A week into his new job as Barnet's manager, 42-year-old Mark Stimson confirmed that he has already made offers to three players.

After showing the players around The Hive, what he calls the Bees' "fantastic" training facility at Edgware, Stimson announced that the prospective newcomers were a wide player and two central midfielders.

Not only that, the manager revealed that he had opened talks with other players who are currently on holiday. Little surprise that he told www.barnetfc.com that he had no plans for a family holiday before the mainly new squad report for training on June 24.

The new management team of Stimson and first team coach Michael Stone have settled in at The Hive working in association with Paul Fairclough. Most conversations hinge on the attacking football that is the aim for both the League side and the youth set-up.

Stimson confirmed that he has spoken to 27-year-old John O'Flynn - 34 goals in 70 starts - about staying at Underhill and had left messages for Kenny Gillet to contact him on return from holiday.

The manager played six games for the Bees on loan from Portsmouth in September-October 1995 - the week after chairman Tony Kleanthous took over at Underhill. Manager Ray Clemence, who he knew from their Tottenham Hotspur days, brought him in and his team-mates included Sean Devine, Maik Taylor, Linvoy Primus and Alan Pardew, who will be in the opposition dug-out when he brings his Southampton side to Underhill for a pre-season friendly on July 27.

Stimson coached Primus, who lived nearby, as a youngster; the pair travelled in for training every day in Mark's loan spell with the Bees.

Dennis Signy