After winning the Herts Senior Cup three times in successive years between 1948 and 1950, Barnet went out at the semi final stage in 1951, losing 4-0 at St Albans City, in a replayed tie, having drawn the original tie, 4-4. Earlier in the competition, the Bees had defeated Hoddesdon Town 5-1.
The following season, Hoddesdon defeated Barnet at the semi final stage, 3-2 after the Bees had reached this stage by hammering Rickmansworth Town, 10-2!! In 1953, Barnet played Hoddesdon in the earlier rounds again, this time winning 8-0 but for the third season running losing in the semi finals, 3-2 in a replayed tie, to St Albans.
In 1954, Barnet reached the final, but lost 1-0 to Ware, having beaten Berkhemstead Town 3-1 in the semi-final after a replay. In 1955, Barnet failed to even make the semi-final, losing 5-3 at Bishops Stortford in the 4th round and in 1956 they went out at the same stage to Hemel Hempstead. In 1957, Barnet defeated Hertford (4-2) and Hemel Hempstead (4-0) on the way to the semi-final but then lost 2-1 to Hitchin Town.
In 1958, Barnet won the Herts Senior Cup for the first time in eight years. They beat St Albans City 2-1 in the final after beating Hemel Hempstead (7-0) and Hitchin Town (3-1) on the way to the final. The following year, the Bees reached the final again, having disposed of Hertford Town (1-0) and St Albans (6-0) on the way but fell at the last hurdle, losing 2-0 to Bishops Stortford.
In 1960, Bishops Stortford thwarted Barnet again in the final, this time winning 1-0. Barnet defeated Hitchin Town (4-1) and Hoddesdon (3-0) in the earlier rounds. In 1961, Barnet lifted the trophy once more, beating Letchworth Town 3-0 in the final after defeating Hitchin Town 4-3 in the semi final. Surprisingly, in 1962 the Bees went out at the first time of asking to Hertford Town, 4-2 with the Bees goals scored by Reg Finch and Denis D’Arcy.
In 1963, the final was played over two legs and the two teams playing in that year’s final were Barnet and Hertford Town. The Bees won the two legged affair 3-2 on aggregate having knocked out Stevenage Town (5-0) and St Albans City (4-1) on the way to the final. The following year, Hertford own gained their revenge by beating Barnet 1-0 in the semi final after the Bees had reached this stage by beating Hitchin Town 3-1.
During the following season, 1964/65, the club decided to leave the Athenian League and become a semi professional club, joining the Southern League. Barnet won their last ever Athenian League title and also won the Herts Senior Cup beating St Albans City 5-2 over two legs.
On turning professional, Barnet became, at the time, ineligible for the Herts Senior Cup and the 1965 success was the last time the club participated for the tournament for another 10 years. In the next part of this series, Barnet Mad looks at how the Bees fared from the time the club re-entered the tournament in 1975 until they became a Football league club for the first time in 1991.
