Underhill Stadium

Last updated

Underhill Stadium
Underhill Stadium, Barnet, Oxford United vs Barnet, 2012, FA Cup Round 1.jpg
Underhill Stadium
Full nameUnderhill Stadium
LocationWestcombe Drive
Barnet
Hertfordshire
EN5 2DN
Owner London Borough of Barnet
Capacity 6,023
Field size115 x 75 yards
Construction
Built1907
Opened1907
Demolished2018
Tenants
Barnet F.C. (1907–2013)
Arsenal Reserves (2010–2012)
London Broncos (training) (2014)
London Broncos U19s (2014)
Edgware Town F.C. (2014)

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.

Contents

Barnet played their final game at the stadium on 20 April 2013 with a 1–0 win over Wycombe Wanderers, with Jake Hyde scoring the winner in the 81st minute, and Graham Stack saving a 94th-minute penalty to secure the victory in front of a sell-out crowd of 6,001. [1] Barnet moved out of the ground and started their 2013–14 season campaign at The Hive Stadium in Edgware. Demolition of Underhill began in January 2018. [2]

History

The ground was opened in September 1907 with a match against Crystal Palace which the home side won 1–0. At the time, there were a number of amateur clubs playing in Barnet. When opened, the ground was home to Barnet Alston. Alston merged with Avenue FC (who were known as Barnet FC) in 1912 to become Barnet & Alston FC. After the First World War, the club reverted to the name Barnet FC, which continues today. [3]

Barnet vs. Arsenal playing at the Underhill Stadium Barnet stadiam.jpg
Barnet vs. Arsenal playing at the Underhill Stadium

To celebrate the 100th year of football at the stadium, the two sides met again in the 2007–08 Pre-season. Palace won this match 3–2. [4]

Since the beginning of the 2013–14 season Barnet have played their home games at The Hive Stadium.

In 2014, the Super League rugby league team London Broncos trained at Underhill and their gym and offices were based there. Their Under-19s side also played matches at the stadium. [5]

Edgware Town played their opening games of the 2014–15 Spartan South Midlands League season at Underhill, while their Silver Jubilee Park ground was refurbished. [6]

In June 2015 the site was sold to the Education Funding Agency. Demolition work began in January 2018 to facilitate the building of the Ark Pioneer Academy, which opened in September 2019. [7]

Development

Underhill Stadium, South Stand at Night SouthStandAtNight.JPG
Underhill Stadium, South Stand at Night

Barnet opened the 1,016 seater South Stand in 2008 to replace the temporary structure which had stood in its place for over ten years. The stand was first used for the FA Cup victory over Swindon Town in January 2008, just a matter of weeks after work had started.

The Bees also erected a temporary covered structure in the North-East corner of the ground with seated capacity of 240. This was built so away supporters could have the choice between sitting or standing as the stand was adjacent to the away terraced section.

These improvements finally brought Underhill to Football League standards and the capacity was increased to 5,568.

The club announced that work was underway in order to erect four corner floodlights, to be 25 metres high and have a 500 Lux value as opposed to the previous 350. The eight old pylons dating from 1962 were removed. Work was completed prior to the opening pre-season game of the 2010–2011 season against Arsenal and the stadium capacity was again increased to 6,023 as a result.

Stands

Underhill had seven stands. On the bottom end of the ground was the South Stand; the East Terrace was split into three sections, with the home fans allocated the two southernmost parts and the remaining section allocated to away supporters. Adjacent to the East Terrace stood the North East Family Stand with covered seating for away supporters. The tiny North Terrace backed onto Westcombe Drive, where residents could watch the action. The Main Stand was flanked by two smaller stands, the North West Terrace and Family Stand.

