Barker tribute to Bury loyalists (From Bury Times)
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Barker tribute to Bury loyalists
1:00pm Thursday 19th April 2012 in Football By Nick Jackson
RICHIE Barker is confident Bury’s army of travelling fans can banish any lingering negativity which prompted him to lash out at a minority of moaning supporters following Saturday’s Gigg Lane victory over Bournemouth.
The 1-0 win assured the Shakers of League One football next season, barring a series of freak results in the final three games eroding their nine-point safety cushion.
The Bury manager admitted he found it embarrassing to have to criticise a minority of the home support who barracked his team throughout the entire match, but was standing by his post-match comments yesterday.
“It’s only 0.1 per cent of the fans – probably less than that,” he said. “They just need to get behind us and stop being negative. It would be nice if those who are behind us could shut up the ones who are not.
“To be honest, I would rather talk about the 99.9 per cent of our supporters who have been absolutely superb.”
In contrast, when the Shakers travel to Notts County on Saturday they will be backed by one of the top five away followings in the Football League – measured as a percentage of their average home gate.
And as Barker looks to put a dent in the Magpies’ play-off ambitions while taking a step nearer achieving his own new target of a top-half finish, he hailed their contribution.
“Our away support all season has been fantastic,” he said. “It has helped, of course, that we have quite a few local derbies.”
Meanwhile, Barker is refusing to take Bury’s safety for granted, saying it would be disrespectful to assume that Wycombe – the only club capable of catching the Shakers – could not win their final three games.
“We will not celebrate until we are mathematically safe,” he said. “We have to keep our own house in order. But we have achieved the target we set out for at the beginning of the season – to get 50 or more points. We now have 52 with three games to play and it means we can look up the table, rather than down.
“At Notts County it will be a difficult game against a team pushing for the play-offs, but it will show our players how good they have to be to reach the next level. It will be a good test for us.”
Comments(12)
shakencity
says...
2:20pm Thu 19 Apr 12
I though last weekends game was a typically nervous performance by a team hell bent on defending the 3pts we needed to stay up, Bournemouth more than deserved a point but just couldn't get it. I thought Pugh was the thorn in our side all game, ex players (John Mcginlay aside) shouldn't get any stick whatsoever.....i for one was pleased to see him play well.
Jones had a nightmare of a game at RB but will improve in time and Clarke has to be signed up, as too have Coke, Grella and Carson if we are to compete at this level next season.
In my opinion Belford, Hughes, Picken, Skarz and Harrad can all go....they're just not good enough for this standard of football. I agree with Eileens judgement on Richies inept tactical changes but i reckon he's going to stay, so we have to accept this and move on. This will be a good test of Richies contacts pre-season, can he re-build and replace in areas that need it most. A couple of new faces are without needed, the players will be out there, the question is can we get them.
Eileenshakers
says...
2:26pm Fri 20 Apr 12
Eileenshakers
says...
2:34pm Fri 20 Apr 12
shakencity
says...
10:24pm Fri 20 Apr 12
I too hope he plays a 4-4-2 formation tomorrow but fear he won't, a heavy defeat looms in this game........we're safe and they need a win, 3-0.
easylife44
says...
11:39pm Fri 20 Apr 12
By the way, good job!!
Eileenshakers
says...
2:55pm Sat 21 Apr 12
nomoresurfin
says...
3:50pm Sun 22 Apr 12
shakencity
says...
9:43pm Sun 22 Apr 12
As i've said before, Grella, Coke and Clarke have to be signed up IF finances allow. We have started to look a completely different team of late and we need this to continue into next season.
Still wouldn't keep Harrad though Eileen.lol
Babbar Divino
says...
8:57pm Tue 24 Apr 12
easylife44 wrote:Things could be worse he could be managing Blackburn :)
What really needs to be looked at here is WHY would half a dozen fans upset him? These are his words. Good God Man, get a spine and forget the boo boys. So, if you have a crowd of 2500 people, you are worried about 6? Leadership would dismiss this as stuff and nonsense. Get a grip Richie, you have achieved your goal of 50 points. Go get another 5 from the last 3 games and forget the negative....it will not be any easier next year, so 'Man-up".
By the way, good job!!
Eileenshakers
says...
1:15pm Wed 25 Apr 12
shakencity
says...
9:47pm Wed 25 Apr 12
I suppose we're all guessing what team we'll have at the start of next season, but as long as Richie recognises where we've been short and acts on this (as Knilly did) then i'll be happy.
I'm actually going to City on Monday night Eileen and got to say, i can't wait as it'll be my 1st Derby game.
Eileenshakers says...
1:38pm Thu 19 Apr 12
am that our defence & results have really picked up.Putting Andrai Jones at right back was a master stroke.Realising that Eastham was a a good player coming forward but lacked solidity and technical astuteness of positional play and awareness of danger.As for Mark Hughes he has to be the most disappointing player we acquired last summer,he's got alot of improving to do but not at our club if you please.A clear out is required and you must have some idea of the players that you might need to avoid 2nd season syndrome Richie and the inevitable consequences of that.We all know that teams will have worked us out.We knew this much in the second half of the season when they stopped us playing.We need to acquire several strategies or ways to counter other teams ie a plan b,c,d depending on how we are playing and who we are playing.Always play to your strengths and dictate the matches from the off.Get in the oppositions faces from the first whistle.Good luck to the lads at Notts County,bring your Farmer Giles Wellies it's a cowpat of a pitch.They will need to fetch in quite a bit of sand to make it playable given all of the wet weather we have been having this week.Ps i hear that there have been interested parties from The Championship who are thinking of tendering bids for DAVID WORRALL.Please board resist any offers that come your way.Disconnect all phones,don't undermine all of Richie's efforts in trying to keep us in league 1 for the forseeable future.