Barnet and Cheltenham Town first met in the FA Cup back in 1933 when the Bees were an Athenian League side and Cheltenham played in the Southern League. Barnet were an amateur side, whilst the Robins were semi professional. The 1st round tie, which was played at Whaddon Road, ended in a convincing 5-1 victory for the home side with Richardson scoring the only goal for Barnet. The Barnet side that day was; Ansley, Wade, Garrett, Smith, Jarrett, Sutton, Marchant, Richardson, Morris, Markwell, Finch.
The two sides first met in league competition when Barnet were elected to the Southern League. Barnet won the Division One title in 1965 and were promoted to the Premier Division. Barnet completed the double over the Robins in 1966/67, winning both matches 4-1.
The following season, Barnet drew 3-3 at home to the Robins, but lost 4-0 at Whaddon Road, but in 1968/69, the Bees completed the double again wining 4-0 and 3-1. Cheltenham were relegated at the end of that season and the two sides did not meet again until 1975 following Barnet’s relegation to Division One (North). Barnet won 2-1 at Underhill with goals from Hamilton and Blackaller, but lost the return at Whaddon Road 5-2, Tom and Williams scoring.
Barnet were moved to the Southern Section for the following season and, in 1976/77, were promoted back to the Premier Division as champions. Coincidentally, Cheltenham were promoted too from the Northern Section, as runners up and in 1977/78, the two clubs met again in the Premier Division. A Dennis Brown goal gave Barnet a 1-0 win at Underhill and the Bees completed the double over the Robins with a 2-1 win at Whaddon Road, Jimmy Greaves scoring both Barnet goals.
1978/79 was a pivotal season for non-league clubs as it saw the formation of the Alliance Premier League which took the best sides from the Southern League and Northern Premier League. Qualification was, broadly speaking, by virtue of a top half finish that season. In fact, Barnet just squeezed through into the APL finishing 13th, but Cheltenham, who finished 18th, remained in the Southern League. Cheltenham beat Barnet 1-0 at Whaddon Road, but the Bees won the fixture at Underhill 2-0 with goals from Jimmy Cleary and Gary French.
In 1985, Cheltenham won the Southern League title and were promoted to the, newly named, Gola League and fixtures between the two clubs resumed. In 1985/86, the two sides drew 2-2 at Underhill with Dave Pearce and Nicky Evans scoring for Barnet while the return ended in a 2-1 win for Cheltenham, Eddie Stein scoring for the Bees.
For the 1986/87 season, the APL was renamed the GM Vauxhall Conference and the competition now offered the prize of promotion to the Football League for the champions. Barnet won 2-1 at Whaddon Road with goals from Barry Little and John Margerrison, but lost 1-0 at Underhill. Barnet finished the season as runners up, just missing out to Scarborough.
The following season, Barnet again won at Whaddon Road, this time 2-0, with two goals from Nicky Evans. The match at Underhill ended in a 1-1 draw, Robert Codner scoring. Barnet again finished the season as runners up, this time to Lincoln City.
In 1988/89, Barnet completed the double over the Robins, winning 2-1 at Whaddon Road with goals from Frank Murphy and Richard Nugent and 3-1 at Underhill, George Reilly scoring twice and Gary Bull scoring the other Bees’ goal.
In 1989/90, Barnet won convincingly 4-0 at Underhill, with two goals from Bull and one apiece for Andy Clarke and Dave Regis. Cheltenham won 2-0 at Whaddon Road. At the end of the season, Barnet were again runners up, this time losing out to Darlington.
1990/91 finally saw Barnet achieve the holy grail of promotion to the Football League as Conference champions and they achieved the double over Cheltenham winning 4-1 at Whaddon Road with Bull scoring a hat trick and Roger Willis scoring the other goal. Bull and Clarke score in a 2-1 win at Underhill.
The two clubs did not meet again until 1999 following Cheltenham’s promotion to Division 3 of the Football League as champions of the Conference. Barnet again completed the double over the Robins, winning 2-1 at Underhill with goals from Greg Heald and Scott McGleish and 3-2 at Underhill, Ken Charlery scoring twice and McGleish the other. The Barnet side for the game at Underhill was; Harrison; Basham, Arber, Hackett, Stockley; Doolan, Sawyers (Toms), Brown (D’Arcy), Currie; Charlery, McGleish. At the end of the season, Barnet reached the play-offs but lost in the semi-finals.
The following season, 2000/01, saw Barnet relegated back to the Conference after finishing bottom of Division 3. Cheltenham won 4-3 at Whaddon Road; Barnet’s goals coming from Tony Cottee, Omar Riza and Darren Currie. Ben Strevens and Currie scored in a 2-2 draw at Underhill with the Bees in freefall.
Following Barnet’s success in 2005 as Conference champions, the two sides resumed fixtures in 2005/06 in League Two with both matches ending in 1-1 draws; Dwane Lee scoring for the Bees at Whaddon Road and Giuliano Grazioli scoring in the match at Underhill. At the end of the season, Cheltenham were promoted to League One.
The two clubs next met in the newly reformed Associate Members’ Cup, now renamed the Johnstones’ Paint Trophy in 2006. Cheltenham won the 2nd round tie at Whaddon Road, 3-2. Tresor Kandol scored both Barnet goals.
In 2008/09, Cheltenham were relegated back to League Two and the two sides met again last season with the Robins hammering Barnet 5-1 at Whaddon Road; John O’Flynn scoring for Barnet. The two sides drew 1-1 at Underhill with Albert Adomah scoring for the Bees. Both clubs were in danger of relegation until the final day of the season, but both survived; Barnet finishing 21st with Cheltenham a place below them.