After a matchday incident on the East Terrace, the club acted to increase the distance between home and away supporters. Away fans were segregated further towards the north of the terrace. When away support was expected to number over 500, the whole of the North-East section was opened, and the Central section closed to enforce the new segregation arrangements. The situation further highlighted the inadequacy of Underhill as a Football League stadium, even though it met league criteria. [8]

In the South-West Corner of the ground stood the Durham Suite, named after Bees midfielder Kevin Durham who died in 1991. Although not part of the ground, the Pavilion behind the South Stand was owned by the club and acted as the social club for fans.

Record attendance

The record attendance at Underhill was 11,026 against Wycombe Wanderers on 23 February 1952 for an Amateur cup tie.[ citation needed ]

Related Research Articles

<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">Fratton Park</span> Association football ground in Portsmouth, England

Fratton Park is a football ground in Portsmouth, Portsea Island, England and is the home of Portsmouth F.C. Fratton Park's location on Portsea Island is unique in English professional football, as it is the only professional English football ground not located on the mainland of Great Britain. Fratton Park has been the only home football ground in Portsmouth FC's entire history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adams Park</span> Football stadium in England

Adams Park is an association football stadium in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England. Built in 1990, it is the home ground of the local Wycombe Wanderers in League One. It was also leased from 2002 to 2014 to the rugby union club London Wasps from Aviva Premiership, and from 2016 to 2020 to the Reading F.C. Women football club. From the 2003–04 season to the 2005–06 season, the stadium was officially called Causeway Stadium, named after its sponsor Causeway Technologies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ewood Park</span> Football stadium

Ewood Park is a football stadium in Blackburn, Lancashire, England, and the home of Blackburn Rovers F.C., founding members of the Football League and Premier League, who have played there since 1890. It is an all seater multi-sports facility with a capacity of 31,367, and four sections: the Bryan Douglas Darwen End, The Ronnie Clayton Blackburn End, the Riverside Stand, and Jack Walker Stand, named after Blackburn industrialist and club supporter, Jack Walker. The football pitch within the stadium measures 115 by 76 yards

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Griffin Park</span> Football stadium in London, England

Griffin Park was a football ground in Brentford in the London Borough of Hounslow, England. It was the home ground of Brentford F.C. from its opening in September 1904 to August 2020. The ground was in a predominantly residential area and was known for being the only English league football ground to have a pub on each corner. The ground's name referred to the griffin featured in the logo of Fuller's Brewery, which at one point owned the orchard on which the stadium was built.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brunton Park</span> Football stadium

Brunton Park is a football stadium and the home of Carlisle United. It is situated in the city of Carlisle and has a certified capacity of 17,949. The ground opened in 1909. Brunton Park's grandstand burned down in 1953 and the stadium flooded completely in 2005 and again in 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Priestfield Stadium</span> Association football stadium in Kent, England

Priestfield Stadium is a football stadium in Gillingham, Kent. It has been the home of Gillingham Football Club since the club's formation in 1893, and was also the temporary home of Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club for two seasons during the 1990s. The stadium has also hosted women's and youth international football matches and a London Broncos rugby league match.

<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">Roots Hall</span> Association football stadium in Southend

Roots Hall is a football stadium located in Southend-on-Sea, Essex, England. The stadium is the home ground of the National League team Southend United. With a capacity of 12,392, Roots Hall is the largest football stadium in Essex. During the early 21st century, there was lengthy discussion of a new 22,000 seat stadium at Fossetts Farm, but a change of ownership in 2023 seemingly ended prospects of that development.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brisbane Road</span> Football stadium in East London

Brisbane Road, currently known as the Gaughan Group Stadium for sponsorship reasons and originally known as Osborne Road, is a football stadium in Brisbane Road, Leyton, East London, England. It has been the home ground of Leyton Orient since 1937, before which it was the home of amateur football team Leyton, who moved to the Hare and Hounds ground. Since 2022 it has also been home to Tottenham Hotspur Women. The highest attendance at the ground was 34,345 for the visit of West Ham United in the 1964 FA Cup. It has hosted a number of England U-16 and England women's team matches. It hosted the 2007–08 FA Women's Premier League Cup final. It was also home of the Tottenham Hotspur Reserves. In 2012 Brisbane Road hosted the final of the inaugural NextGen series, a competition for the academy sides of elite clubs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Athletic Ground (Scarborough)</span> Football stadium in North Yorkshire, England

The Athletic Ground, latterly known as the McCain Stadium, was a football stadium located on Seamer Road in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England. It was the home of Scarborough F.C., a defunct football club who last played in the English Conference North before they were dissolved on 20 June 2007 with debts of £2.5 million.

