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Barnet Avenue Football Club, 1890 - 1912
The Avenue club was formed in 1890 by ex-scholars of Christ Church School (in those days in New Road, today’s St. Albans Road). They continued until 1912 when they eventually merged with Barnet Alston FC to become Barnet and Alston FC.
During these 21 years they changed their name from Shrewsbury FC, to Avenue FC to Barnet Avenue FC and then (after the Barnet FC 1888 team were dissolved) they changed their name to just Barnet FC.
Initially they played in Leathersellers Field (where today’s Thornton Road is). Then they played in Hadley near Christ Church (off today’s St. Albans Road). Eventually in October 1895 they moved to their own ground in Granville Road, which was off Queens Road, a stones throw from their arch rivals Barnet FC. For the first 10 years the Avenue club ran side-by-side with the Barnet FC team, meeting them on many occasions, often resulting in lively encounters
- 1892-3 Captain - H.Saunders
- Secretary - Mr F. Horton
- Treasurer - Mr F. Moore
- Meeting Place - The Rising Sun
- Ground - Windmill Fields, Hadley
The closest the Avenue came to the first Barnet FC was in 1895-6 season when both Barnet teams played in the North Middlesex League Division I. Barnet FC were promoted to the Premier division as runners-up to Finchley - Barnet Avenue finished 5th but managed to win 3-1 and 3-2 over their arch rivals costing them the championship. After this season the teams nearly merged.
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North Middlesex League Div I 1895-6
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P
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W
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L
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D
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GF
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GA
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P
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Enfield
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16
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14
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1
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1
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51
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7
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29
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Barnet
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16
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12
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3
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1
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41
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15
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25
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Novocastrians
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16
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10
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4
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2
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41
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19
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22
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Noel Park
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16
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8
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4
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4
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41
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24
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20
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Barnet Avenue
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16
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9
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5
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2
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22
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23
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20
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Ormond
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16
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6
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9
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1
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20
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45
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13
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Hornsey United
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16
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2
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12
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2
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9
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18
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6
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Leopold
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16
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2
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13
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1
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8
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52
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5
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Edmonton Minerva
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16
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2
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14
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0
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4
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37
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4
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In 1899-1900 season the North Middlesex League Premier Division went to the last game - Finchley beating Barnet Avenue 3-2. After a play-off with Hendon, Barnet Avenue took the runners-up place.
When the Barnet FC 1888 team dissolved in 1901, the Barnet Avenue club took on the lease of the Queens Road ground. After several unruly encounters against the Barnet Ramblers FC team in December 1901 they further developed the ground by adding “enclosures” as well as posts, ropes and boards for the ladies.
In the 1903/04 season Barnet Avenue won the North Middlesex League Premier division (Northern section) with Alston Works runners up. In a play-off with Tottenham Park (the winners of North Middlesex League Premier, southern section) they won 1-0 to become overall North Middlesex League champions.

In 1904-5, after the original Barnet 1888 club had dissolved, they renamed themselves Barnet FC and soon after became a senior side, finishing runners-up in the London League Division II (1905-6).
- 1904-5 (Barnet FC) Captain - W.Farris
- Vice Captain - A.Hawkins
- President - E.Hildred Carlile M.P.
- Vice Presidents - G.Hardie, G.Clayton, Vicary Gibbs, F.Gilling, J.Thomas
- Secretary - A.E.Ginger, C.Harris
- Treasurer - Mr F. Moore
- Committee - K.Hawkins, J.Hawkins, B.Buey, G.Wilding, T.Johnson, H.Taylor, J.Buey, T.Hodedon, F.Hawkins, W.Matthews, H.Barwall, E.Young, G.Nicholls, J.Shears, W.Baldwin
- Selection Committee - G.Wilding, H.Barewell, F.Hawkins, E.Hawkins, W.Pugh, J.Hodsdon, B.Buey, F.Moore
- Meeting Place - The Rising Sun, The Mitre (from November)
- Ground - Queens Road
They joined the Amateur Football Association in 1907-8 winning the Chiswick League unbeaten in the process. In 1909-10 they were champions of the Middlesex County Amateur League (Premier Division) as well as winning the Hertfordshire Charity Cup.
In 1910-11 they reverted back to the London Football Association and in 1912 they merged with another club in Barnet called Barnet Alston.
The new club was named Barnet & Alston FC - the third Barnet FC
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