The Hive Stadium

Last updated

The Hive Stadium
Edgware, The Hive Stadium, Barnet FC - geograph.org.uk - 5977063.jpg
The Hive Stadium in 2018
The Hive Stadium
Location Edgware, London
Coordinates 51°36′09″N0°17′30″W / 51.602599°N 0.291785°W / 51.602599; -0.291785
Public transit Underground no-text.svg Canons Park
OwnerLondon Borough of Harrow ([ when? ]–2018)
Barnet F.C. (2018–)
Operator Barnet F.C.
Capacity 6,500 [1]
SurfaceGrass
Construction
Broke ground2003
OpenedJuly 2013
Tenants
Website
www.thehivelondon.com

The Hive London is a football centre near Edgware, London, offering football pitches for hire, conference and banqueting facilities, an on-site gym, cafe, bar and more. It was built on the former site of the municipal Prince Edward Playing Fields in Canons Park in the London Borough of Harrow. The stadium is home to National League football club Barnet, London Bees of the FA Women's Championship and formerly Tottenham Hotspur F.C. Women of the FA WSL from 2019–2022.

Contents

The stadium's official total capacity is 6,500 and its current record attendance is 6,215, set on 28 January 2019 for Barnet's 3–3 draw with Brentford.

Background

Barnet F.C. chairman Anthony Kleanthous had sought to move the club from its long term home at Underhill Stadium since the 1990s due to the poor facilities at the ground. Various attempts to move to Barnet Copthall athletics stadium or to the greenbelt site directly to the south of Underhill were both unsuccessful, with then deputy prime minister John Prescott over-ruling a move to Copthall in 2001 after planning permission had initially been granted. [2]

Construction of a stadium at the Harrow council-owned Prince Edward Playing Fields in Canons Park had originally begun in early 2003, specifically intended as a new home for local non-league club Wealdstone F.C. In April 2004, with the building work approximately 30% completed, Wealdstone F.C.'s investment partners in the project, a private company called Stadia Investment Group, went into liquidation and this caused the construction work at the site to be brought to a sudden halt due to a lack of funds to pay the builders. [3] With Wealdstone F.C. unable to afford the completion of the project on their own, there was no further progress at the site for two years.

The partially built stadium in 2005 Thehivestadium.jpg
The partially built stadium in 2005

Harrow London Borough Council then decided to place the lease for the derelict site up for tender in 2006. Barnet F.C. bought the lease and with it the right to occupy the site, which they stated they would use purely as a training centre, and not as a new home stadium. It was a specific condition of Harrow Council's tender offer that the stadium must be completed by the new lease holders for the use of Wealdstone F.C., but this failed to happen and Wealdstone F.C. received no recompense for their initial investment into the ground. [4]

Having used the surrounding site as a training centre for some years, Barnet F.C. eventually moved completely to the stadium in summer 2013, ostensibly as a result of a disagreement with Barnet London Borough Council with regards to the lease of the land surrounding their home since 1907, Underhill Stadium, [5] 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 ended Barnet F.C.'s hopes of ever moving to that site, accelerating the move to the Hive further. [6]

The club originally claimed they intended the use of the stadium at the Hive to be a temporary arrangement, with their long-term aim to build a 10,000-capacity stadium back in the London Borough of Barnet. However, that changed in 2015 [7] with the chairman Kleanthous announcing the club would no longer actively search for a home elsewhere. [8] Initially there was a restriction on the lease of the Hive that prevented its use for Football League matches, however Barnet F.C. were granted a 10-year change to this condition which came into effect in June 2015. In 2018 Kleanthous purchased the freehold for the site from the London Borough of Harrow and so this restriction no longer applies.

The Hive

The Hive Stadium in April 2016 during a London Bees match London Bees's The Hive Stadium (03).jpg
The Hive Stadium in April 2016 during a London Bees match

A new training ground and centre of excellence for Barnet, which they named the Hive, was opened at the site by Trevor Brooking and the then England manager Fabio Capello in 2009. [9] In the years following this, other facilities at the 44-acre site, including a banqueting suite, bar and lounge as well as a gym open to the public and also used by the club's players, were opened.

The club officially announced their intention to depart Underhill in December 2011, and confirmed that the 2012/13 season would be their last at the ground. In February 2013, the Football League ratified Barnet's move to the new stadium at the Hive.

The stadium has gradually been developed by Barnet F.C. since the decision to move there, initially with extra seating in the original East stand, and the construction of a new West stand with a capacity of 2700 and two bars underneath. This was followed a couple of years later by a medical centre, a banqueting suite, and a new ticket office in the East stand, and in 2017 by a new 1890 capacity North stand for away fans with a large bar underneath.

London Broncos Rugby League

On 13 December 2013, it was confirmed that rugby league club London Broncos would move to the Hive for two seasons, commencing with the 2014 season. In round 2 of the 2014 Super League season Broncos played their first match at the Hive, against Salford Red Devils.

