Despite some difficult times both on and off the field, Barnet FC can still point to recent years as the most successful in their long history.

That history began in 1888 and although Barnet FC disappeared in the 1901-02 season, the club re-emerged after various mergers as Barnet and Alston FC in 1912, eventually becoming Barnet FC six years later.

The new club spent 50 years in the Athenian League, winning it seven times before going semi-professional and moving up into non-League football in 1965.

It took Barnet 26 years to eventually qualify for the Football League – with big names such as Terry Mancini, Bob McNab and goal-machine Jimmy Greaves all playing a part.

As manager, Barry Fry is synonymous with Barnet FC and, in his second spell, he nudged the club closer to Football League status in the late 1980s, claiming the runners-up spot three times in four years in the Conference.

Barnet Football Club made the final step up in 1991, reaching what was then Division Four, where the side made an immediate impact, losing out in the play-off semi-final in their first season at that level.

A year later Barnet FC gained promotion to what had become Football League Division Two – the highest level the Bees have reached.

That lofty position was lost after one season and a succession of big-name managers - Ray Clemence, Alan Mullery or Peter Shreeves - could not bring any notable success.

After twice reaching the Division Three play-off finals in 1998 and 2000, Barnet slipped out of the League in 2001, finishing bottom.

Barnet consolidated over the next couple of years, missing out on a return to the League in the play-off semi-final defeat on penalties to Shrewsbury in 2004, but that was a springboard to winning the Conference the following year.