Yes, there is life for me beyond music, but not, I fear, much life for my local football team, Barnet FC. After years of adventure in the English football league, the Bees were relegated to the Vauxhall Conference. Life was hard enough for the team, with their Underhill Stadium not measuring up to league requirements, and the local council unwilling or unable to help the club find a home within the Borough of Barnet. I will own up, Barnet were always my second club, but I have a lot of happy memories tied up with this team, and I truly hope that they can survive. 

I first went to Barnet in the late Sixties, taken there by my Dad. he had warned me about the sloping pitch, but it is not until you see it at first hand that you can believe that anyone could have such a wonky pitch. Those early days were great though. Barnet were in the Southern League, a semi pro outfit, and the games were rough, ready, and a lot of fun. Burton Albion, Yeovil and the like were not the kind of opposition dreams were made of, but we enjoyed those times. There was Gerry Ward, who had had a game or two for Arsenal, Les Eason up front, and notably, Colin 'Paddy' Powell on the wing. he went on to have a pro career in the football league with Charlton and Gillingham.

One game that sticks out from the early 70s was an F A Cup game against Newport County, then a football league time. Barnet won 6 - 1, a record for a non league team against league opponents. Ricky George hit the net that day, and he would go on to cup glory with hereford a year or two later!

A few years later,, I used to go up to Underhill to watch Jimmy Greaves. Possibly Spurs greatest ever striker, and a great England international, this was the very end of his career. Jim was not doing too well then, his drinking problems contributing to an early end to his career in the top flight, but every now and then, there was a flash of the genius that never totally left him.

I lost touch with Barnet for some years, but came back to the borough and the team round about the time that they got promotion to Division Three of the league. Years had flown by, and now Barry Fry, a former player, was the manager, and the club was owned by Stan Flashman, a larger than life and twice as foul mouthed "ticket broker". Life was never dull with these two, who were the only voices you could hear at the ground sometimes. It was X-rated stuff.

That first game in the league, I took my dad to watch. Jimmy Greaves, now a TV soccer pundit, and on the wagon, turned up late. The Bees were already losing, and the score ended up 7-4 to Crewe Alexandria. Barry Fry led the team to the play-offs that year and although the team were fallible at the back, there were goals aplenty from Gary Bull, and lots of chances made by wing man Paul Showler.

the next season, Barry Fry got the team promotion to Division 2. Against all the odds, I might add. Financial irregularities and problems abounded, Flashman seemed to sack and reinstate Fry at the drop of a hat, and for quite a spell of the season, Flashman withheld payments to the players. For this reason, most of the players were allowed to leave on free transfers, and so a good attack minded entertaining team were broken up, and the team were left to face the season in Division Two with as many journeyman players as they were able to sign for free. they were relegated back to Division 3 where they stayed until May 5th 2001.

Barnet have led a hand to mouth existence for sometime, but the present chairman, Tony Kleanthous, has done a pretty great job, with no help from authorities. The football league have not seemed inclined to support and help this club, and the fear now is if they will ever be allowed back, whatever the state of their ground, if they do win the Conference.

Roy Keane would like it on the terraces of Underhill, no prawn sandwiches there, only a good friendly atmosphere! Whether the average gate receipts would even pay his expenses must of course be in doubt. Football is not just about Manchester United and Juventus, teams like Barnet, fighting three weights too high for them, but giving it a go anyway, they are still the life blood of the English game, and I find that in these days where professional football is run for the benefit of shareholders as opposed to fans, that my sympathies lie increasingly with the Barnet's of this world. I hope you survive. Come on you Bees!
 

PG 5/05/01
 

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