The record crowd for the Broncos in 2014 was against Super League giants Wigan Warriors where 2,013 were in attendance at the Hive. [10]

The Broncos left The Hive at the end of the 2015 season and moved to the Trailfinders Sports Ground in Ealing for 2016. [11]

Future

Some aspects of previous planned works are incomplete, a rear extension on the west stand is still expected to be built in the near future. On 6 November 2017 planning applications were submitted for the next phase of stadium development Archived 16 August 2021 at the Wayback Machine which will bring capacity up to 8,500. Also an application for the development of additional on-site sporting facilities including full size covered pitch for the academy and a sports hall behind the North stand providing seven badminton courts and a basketball court with spectator seating .

International matches

On 25 March 2015, the Hive hosted its first international fixture as England U20 drew 1–1 with Mexico U20. [12]

The Hive hosted Nigeria when they played against Senegal and Burkina Faso on 23 March 2017 and 27 March 2017, respectively. [13] However the game against Burkina Faso was cancelled due to seven of the players being unable to acquire visas in time. [14]

Due to its geographical proximity to Wembley Stadium, the Hive has been used as a base for several foreign international teams prior to playing against England, and was also selected as the venue to coordinate and coach the referees taking part in the 2012 Olympics football tournament.[ citation needed ]

On 28 March 2018 Nigeria played against Serbia in an international friendly, with Aleksandar Mitrovic scoring twice for Serbia in a 2–0 win. [15]

Nigeria national football team

23 March 2017 Friendly Nigeria  Flag of Nigeria.svg1–1Flag of Senegal.svg  Senegal London, England
Report
Stadium: The Hive Stadium
Attendance: 2,013
Referee: Anthony Taylor (England)
27 March 2017 Friendly Nigeria  Flag of Nigeria.svgCancelledFlag of Burkina Faso.svg  Burkina Faso London, England
Report Stadium: The Hive Stadium
27 March 2018 Friendly Nigeria  Flag of Nigeria.svg0–2Flag of Serbia.svg  Serbia London, England
22:00 (GMT, UTC±0) Report Mitrović Soccerball shade.svg68', 81'Stadium: The Hive Stadium
Attendance: 3,500
Referee: Craig Pawson (England)

Transport

Canons Park (400 metres (1,300 ft)) on the Jubilee line is the nearest tube station to the Hive. Journey times are approximately 25 minutes to Baker Street and 35 minutes to London Bridge. Queensbury tube station is a slightly longer distance away.

Edgware at the end of the Northern line is around 25 minutes walk away.

Bus routes 79, 186, 288 and 340 all serve the stadium.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">London Borough of Harrow</span> London borough in United Kingdom

The London Borough of Harrow is a London borough in northwest London, England; it forms part of Outer London. It borders four other London boroughs – Barnet to the east of ancient Watling Street, Brent to the southeast, Ealing to the south and Hillingdon to the west – plus the Hertfordshire districts of Three Rivers and Hertsmere to the north. The local authority is Harrow London Borough Council. The London borough was formed in 1965, based on boundaries that had been established in 1934. The borough is made up of three towns: Harrow, Pinner and Stanmore, but also includes western parts of Edgware.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barnet F.C.</span> Association football club in London, England

Barnet Football Club is a professional association football club based in London Borough of Harrow, North West London. The team competes in the National League, the fifth level of the English football league system. The club was founded in Chipping Barnet in 1888. From 1907 until 2013 they played their home matches at Underhill Stadium, then moved to the new Hive Stadium, which is named based on the club's nickname of "The Bees".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hendon F.C.</span> Association football club in London, England

Hendon Football Club is a semi-professional football club based in Kingsbury in the London Borough of Brent. They are currently members of the Isthmian League Premier Division and play at Silver Jubilee Park in Kingsbury.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wealdstone F.C.</span> Association football club in London, England

Wealdstone Football Club is an English semi-professional football club based in Ruislip, London Borough of Hillingdon, and affiliated to the Middlesex County Football Association. They currently play in the National League, the fifth level of the English football league system. Their traditional colours are royal blue and white, and they are nicknamed "The Stones" or "The Royals".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">London Broncos</span> English professional rugby league club

The London Broncos are a professional rugby league club based in Wimbledon, England. They play their home games at Plough Lane and compete in Super League, the top tier of British rugby league.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harrow Borough F.C.</span> Association football club in London, England

Harrow Borough Football Club is an English football club based in Harrow, London. They were founded in 1933 and compete in the Isthmian League South Central Division. Harrow Borough's home ground is Earlsmead Stadium, which has a capacity of 3,070. Harrow Borough moved into Earlsmead Stadium in 1934 and have kept it as their home stadium since then. Harrow Borough's colour is red, which is the colour of their home kit. Their crest depicts the coat of arms of the London Borough of Harrow.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Underhill Stadium</span>

Underhill Stadium was a stadium in Chipping Barnet, London, that was the home of Barnet Football Club between 1907 and 2013. The club's under-19 team played fixtures there; it was also the training ground of the London Broncos rugby league club, and hosted Arsenal reserve games until 2012. At the time of its closure, the stadium had a capacity of 6,023; it was demolished in 2018, and is now the site of the Ark Pioneer Academy, which opened in 2019. The stadium was famous for its slope from the North to South end.

