Message to the fans from Barnet Football Club (From Times Series)

Barnet FC addresses fans exclusively through the Times Series

10:22am Wednesday 21st December 2011 in Barnet to quit Underhill

Dennis Signy, who was recently awarded a BBC Sport lifetime achievement award.

By Dennis Signy, appointed an OBE in 1983 for his community and charity work in the borough of Barnet

Seven decades ago I had my introduction to Underhill and watched Lester Finch, surely the greatest player in Barnet's history, in action.

In the past decade, as PR consultant to chairman Tony Kleanthous, I have been by his side in talks with Barnet Council about the Bees getting a site for a new stadium in the borough.

I guess I have earned my two bob's worth of say about the ground where the club has played for 104 years.

Over the past 17 years Tony Kleanthous has put his personal fortune and health on the line in Barnet's cause.

The fans who have chanted that he's the best chairman in the land know he has the interests of the club at heart but I can vouch for the total hostility towards our football club from various officers and members of the council since we tried to establish a South Underhill stadium on the present cricket club site.

Janet Matthewson, who vigorously ran a Keep Barnet Alive campaign for four years, can chronicle wide evidence of obstruction from the town hall over the years. Surely supporters recall the battles the KBA encountered.

When the KBA was disbanded, there was a commitment from the council to work with the club to ensure its long term future in the borough. Has that been fulfilled ? - No.

Tony Kleanthous produced two Working Together documents - they never caught on with the worthies at the town hall.

The Times series launched a campaign,Backing the Bees, but, apart from a few hollow words of support from some politicians at election time that fell away, nothing moves forward for li'l ol' Barnet at our town hall.

What is not taken into account is the great work Janet Matthewson, who now runs the Barnet FC Community Trust, and her team achieve around the borough in delivering projects and helping to create a safer stronger community. They engage thousands of young people working with youth offending and help with health, education, anti-knife crime and personal safety ... working with young and old in mental health at secure units and old people's homes.

A community football club is more than just a squad of blokes kicking a ball around.

By the way, we also give away thusands of tickets to local schoolchildren and disadvantaged groups to encourage an interest in sport.

The issue today is clearcut.

The current lease on the cricket club expires next December, allowing for the purchase of an extension for 125 years at a peppercorn rent.

The council have countered by offering 15 years at what they consider market value, nearly four times what the club is presently paying.

In addition, after years of unrestricted use of Priory Grove, the road used by cars to access the ground and car parking facilities, the council decided to try and levy a charge to allow vehicular acess to continue.

The Scouts and St John Ambulance, who also have sites in Priory Grove, do not have to pay.

These issues are not sudden. They have been rumbling on for years.

So Barnet FC asked the Football League if they could start next season at Underhill even though the cricket club lease expires half way through the season and the club could not guarantee that they could finish there after December.

The League said that guarantees were needed.

The truth is that Barnet has only a short term future at Underhill anyway.

We are in danger of becoming second class citizens as our rivals move to 21st Century accomodation and increase their revenues.

Tony Kleanthous has spent nearly £2 million in the last few years on ground improvements, getting a new South Stand and floodlights, but the Bees still lag behind. The club directors years ago, faced with the council's hostility, discussed a move away.

Woolwich Arsenal didn't do badly switching from South to North across the Thames and now the Emirates did they?

The big question is: whither now? There is no ready answer at this stage.

Until the letter from the Football League Tony Kleanthous was thinking of staying at Underhill for a few more seasons. There was no Plan B on his immediate agenda.

It will be a wrench for all at Barnet to leave the spiritual home.

But there is little point wasting more time hoping for a new site from a council that wants a ridiculously high market value for a lease for the cricket club but lets Saracens RFC have Copthall for nothing.

It is patently obvious Barnet Council does not see us as a community asset.