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Barnet manager Dean Brennan believes every member of his title-winning side will go down in the club’s folklore as the Bees were named Team of the Year at the National Game Awards in association with Isuzu.

The Hive Stadium-based outfit topped the National League with 102 points - surpassing a century of points for the first time in the club’s 137-year existence – to gain promotion back to the English Football League after a seven-season absence.

After heartbreak in the play-offs during the last two campaigns, Brennan never lost faith in his side and knew they had what it took to go up automatically this time around.

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“At the start of the season, we set a target of 100 points to get promoted,” said the 44-year-old, who replaced Harry Kewell as manager in 2021.

“We knew Chesterfield got 98 points last season and when we looked around at the competition this time - Forest Green, Oldham, Southend, big clubs like that - I just had a feeling it would take a big number to give us a chance.

“It was a tall order, but from the first day of pre-season I could see that the players were prepared to go to the limit to achieve it.

“From that day forward, I knew that I could take this group to that sort of level, and they have never stopped working and making those sacrifices for me. Everything we have asked them to do, they have done.

“Every player who was here this season will go down as a legend at this football club, because Barnet has been around for 137 years and it has never, ever, ever got over 100 points.

“So, to do that has been an amazing achievement and whilst it is now time to look forward to next season, what happened this year should never be forgotten.

“These lads are all legends, and we are immensely proud to have that recognised by winning Team of the Year. As a club, we are all incredibly honoured.”

Players Danny Collinge and Jerome Okimo, who accepted the award on behalf of the club, expressed their delight with how the season had panned out, but insisted the focus will now be on their upcoming campaign in League Two.

Defender Collinge, who marshalled the Barnet backline into the division's meanest by only conceding a league-low 38 goals, said: “It is amazing for the club to win this award.

“I could not be happier for the management team, for the staff, for the chairman and the players.

“We had a really good couple of weeks, so it is nice to come here and be recognised in this way.”

When asked about the 2025/26 campaign, Okimo added: “Work has started for next season, as a club, we are already planning for that.

“Everyone is looking forward to it, we are going to enjoy it and give life in the EFL a good go.”

The National Game Awards is a celebration of the non-league season - highlighting the community, fans, on-field, and off-field successes of the game outside of the English Football League.

The ceremony is held each year by the Non-League Paper, the UK's number one selling football title and the best place for your non-league news, with this year’s event held at Plough Lane - home of AFC Wimbledon.

The Non-League Paper is the UK’s number one selling football title, available every Sunday. For more information please visit