Anthony Andrew Kleanthous is an English businessman and the current chairman of Barnet Football Club. He became the youngest football chairman in the Football League when, aged 28, he bought the club in 1994.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edgware & Kingsbury F.C.</span> Association football club in England

Edgware & Kingsbury Football Club is a football club from Edgware, London Borough of Barnet, England. Originally established in 1939, the club was dissolved at the end of the 2007–08 season but reformed in 2014. They are currently members of the Combined Counties League Premier Division North and play at Silver Jubilee Park in Kingsbury, about three miles from the club's original ground, the White Lion in Edgware.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rogers Family Stadium</span>

Rogers Family Stadium is a football stadium in Harrow, north-west London, England. It is the home ground of Harrow Borough F.C. The stadium has a capacity of 3,070 people, which includes 350 seats and standing under cover for 1,000 people. The record attendance is 3000 for an FA Cup match against local rivals Wealdstone FC in 1946.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barnet Copthall</span> Sports complex

Barnet Copthall is a sports venue on the Hendon-Mill Hill borders in London, which houses several complexes, including a local authority-owned swimming pool and gymnasium facilities, a golf-driving range with 9 hole pitch and putt run by Metro Golf. The main stadium is a multi-use venue which is home of rugby union Premiership side Saracens. The stadium is currently known as StoneX Stadium for sponsorship reasons and has also previously been the home field of the London Broncos as well as hosting American football events such as the BritBowl.

Albert Danquah Adomah is a professional footballer who plays as a right winger for EFL Championship club Queens Park Rangers. Born in England, he represented the Ghana national team.

Relocation of professional sports teams in the United Kingdom is a practice which involves a sports team moving from one metropolitan area to another, although occasionally moves between municipalities in the same conurbation are also included. For relocations in other part of the world see Relocation of professional sports teams.

Simeon Oluwatimelehin Akinola Olaonipekun is a retired Nigerian footballer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plough Lane</span> Football stadium in Wimbledon, SW London

Plough Lane, currently known as the Cherry Red Records Stadium for sponsorship reasons, is a multi-purpose football stadium in Wimbledon, south-west London, which has been the home of AFC Wimbledon since 3 November 2020. A groundshare with rugby league side London Broncos began in 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grosvenor Vale</span> Football stadium in Ruislip, London, England

Grosvenor Vale is a football ground in Ruislip, West London, England. It is the home ground of Wealdstone F.C. and Watford FC Women. The current capacity of the ground is 4,085.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lower Mead</span>

Lower Mead was a football stadium in Harrow, North West London. It was the home ground of Wealdstone Football Club for nearly 70 years from 1922 until 1991, after which it was demolished.

Relocation of association football teams in the United Kingdom is a practice which involves an association football team moving from one metropolitan area to another, although occasionally moves between municipalities in the same conurbation are also included. For relocations in other sports see Relocation of sports teams in the United Kingdom; for relocations in other parts of the world see Relocation of professional sports teams.

The Claremont Road Ground was a former football ground in Cricklewood, UK. It was the home ground for Hendon Football Club for 81 years before being demolished in 2006.

References

  1. "Stadium". Barnet Football Club.
  2. "Working together. A vision of the future in partnership with the London Borough of Barnet, for the benefit of the community" (PDF). Archived from the original on 9 November 2014. Retrieved 12 February 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  3. "Stones crisis explained". Harrow Times.
  4. "A Brief History Of Wealdstone's Legacy At Prince Edward Playing Fields". Under the League.
  5. "Barnet resolve to leave Underhill and find a new ground". BBC Sport.
  6. "Barnet FC blasts council on Copthall stadium plans". BBC News. 5 September 2011.
  7. "Barnet FC chairman Tony Kleanthous confirms former Underhill Stadium has been sold to Education Funding Agency". Harrow Times.
  8. "Barnet: Football League ratifies move to The Hive". BBC Sport.
  9. Kirk, Tristan (15 December 2009). "England boss to open Barnet FC training ground". Harrow Times. Retrieved 15 February 2020.
  10. "London Broncos: Super League side agree Barnet groundshare". BBC Sport.
  11. "London Broncos to make Ealing home". londonbroncosrl.com.
  12. "ENGLAND U20S STAY HOT FROM THE SPOT TO BEAT MEXICO". Football Association. 25 March 2015. Retrieved 15 February 2020.
  13. Okeleji, Oluwashina (27 February 2017). "Nigeria to play friendlies in London". BBC Sport. Retrieved 2 March 2017.
  14. Okeleji, Oluwashina (25 March 2017). "Nigeria friendly with Burkina Faso cancelled". BBC Sport. Retrieved 15 February 2020.
  15. "Nigeria 0-2 Serbia: Hot talking points". ESPN. 28 March 2018. Retrieved 15 February 2020.