My son Liam, Grandad Steve and I completed the famous 92 Football League Grounds challenge for the second time with a trip to The Hive, Barnet FC’s state‑of‑the‑art home since 2013 after 106 years at Underhill for Matchday 97.
Grandad Steve kindly agreed to drive, giving my car a much‑needed rest after 17 matches since Matchday 96, and we set off at 09:00 with a plan that balanced ambition and leisure — enough time for traffic, a hoped‑for couple of Wetherspoons stops, and a relaxed arrival so we could soak up the pre‑match atmosphere.
The day also carried a personal milestone: this match counted as matchday 72 for 2025, putting me on course to beat last year’s total of 72 games and fuelling my aim to see more football in 2025 than I did in 2024.
We’d plotted to tick off two Wetherspoons on the way but, as often happens on matchday runs, timings and traffic reshaped the itinerary. We arrived at J.J. Moon’s in Kingsbury — a proper, welcoming stop with plenty of seats, hot breakfast rolls and the kind of conversation that primes you for a long day of football. Liam kept things simple with orange juice and scrambled egg on toast while I tucked into the breakfast‑roll meal deal and swapped predictions about the game ahead.
Refuelled, we found convenient residential parking a short walk from the ground and strolled toward The Hive, where the first impressions were immediate: a compact, modern stadium framed by training pitches and community facilities that give the whole place a bright, purposeful feel. It’s a different vibe to Underhill’s characterful history, but The Hive’s tidy, well‑laid‑out complex is clearly built to welcome families, local teams and visiting fans as much as first‑team supporters.
At the clubshop we bought the customary scarf and discovered the matchday programme was digital only — a small disappointment but one that didn’t dent the excitement.
I’d contacted Barnet in advance to see if anything special could be arranged to help mark our completion of the 92 and, despite the staffing pressures of a matchday, the club kindly arranged for their photographer to meet us pitch‑side at 13:30. Arriving a bit early gave us a relaxed window to wander the exterior, admire the neat stands and watch teams and staff going about their matchday routines.
It was outside the ground that one of the day’s best surprises happened: we met Lyndon from Cardiff, a fellow groundhopper who was completing the 92 for the third time. He was one of those people who immediately makes you glad you came: proud, humble and brimming with stories. Lyndon told us he’d been featured in Barnet’s programme for his decades‑long run of groundhopping, and hearing about his fiancée’s 66 grounds felt like joining a quiet club of obsessive, affectionate travellers who measure lives in terraces and pies as much as miles.\
If you would like to view the full program then please click here or alternatively you can click here for Lyndon’s dedicated page.
The club photographer, Kieran, met us in the shop and led us pitch‑side for photos that captured the whole reason we travel: three smiling generations in front of a pristine pitch, the sort of snap that belongs on a mantelpiece. The turf looked immaculate, the floodlights and stands neat against a soft London sky, and standing on the touchline with Liam and Grandad felt slightly surreal — a beautiful, small‑scale celebration of years of weekend adventures. After photos we retreated to the fans’ bar for a pint and a long chat, swapping groundhopper tips with Lyndon and soaking in the pre‑match buzz.
There’s always something special about the fans’ bar before kick‑off: strangers become conversationalists, rivalries soften into nostalgia, and you can feel the collective excitement building.
We took our places in the Legends stand, where fate — and stadium seating — had us sitting in the same block as a few other groundhoppers. Before the game the stadium fell silent for a minute’s silence ahead of Remembrance Sunday — a poignant reminder of the wider things we pause to remember, which made the roar that followed all the more heartfelt.
The match itself delivered drama. Barnet began explosively, racing into a 2–0 lead inside the first 30 minutes and setting the crowd alight with hope that this would be a comfortable afternoon. MK Dons, however, had other ideas: a late first‑half strike narrowed the gap and shifted momentum, and their equaliser in the 65th minute made the final half hour a gripping, edge‑of‑the‑seat affair. Both teams pressed for a winner, chances flew at both ends, and the game finished 2–2 — a fair reflection of a contest in which Barnet dominated early and MK Dons improved markedly after the break. The atmosphere swung with every near‑miss, and the mix of relief, frustration and admiration in the stands after the final whistle summed up why we chase these matches.
After the match we exchanged goodbyes with Lyndon — who faced a mammoth journey home by train and bus — and left with new contact details, fresh memories and that warm, satisfied tiredness that follows a full day of football.
The drive home was uneventful; we were back in just over two hours with one more ground ticked off the list and another story to add to our website/social media.
For now the 92 challenge is on hold for another season, but that pause won’t stop us exploring new corners of the footballing map.
I have now visited 150 different grounds and racked up 167 Wetherspoons stops, and the pull of shiny turf, friendly bars and the next long‑distance trip keeps me planning the next weekend away. Until the next ground — stay safe, look after each other and keep chasing those memories.
Five facts about Barnet FC
- Founded Barnet Football Club’s origins date back to 1888, formed in Chipping Barnet.
- Underhill history The club played at Underhill from 1907 until moving to The Hive in 2013 after 106 years at the old ground.
- Nickname Barnet are nicknamed “The Bees,” a theme reflected across the club and in the stadium’s name.
- Cup and league pedigree Barnet have enjoyed success in the National League / Conference and have had memorable promotion seasons in recent decades.
- The Hive complex The Hive stadium holds roughly 6,500 spectators and sits within a wider training and community facility that hosts youth and community football.