Football was first played at Underhill on September 14, 1907, when Barnet Alston beat Crystal Palace 1-0 in front of an enthusiastic 800 crowd.

 

The Bees plan to mark the Centenary by playing the present day Championship Palace side in a pre-season friendly at their spiritual home on Saturday, July 21.

 

A new kit marking the 100th anniversary will be unveiled for the game against Peter Taylor's South London side on that day.

 

A centenary committee has been meeting in recent months to draw up plans to mark the September milestone and former Barry manager Barry Fry, who guided the club into the Football League for the first time in the early 1990s, has agreed to support the occasion. 'An evening with Barry Fry', including a contribution by another Bees' legend Ricky George, will be a highlight.

 

Another planned event is a match between a team of Barnet legends against the Arsenal legends ... and arrangements are in hand to bring back other legendary players spanning the years at Underhill to help the celebrations.

 

Valerie Finch, widow of Lester Finch, arguably Barnet's most gifted player over the years, will be guest of honour at the Palace game.She has been a supporter for 60 years and still watches games from a seat just behind the directors' box.

 

The return of legends of the past has already become an Underhill feature in 2007. Bobby Brown, who used to travel by Underground from his South London home to support the Barnet aces, was a popular visitor late last season.

 

'Boy' Brown, who broke his collarbone during his Barnet debut at the age of 16, scored two spectacular goals for the Bees at the old Wembley Stadium when they lost 3-2 to Crook Town before a crowd of 60,000 in the 1959 FA Amateur Cup. He went on to play for the England amateur international side and the Britain Olympic squad before joining Fulham.

 

Brown was accompanied on his visit to Underhill by goalkeeper Brian Goymer, a team-mate in that 1959 final, who played 400 games for the club and, still living locally, is a latter-day supporter.

 

At the last home game of last season against Wycombe Wanderers supporters welcomed Bill Baldry and Kevin Millett, central defensive partners for three years betwen 1983-86 in Barry Fry's reign at Underhill.

 

Millett was the club captain and played 350 games; Baldry played 150. They scored 10 goals between them because, they admitted, they rarely crossed the half way line.

 

"In Barry Fry's days we always had eight forwards," said Millett.

 

The pair are commemorated in the old Underhill terrace chant based on The 12 Days of Christmas: "5 Bill Baldry's, 4 Kevin Millett's, 3 Chris Kinnear's, 2 Peter Brown's and Gary Phillips in goal.

 

The ever popular Phillips - affectionately known as 'Sumo' - played for the club and has managed and coached at Underhill. He is helping the Centenary committee with their programme.

 

AWT (Dick) Cole, now 89 and living in Barnet, will be invited along as part of the celebrations. He played for the Bees on the left wing in 1947-48 and won an Athenian League medal with the club.

 

The word 'legend' may be over-used in football. Not at Barnet this year though.