Hair of the dog is the prescribed remedy at Underhill Stadium today as Barnet have ordered another round of former Manager Martin ‘Mad Dog’ Allen.
Allen, 45, has brought an end to his part-time scouting role at Queens Park Rangers and now returns to replace caretaker Paul Fairclough, three months into the latter’s ship-steadying shift at the club’s helm, following the New Year’s Day dismissal of Mark Stimson.
The former QPR and West Ham United midfielder began his management career with the Bees in 2003, taking the then Conference club to the sharp end of non-league football before decamping after just a year to join London rivals Brentford.
Mad Dog has endured plenty of turbulent times since then; many of his managerial appointments notable as much for off-field escapades as for on-field endeavours.
He led Brentford to the FA Cup 5th Round in successive seasons in the mid-noughties, defeating Premier League Sunderland en route in 2006. However, after consecutive near-misses in the play-offs he decided to drop down a division, delivering the MK Dons a shot at promotion through the League Two showpiece, but with his side again defeated at the semi-final stage.
That was followed by a memorable 4-game stint at Milan Mandaric’s Leicester City marred by conflicting politics and failed signings. Then, having first attracted media attention for his sponsored bike ride to raise cash for Brentford during the 2005-6 campaign, the one-time England u-21 international made negative headlines after allegedly racially abusing a nightclub bouncer while overseeing his father’s former charges at Cheltenham Town.
Allen now faces a daunting task in trying to retain Barnet’s Football League status, yet it is one with which he is bound to be familiar. Having been previously employed at Underhill, he has also entered into each of his undertaken adventures with his new club on the wane. Even in his first assistant role, where he was second-in-command to Alan Pardew at his hometown club Reading, he found the Royals deep in the relegation mire upon his arrival.
His time at Griffin Park should perhaps have ended on a high with the West Londoners embarking on those historic cup runs amid challenging for the Championship. However, his relatively short tenure was overshadowed by the circumstances surrounding his departure, the manager claiming the club had failed to invest sufficiently and abruptly handing in his resignation.
Barnet bosses have already assured Allen that he will be backed by bringing in “any players he feels appropriate”, and the basement boys will require every ounce of his expertise in both the market and man-management if they are to survive, as they stand three points from safety with eight to play and runaway league leaders Chesterfield up next on Saturday.
“It is our last throw of the dice” confessed Barnet Chairman Tony Kleanthous. After nearly two years in the wilderness since his Cheltenham sacking, Allen also admitted “When I got the call it was a no-brainer.” And his boldness knew no bounds as he cited his previous experience with Brentford when issueing a rallying cry: “We’re going to have some fun and we’re going to stay up!”
Expect fireworks either way as the relegation dog-fight sees another hound enter the hunt.
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