Barnet have been playing Hereford since 1966 in competitive matches. They first met in the Southern League when both clubs were in the Premier Division, the Bees having won the 1st Division title in 1966 at the first time of asking. Barnet won the initial fixture 3-2 with goals from Les Eason and Roger Figg, who scored twice in front of over 2500 fans at Underhill. Figg scored in the return fixture at Edgar Street but Hereford won 2-1. And that was a pattern that was to continue for much of the history of this fixture with the Bees doing OK against the Bulls at home, but having a lean time of it away from home.
In December 1967, the two clubs played in front of over 6,000 fans in the 1st round of the FA Cup at Edgar Street with the Bulls winning 3-2, Keith Searle and Les Eason scoring for the Bees. The best performance by the Bees against Hereford during their Southern League days was a 4-1 in 1968. In 1970, the two clubs met in the inaugural FA Trophy tournament in the 2nd round at Underhill, the Bees winning 2-0 with goals from Les Eason and Billy Meadows, later to play for the Bulls. Barnet went on to reach the semi final before losing to Macclesfield Town.
Following Hereford’s giant killing act of 1972 when they defeated mighty Newcastle United 2-1 in the 3rd round of the FA Cup, ex Bee, Ricky George scoring the winner, the Bulls were elected to the 4th Division of the Football League. That season, the Bees won the Southern League Cup beating Hereford in the final, while the Bulls inflicted defeat on the Bees for the first time at Underhill winning 2-1, also completing their first double over the Bees.
The clubs did not meet again until 1987, when they met in the 1st round of the FA Cup at Underhill. Barnet were in the Conference and lost 1-0 at home to the league side. In 1991, Barnet won the Conference title and the two clubs resumed fixtures in the Football League Division 4, Barnet winning the home fixture 1-0 though Roger Willis.
In 1993, Barnet were promoted to the third tier of English football (now named the 2nd Division), but were relegated straight back after just one season. In 1995/96, Hereford completed the double over the Bees once more, but the Bulls lost their league status in 1997 after finishing bottom of the football league.
Barnet were, in turn, relegated to the Conference in 2001 and fixtures resumed with the Bees still failing to record a win at Edgar Street and, indeed, going down 4-1 in 2002. Hereford won just once during this period at Underhill, a 2-0 win in 2005, but this was not enough to stop the Bees winning the Conference for a second time and returning to league football. In 2006, Hereford won promotion via the play-offs and the two clubs resumed fixtures in what was now called League Two.
Following Hereford’s return to the league, Barnet won 3-0 at home to the Bulls early on in season 2006/07 with goals from Guiliano Grazioli, Nicky Bailey and Jason Puncheon, while the Bulls won the return fixture 2-0.
The following season saw Hereford win 2-1 at Underhill after Puncheon had put the Bees ahead and Joe Devera had been controversially sent off in the first half. In the last meeting between the two clubs, played at Edgar Street in January 2008, the Bees finally achieved the holy grail of a win at Edgar Street, a debut goal from Albert Adomah and a rare one from Nicky Nicolau giving the Bees a long awaited 2-1 win.
Hereford were promoted to League One at the end of that season but came straight back down and in 2009/10, the two clubs played out a goalless draw at Underhill. Hereford won the return fixture at Edgar Street 2-1, Barnet's goal coming by way of a Richard Rose own goal.
in 2010/11, the Bees completed a league double over the Bulls winning 2-0 at Underhill with the goals coming the way of an own goal and one from Mark Marshall, while an Izale McLeod brace helped barnet to a 2-1 win at Edgar Street.
In 2011/12, Barnet lost 1-0 at Edgar Street and then drew 1-1 at Underhill in April in a relegation dogfight, Ben May coming on as a substitute to grab an equaliser for the Bees. It turned out to be a crucial goal as Barnet stayed up on the last day of the season, while Hereford were relegated.
Last season, Barnet completed the double over Hereford, winning 1-0 at Edgar Street with a goal from Ahmed Abdulla and 2-0 at the Hive, both goals coming from Keanu Marsh-Brown in what was Martin Allen's first game in his latest term at Barnet.
