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The Athenian Years, 1919 - 1965
1919
Serious football was abandoned during the First World War but soon afterwards the Barnet & Alston team resume duties in the Athenian league as Barnet FC.
Prior to the war they had finished runners-up (1912-13) and 6th (1913-14) and in 1919-20 they finished third in an extended league of 12 teams. The following season they finished bottom with two points and several administrative changes were made for the following season.
1920’s
In 1924-25 it was Exeter City who, once again, ended a promising run in the FA Cup. This time the game was played in Exeter but the score remained the same at 3-0. In 1925-26 Barnet went a step further this time losing 3-1 to professional opposition at Brentford. In a close game, George Sparrow and Arthur Snaith were kept at bay by the wonderful saves of the Brentford keeper. In 1926-27 the club again met professional opposition. This time they travelled to Brighton losing 3-0. On March 21st 1925, George Sparrow became the first Barnet player to play international football, playing football for England against Wales at Plymouth.
In 1926 Alfred Shilling retired as President and was replaced with Mr W. Watson. Mr George Sanderson became Hon. Secretary (later Chairman). A new stand was built at Underhill, costing £1,200, the bulk of which was loaned to the club by the new president and three other local gentlemen.
In 1927 Barnet win the Herts. Charity Cup beating St. Albans in the final 3-1. This was a fine performance considering the saints were champions of the Isthmian League (1923/4, 1926/7 and 1927/8). As a reward for an excellent season the team went to Holland during the Easter.
In 1929, Tom Goss took over as team secretary and introduced some junior plays from Tottenham Hotspurs to play for the club. These included Taffy O’Callaghan, Willie Evans, A.Day and W.Whatley all of whom became internationals and between them they gained 17 Welsh caps. The team went onto become runners-up in the 1929-30 Athenian League equalling their highest position for 10 years.
1930’s
Optimism was high for the 1930-31 season, especially with new youngsters Lester Finch, Arthur Morris and Jack Richardson. Early defeats in a friendly with St. Albans (5-2) and in the league against Walthamstow Avenue (5-1) were followed by an unbeaten run to the last game of the season when beaten 3-2 by Sutton United. However, Barnet had already become champions of the Athenian League by 12 points. In 1931-32 Barnet repeated the league success winning the Athenian League by 3 points over Hayes. This season Barnet played 16 cup games. In the FA Cup they beat Dulwich Hamlet (winners of the Amateur Cup) before losing 7-3 to Queens Park Rangers at Underhill in front of 7,000 fans. They went all the way in the Middlesex Senior Cup for the first time. In 1932-33 they repeated the success in the Middlesex Senior Cup and were finalists in the London Senior Cup, losing to Ilford. In 1933-4 the club had a long run in the Amateur Cup, beaten in the semi-final by Leyton at Ilford. They finally won the London Senior Cup (which dates back to 1883) in 1938 when beating Leyton 4-0 at Highbury in front of 20,000 spectators.
In the Athenian league, Barnet were runners-up in 1937-8 but struggled in the other seasons to repeat the two earlier championships.
It was during this period that Lester Finch, Barnet born and bred, became England’s regular outside-left between 1933 and 1939. The club also lost the services of Arthur Morris who some rate as one the finest centre forwards of the time. In eight seasons he scored 400 goals for the club.
War Period 1939-45
 With the Athenian League, FA Cup and Amateur Cup all suspended the club arranged a wartime league, the Herts. and Middlesex League becoming runners-up in the first season. During this period the club won the London Senior cup (1940-1), Herts. Senior Cup (1941-2, 1944-5), Herts. Charity Cup (1942-3, 1944-5), Herts. Hospital Cup (1942-3), Barnet Hospital Cup (1942-3), Herts. Middlesex League Cup (1944-5) and Finchley Hospital Cup (1944-5). Two players, J. Gerrans and J. McCarthy were honoured by being selected for the British Army. Sad news however for another promising player when it was learned that Sergt. Harold Faircloth M.M. had been killed. There was good news from Lieutenent Dennis Kelleher, R.N.V.R, who after being captured at Tobruk, succeeded in escaping from a prison camp in Germany. Arriving home in England on Thursday (3 weeks later) he played for the club on the Saturday, scoring two goals.
