N Rowland Sports Writer

So, after the years of heartbreak, frustration and misery, the 7-year wait is over. We are officially back in the football league. A club suffocated, let down and mismanaged has turned into one resurrected, re-energized and well and truly alive again.

Before I ramble on about the glorious release that was Saturday 26^th April 2025, it would be remiss of me not to discuss the games that went before it.

After the goodness of Woking, Altrincham and Gateshead came a stumble. Braintree away in the beating sun was a justified defeat as they were the better team, Wealdstone was unfortunate, but we paid the price for our misses in the first half and Eastleigh was a frustrating stalemate.

After the draws against Wealdstone and Eastleigh, I was gutted and thought we’d messed up a glorious chance. I sat on a green space near my house after the Wealdstone game and listened to sad music whilst I thought about the rest of the season and pondered the future.

As a result of this, it in essence came down to the game on Easter Monday at Gander Green Lane against Sutton United. A do or die game, win and we’re up, anything but a win and the tension would be unbearable.

I headed to my local train station early on Monday morning and boarded a train to Highbury and Islington to get to Victoria. The enormity of the game meant I was nervous but excited too, we haven’t had a lot of these games in recent years.

A pleasant drink up was had at The Moon On The Hill Wetherspoons, Sutton, one in which we were joined by my dad. A man who took me to Underhill in 2007 for my first game, comforted me at Northampton and versus Wycombe, celebrated me against Gateshead and endured the years of dirge too.

It was only right that he experienced this with me, he’s proper Barnet and despite not attending as many games of late, he still very much gets it.

After a very enjoyable time in the pub, we headed to the ground. It was a sight to behold as so many Barnet fans occupied so much of the ground. The songs blared out prior to kick off and the enormity of the game only grew.

We started very well, refreshingly energetic compared to Wealdstone and Eastleigh. This was rewarded when we went 1-0 up through Mark Shelton. This prompted joyous scenes in the away end, the like of which would have unthinkable a short few years ago.

Grown men going utterly spare, embrace after embrace and happiness aplenty. The season felt reignited after the three games of frustration. This was halted when Sutton equalized, and York also went ahead against Oldham.

The happiness was replaced by tension and nerves but still it felt different. We returned for the second half, and it was one of the best second halves of the season. When we needed a hero, Mark Shelton stepped up. We were awarded a penalty and with supreme composure, he stuck it away.

This was one of the most important goals we’d scored in eons, and it was celebrated like this too. To add to this, Charlie Raglan equalized for Oldham and put us on the precipice of glory. Then, to seal it, Adebola Oluwo scored our third and the victory was ours. The scenes in the away end were jubilant and ecstatic, it was the day we all knew it was going to happen.

I’m not ashamed to admit that I was overcome and beyond happy, the players did their customary huddle in front of us baying Bees and then did a collective series of fist pumps. We then filed out of the away end as old and young embraced, smiled and danced off into the glorious evening.

I and my group headed to the Robin Hood pub and enjoyed a few more pints and general joviality before we strolled our way to the train station and were met by other familiar faces. It sounds strange to say a half-hour train from Sutton to Victoria is one of the best train journeys I’ve ever had but it really was.

Songs, laughter, joy and giddiness as we trundled our way through South London suburbia, I will never forget it. We headed home knowing we were nearly there.

The following Saturday came the day we’d waited 7 years for; Saturday 26^th April 2025. Our day.

I woke earlier than normal and headed on the tube to Moranos, an Irish pub near the ground. When I arrived, it was buzzing, and the anticipation was palpable. There was a sense even before the game commenced that the day was going to be special.

This sense was proved correct; the ground was abuzz with excitement, flags, Black and Amber and so many people awaiting the glory. I took my seat and prepared myself for joy.

It was easy; Aldershot were poor, and we were excellent. Shelton scored two penalties and Callum Stead had two good finishes. Then, upon the full-time whistle, came the run onto the pitch. Its one of the best feelings I’ve ever had in my life, arguably the best.

This club that had stumbled around in the dark for so much of my childhood and teenage years with no direction or leadership had found itself again and it manifested in the best season I’ve ever had following the Bees.

After the pitch invasion and trophy lift, it reached new levels of fun. I was very kindly given a lift back to Barnet with other match going fans and we headed to the Railway Tavern. The lift preceded one of the best nights of my life.

Nothing else mattered; the night started with just us proper Barnet fans singing in the garden about being champions, going up and then being from Barnet and then several of the players, the coaching staff and their entourages joined us for even more singing.

The singalong inside the pub after the boxing had finished was special; I got emotional during one rendition of ‘Twist and Shout’. As I said, nothing else mattered in that moment apart from standing on a chair and belting my heart out.

The festivities then proceeded to guitars, Oasis classics and varying versions of ‘Twist and Shout’ before those of us that were left piled out and into the night.

Earlier on in the evening, there was even time for me to pop across the road and buy a takeaway pizza from Pizza Go Go.

A wonderful, wonderful night and I’d just like to say how utterly wonderful our players are. Kind, humble, receptive, friendly and just great people as well as great footballers. They were the life and soul of the party when they could have done their own celebrations.

But they love the club just as much as we do, I will always love each and every single one of them.

It was the early hours when I got home and whilst that day had finished, the celebrations roll over onto our last game of the season at Fylde and into Blackpool. To say I’m excited is an understatement.

So, to conclude, to everyone I’ve stood with, travelled with, chatted to and sang songs with this season, thank you. Its been amazing to meet and get to know so many great people.

To Dean Brennan, Connor Smith, Kirk Rayment, Jerome Okimo, and all the players, thank you for absolutely everything. You’ve given us our club back.

A wonderful season. Bring on Blackpool.

BARNET FC CHAMPIONS

You beautiful Bees x