Hadley FC

[BeeBoi1980]

I know the debate has been done to death, but I still find it astonishing that people who support a club based in a city where there is enormous pressure on land and where any site available for building is usually snapped up very quickly by hawk-like developers, cannot handle the club moving just outside the borough boundary.

Land in London is in demand more so than in any other large city in this country and arguably Europe. Needless to say when decisions are made by local and national government about who gets this land, League 2 football clubs are not near the top of this list.

Given that we were negotiating with a council led by someone as awful as Brian Coleman for many years, we're relatively lucky to have a site only just outside the boundary and not further afield.

Doff of the cap to you sir!

[jerroll]

I agree with the above, but keep being reminded that Barnet Council own something like 10 golf courses, the highest of any council in the land, and they only bring in about £200,000 per annum combined.

It's a ridiculous sport for the predominantly well heeled, and the whole idea of keeping it as greenery is nonsense considering council residents can't go walk or picnic through the tees.

So find an appropriate golf course, split it up between New Underhill, open parks, affordable housing and then build 5 houses for the open market which will cover 15 years of profit from all 10 golf courses combined.

So what's the closest golf course to Underhill then?

Tudor Park in new Barnet closed and became a foot golf course but access to the site would be a major issue

[miguelito]

I agree with the above, but keep being reminded that Barnet Council own something like 10 golf courses, the highest of any council in the land, and they only bring in about £200,000 per annum combined.

It's a ridiculous sport for the predominantly well heeled, and the whole idea of keeping it as greenery is nonsense considering council residents can't go walk or picnic through the tees.

So find an appropriate golf course, split it up between New Underhill, open parks, affordable housing and then build 5 houses for the open market which will cover 15 years of profit from all 10 golf courses combined.

So what's the closest golf course to Underhill then?

South Herts. In Totteridge ward. Good luck with that one.

[BeeBoi1980]

I agree with the above, but keep being reminded that Barnet Council own something like 10 golf courses, the highest of any council in the land, and they only bring in about £200,000 per annum combined.

It's a ridiculous sport for the predominantly well heeled, and the whole idea of keeping it as greenery is nonsense considering council residents can't go walk or picnic through the tees.

So find an appropriate golf course, split it up between New Underhill, open parks, affordable housing and then build 5 houses for the open market which will cover 15 years of profit from all 10 golf courses combined.

So what's the closest golf course to Underhill then?

South Herts. In Totteridge ward. Good luck with that one.

Played there for the first time ever on Sunday. Horrible lot. Birdied the last.

But really, are we still all having this conversation!?

[Norfolk & Chance]

Indeed. So many years and some still feel the need decry the existence of an entire town. And for no other reason than to wind people up. Seriously, get a life! Barnet play in Edgware, end of.

[hoppy]

I went over to The Hive on Thursday to sort out my membership. I've got to say I felt so proud of our club. The place was alive. Lots of ancillary staff around doing what they do, customers coming and going in the shop, several people having coffees and snacks, first team players drifting around, other squad players training, youngsters arriving for a holiday scheme, one of the artificial pitches being used for a game, the motor cycle training going on in one of the car parks. Also there is a sign up mentioning that the Toshiba medical centre will be opening very soon. The place was buzzing and there seemed to me to be a very happy atmosphere about the place.
I had a pleasant chat with Village, who is often down there, and he reckoned it was a quiet day. Well I can't imagine what a busy day is like.
I was proud to be a supporter of Barnet Football Club. Underhill was never, and could never be anything like that. As much as I loved Underhill we have moved on and the current situation seems to be very, very healthy.
Credit to TK. With what he has already achieved at The Hive and with the planned improvements to come (hopefully) we are on our way to being a club that will make people sit up and take notice of and want to be part of.

[X-Bumble]

I went over to The Hive on Thursday to sort out my membership. I've got to say I felt so proud of our club. The place was alive. Lots of ancillary staff around doing what they do, customers coming and going in the shop, several people having coffees and snacks, first team players drifting around, other squad players training, youngsters arriving for a holiday scheme, one of the artificial pitches being used for a game, the motor cycle training going on in one of the car parks. Also there is a sign up mentioning that the Toshiba medical centre will be opening very soon. The place was buzzing and there seemed to me to be a very happy atmosphere about the place.
I had a pleasant chat with Village, who is often down there, and he reckoned it was a quiet day. Well I can't imagine what a busy day is like.
I was proud to be a supporter of Barnet Football Club. Underhill was never, and could never be anything like that. As much as I loved Underhill we have moved on and the current situation seems to be very, very healthy.
Credit to TK. With what he has already achieved at The Hive and with the planned improvements to come (hopefully) we are on our way to being a club that will make people sit up and take notice of and want to be part of.

Here, here.

[MCB]

So what's the closest golf course to Underhill then?

South Herts. In Totteridge ward. Good luck with that one.

Next to a tube station, less than 1 mile from Underhill as the crow flies. £50 a round.

Concrete the bloody thing.

Brand new stadium and 500 affordable houses please, whilst developing open green spaces available to all.

