A match made at Barnet FC

8:53am Wednesday 9th July 2008

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Everyone wants to have a ball on their wedding day, but some take this more literally than others.

Having heard that Barnet Football Club's Underhill stadium had recently got a wedding licence, Darren Robinson and Clare Burgess (now Robinson) jumped at the chance to be the first couple to book their nuptials at the sports ground.

The couple described the £700 venue as "perfect" - despite neither of them having ever attended a Barnet match or being a fan of the club.

Mrs Robinson, 33, said: "I'm not a big supporter, but I liked the idea of having the ceremony, meal and reception all in one place.

"Since the Barnet registry office shut down, there isn't really a place to go for a nice civil service.

"The nearest place is Burnt Oak, but we wanted to be close to my parents in Whetstone.

"This was really the perfect solution for us. It was brilliant."

Arsenal fan Mr Robinson, also 33, said the venue appealed to him because it was where the Gunners' reserves play, and Arsène Wenger often watches his team play from the boardroom.

"It was a bit odd not being a Barnet fan, but Arsenal has a lot of history there," he said.

"I would definitely recommend it to others. It went really smoothly and there's nothing else I could have asked for."

About 60 guests watched the couple, of Acorn Close, in Chingford, tie the knot in the downstairs Durham Room last Saturday.

A further 60 guests joined them there at the evening reception after a sit-down meal upstairs in the Director's Lounge.

Barnet FC's commercial manager, Eleri Scott, recommended the venue for couples who want "something a bit different".

She said: "It was fantastic, because you don't have to travel around at all, you just get to relax for the whole day.

"It's open to anyone who's in the mood for something a bit different, something a little fun.

"In years to come people will remember that Darren and Clare got married there."