Whaddon Road, known as the Completely-Suzuki Stadium for sponsorship reasons, is a football stadium in Cheltenham, England. It is the home ground of Cheltenham Town F.C. It has a total capacity of 7,066, with a mixture of seating and terracing. The ground's official name was the Victory Sports Ground until April 2009 when it was renamed the Abbey Business Stadium through a sponsorship deal. It was announced on 13 July 2015 that the club had agreed a three-year deal to rename the stadium The World of Smile Stadium, but the deal ended after only one year and the stadium was renamed LCI Rail Stadium in 2016–17, before being named "Jonny-Rocks Stadium" in 2018–19, and "Completely-Suzuki Stadium" in 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Broadhall Way</span> Football stadium

Broadhall Way, known as the Lamex Stadium for sponsorship purposes, is an association football stadium in Stevenage, Hertfordshire. It has been the home ground of Stevenage since the early 1960s, and has a capacity of 7,200 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Broadfield Stadium</span> Football stadium

The Broadfield Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Crawley, West Sussex, England. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home ground of Crawley Town F.C. The stadium has a capacity of 6,134 people, and is owned by Crawley Borough Council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Highbury Stadium (Fleetwood)</span> Football stadium in Fleetwood, Lancashire, England

Highbury Stadium is a football stadium in Fleetwood, Lancashire, England, with Wyre Borough Council as the landlords. It is the home ground of Fleetwood Town and was also used for home matches by Blackpool F.C. reserves until 2014. As of the opening of the new Parkside Stand on 16 April 2011, the ground has a capacity of 5,327.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Recreation Ground (Aldershot)</span> Football stadium in Aldershot, England

The Recreation Ground, currently known as The EBB Stadium at The Recreation Ground for sponsorship reasons and informally known as The Rec, is a football ground in Aldershot, Hampshire, England. Football matches have been played there since 1927 when Aldershot was founded. The ground hosted league football between 1932 and 1992 when Aldershot were members of the Football League. Its current tenants Aldershot Town have used the ground since forming in 1992 and the ground once again hosted league football between 2008 and 2013.

<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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Hive Stadium</span> Football ground in London, England, UK

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.

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

Plough Lane, known as 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">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.

References

  1. "Barnet 1 - 0 Wycombe". 20 April 2013. Retrieved 4 June 2018.
  2. "Barnet FC ground, Underhill Stadium, begins demolition". Epping Forest Guardian. 18 January 2018. Retrieved 4 February 2018.
  3. "History & Honours - Delve into the history of Barnet Football Club". Barnet F.C. Retrieved 14 October 2018.
  4. "Match Report: Barnet 2-3 Crystal Palace". Barnet F.C. 25 July 2007. Archived from the original on 15 April 2012. Retrieved 14 October 2018 via archive.org.
  5. "Club History". London Broncos. Retrieved 14 October 2018.
  6. "Edgware Town - History". Edgware Town Football Club. Retrieved 4 June 2018.
  7. "Barnet sell former home Underhill Stadium". BBC Sport. 8 June 2015. Retrieved 30 September 2019.
  8. "NEW CROWD SAFETY MEASURES TO BE INTRODUCED IN TIME FOR CHESTER". barnetfc.com. 10 March 2008.

51°38′46.17″N0°11′30.24″W / 51.6461583°N 0.1917333°W / 51.6461583; -0.1917333