East Stirlingshire host Queen’s Park in League 2 on Saturday and Shire keeper Richie Barnard is aiming to help his side claim the win that would take them above the Spiders.
The one-time Queen of the South shot-stopper signed from Camelon Juniors during the summer and has helped Craig Tully’s men make a solid start to 2014/15.
He said: “I am really enjoying my time at the club and it is good to be able to combine my job with the Scottish Prison Service with playing football.”
Barnard’s route to Scotland began in London, as he explained: “I was with Millwall from school until I left aged 21. I was an apprentice at 16 and a professional at 18 and had several loan spells where I learned a lot about the game.
“There were big characters there like Mick McCarthy, Jimmy Nicholl, who brought in Paul Hartley, Jason Dair and Stevie Crawford, and then there was Billy Bonds, Pat Holland, Keith Stevens and Alan McLeary. When Mark McGhee came in as manager we shook hands and I left as I had not broken through.”
Spells at Maidenhead, Aldershot and Queen of the South followed, with Barnard adding: “I have been up here permanently since March 2010 when I left Weymouth when they went into administration. I thought I would be joining Ayr when my old Queen of the South team-mate Brain Reid was in charge.
“However, they were relegated out of what was the First Division and the budget was no longer available so I decided then to get another job. I applied to join both the Police and the Prison Service and here I am four years later.
“My job is really important to me and I have a lot of responsibility in it as a Wing Manager. I took three years out of the game to get my career going then Camelon boss Danny Smith got in touch through a family friend about playing there last summer.
“I went along, I enjoyed it and even got a cap for Scotland Juniors, which is quite ironic as I do not have any Scottish blood in me. The trip I had with them to a four-team tournament was fantastic and the manager Keith Burgess and his crew could not do enough for us.
“The Juniors were great and then the Shire got in touch during in the summer. I got a call from the head coach Craig Tully and he struck me as a really genuine guy and it felt easy to sign for him. I had to ensure that my other career was protected as I am 34 at Christmas - while I enjoy my football it is not my main job anymore.
“There was no point in haggling about money as it was all about enjoyment. I am doing that and I have also been made captain which is great.
“The chairman Tony Ford is another fantastic guy and he makes sure the players are well looked after. I have been at a few clubs and I tell the boys at the Shire that they get everything that top senior clubs get.”
The majority of Barnard’s team-mates are much younger than him but that does not bother the Englishman, who said: “It is good to give something back, especially to a young team and hopefully I am helping them settle down.
“We have Queen's Park this weekend and I am looking forward to it. We are on a decent run and so are they so both teams will be well up for it.
“It looks like we have stopped a bad habit of conceding soft goals and have learned that sometimes the basics of defending are all that is needed. There is a time to play and a time to boot the ball away. Sometimes we were overplaying and that can be dangerous.
“This game is at our place but hopefully our second away fixture with Queen’s Park will be at Hampden. I know it will be nearly empty but I cannot wait.
“I was at the old Wembley with Millwall as part of their squad in an Auto Windscreens Final. I warmed up with the legendary Nigel Spink and Ben Roberts, who was on loan from Middlesbrough. While I did not play, being there in front of 60,000 fans was amazing. Hampden will be different but it will be nice to complete the double.”
Craig Stewart
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