|
Post by pinewalker on Feb 9, 2019 19:55:40 GMT
Quite expensive to see Sutton at the Hive today. The beer isn't cheap either! But what a lovely stadium! If a benefactor were to loan Sutton the cash to build one like it, I have no doubt we would have to up the entrance money to £20, and maybe raise the beer prices also. However a Mars bar for an extortionate £1.50 was a temptation I could resist.
In the ground 45 minutes from Waterloo or 43 from Victoria, quicker to reach than Underhill - if there were any U's fans who missed today's game it is worth a visit next year if we are in the same league.
On the other hand the total take is critical. Despite Barnet's heroics in the FA cup in front of a full house and live TV, none of the enthusism seems to have rubbed off on the locals for the VNL - a paltry 1316 in attendance [though it looked more Billy]. Perhaps an AB style drive to flog season tickets is needed. Or it could be the Hive is at the southern corner of the Borehamwood Triangle - in which football supporters venture once, never to be seen again. That is the risk when you move Barnet FC into the next borough.
Great performance by the lads. Roarie back after a quarter hour because Kenny took a whack - Roarie holds the ball up so well, allowing the team to switch from defence into attack. Game won by a perfectly placed free-kick. Then after late substitutions a switch to a nerve-shredding backs to the wall defending. I do not know why we chose to do that, because it has often cost us points - but today it didn't - well done U's.
|
|
|
Post by baboonfish on Feb 9, 2019 20:44:11 GMT
Lovely stadium and very easy to get to, hence very surprised at the poor home showing. Barely 1k home supporters in that wonderful arena, once again evidence of how much our supporter base has overtaken many small ex league clubs. You do start to wonder how many sides in the football league are reliant on glory hunters and big away support.
Backs to the wall defending, a large slice of luck and a familiar three points at a 'big' team. Barnet do try and play football but very complacent and boy that 26 was one dirty bastard. Sort of player that would have eeked out a career in the upper reaches of football 20 years ago, with his size and liberal interpretation of the rules. He could also play a bit as evidenced by several pinpoint crosses late in the game but he should have been sent off in the first half. Very weak referee. I think he may also have studded dale b late in the 2nd half, if so easily earned a yellow and two reds.
Yes we don't seem to be able to get the ball to stick up top when under pressure but this is a part time team playing against full time sides week in week out and doing a very good job of protecting their 6 yard box. Lads have clearly been working very hard at defending set pieces and once again left it all out there. We have so many attacking options now and I can also see us putting together a really strong run in.
|
|
|
Post by Andy K on Feb 9, 2019 20:56:46 GMT
Ah that No26. Dan Sweeney. Ex kingstonian. That move he did on Gime was straight out of Street fighter rather than any training session. Awful challenge.
Gutsy performance but I'd rather not have to experience 30 mins of football last the last 30 today. Far too stressful. First half was great though and Bennett in particular was peerless. Great to see Roarie back too although obviously not match fit, you can see the magic is still there.
Barnet are a decent if occasionally cynical but made some comical defending we didn't quite capitalise on. And also nice to see Byron again, even though our defence made him totally ineffective.
Important 3 points and starts putting us in touching distance of the top. Salford losing to Braintree was a bonus....
|
|
|
Post by backhome2016 on Feb 9, 2019 21:11:23 GMT
Marvellous stadium. I was sat in the main stand with my Barnet mate. From there our support sounded impressive - well done lads and lasses. As is usual with these 'bigger' clubs, I was hearing a lot of flak around me directed to our team, 'pub players', 'rugby team', fat boys' etc, etc. The one player they did seem impressed with was Worner. And, begrudgingly, Skip. I liked it when Bailey went off (after another solid performance) to hear how he'd lost it big time since leaving Barnet... they obviously still miss him!
Cannot praise the Barnet set-up enough. Friendly stewarding, hassle free supporters, good catering (the beer and food in the main stand was competitively priced) and my £22 ticket, although high for the league, was worth it for the ambience of such a modern, clean and professional stadium.
Proud to see us not just holding our own but setting a standard in such surroundings and with such teams. Well done to Dos and the team.
|
|
|
Post by Amber Aleman on Feb 9, 2019 21:58:05 GMT
One to add to our collection of gutsy 1-0 away wins this season (see also Ebbsfleet, Maidstone, Orient, Halifax). The match was settled by James Dobson's exquisite free kick late in the first half, his first Sutton goal, and reminiscent of the one he scored against us for Slough in the FA Cup replay.
Barnet may argue that they played most of the football today, and they did lay siege to our goal in the last fifteen minutes. But their final ball was often lacking, while some resolute blocking and clearing by us snuffed out most of the opportunities that they did create, Ross Worner once again proving an impassable last man when he needed to be.
The return from injury of Collins and Eastmond gave us solidity. Then the early departure of the concussed Kenny Davis handed Roarie Deacon an earlier than expected reappearance in a Sutton shirt, allowing us to set up in a more orthodox 4-4-2.
