With Barnet Football Club’s plans for a new ground near their former Underhill home due to be discussed by Barnet Council next week, Leïla Davaud finds local residents split between hopes for a boost for local sport and the economy, and concerns over the future of a beloved green space

A large field in the foreground with trees, blue sky and clouds in the distance — Barnet Playing Fields where Barnet FC hope to build their new stadium (Credit – David Floyd)

Barnet FC’s bid to return to Underhill with a brand-new stadium has reignited old loyalties and new tensions.

The club, which left the area in 2013 for The Hive at Harrow, is hoping to rebuild on the southern section of Barnet Playing Fields and their application will be discussed by Barnet Council’s strategic planning committee next Monday (14th July) – and the looming decision has prompted split reactions from the local community.

The Bring Barnet Back campaign, comprising long-time fans and local businesses, argues that the club has always belonged at Underhill. Nora Walsh is the landlady of a pub near the old ground, and she advocates for the return of her cherished team.

She explains: “We show Barnet FC games here at The Railway Tavern when they are broadcast live and do get a decent Barnet support group, especially if they are unable to attend the game. I am convinced if the team were to come back, it would still be a massive financial boost for the area and its cafes, bars & restaurants.”

“We’re not talking about bringing Arsenal or Tottenham to Barnet”

Down by the playing field in Underhill, others see it as a welcome attraction. Like 19-year-old stadium kiosk worker David. He tells Barnet Post: “Yes, it brings noise and a lot of traffic, but we’re not talking about bringing Arsenal or Tottenham to Barnet. The fans are different, it would bring revenue for the pubs and shops and some much-needed entertainment.”

From the new basketball court, he stares at the open green space in front of him and nods as his friend, Ogi, says: “I understand why people care about this place. I do too. But it doesn’t have to be a bad thing either.”

Further down the footpath, Georgia, a nursery assistant who frequents the fields with her children almost every day after school, has fond memories of the original Underhill. She tells Barnet Post: “I used to go to the stadium when I was a kid. I loved the atmosphere. Some people mention it is unsafe to have it built so close to the children’s playing ground, but I don’t remember my parents or me feeling unsafe at the time. It would be a family place too.”

On the other side of the debate stands the Save Barnet Playing Fields campaign. An increasingly vocal group of residents, dog-walkers, retirees, and community advocates who view the stadium proposal as a threat to one of the area’s last accessible green spaces.

“Our local park would be taken over by a private company”

For many, the real issue isn’t football, it’s the land. “The fields predate the stadium”, says Catherine, from the opposition campaign. “What people call their local park would be taken over by a private company. Instead of kids playing for free, we’d pay to watch.”

This argument is supported by Robert Verill, chair of the Save Barnet Playing Field campaign. He tells Barnet Post: “The flexibility this park has provided for 100 years, enabling a multitude of varied activities, entertainments and recreations, as well as educational use, would disappear for the sake of a private football club playing 23 matches a year…”

Concerns about the erosion of public spaces clearly dominate the opposition’s argument. Retired users Vina and Dili Patil walk the fields daily. “It would be a shame to lose this calm space,” says Vina. Dili adds: “If they take this, which space is next? We need more green areas, not less.” Shailish Popat, another local retiree, expresses distrust in the process: “I wish I could trust the council to do the right thing…”

Even among supporters of the stadium’s return, there’s hesitation. Tim, a teacher, captures some of the nuances. He tells Barnet Post: “We are not against football, we love the sport. Love the atmosphere! We hated seeing the stadium go away and would be happy to have it back here… What we are against is attacking this beautiful green space that is properly used by the community. Also, we live really close and there is no way we will accept struggling to park in front of our house.”

Will councillors facing a decision that could define not just the town’s sporting identity but its environmental and community values, many local eyes will be on the town hall next week.

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