Barnet FC have indicated they could demolish Underhill to make way for a brand new stadium if the council fails to come up with an alternative site for the football club within three years.

The radical plan, which is emphatically a last resort' for the club, was announced by Bees chairman Tony Kleanthous after weeks of amicable negotiations with Barnet Council to solve the club's current stadium crisis.

Under other plans agreed with council officers, the football club would be allowed to expand immediately the southern and eastern sides of Underhill to obtain the necessary minimum capacity required for re-admission to the Football League. The club's neighbours, St John Ambulance, the Scouts and possibly Barnet Cricket Club, would be found new homes by Barnet Council.

However, the club would need to find a new site to address the problem of Underhill's sloping pitch which will not meet requirements in three years' time.

Mr Kleanthous said: "What the council is saying is that they want to leave the site in Green Belt and they will work to achieve a satisfactory relocation of our neighbours. We have put together a drawing that shows the stadium possibly expanding up to 8,000 taking into account moving the stadium slightly southwards."

The club will also acquire a 20 metre strip of land to the south of Underhill which could be used to demolish Underhill and rebuild a new stadium to its absolute minimum requirements if a new site cannot be found.

"The council have said to us they don't want us to build the new stadium south Underhill so because we cannot build it, they have agreed to find us an alternative site," said Mr Kleanthous. "But in the mean time the existing site needs to be brought up to the minimum capacity. In the background, the club still has aspirations to train and have an academy in the borough."

Mr Kleanthous added that the cost of upgrading Underhill would be in the region of £1million and that if plans are approved at a cabinet meeting in the next two weeks, he is hopeful building work could be started in February or March.

"We feel a lot more confident that the council is going to try and help us. Victor Lyon and councillors Katia David and Kanti Patel have been extremely helpful in getting us to this position. The council has made us a number of promises and we are hoping that it will all come to fruition," he said.

Council leader Victor Lyon said: "I am delighted we have been able to get to this stage but I see it in two stages.

"The first one is to help them Barnet FC to reach their short-term requirements and secondly to work with them to find sites which are acceptable.

"This plan gives them a breathing space and if they don't go up to the League their site could last them for a good few years. But we want to keep the club in the borough."

October 2, 2002 17:30