Sorted. Double bonus is it would piss Brian Coleman off (judging by the comments: http://www.times-series.co.uk/NEWS/1330 ... f_courses/)

[BeeBoi1980]

As much as the people there were c*cks, you want to concrete over a club's leisure facility that many enjoy that has been there since the 1900's and drive them out of their home. Is that not a little hypocritical regardless of what we think of those that use the facilities.

The Hive really isn't far away, it's great, enjoy it. Who knows what may happen in the future, but the present is The Hive.

I wonder if our EFL cup opponents spend half of their time banging on about playing in Falmer (with the other half spent focussing on getting a defensive midfielder in)?

[rudebwoyben]

Golf is a horrific socially exclusive, prejudiced and extremely environmentally destructive sport. I would happily get rid of every single golf course in existence.

[BeeBoi1980]

Golf is a horrific socially exclusive, prejudiced and extremely environmentally destructive sport. I would happily get rid of every single golf course in existence.

And those at South Herts probably feel football is yobbish, boring and out of control financially. They would probably happily bulldoze every football ground in the country and stick a driving range in. Let's have a little perspective please.

[rudebwoyben]

Looking at that article with those comments by the Taxpayers' Alliance (ugh!), is this actually true? -

Cadwallader clearly didn't bother to read the Judgment. The Court found in favour of the Council - that is to say that the land at Underhill was sold unlawfully. Unfortunately, for the taxpayers of Barnet, the Court also ruled that it did not have the power to undo the transaction

[MCB]

As much as the people there were c*cks, you want to concrete over a club's leisure facility that many enjoy that has been there since the 1900's and drive them out of their home. Is that not a little hypocritical regardless of what we think of those that use the facilities.

Of course it's massively hypocritical! I'm a massive hypocrit - I had a pop at golf and stopped playing after breaking 100. But then I realised how exclusive golf clubs are, exclusive in that it's great to look at and walk around, but fundamentally exclusive to those who are well heeled. The numbers using the golf course are tiny. Conservatively the footprint is 25 x Underhills (and remember it's just one of TEN council owned golf clubs). There used to be half a dozen football clubs in Barnet as well - now they have what - 1 - Hadley's in Barnet right? Golf players could simply go to one of the other 9 courses, football fans have to go to a different borough.

I'd be more than happy if they just opened it as a nature reserve, open for schools and all to wonder around. It's a false pretence to say the golf course is all greenery - the actual courses are so carefully manicured and chemically ridden, the only wild areas are the trees that stop the poor people looking in. Of course, 1 new stadium, 400 affordable homes, 1 new GP's, primary school and a massive open park & nature reserve would improve life for everyone except the handful of locals and golfers.

It'll never happen of course as golf, like rugby, is popular with the tories.

[miguelito]

Looking at that article with those comments by the Taxpayers' Alliance (ugh!), is this actually true? -

Cadwallader clearly didn't bother to read the Judgment. The Court found in favour of the Council - that is to say that the land at Underhill was sold unlawfully. Unfortunately, for the taxpayers of Barnet, the Court also ruled that it did not have the power to undo the transaction

David Miller was chair of Chipping Barnet Tories back in 2002 and heavily involved in the anti-South Underhill campaign/BRASS; he was ones of those pushing for the court cases & PwC inquiry into the freehold sale, all of which cost the taxpayer a seven-figure sum.

I've linked to the Chancery & Court of Appeal decisions below so you can draw your own conclusions on Mr Miller's claim. The council were refused permission to appeal.

London Borough of Barnet v Barnet Football Club Holdings Ltd [2004] EWHC 519 (Ch) (13 February 2004) ([2004] EWHC 519 (Ch); From England and Wales High Court (Chancery Division) Decisions
http://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWHC/Ch/2004/519.html

London Borough Of Barnet v Barnet Football Club Holdings Ltd [2004] EWCA Civ 1191 (30 July 2004) ([2004] EWCA Civ 1191; From England and Wales Court of Appeal (Civil Division) Decisions
http://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWCA/Civ/2004/1191.html

[rudebwoyben]

Looking at that article with those comments by the Taxpayers' Alliance (ugh!), is this actually true? -

Cadwallader clearly didn't bother to read the Judgment. The Court found in favour of the Council - that is to say that the land at Underhill was sold unlawfully. Unfortunately, for the taxpayers of Barnet, the Court also ruled that it did not have the power to undo the transaction

David Miller was chair of Chipping Barnet Tories back in 2002 and heavily involved in the anti-South Underhill campaign/BRASS; he was ones of those pushing for the court cases & PwC inquiry into the freehold sale, all of which cost the taxpayer a seven-figure sum.

I've linked to the Chancery & Court of Appeal decisions below so you can draw your own conclusions on Mr Miller's claim. The council were refused permission to appeal.

London Borough of Barnet v Barnet Football Club Holdings Ltd [2004] EWHC 519 (Ch) (13 February 2004) ([2004] EWHC 519 (Ch); From England and Wales High Court (Chancery Division) Decisions
http://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWHC/Ch/2004/519.html

London Borough Of Barnet v Barnet Football Club Holdings Ltd [2004] EWCA Civ 1191 (30 July 2004) ([2004] EWCA Civ 1191; From England and Wales Court of Appeal (Civil Division) Decisions
http://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWCA/Civ/2004/1191.html

Thanks for that, I thought that that was untrue and it's good to get confirmation that it was!