Is our club dying?

[BeesKnees]

The question must be,
Are we gaining supporters faster than they are being lost?

My pessimism about the move hasn't changed but I think now is the wrong time to judge as there has never been a season like the last one in any of our lives. So we must give the club a chance to see if it can be more stable and at least get in and around the play offs on a regular basis. It's those sorts of games where there is a lot at stake that can attract more fans and get them hooked.

[talldarkslim]

The number of season tickets sold will be a clue to the current level of enthusiasm.

[Norfolkbee]

One of the problems is that this area of Harrow ,the residents have zero interest in Barnet. The make up of the local population

has no interest in or affiliation to football, let alone a historical connection with the club.

Tha affiliation of the local population to football will change over time. It's a generational thing. I'm old enough to remember when the Afro-Caribbean communities had practically zero interest in football, but you could hardly say that now. It's all about finding a few role models.
The important thing for Barnet is that they are ready to hoover up the new-found football fans and don't let them rush off to the bright lights of Arsenal, Tottenham etc.

[WhetstoneBee]

The regular users of a Barnet FC forum is the wrong audience to ask. Some of those dismissing the original post so quickly ought to have a chat with some of the many hundreds of longstanding Barnet FC fans who have simply given up over the last few years for a variety of reasons, many of them outlined in the original post. I'm not one of them (still a season ticket holder) but I fully understand their point of view. Effectively saying "I don't feel the way you describe so no it's not a problem" is a really unhelpful approach when there are clearly some major problems in relation to the current state of the club, from sinking to our lowest league position in decades to our rapidly dwindling attendances, that cannot be ignored. If those problems are addressed then the club will be in a much better place, if they continue to be ignored and dismissed then yes I genuinely fear for what the next 10 years will look like for Barnet FC. The decline is not terminal but the problem is things have got worse in recent years rather than better.

[barnet_pls]

I do understand where the original OP is coming from ... l too started going having walked past the ground to school everyday in the late 80's. As we kept missing out on promotion we were everyone's favourite 2nd team in North London -and for our size the press we got with the Stan & Barry show was amazing. However...you can't fault TK's financial stewardship - look at the teams of our size that simply no longer exist. The last year's of Underhill were also pretty underwhelming - rose tinted by that memorable last match. The atmosphere was often very quiet. At the hive we know that the atmosphere can be good - we've had some great games already. But also te day to day matches are suffering - l think it's a mixture of available cheaper Championship tickets which we can't compete with nearby at Watford / Westham etc , adde to this, in the intervening 20 years te premier ship is the only football that counts - many are simply not interested in anything else. Having said that my teenage sons both come & very often see school friends here from around the borehamwood area -l just think it's not in the numbers it used to be for regular matches. I also think there's a great latent support or the bees that will come out for big matches - Brentford was a great example of this - l never expected it to sell out. So, l also think with a winning team, more local publicity schemes - we probably need better social media to attract bums on seats of the younger generation...but going into my 38th season, l'm also very positive that we can have a medium term plan to get us where TK always envisaged.

[DerekRocholl]

I do understand where the original OP is coming from ... l too started going having walked past the ground to school everyday in the late 80's. As we kept missing out on promotion we were everyone's favourite 2nd team in North London -and for our size the press we got with the Stan & Barry show was amazing. However...you can't fault TK's financial stewardship - look at the teams of our size that simply no longer exist. .

I beg to differ. While Kleanthous’s personal financial situation has improved massively since he bought the Club in 1994, the club itself no longer owns its stadium and has few if any assets. In the mean time out of all the teams in the same league as Barnet in the 1994/95 Season I believe all except Bury And Scarborough finished above Barnet in the pyramid last season.

[Mikel Bee]

In the mean time of all the teams in the same league as Barnet in the 1994/95 Season I believe all of them except Bury And Scarborough finished above Barnet in the pyramid last season.

Plus Darlington and Hereford, and Chester and York who were both in the division above us that season.

[BigBee]

I do understand where the original OP is coming from ... l too started going having walked past the ground to school everyday in the late 80's. As we kept missing out on promotion we were everyone's favourite 2nd team in North London -and for our size the press we got with the Stan & Barry show was amazing. However...you can't fault TK's financial stewardship - look at the teams of our size that simply no longer exist. .

I beg to differ. While Kleanthous’s personal financial situation has improved massively since he bought the Club in 1994, the club itself no longer owns its stadium and has few if any assets. In the mean time out of all the teams in the same league as Barnet in the 1994/95 Season I believe all except Bury And Scarborough finished above Barnet in the pyramid last season.

When did Barnet FC, ever own it’s stadium. ??

[ninestein]

In the final few years of Underhlll we obtained the freehold (worth a thread in its own right). But crucially, it was the access points surrounding it that we didn't own and that accelerated the move away.

[barnetboy1]

Eloquent ,heartfelt and poignant.
Someone with the tech get the post to TK.
A lot of frustration,for me, stems from the failure to push on and create a winning side that The Hive, as a business concept, is worthy of.
Aaah!, "There's the rub" it's an architect's and businessman's Football Ground with less and less connectivity with what it's fundamental purpose should be and that is a family home.
I must add ,by local bye-laws, if we start ripping it up football wise I declare myself totally fickle and think the whole thing is wonderful.
COYBeees!

[DerekRocholl]

In the final few years of Underhlll we obtained the freehold (worth a thread in its own right). But crucially, it was the access points surrounding it that we didn't own and that accelerated the move away.

The access point issue only became an issue because of the way relationships within the council broke down and that was as much down to Kleanthous as it was to the Council.

BTW I can’t stand the Barnet Tory Council but if anyone believes that a better relationship wasn’t there for the taking if they didn’t feel that TK had stitched them up with the time limit on the 60%/40% sell on clause they need to give their heads a wobble.

[Mickbee]

We moved from a football area to one that isn't. Although crowds were dropping off at Underhill the move and relegation accelerated this with the loss of those who resented the move and failure to pick a new fan base. Not great, we need to get back into the league and quick.

[Sam_BFC]

Although crowds were dropping off at Underhill the move and relegation accelerated this with the loss of those who resented the move and failure to pick a new fan base. Not great, we need to get back into the league and quick.

We undoubtedly lost a sizeable number of fans straight after the move, though it is hard to quantify how many were regulars or semi regulars etc. But we also had record season ticket holders, or “members” for at least that first season (around 1000).

During the final run in of our 2014-15 Conference win, crowds were close to 2,000 though a few hundred down on the comparable 2004-05 run in (midweek crowds suffered in particular I think).

When showing lower mid table League 2 form, our home crowds were arguably similar to what they might have been at Underhill (at least prior to the unfortunate Dilemma incident).

All that is to say, The Hive alone is not doomed to absolute disaster.

[barnetpete]

First year at the hive I sorted 5 tickets for friends and family, this year not one, including me for the first time in 15 years. Sat within a group of 20ish, at least 4 others no longer have season tickets, some including long term well know supporters not renewing for the first time this season.

It’s not the monetary value as all could pay it but feeling that it’s a lack of value for money and disconnect.

As said in pg1, dying maybe (hopefully) not, drifting definitely.

Good luck to the new SA I hope they manage to find a reconnection between club and fans.

[Sam_BFC]

First year at the hive I sorted 5 tickets for friends and family, this year not one, including me for the first time in 15 years. Sat within a group of 20ish, at least 4 others no longer have season tickets, some including long term well know supporters not renewing for the first time this season.

No one is encouraged by the proactive approach to the new season ?