A team rooted at the bottom of the Football League, winless, and already with a manager in place. Hardly the obvious destination for one of football’s most iconic figures to launch his coaching career. Yet that’s precisely what unfolded in 2012.
This is the remarkable tale of how Dutch legend Edgar Davids took the reins at Barnet as player-head coach, nearly kept them in the Football League, and then presided over a chaotic spell in non-league. More than a decade on, he remains fondly remembered by Bees fans.
Told through the eyes of those who worked alongside him, this story is full of contradictions: Davids skipped some away matches, wore the number one shirt, but didn’t earn a penny during his 15-month tenure.
**‘I think he just loved playing’ – How Barnet Landed Davids**
First, the obvious question: why would one of the most celebrated midfielders of his generation join Barnet? This was a man with 74 caps for the Netherlands, multiple trophies with Ajax, Juventus, and Inter Milan, plus stints at AC Milan, Barcelona, and Tottenham, before a brief comeback with Crystal Palace in 2010.
Two years later, he still lived in London, close to Barnet, and played Sunday league football.
Chairman Anthony Kleanthous told BBC Sport: “He was working towards his UEFA Pro coaching license, which requires coaching at a mainstream club. We saw an opportunity that could help both sides. We got on well. He asked for nothing financially, and the rest is history.”
Striker Jake Hyde called it “completely surreal.” He recalled: “There was a rumour in the morning, and everyone said ‘no way.’ I thought, ‘He’s not coming to manage, just visiting.'” But on 12 October, the 39-year-old Davids was confirmed as Barnet joint head coach in his first managerial role. He also wanted to play.
Hyde, who scored 20 goals under Davids, added: “I’m not sure how much he wanted to be a manager. If he did, he’d have started higher and waited for the right chance. I think he just loved playing.”
**‘Two captains on one ship’ – The Joint Management Experiment**
Davids arrived as co-boss alongside Mark Robson, who had been four months into his first (and only) managerial stint, failing to win any of his opening 13 games. The Bees sat five points adrift at the bottom of League Two.
Davids brought his childhood friend Ulrich Landvreugd as assistant manager. Their first match together ended in a 4-1 home defeat to Plymouth, but days later they beat Northampton 4-0, with Davids captaining the side and earning man of the match.
“It was like turning back the clock 10 years to the peak of his career—an outstanding individual performance,” said then-director of football Paul Fairclough.
Results improved, but the Davids-Robson partnership never gelled. “Ask any manager if they want someone looking over their shoulder, ready to take their job—it was obvious where this was heading,” Fairclough noted. “Edgar came in, and Mark stepped back. You could see he wasn’t happy because Edgar was such a big presence.”
Assistant Landvreugd told BBC Sport: “Two bosses, two captains on one ship—that’s difficult. Around Christmas, something happened on an away trip. Edgar had had enough. He went to Kleanthous and said, ‘It’s either Mark or us.’ Kleanthous chose Edgar, and that was the end of Mark Robson.”
Kleanthous added: “I hoped they could work together, but it quickly became clear that wasn’t going to happen.”
On 28 December, Davids became the sole head coach.
