Former Barnet defender Simon King says he is grateful to Martin Allen for taking him out of his comfort zone by signing him in 2003

The full-back, now 32 and playing for Isthmian Division One North side Thurrock, was a lynchpin of the Barnet side which won the Conference for the second time in 2005, making 40 appearances as the Bees romped to the title with three games to spare.

Born in Oxford, King had made just three first-team league starts for the U’s when then-manager Allen –in his first spell in the Underhill hot-seat – made the inspired decision to pluck King from Oxford’s second string.

King now juggles a career as a personal trainer and Herbalife distributor with playing for former Bees boss Mark Stimson at Thurrock.

The defender made the most appearances for any of his six clubs at Barnet - a total of 167 in all competitions before leaving for Gillingham in a £200,000 deal in July 2007.

“Martin Allen signed me from Oxford but I was only a kid really and I never broke through into the first team at Oxford,” explained King. “I was playing regularly in the reserves and I was in my comfort zone really.

“I was a local lad so I was going out in Oxford with my mates and being an Oxford player. I never really pushed on and I was set in my ways. It was all very easy signing a long-term contract but I never got into the first team and it was not until I had a chat with Martin Allen and he got me down to Barnet that my football career really kicked on.

“Obviously I am very grateful and enjoyed my time around him. It was only short term because he left that season but I was quite young and he was very good to me because he brought me down to London and helped me settle into my flat. It could be quite daunting but it made me mature into the character I am now, so he helped me not just in football terms but as a human as well,” he mused.

But on March 18 2004, Allen was appointed as Wally Downes’ successor at Brentford. He would come to leave the Bees on two more occasions.

For King the departure of the man who brought him to Barnet could have spelled disaster but the left-back instead became a key component of a title-winning side just 12 short months later, whilst Allen came up short in the Division Two (now League One) play-offs.

“I think initially it is always difficult for managers coming in partway through the season to stamp their mark on team,” he reasoned. “He (Paul Fairclough) had different ideas and ways of managing but we probably did not see all the changes until the following season when he had us for the whole season.

“They have completely different styles. Martin Allen was a really good motivator and got us playing some really good stuff whereas Paul Fairclough was a little bit more laid back. He was very tactical and was always going into meetings after the game on what we could have improved on and what we would do in the next game.”

And whatever Fairclough did differently to his predecessor worked. In his first full season in charge the former Stevenage Borough boss oversaw seven wins from Barnet’s first eight Conference fixtures.

King (left) battles with Plymouth Argyle's Barry Hayles in the 2007 FA Cup. Picture: Action Images

But King recalls it took more than a few early wins to spark the belief the Bees could seal promotion.

He said: “I don’t think you go into the season thinking you can win the title. At that stage you are just taking it each game as it comes and the momentum carries you along.

“We were quite a young team. We were fearless and that worked in our favour really; though we did have a sprinkling of experience in Hendo (Ian Hendon) and (Giuliano) Grazioli, so that helped as well.

“We played that brand of football where we tried to play out from the back, which I enjoyed doing, and it was quite successful – I remember steamrollering a few teams and scoring a lot of goals so I imagine it was quite entertaining at the time.”

He added: “I think Paul Fairclough gave us that belief. He would never moan at us or get on our backs if we were trying to do the right things.”

Barnet blew their first chance to win the Conference at the beginning of April when they lost 2-0 at Northwich Victoria. But a week later the title was sealed with a 3-1 home win over Halifax before being presented following a 1-1 home draw against Carlisle United ten days later.

Now the current crop have the same opportunity to claim the club’s third Conference title in front of their own supporters at The Hive on Saturday.

Simon King (centre) is mobble after scoring against Halifax in 2005. Picture: Action Images

But King is not certain home advantage is always that.

He proffered: “It works both ways because there is that bit of pressure and edginess with your home fans watching but once you have that momentum and belief in yourself and the team you are always going to go out there confident you can beat anyone.

“I am sure the lads will want to just keep doing what they have been doing. They have been successful all season so nothing needs to change. And with those fans behind you – I know it’s a bit of a cliché – you have got that 12th man.”

Reflecting on the achievement of winning the top tier of non-league football, he added: “Winning anything in your professional career is always an honour. There are players who have been in the game for years who have never won promotion.

“To win the Conference outright was very special. I was only 22 or 23 so it was definitely a special time.

“When you are successful you end up building strong bonds with the lads you are playing with so it all adds up to a great season. We had a great party afterwards and celebrated in the dressing room so they are great memories to look back on.”