1945-9
With the end of the war came the resumption of normal football in the season 1945-6. The club were fortunate in being able to call on most of their old players with the addition of a few newcomers and quickly became a formidable combination. In the FA Cup they get through the qualifying rounds and met Queens Park Rangers in a two-leg affair losing 6-2 at Underhill and 2-1 at Shepherds Bush. However, the high spot of this year was reaching the final of the Amateur Cup for the first time. In front of 53,802 spectators at Stamford Bridge Barnet beat Bishop Auckland 3-2.
In October 1946 the television cameras came to Underhill and televised “live” the game between Barnet and Tooting & Mitcham – the first ever football match to be televised for which the club was paid a nominal £5 royalties.
 The 1946-7 season was one, if not the most, successful seasons the club has seen. For the second season running they reach the semi-final of the Amateur Cup, only to be beaten by Leytonstone. A record was created in London amateur football when the club won the London senior Cup, London Charity Cup and London Intermediate Cup. Then on the last day of the season a victory over Hendon at Claremont Road, Barnet became champions of the Athenian league for the third time. Early in 1947-8 season the club played Sing Tao Sports Club of Hong Kong the first Chinese club to visit England and 5000 spectators watched Barnet win 5-3.
In April 1948 the club reach the Amateur Cup final for a second time meeting their old friends Leytonstone in front of 59,605 spectators at Stamford Bridge. Unfortunately in a disappointing match Barnet lose 1-0. Consolation came when the championship of the Athenian league was secured for the fourth time.
Yet another Barnet player, George Wheeler, was honoured with an international cap and Dennis Kelleher became the second Barnet player to represent Great Britain in the Olympic Games.
1950’s
Success in the Athenian league was hard to come by in the fifties – in the first eight seasons the club finished 8th, 12th, 9th, 13th, 11th, 7th, 15th and 4th.
In March 1951 Barnet played in the Four-Nations Cup. The first game was lost 8-0 to Floridodorfer (Austria); the second a 4-0 win over Vejan Sportforerning. In September 1951 they played a team from the Gold Coast at Underhill losing 4-3.
The mid-fifties were a lean time for the club. Several administration changes and disbanding the “A” team for two youth XI’s had little effect. The ground was also purchased by the council and leased back to the club.
Things got better in 1957-8 when they reached the semi-final of the Amateur Cup, finally losing 3-2 to Woking after a replay. In 1958-9 they nearly did the double – after winning the Athenian League they narrowly lost 3-2 to Crook Town in the Amateur Cup final. On the way to the final Barnet must have recorded the all time scoring record. In the second round they beat Willington 8-4 with the first three goals (one for Willington, followed by two for Barnet) scored in the first 75 seconds!
In 1959-60 they finished league runners-up spoiling the pattern of doing back-to-back doubles in Athenian championship wins (1931 & 32 and 1946 & 47).
1960-5
Success in the Athenian league continued in the early sixties. Third in 1960-1 was followed by two runners-up positions (1961-2 and 1962-3) and two championship positions in the Athenian Premier Division (1963-4 and 1964-5).
On 9th January 1965 Barnet reached the third round proper of the FA Cup meeting Preston North End (1964 FA Cup runners-up) at Underhill. Preston were 2-0 up in 10 minutes but were held to half time. In the second half Barnet, urged by 10,500 spectators, brought the game back to 2-2, before an own goal 2 minutes from time denied a well deserved replay.
Athenian League
Champions: 1931-2, 1932-3, 1946-7, 1947-8, 1963-4, 1964-5
Runners-up: 1912-3, 1929-30, 1937-8, 1959-60, 1961-2, 1962-3
In 1965 Barnet became a professional team joining the Southern League First Division ending the clubs 52-year association with the Athenian League.
Continued, Profesional Status, 1965-to date
This article was written on behalf of the Barnet FC Official website
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