Barnet chairman Tony Kleanthous will walk away from the club if his dream of a Copthall super-stadium is killed off by next week's public inquiry.

After three years of almost unprecedented stability at Underhill, the crunch has arrived, and Kleanthous admits if the stadium plan fails he can do no more for Barnet.

"If it's the view of the borough that we should not have Copthall and that we should move away I don't see myself as part of that future, I'll stand down," said Mr Kleanthous.

"I'll put my interest in the club up for sale and I'll sell it to whoever has the best proposal for the future of the club and let them have a try, it's as simple as that.

"I've had three years of absolute hell trying to get this club going and I need a decision that will let me carry on. I've worked as hard as I expect everyone else to work and I don't want to spend the rest of my life going round in circles, I've got a family to support.

"I've given up more money than most people will earn in several lifetimes to keep this club going and I can't do any more than that."

Barnet must leave Underhill, which falls a long way below Football League criteria, by the end of next season and if the Copthall scheme doesn't go ahead they would have to either merge with a club outside the borough or drop out of the league.

Even a stay of execution at Underhill wouldn't ease Barnet's plight according to Kleanthous, because the club can't get enough fans into the ground.

"Everyone seems to think there's another solution, but I've looked and I can't find one - even if the Football League dropped their criteria and let us stay at Underhill with a 4,000 capacity that doesn't do any good because financially we can't survive on gates like that," said Kleanthous.

"If we tried to base our players' wages on what comes through the gates we wouldn't have a chance of competing in league football."

With limited gates, Barnet's only options for financing a competitive team are selling players - which is more difficult after the Bosman ruling - or lucrative cup runs.

But even in games like last season's Coca Cola Cup tie with Middlesbrough, the Bees can't cash in to maximum effect because of their tiny capacity.

Kleanthous is praying his dream of a multi-sports stadium open to the whole community will get the green light from the Secretary of State.

Hendon Rugby Club, Shaftesbury Harriers, Barnet Ladies FC would all play at Copthall as well as Barnet FC. "It's about time we showed some pride in our sports clubs in this borough... Copthall would help us do that," said Kleanthous.

The public inquiry starts at Hendon Town Hall next Tuesday (June 23).

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