We stay 6th, but are now only six points behind leaders Orient, and with a game in hand over all the sides above us.
|
|
|
Post by johnnykwango on Feb 9, 2019 23:03:12 GMT
From platform 1 at Sutton to the ticket office at The Hive took just over an hour and fifteen, then took another 15 mins to buy a ticket but soon into the huge away fans bar. £20 was steep, maybe standing for a tenner would've been kinder but unlike home fans we weren't able to do so - either way I loved the ground and every single one of their staff were a credit to Barnet (if you added up the number of stewards, bar staff, ballboys/girls etc. they would've comfortably outnumbered the home support by the way...well almost).
Anyway - Sweeney, Barnet's number 26. Yellow/Red for THAT tackle on Gimi?? Neither would've been appropriate, instead one of the far too many coppers on duty should've marched straight onto the pitch and nabbed him for assault. Good turnout from our lot who were vocal from the start but what an amazing reception for Roarie's early appearance, so loud!
A splendid 3 points, not overly entertaining but I'll take that every day of the week. Let's get a couple of home wins before we head up East to Redbridge Forest.
|
|
billy
1st team skipper
Posts: 2,626
|
Post by billy on Feb 10, 2019 10:10:38 GMT
We just got back from watching England getting trounced in the Caribbean.Pleased to see the last couple of results.
|
|
|
Post by garethl on Feb 10, 2019 10:30:24 GMT
Surprised you didn’t get a game for the 3rd Test Billy!
|
|
|
Post by timall on Feb 10, 2019 11:20:39 GMT
Lovely stadium and very easy to get to, hence very surprised at the poor home showing. Barely 1k home supporters in that wonderful arena, once again evidence of how much our supporter base has overtaken many small ex league clubs. You do start to wonder how many sides in the football league are reliant on glory hunters and big away support. I guess moving where you play by 7 miles has something to do with the drop in support too. If (God forbid) we were ever to be playing our matches in say Kingston or Croydon I suspect we would drop a proportion of our supporter base too and that would be reflected in our "home" gate.
It's a cracking stadium though. I would guess they are hopeful of attracting a new wave of home supporters though, and now they are outside of the league divisions, and not as able to benefit from larger away supporters bringing revenue, they are doing whatever they can in this respect. Especially as it looks unlikely they will be "bouncing straight back up" and having to endure at least a second season at this level.
|
|
|
Post by halftimet on Feb 10, 2019 11:31:48 GMT
Cannot complain at how well we are doing this season but I would prefer less stress.
Looking at our results to date in all competitions we have only won two games by more than the odd goal. SCR in the Surrey Senior Cup and Wrexham at home back in September.
|
|
|
Post by timall on Feb 10, 2019 11:39:38 GMT
Cannot complain at how well we are doing this season but I would prefer less stress. Looking at our results to date in all competitions we have only won two games by more than the odd goal. SCR in the Surrey Senior Cup and Wrexham at home back in September. And only two games where we have lost by more than a single goal too (Boreham Wood and Spennymoor). Not many opportunities over the course of the season for the fingernails to have a chance of growing back!
|
|
|
Post by Del on Feb 10, 2019 11:48:51 GMT
Lovely stadium and very easy to get to, hence very surprised at the poor home showing. Barely 1k home supporters in that wonderful arena, once again evidence of how much our supporter base has overtaken many small ex league clubs. You do start to wonder how many sides in the football league are reliant on glory hunters and big away support. I guess moving where you play by 7 miles has something to do with the drop in support too. If (God forbid) we were ever to be playing our matches in say Kingston or Croydon I suspect we would drop a proportion of our supporter base too and that would be reflected in our "home" gate.
It's a cracking stadium though. I would guess they are hopeful of attracting a new wave of home supporters though, and now they are outside of the league divisions, and not as able to benefit from larger away supporters bringing revenue, they are doing whatever they can in this respect. Especially as it looks unlikely they will be "bouncing straight back up" and having to endure at least a second season at this level.
I was surprised to see that they only have a 10 year lease on The Hive ( Wikipedia). Underhill was only leased as well . Actually a correction to that. The Hive is now owned by the Barnet chairman so no lease restrictions apply. He must have spent a fortune.
|
|
|
Post by Andy K on Feb 10, 2019 22:08:51 GMT
|
|
ob1
Spectator
Posts: 4
|
Post by ob1 on Feb 10, 2019 22:49:53 GMT
I guess moving where you play by 7 miles has something to do with the drop in support too. If (God forbid) we were ever to be playing our matches in say Kingston or Croydon I suspect we would drop a proportion of our supporter base too and that would be reflected in our "home" gate.
It's a cracking stadium though. I would guess they are hopeful of attracting a new wave of home supporters though, and now they are outside of the league divisions, and not as able to benefit from larger away supporters bringing revenue, they are doing whatever they can in this respect. Especially as it looks unlikely they will be "bouncing straight back up" and having to endure at least a second season at this level.
I was surprised to see that they only have a 10 year lease on The Hive ( Wikipedia). Underhill was only leased as well . Actually a correction to that. The Hive is now owned by the Barnet chairman so no lease restrictions apply. He must have spent a fortune.
|
|
ob1
Spectator
Posts: 4
|
Post by ob1 on Feb 10, 2019 22:55:15 GMT
We also owned the freehold of Underhill. This was sold for over £14million and a school is currently being built there. At the Hive we now have planning permission for a new stand to replace the south terrace, an indoor football pitch, indoor basketball/netball court and squash courts.
|
|