SARACENS’ plans for a new stadium will leave football “forced out” and 120 years of history “cleared away”, Barnet FC said in a savage attack on the council.

The rugby club has submitted new plans to pump £18m into reviving the stadium at the Copthall site but the move has sparked fury in the ranks of the borough’s main football team.

Barnet FC chairman Tony Kleanthous says Barnet Council used delaying tactics to frustrate its own attempts to submit an application for the venue in order to give it away to Saracens for free.

In a furious statement on the club’s website, he said: "It is quite clear they want to push football out and move rugby in.

“Despite Barnet FC having more than 120 years of history as a community club in the area they seem to want to clear us away."

The club says its existence has been under attack from the council since as far back as 2002 and Mr Kleanthous said he wanted to let supporters know what was going on “behind the scenes”.

Barnet FC’s says the council promised to find it a new home but has offered no site and is demanding £200,000 to renew the lease on a cricket ground to the south of its current Underhill home.

Barnet Council said it has seen no alternative planning application for Copthall from Barnet FC and Councillor Richard Cornelius, leader of the authority, labelled the chairman’s attack “rubbish" in a single-worded statement.

The council said clubs were invited to tender for the Copthall site in 2009 but Barnet FC did not apply.

When questioned about the damning statmement from Barnet, Sarries chief executive Edward Griffiths chose to concentrate on highlighting their revised plans for the stadium.

He said: "We have put forward a revised planning application to invest £18m of private money to transform Copthall into a vibrant community sports hub.

"We are pleased that the overwhelming majority of stakeholders and Barnet residents seem to agree this represents the best way forward for Copthall."