I had an enjoyable loan spell there while I was at Bristol City. It was a shame they went down on the last day of the season, but it will be nice to catch up with some of my old friends there. I'm not sure what kind of reception I'll get at Bristol Rovers though, because their fans are notorious for giving ex-City players plenty of stick.

Q LOOKING BACK ON YOUR DECISION TO LEAVE BRISTOL CITY AND SIGN FOR BARNET – DID YOU FEEL IT WAS A BIT OF A RISK DROPPING OUT OF THE FOOTBALL LEAGUE?
A It was a risk, but my chances at City had become very limited and I felt I needed to go somewhere I had a chance of regular football. Martin Allen was the manager when I first signed, but when he left Paul Fairclough arrived and soon after I was placed on transfer list. It was than a made a positional move me to left back and things suddenly changed for the better and have recently signed an extension to my contract.

Q SO DO YOU NOW VIEW YOURSELF AS A LEFT BACK OR A MIDFIELDER?
A I'm not sure really – I suppose I am just happy if I'm in the team. It was a bit strange at first because I had never played at left back before, but I'm much more comfortable with it now. I would like to think I'd get the chance to play in midfield again some time in the future, but right now things are going okay.

Q HOW IS YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH PAUL FAIRCLOUGH NOW?
A To be honest there was never any animosity between us even when I was placed on the transfer list. He didn't see me in his plans earlier in the season but that changed when I moved to left back and I managed to change his mind. It's great for me because it's not easy to get a playing contract these days and I'm just delighted to be back in the Football League.

Q WHAT DO YOU THINK IS A REALSTIIC TARGET FOR BARNET NEXT SEASON?
A It may be a bit optimistic to talk about a play-off spot, but I think that is a reasonable target. Yeovil have proved that teams promoted from the Conference can make an instant impact and hopefully we can continue that trend.