Since I completed the 92 grounds back in 2009, there have been numerous new clubs coming into the Football League and numerous clubs have changed grounds. Barnet have done both! I have therefore had to visit Barnet’s new ground, The Hive.
I had previously been to Underhill to see Barnet on several occasions, one being a very drunken trip with my mate Lee to see Cardiff play there. A late choice of game. At 0800 on the Saturday morning, I was at work in Wallsend, Tyne & Wear. I read the paper whilst having my breakfast, saw Cardiff were visiting Underhill, so rang Lee and arranged to come down to London to visit him and his wife for the weekend, I was on the 0900 train from Newcastle and by 13:00 was ensconced in a bar in Barnet topping up the alcohol from the train.
Anyway, enough about that… Barnet moved out of Underhill in 2013 after over 100 years there. Barnet had been trying to move to a new ground in Barnet for years but complained of a lack of support from the local council. Eventually they moved to the Hive. The history is better set out on Wikipedia than I can do justice to
Chairman Anthony Kleanthous had sought to move the club from Underhill since the 1990s due to the poor facilities at the ground. Attempts to move either to Barnet Copthall or to the greenbelt site directly to the south of Underhill were both unsuccessful, with John Prescott over-ruling a move to Copthall in 2001 after planning permission was granted.
Construction of the stadium, at the Prince Edward Playing Fields in Edgware, began in 2003 as a new home for Wealdstone F.C.. In 2004, Wealdstone’s investment partners in the project went into liquidation, bringing construction work at the site to a halt. Harrow London Borough Council put the site up for tender in 2006, and Barnet F.C. won the right to occupy the site as a result of this.
Barnet F.C. moved into the stadium in summer 2013 due to disagreement with Barnet London Borough Council with regards to the lease of the land surrounding their home since 1907, Underhill Stadium, as well as the limited facilities at Underhill restricting the club’s income. The awarding of the Barnet Copthall site to Saracens F.C., effectively ending Barnet F.C.‘s hopes of ever moving to the site, accelerated the move to the Hive further. The club originally claimed they intended the use of the stadium at the Hive to be a temporary arrangement, with the long term aim to build a 10,000 capacity stadium in the London Borough of Barnet, however that changed in 2015 with the chairman announcing the club will no longer look for a home elsewhere . There is a restriction on the lease of the Hive that prevents its use for football league matches and Barnet F.C. have been granted a 10 year change to this condition which came into effect in June 2015 as part of the club’s requirements for promotion
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p align=”justify”>Anyway, enough of the history lesson. I was driving with a couple of friends for this game. We headed round the M25 from Romford to Edgeware and were parked up quicker than it normally takes to get from my home to the Orient ground! This despite travelling 40 miles instead of 8 miles! Car parking at the ground is £5 or £free if you park on the street outside. Difficult decision that, pay £5 and get stuck in a queue to leave ground at the end of the game or pay £0 and walk an extra 2 or 3 hundred yards.
As Greg had only sorted out tickets late on Friday afternoon, we had to collect them from the ticket office. Entering the site in the South East corner, and walking down to the ground, we went to the ticket office to be told as they were visiting tickets there were at the other ticket office in the North West Corner- or as far away as possible! The only enterance to the site is in the South East corner.
After walking round to that corner, the ticket office turned out to be someone stood outside the gates to the visitors seats. Getting the tickets, one then had to walk back to the North East corner for the turnstiles for the terracing. Nothing like trying ot make it wasy for visitors!
There is a big bar at the ground serving food and alcohol. Welcomingly it is for home fans only. That is a challenge to me, so I make my eway past the stewards and int othe bar. Plenty of alcohol available. There is food at £6 for a burger. I think I will give it a miss, and after seeing the charcoal someone else was served up, I think I made the right choice.
The bar does overlook the ground and gave a first real chance to see inside the ground. The terrace seen through the window was where the Orient faithful were located. I understand it holds around 1400 people. The total crowd at the game today was 3401, with 1655 of those from Orient. A magnificent effort to have 50% of the crowd at an away game, even if it is a London game. I suppose some would say it is an away game for Barnet fans as it was not in Barnet, but 6 miles away in Edgeware.
It was noticeable that the terrace at the opposite end of the ground occupied by Barnet fans was virtually empty. It seems most Barnet fans go in the big main stand.
Behind the terrace were 2 catering huts, one serving alcohol and cold drinks, the other serving the usual salmonella burgers hot dogs etc. There is also a portacabin type structure housing the toilets. A grand total of 9 urinals for 1400 people. Obviously Barnet cater well for the visiting fans!
Inside the ground and onto the terraces and a first chance to look properly at the ground. The big main stand has no ends to it, so wind and rain can whistle through it. It is a structure with no pillars and looks to offer a good view of the game. On the back wall of this stand and the one opposite there is an electronic scoreboard/ advertising screen.
Opposite the main stand is a much smaller seated stand. The dug outs are on the half way line, but the tunnel is down at the North East corner near the corner flag near the visitors terrace. The slightly odd thing about this stand is the roof only covers 3/4 of the terrace. The end blocks of seats are not under cover.
Both ends of the ground are covered terraces that look similar in design and capacity. Simple terraces, albeit with a metal floor. Access to the terraces is via the two ends of the terraces. There is no central entrance or exit.
Given the exit from the site is in the South East corner, most fans sought to head to the east side of the terrace to exit the ground, especially as there is an exit gate there next to the turnstiles. However, this gate is not opened, so you have to head back the width of the pitch to leave in the North West corner of the ground and then walk back to the North East corner to get round the stand. A rather ill thought-out and unnecessary inconvenience for away fans – a bit like the inconvenience caused by the lack of toilets.
Orient were just out of the play off places before today’s game and Barnet in the lower half of the table seemingly with nothing to play for. A big Orient away following were hoping to see their side move a step closer towards the play offs.
Hope was all they had. A dreadful Orient performance was what they got. It looked like the Orient team had not met each other before and that they had overdone the alcohol the night before. It came as no surprise when Barnet took the lead. They appeared to be a little bit fortunate as there appeared to be a clear handball. Rather than play to the whistle, the Orient team stopped and stood like statues allowing Barnet to cross and score a simple header.
Early in the second half and Orient were awarded a penalty in front of us. A silly foul but a chance to equalise. After his recent run of penalty misses, Simpson was replaced by James as penalty taker with the same result a pathetic penalty kicked straight at the goalkeeper.
Barnet broke away and almost immediately scored at the other end. This was followed shortly thereafter by a 3rd goal for Barnet, Orient were woeful. They were lucky to get nil. Things were so bad that by full time many Orient fans had left. My travelling companions wanted to stay until the end. I think they have masochistic tendencies. I was not prepared to stand and watch anymore of this rubbish so left the ground and went and sat listening to Radio 5 for the football round up. It was far more enjoyable than watching that rubbish served up by Orient. On the way to Barnet we were talking about going to see Orient at AFC Wimbledon in a couple of weeks time. That is another ground I need to visit. I think I will pick a different time to visit the ground, a day when Orient are not playing. I am not sure I want to subject myself to another afternoon like that.
You may remember in my blog from the Harlow v Tilbury game last Saturday I commented on the similarity between the game I was watching and the Newcastle United game that day. Well again similarities abound today. Orient were woeful and let in 3 away from home and were a disgrace to the shirt. Newcastle were woeful today and let in 3 away from home and were a disgrace to the shirt.
Its non league football again this coming week thankfully. At least players play for pride and passion not just turn up to earn a wage
The Beautiful Game? 