PAST TIMES: Cambridge United
Last updated : 19 July 2009 By Jaybee
On Tuesday, Barnet travel to Cambridge United for a pre-season friendly. The two clubs have met on a number of occasions. They first met in 1966, following Barnet's promotion from the Southern League Division One to the Premier Division.
Barnet lost 4-0 at Cambridge's Abbey Stadium, but gained revenge at Underhill, winning 5-2, with Roger Figg getting a hat trick and Les Eason scoring twice. The following season, 1967/68, Figg scored twice as Barnet won 2-1 at Underhill, but they lost 2-0 at Cambridge.
In 1968/69, the match at Underhill finished goalless, while Cambridge won the return fixture, 1-0. In 1969/70, Barnet won 3-2 at Underhill with Les Eason scoring twice and Colin Powell scoring the third goal. At Cambridge, United won 4-3 despite Billy Meadows grabbing a hat trick for the Bees. Cambridge were elected to the 4th Division of the Football League at the end of the season and the two clubs did not meet again until 1993, following Barnet's promotion to the Football League in 1991 and then to Division 2 in 1993. Barnet went down 3-2 at Underhill with Geoff Cooper scoring both the goals and the match at Cambridge was drawn 1-1, Terry Gibson grabbing the Bees' goal. At the end of the season, Barnet were relegated back to Division 3.
The following season, the two clubs met at Underhill in the Preliminary Round of the Auto Windscreen Shield, Cambridge winning 2-0. However, Cambridge were relegated to Division 3 at the end of the season and in 1995/96 the two clubs played each other in the league again. An own goal gained Barnet a 1-1 draw at Cambridge and they won 2-0 at Underhill with goals from Paul Wilson and Mark Cooper
The following season, 1996/97, Cambridge won 1-0 at the Abbey Stadium, but Barnet won the match at Underhill, 2-1 with goals from Linvoy Primus and Jamie Ndah. The following season, Barnet did the double over Cambridge for the first time. They beat Cambridge at the Abbey Stadium for the first time, winning 3-1 with goals from Greg Heald, Ken Charlery and Sean Devine. At Underhill, Heald and Phil Simpson scored in a 2-0 win for the Bees.
1998/99 was the last time that Barnet met Cambridge in the league. Cambridge won 3-2 at the Abbey Stadium, Ken Charlery scoring both the Barnet goals, while Barnet won 3-0 at Underhill with goals from Marlon King, Scott McGleish and Uno Onwere. At the end of the season, Cambridge were promoted to Division 2.
In 2000, the two clubs met again in the Auto Windscreen Shield, this time in the 1st Round at Cambridge. Barnet won 2-1 with goals from Ken Charlery and Frazer Toms. In 2001, Barnet were relegated to the Nationwide Conference.
In 2002, the two clubs met in the Southern Section Semi Final of the LDV Trophy at the Abbey Stadium, Cambridge winning a hard fought match, 2-0. The Barnet side that day was; Naisbitt; Gledhill, Heald, Arber, Sawyers; Berkley (Doolan), Niven, Bell, Toms (Purser); Midgley, Strevens. This was the last time the two clubs have met in a senior competitive match. In 2005, as Barnet were promoted back to the Football League after winning the Nationwide Conference title, Cambridge, who had fallen into the bottom tier of the league in 2002, were relegated to the Conference, having finished bottom of the now renamed, League Two.
