As Newport County prepare to take on Barnet at the Hive Stadium in the preliminary round of the Carabao Cup, we take a closer look at the bees.
Barnet’s Story
Founded back in 1888 in Chipping Barnet, the Bees have a long and eventful history in English football. For more than a century, they played at the famous Underhill Stadium before making the move to The Hive in 2013 — a modern home named after their nickname that’s become central to the club’s identity.
Barnet first made it into the Football League in 1991 under the guidance of Barry Fry, who led them to the Conference title. They climbed to the third tier just two years later, but their stay was brief, lasting only a season before relegation.
The years that followed saw Barnet regularly moving between the Football League and the National League. They dropped out of League Two in 2001, bounced back in 2005, and then spent eight solid years in the EFL before slipping out again in 2013. Another promotion came in 2015, but they were relegated three years later.
Now, after a few near-misses and some steady progress, Barnet are back in League Two. Dean Brennan’s side stormed to the National League title in 2024–25, racking up a club-record 102 points in the process — a huge achievement and a sign that the club is heading firmly in the right direction.
The Manager
Barnet are currently managed by Dean Brennan, a former winger who’s built a solid reputation as one of non-league football’s most respected coaches. After hanging up his boots, Brennan took his first steps into management with Hemel Hempstead Town, where he enjoyed real success, leading them to their highest-ever league finish and eventually promotion to the Conference South.
He went on to have brief spells at Billericay Town and Kingstonian before steadying the ship at Wealdstone. Brennan arrived at The Hive in September 2021 as caretaker boss following the departure of Harry Kewell, and just a few months later he was appointed Head Coach on a permanent basis.
Since then, he’s completely transformed the Bees. Brennan guided Barnet to back-to-back play-off finishes in 2023 and 2024, picking up Manager of the Month awards along the way. Despite interest from elsewhere, including a formal approach from Swindon Town. Brennan stayed loyal to Barnet.
That decision paid off in style last season, as he led the club to the National League title with a record-breaking 102 points. It was a dominant campaign, and one that earned Brennan the National League Manager of the Season award.
The Club Captain
Midfielder Anthony Hartigan has quickly established himself as a key figure at Barnet, captaining the side to a record-breaking 102-point National League title win last season.
The former AFC Wimbledon academy graduate made his senior debut at 17 and was named League One’s Apprentice of the Year in 2018. He later had a loan spell at Newport County, playing in the 2021 League Two play-off final at Wembley.
After a stint with Mansfield Town, Hartigan joined Barnet on loan in 2023 and made an immediate impact — winning four end-of-season awards, including Players’ Player and Manager’s Player. He signed permanently ahead of the 2024–25 campaign and wore the armband as the Bees sealed their return to the Football League in style.
Key Player
Callum Stead was a standout performer in Barnet’s title-winning 2024–25 campaign, finishing the season with 20 goals and 7 assists in 45 appearances across all competitions.
The 24-year-old striker joined the Bees from Darlington in 2023 and hit the ground running. His work rate, sharp movement, and eye for goal quickly made him a fan favourite at The Hive. Whether running in behind or linking up play, Stead caused problems for defenders all season and delivered in big moments when it mattered most. His goals played a huge part in helping Barnet rack up a club-record 102 points on their way to the National League title.