Key Personnel: Liverpool born Paul Cook has been in charge at Fratton Park since May 2015 having previously managed at Chesterfield, Sligo Rovers and Accrington Stanley. Paul featured in 700 domestic games in a 23 year career notably for Wolves, Wigan and Burnley.

Brief Directions by Road: From the M25 exit at the A3 junction 10.

Continue along the A3 southbound, which eventually becomes the A3 (M). This road then becomes the A27 westbound. At the junction with the A2030 turn left on to Eastern Road signposted Southsea/Fratton. Continue along the A2030 (coast road) and soon enough you will see the extremely large floodlights in front of you.

Car Parking: Car parking is limited in the immediate vicinity and street parking is the only real option. Secure car parking is available at St. Mary’s Hospital in Milton Road although there is a charge for this. Milton Cross School also in Milton Road offers parking for £6.00 per car.

Directions by Train: A London Waterloo train to Portsmouth will take about 90 minutes. However the nearest local train station is Fratton, which is a 10 minute walk away. Portsmouth train station is at least a 25 minute walk away. Sounds like a Cab to share to me!

Eating and Drinking Locally: At the risk of getting of “Press Ganged” the pubs around the docks or in Old Portsmouth are worth a visit. My spies tell me two great pubs are The Duke of Buckingham or the Sally Port Inn both to be found in the High Street. Both are 16th century buildings and serve decent grub – apples in barrel, salted pork, stale biscuits, that sort of thing and of course have a great selection of Rums. Most of the pubs in the immediate vicinity do not inspire unfortunate apart from the Froddington Arms, 55 Fratton Road.

Ground Description: Fratton Park still proudly (an quite rightly) exhibits one of the very few remaining Archibald Leitch designed grandstands in the country. This main stand was built in 1925 and unfortunately the typical Leitch balcony, with its criss-crossed steel balustrade at the front of the upper tier, is now obscured by adverts. However it still retains a certain grace whilst showing signs of age. Opposite is the North Stand also two tiered and was original built in the 1950s but has been radically modified since. The largest structure is the Fratton End which is a home fan stronghold while the recently covered Milton End will be our home for the evening. This stand is shared between home and away fans.

Rivals: Southampton, Southampton and Southampton.

Admission Prices: Adults £20, Concessions £15, U17s £10.

Previous Meetings and Memories: October 2011 and a Bees “Giant-Stinging” Carling Cup win at Fratton Park thanks to Mark Hughes scoring in 1-0 win. January 1991 and the FA Cup 3rd round at Underhill. Over 6,000 turned up hoping to see a Barry Fry influenced pure football Barnet team, which four months later picked up the GM Conference trophy, join the list of the ultimate FA Cup giant killers. We were given a footballing lesson and lost 0-5. Guy Whittingham showing his class in front of goal that afternoon.

Celebrity Watch: One of Barnet’s favourite sons, Linvoy Primus, spent the best part of a decade at Fratton Park and became a Pompey legend in the process. Goon Peter Sellers was born here as was lead singer with 1960’s R and B (in the real sense of the phrase) band Manfred Mann, Paul Jones. Former Prime Minster James Callaghan is also from these parts as is Isambard Kingdom Brunel who would no doubt have been approached to design the stadium if he hadn’t had passed away in 1859. Literary genius Charles Dickens was born here and probably enjoyed a pint or two in the harbour pubs discussing book writing and silly names with his mates and fellow notable Portsmouth residents, Rudyard Kipling, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Sir Walter Besent and HG Wells. HG was always late arriving allegedly!

Reckless