Photo Gallery: Farewell Underhill

Long overdue, I’ve been meaning to upload a few of my photos (I took over 50!) of the final game at Underhill, against Wycombe.

One last time CM13 to EN5.

A final drink in the pav, before going in.

Been in Block C since I was 13.



Block C, Row H, Seats 3 & 4.

Before the game.

The teams are out.

Just before kick off.

The Wycombe fans who were behind the goal.

 

I have this man to thank for my love of the Bees.



Where I always stood at half time when I was little.

Pitch invasion at the end of the game.

Underhill Memories

In case you missed it, I was asked to write a piece in Saturday’s commemorative programme, on Underhill memories. I didn’t want to list a number of memories, because I wanted to try and make it a decent read (as opposed to ‘this date we played this team and this happened’) so here’s my recollection of thoughts as a Bee for 19 years. Hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it.

“Is it over yet daddy? Can we go home now please?”

My first words at Underhill, as I sat in the Main Stand, nestling inside my dad’s coat, sheltering from the North London cold. Even now, aged 23, the memories come flooding back. The sights and sounds of match day: the pitch in all its sloping glory, the differing opinions of the crowd, often loudly expressed, the strange smells of football food, the sheer buzz surrounding a live game.

The real highlight back then, as a four-year-old, was the half time treat: visiting ‘Mr Nut the Nut Man’ for chocolate peanuts and raisins, served in bags that seemed like sacks to this fledgling supporter. No doubt they kept me amused while my dad tried in vain to watch the drama unfolding on the pitch.

Between then and now, nearly 20 years on, oddly some things haven’t changed at all. I’m still – more or less - in the same seat (despite a sojourn in the family stand when my dad bought season tickets for both me and my brother), surrounded by much the same people.

Many of my favourite and most vivid memories are of Underhill – great contests, players I’ve met, goals that I’ve seen. One of my earliest memories is gasping in awe at the goal celebrations of Scott McGleish - probably my first favourite all-time Bees player. I was over the moon when he returned recently. Sadly the handstands had long been consigned to the history books – a bit like Scotty’s once legendary goalscoring prowess!

Of course promotion in 2005 will stay with me forever, I was a little older then, so understood the nature of the achievement a whole lot more. While fellow fans were celebrating in the stands and on the pitch, I dribbled one of the bright orange balloons into the back of the net on the North terrace. Get in!  A special moment on a very special day indeed! As always, the tight atmosphere and intimacy of the ground amplified the excitement in a way that would have been impossible in the cavernous halls of a Wembley or similar venue.

Fast forward a couple of years to July 21^st 2007. We played Crystal Palace in a pre-season friendly. Unfortunately it is memorable for all the wrong reasons. We were late purchasing tickets, so ended up in the South Stand, back when the seats were green and the stand had no roof. Of course in typical British summer fashion, it absolutely poured down and everyone got drenched, forcing us to take shelter by the Durham Suite. Worse than that, we ended up losing the match 3-2 – I still have fond memories of the day though.

So what is it about this compact, ramshackle, seen-better-days North London footballing outpost that gets the goosebumps rising?  I guess there’s just something unique about Underhill – something that’s intensified when the floodlights are on. Even on the darkest, coldest Tuesday night, the place can seem electric. Whatever the competition, whoever the opposition, I always feel that same sense of excitement in the car journey from Brentwood – although travelling back after a defeat is never much fun! It’s that same sense of excitement I felt as a child. Nothing changes.

Suffice it to say I’ve grown up with the club, and as we prepare to move to pastures new, who knows what the future will bring. Wherever we finally end up one thing is sure; forty-odd years from now, if the old lady shuts her eyes and lets her mind wander just a little, the sound of the Dick’s dulcet tones emanating from the tannoy room, the murmur of a distant train and Guns ‘n’ Roses bellowing through the PA system will transport me back to a grassy slope in EN5. And believe me, that’s not a bad place to be...

Two minutes with… a ‘The 92’ special

In a spin-off to the usual ‘Two minutes with…’ which delves into the minds of opposing fans visiting Underhill, I have been lucky enough to find one of my Twitter followers, Bolton fan, Joe Gibbons – the genius behind ‘Gibbo’s 92’. If you haven’t heard of it already, it basically is an insight into all the football grounds of all 92 Football League clubs (with a couple of Non-League thrown in along the way!). Anyway, Joe was at Barnet on Saturday for the Shrewsbury game, and I was able to catch up with him after the game to grab his thoughts.

What made you initially decide to do ‘The 92’?

My Dad mentioned the concept of ‘The 92’ in passing conversation one night. I was only aged nine at the time and thought it was a ridiculous thing to do! Why would I want to travel around the country watching other teams when I have the best team in the world on my back door step in Bolton Wanderers?

It was February 2009 and my Dad took me to a match at Turf Moor, Burnley. From that day on I was hooked and couldn’t wait to visit more grounds! I have been going to about one a month since. I enjoy meeting other football fans and taking my Bolton shirt to as many stadiums as possible!

How did you come to a decision about the order in which you visit each ground?

I haven’t got an order at all. It is totally random.

Stadiums which won’t be around for much longer take priority... which is why I was at Underhill on Saturday! You can usually find me on an away trip with my local teams: Bolton, Bury and Wigan.

What did you do pre-match and where did you stand/sit once in the ground?

I set off from my hometown of Atherton – a small place found right in between Bolton and Wigan – at around 09:00. I then caught the train from Manchester Piccadilly to Euston before dashing to Waterloo to check into a hotel.

I then topped up my Oyster Card – yes, a Northerner with an Oyster Card. Shock I know! Arriving at High Barnet I rather enjoyed jogging down Barnet hill, well worth another visit!

After taking a few photos and speaking to a few locals it was time to go in. I was stood in the East Terrace South. I was surprised at how many people were stood in the East Terrace... there were a few comedians there as well. Underhill reminded me somewhat of one of the rugby stadiums you find in Yorkshire.

What did you make of the game and was the scoreline a fair reflection?

It was a game of two halves really, whether the sloping pitch had anything to do with it we will never know. I was very impressed with Barnet in the first half and the stand out performer for me was Jordan Obita. He is one of the best young wingers I have seen on my travels alongside the two Bennett brothers – now of Norwich and Doncaster.

 In contrast I was very disappointed by the performance of Izale McLeod who never really got involved in the match.

In the second half Barnet couldn’t string together their passes, and Obita was non-existent on the left. Shrewsbury deserved the three points as they dominated in the second half.

What did you make of Underhill as an overall experience?

I thoroughly enjoyed my trip to Barnet. The locals didn’t understand my accent, but after we had dealt with the language barriers I had a great day. I wasn't too impressed with the food available. As I am educated in Wigan I know a good pie when I see one, and unfortunately for Barnet, Pukka doesn't cut it for me anymore.

 I really liked how easy it was to reach Underhill from Central London.

 I love the more traditional grounds, and for that reason I put Underhill in my top 5 so far.

Which ground are you visiting next?

I am off to Charlton v Stevenage next weekend. I’ll have to get a house down here soon!

Thanks Joe

You can of course follow Joe on Twitter @JoeBillGibbo, and check out his blog ‘Gibbo’s 92’ for all things Football League: stadium reviews, photos and of course the most important part, pies!

Are you planning on visiting Underhill as part of a ground hop soon? To appear on ‘Two minutes with…’ contact me on Twitter @Lucy_BFC