I first want to thank David Merritt and Donald Kerr for all they have done to bring the club to its current stability and success. David brought business expertise to the cause and a personal commitment to finding a viable way forward. He will be able to take his seat in the new stadium with justified pride. So too Donald who will be staying on the BFC Board and hopefully still a good friend to BU.
I was not one of that band of BU brothers and sisters who rattled tins and campaigned to save the club but perhaps I can help bring renewed energy to BU. I was born a mile and a half from the ground and my first visit to Griffin Park goes back to the days of the Third Division South. My main memory of being taken there by my father was the smell from the gas works which hung over Brentford in those days. My family moved out of the area and I began a long career in broadcasting, culminating in becoming Editor and Chief Executive of ITN and then the Broadcasting Regulator at Ofcom. My trips to Griffin Park were rarer until I retired as a full time executive in 2010 and took up a range of part-time roles, one of them watching the Bees. I shared the disappointment of that Trotta penalty in 2013 and was among those on the pitch on that day in 2014 celebrating promotion to the Championship.
As a season ticket holder I became involved in Bees United and in the past year have produced the social media content. In that capacity I’m often asked what is the point of BU now that the primary function of creating a stable and sustainable future for Brentford FC appears to have been achieved. I believe our mission statement sums it up well: ‘our role is to represent our members, the supporters of BFC and the local community to ensure that BFC remains a club we can call our own’. Together with my colleagues on the BU Board, I will work to protect Brentford’s heritage and enhance its footballing and financial future.