Underhill Memories

[warwick]

Firstly as a new poster I should admit that I don't actively go to Barnet games any longer. I am an Arsenal Season Ticket Holder home and away for my sins... However from my earliest memories The Bees are the Club that I have "followed". I have always looked out for their results and get along to Underhill a few times a season. I'm so sad that Barnet are leaving Underhill as it holds so many memories for me. I grew up in Sherrards Way (down from Fairfield Way) and I can still remember looking at the flood lights from my bedroom window from the age of 5 until we moved when I was 11! It was captivating. My old man drank in The Old Red Lion for years and we would often go to games after I'd played for Barnet Youth on the playing fields behind the Cricket Club. I seem to remember going away to Enfield once and I certainly remember being in some packed crowds at Underhill over the years. This was when we could change ends at half time and a couple of quid would see you entertained for the entire day and early evening until my Mum came looking for me. From the age of 11 I was a Season Ticket Holder for 3-4 years. My best mate at school's Dad used to work for the Club (Doug Perry - he dealt with the mascots on Match Day and was also Alex Higgins Manager and Renee and Renato's but I digress...). This allowed us free rein around the ground on matchdays from around 11am and we would roam around the place from The Silver Suite to the Players Lounge to the Club Office where we would annnoy Beverley Bacon. After the game we would dive in to the players buffet. I still remember watching Linvoy Primus demolishing a plate of fried chicken on more than one ocassion. We were always crowded round the Manager for his interview afterwards as Doug Perry wrote match reports for the local paper. Mullery and Clemence stand out. Those were the days (or not!). I seem to remember that Helen Chamberlain was going out with Sean Devine at one point and I was caught by her saying that "That bird from Soccer AM is over there." as she stood outside the tannoy room watching a game. She wasn't happy. The best game I saw at Underhill was when we beat Man City. An early Dougie Freedman goal saw us defend like the alamo to prevail 1 nil. I've still got the programme at my parents house signed by the likes of Andy Dibble and Uwe Rosler when they walked into the ground hours before kick-off. I can also remember us playing Blackpool (sat in the rafters of the East Stand to get a better view), Bolton, Cardiff and Swansea. How football moves on.. Away games wise we went everwhere.. Bury, Walsall, Lincoln, Chesterfield, Orient, Northampton, Carlisle to name just a few.

But my abiding memory is the season we won promotion from the Conference (2nd time). What a season! We were like a runaway train. The day we sealed it was immense. I was in Batchwood Nightclub in St Albans that night. All the players were there and we mingled with them and bought them drinks like they were mates.

I can't believe that Underhill will cease to be our home in a matter of months. The players we saw there and the teams that passed through on their way to the Premier League will be like ghosts in years to come. Underhill, we will never forget you.

[PBBee]

Nice memories. Can I ask why you go to Arsenal home & away when you clearly care about this club. It's not as if the football is much better or anything?

[jamiefrbees]

certainly don't have any Champions League winners in the side, as Letchbee pointed out previously.

[Golf Delta]

Thanks for sharing your memories. I have to agree with PBB though, you obviously care about this club so why support a club who last won a trophy as far back as when Barnet last won a trophy?

[_ABeeSee_]

Thanks for sharing your memories. I have to agree with PBB though, you obviously care about this club so why support a club who last won a trophy as far back as when Barnet last won a trophy?

You're making the assumption there that people support football clubs because of silverwear. They're not true supporters, and as a Barnet fan you should know better!

But yes, the question begs to be asked.

[Golf Delta]

You're making the assumption there that people support football clubs because of silverwear. They're not true supporters, and as a Barnet fan you should know better!

Maybe I should have put a *wink* at the end of that, it was a tongue in cheek comment (my 'other' team is Spurs!).

[_ABeeSee_]

You're making the assumption there that people support football clubs because of silverwear. They're not true supporters, and as a Barnet fan you should know better!

Maybe I should have put a *wink* at the end of that, it was a tongue in cheek comment (my 'other' team is Spurs!).

Me too. See you at the Paxton Road end next season then?

[warwick]

Sorry lads. Been at work all day. I don't know really. When I was born my Old Man was an Arsenal Season Ticket Holder (until I was 11 actually). I used to go to the odd Arsenal game as we knew people who had Arsenal appprentices live with them (you get two Season Tickets for putting up the player - Seb Larsson in this case). I was on the waiting list for ages and then got offered one, which I took. Barnet was a laugh but my best mate moved away so I didn't really have anyone to go with. Arsenal seemed a bit more sexy if I'm honest. Have been going home and away for years now but have seriously fallen out of love with it. Arsenal is a Corporate monster these days and don't give two hoots about the fans. I'm seriously considering giving up this Summer, so perhaps I'll be back! I assume that Danesh (Little Man) Steve Percy, Village and the rest of Barnet's characters are still about. It will be like the good old days! I've still got my Baricom Bees Shirt in a drawer somehwere! Hopefully we stay up as we belong in League 2. The council really don't know what they have in Barnet FC. If you've ever gone abroad and someone asks where you're from. You say Barnet and they've heard of the Club. It makes me proud. Anyway, here's to a run of wins and a relaxing last day of the season. (Prays..) COYB.

[MajorBrownEye]

Arsenal is a Corporate monster these days and don't give two hoots about the fans.

That is the nail well and truly hit on the head.

[rudebwoyben]

Little Man was there last night as were all of the other people you mentioned.

[PBBee]

Get yourself down to Barnet more regularly then Warwick - give it a try. You'll be rich simply from the savings as well!

[warwick]

I'm likely to mate. Will save me a fortune and I've got one of the cheaper Season Tickets at the Conglomerates!

[becbee]

Read the thread about the Barnet team coach going back up the M6 to collect the stranded Barnet fans last Saturday and ask yourself, would Arsene Wenger have told his players to get out of the coach at the service station so that Arsenal fans could be rescued from the hard shoulder? Would the Arsenal players have been prepared to be delayed either, let alone mingle with the riff raff in Burger King?

Anyway, Arsenal are on TV often enough that you could support Barnet in person and still see Arsenal matches.

[warwick]

Wenger has nothing but disdain for the fans. He is on about £8m per season to sell our prize assets and finish 4th in the process. He's running nothing more than a Ponzi scheme.

[MatchingD]

Does your current disaffection with the Gunners have anything to do with the way the club is being run at the moment? My sense is that you will probably renew your season ticket once a Champs league place has been achieved. The reason I say this is that I am also season ticket holder at a Premiership club. I too used to watch Barnet when I was younger (solidly between 1972 and 1992 and season 2005 - 2006 more recently) and I am currently misty eyed with all the nostalgia on this message board. However, I currently prefer top level football for it's skill level to the rather muscular approach adopted by many teams in league 2 (Not what I have witnessed from Barnet this season I hasten to add), so supplement premiership football with the occasional visit to Underhill. If I still lived in Barnet it might be different.