Bees Granted Permission To Relocate

Barnet's departure from Underhill, and move to The Hive, has been confirmed after permission was granted.

The move, which comes about after problems with the lease at Underhill (the home of The Bees since 1907), has been on the cards for a while but was confirmed by chairman Tony Kleanthous, who told BBC London 94.9: 'We have reached a point where we had to move on.

'We've been working on trying to resolve our issues with the lease [at Underhill] with Barnet Council for the 20 years I have been there.'

The Hive was developed as Barnet's training facility with it having a small stadium; that was planned for youth and ladies games, being increased to 5,100 to facilitate The Bees better.

A "proper home" is still being sought but The Hive will become home for the foreseeable future, Kleanthous added: 'The Hive was developed as a training facility and we train there along with running a category two academy.

'It was always meant to be a training venue. The stadium that is on the site was originally designed to be used for youth and ladies matches.

'We are just extending that to incorporate the first team until we can find another place to build a proper new home.'

A stay of 10-years has been planned after an agreement with Harrow Council was reached with The Bees then looking for a site to build a 10,000-seated stadium.

Kleanthous is keen to return to Barnet but does not think this will happen, hitting out at Barnet Council in the process: 'We have a very strange council in Barnet.

'It's more of a fiefdom and an unusual place and they have an unusual way of looking at things.

'Despite the marketing, social and economic benefits of having a football club - especially one that bears the name of the borough - they don't seem to value the asset that we are.'

Barnet really will be saying goodbye to Underhill at the end of the season and will be based in Edgware from the start of next season.

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