Barker: 'We've made real progress over the last eight months'
Certainly the most consistant player in a Southend shirt this season, utility defender Chris Barker deserved his club player-of-the-year award for 2010/11, and hopefully this one will stay!
The 31-year-old ex-Plymouth centre-back though is focusing on the future, where he believes the Shrimpers could make a real push for promotion next time around.
Barker told Blues World: "I'm very pleased to have won the award and it's a nice thing to have but I was surprised because I still think I can play better and so can the team. I think I will be stronger and fitter with a proper pre-season behind me and so will most of the other lads too. When you consider where the club was eight months ago I think we have made real progress and we believe we could be up there next season."
As for the game Barker accepted it was a hit and miss affair that after Barry Corr had given the home side a third minute lead they maybe should have done better, but allowed former Shrimpers loanee Scott Malone in for a 28th minute equaliser.
Chris continued: "It was quite scrappy and I think we eased off after taking the lead so early. We maybe thought we were going to go on and win 3-0 or 4-0 but it wasn't to be and it was a shame to sign off like that in our final home game of the season."
How the referee decided the two sides should end up with a man each seeing red only he knows, and whatever gesture Burton's Jacques Maghoma decided to give the East Stand!
This all happening in the last six minutes, Lee Sawyer receiving his secong yellow for an innocuous challenge in stoppage time.
So it's on to the party at Wycombe next Saturday, who need a win to match the Shrewsbury result to confirm promotion, for the final game of the Shrimpers long and difficult season, roll on the next one; we hope!
Chris is currently leading the voting for the S24 player-of-the-season; go here:
www.southendunited-mad.co.uk/interactive/voting_polls.asp
The Barker Files
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Christopher Andrew Barker | ||
| Date of birth | 2 March 1980 (1980-03-02) | ||
| Place of birth | Sheffield, England | ||
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||
| Playing position | Defender | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Southend United | ||
| Number | 23 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1997-1999 | Alfreton Town | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1999-2002 | Barnsley | 113 | (3) |
| 2002-2007 | Cardiff City | 159 | (0) |
| 2004 | → Stoke City (loan) | 4 | (0) |
| 2006-2007 | → Colchester United (loan) | 38 | (0) |
| 2007-2008 | Queens Park Rangers | 25 | (0) |
| 2008-2010 | Plymouth Argyle | 54 | (0) |
| 2010 | → Southend United (loan) | 4 | (0) |
| 2010- | Southend United | 38 | (0) |
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 20:26, 30 April 2011 (UTC). † Appearances (Goals). | |||
(Player info supplied by Wikipedia, for the full article go here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Barker)