Barnet Football Club has recently announced their plans to bid farewell to The Hive after a decade-long stint and make a comeback to their original home. Chairman Tony Kleanthous described their time in Harrow as a “ten-year exile” and expressed his desire to bring the club back to its roots. The relocation comes after disputes with the council led the club to move away from Underhill Stadium, their home for over a century, to The Hive in 2013. With Underhill now demolished, Barnet is set to embark on the journey of constructing a new stadium with a potential capacity of 8,000, marking a significant new chapter in their history.
Kleanthous shared, “During the long months of Covid, I busied myself with trying to find a way to bring the club back home and met with Barnet Council to ask for their support in locating a suitable site on which I could build a new stadium. I undertook to fund the full cost of construction so that we could progress without any funding delays.” The club has already taken steps towards this vision, enlisting the expertise of WSP Planning Consultancy to initiate the pre-application process.
The new stadium is planned to be situated at South Underhill site, with a redesigned and slimmed down version of the original planning application. In addition to the stadium, the project also includes provisions for a school, addressing rush hour traffic challenges, and enhancing the community with Multi-Use Game Areas and a training pitch. Barnet has emphasized their intention to keep their fans, local residents, and the council updated on their progress and expressed hope for their full support.
As the club aims to bring their “incredible club back to where it belongs,” Kleanthous’s sentiments reflect the significance of this move for the team and its supporters. With the promise of a new stadium and the prospect of returning to their roots, Barnet’s future holds great promise and anticipation. The upcoming developments are expected to revive the spirit of the club and foster a renewed sense of community and pride among its members and supporters.
