Underhill Stadium

Underhill Stadium stood in Chipping Barnet, north London, for more than a century. It was the home of Barnet Football Club from 1907 until 2013 and hosted reserve games for Arsenal and training sessions for the London Broncos rugby league club. The ground also staged under-19 fixtures and served as a temporary venue for Edgware Town while their own ground was refurbished. Its most striking feature was the slope running from the north end to the south end. After Barnet moved to The Hive Stadium in 2013, the site was sold and later redeveloped.

The stadium’s final match on 20 April 2013 drew a sell-out crowd of 6,001. Jake Hyde scored the only goal in the 81st minute, and Graham Stack saved a late penalty to preserve the 1–0 win over Wycombe Wanderers. Underhill had opened in 1907 with a 1–0 victory against Crystal Palace, and the two clubs met again in 2007 to mark its centenary. By the time of its demolition in 2018, the stadium had a capacity of 6,023. It now forms part of the Ark Pioneer Academy, which opened in 2019.

Seven separate stands once surrounded the pitch. The South Stand seated 1,016 and replaced a temporary structure in 2008. The East Terrace was split into three sections, with away fans kept apart from home supporters. The North-East Family Stand offered covered seating for visiting fans, while the tiny North Terrace backed onto Westcombe Drive. A pavilion behind the South Stand served as the club’s social club. The Durham Suite in the south-west corner commemorated Kevin Durham, a Bees midfielder who died in 1991.