Over the next few weeks and months Bees United will be focusing upon one of the most important achievements in Brentford Football Club’s recent history. The move from the much loved but seriously dilapidated, outdated and antediluvian Griffin Park, the focal point for so much of the club’s history throughout the 20th century, to the gorgeous, gleaming, brand spanking new Gtech Community Stadium, built from scratch less than a mile away.
Bees United will be serialising the contents of the limited-edition book “Bees, Battles, Buckets and Ballot Boxes”, published to coincide with the opening of the new stadium on 1st September 2020 when ironically Bees fans were not allowed in because of the Coronavirus pandemic. As the saying goes, “it’s Brentford innit.
The book highlights the tortuous journey from Griffin Park, the seemingly insurmountable obstacles that had to be overcome, and provides an in-depth account of almost two decades of inspiration, perspiration and occasional sheer bloody mindedness from all kinds of heroes amongst its fans without whom the project would have ground to a halt.
But why focus attention on this now? The book is long out of print and copies are hard to come by and eagerly sought out by supporters and passed from hand to hand.
2026 is the 20th anniversary of Bees United’s acquisition of the majority holding and controlling interest in the football club from Ron Noades and also the 25th anniversary of the foundation of Bees United which of course played an integral role in the move from Griffin Park and identifying and acquiring the site for a new stadium within the borough – a colossal achievement and one of which we are justly proud.
It is therefore fitting that, at the beginning of a new year which sees the club on the crest of a wave both on and off the pitch and not only establishing itself in the Premier League but also aiming far higher towards European qualification, that we should now take this opportunity to remind supporters of just how we got here, who was responsible and what a close-run thing it was!
“Bees, Battles, Buckets and Ballot Boxes” tells the full story of the journey from Griffin Park, the Club’s home for 116 years, to the Brentford Community Stadium in Lionel Road. It is told by those who were the key players in that story based on their own memories and perspectives.
The initial idea for a new stadium in Brentford came from fans back in 2001 and it was they who campaigned for it, shook buckets to collect funds, lobbied politicians and even fought and won a local election. Supporters’ groups resisted a move out of West London and found local solutions. And one very special fan, Matthew Benham, made the investment that turned their dreams into reality.
At the heart of the early campaign was BIAS, the Brentford Independent Association of Supporters. From that was born a Supporters Trust – Bees United, which took a majority stake in the Club, steadied the financial ship at a tough time, developed the plan for a new stadium and negotiated a partnership with Matthew Benham which led to him buying the Club.
It is undoubtedly true that the new stadium would not have happened without Matthew’s investment. But it also wouldn’t have happened without Bees United’s stewardship of the club at a crucial time.
Having passed the baton to Matthew and his management team, Bees United’s mission now is to ensure that Brentford has a stable and sustainable future as a club we can call our own. BU has over 2,000 members, holds a seat on the BFC board and retains the equivalent of a ‘golden share’ in the Club. This gives BU the right to veto a sale of whatever the Club’s current home stadium is if the move does not meet certain conditions. BU believed the sale of Griffin Park met those conditions and so was pleased to approve the move to Lionel Road. BU’s protection, named at the time as the BU Special Share in the Club’s Articles of Association, has now been transitioned into a legal covenant protecting the new stadium.
The book was published not simply as a tribute to all those who played a part in Brentford’s new stadium but also because it tells a wider story of how football fans, standing together and working in partnership, can make a real and positive impact on the future of the clubs they love.In the same way that it was Brentford fans who paved the way from Lionel Road to Griffin Park this book was also ‘fan-made’: written, edited and funded by Bees supporters. The contributors include Paul Stedman who co-ordinated the BIAS Stadium Action Group, Matt Dolman who first worked out how to squeeze a football stadium inside a triangle of railway lines, Brian Burgess who, with Chris Gammon, led the stadium project for so many years, Trevor Inns who photographed every step of the construction, and the two most recent Brentford Football Club Chairmen during this extraordinary journey, Greg Dyke and Cliff Crown who saw it through to completion with Conor Hayes.Thanks to all of them, to our editor Greville Waterman, our proof-reader, the late and sorely missed Bill Hagerty and of course to all Bees United members for their donations over the past two decades.
Strap yourself in and enjoy the rollercoaster ride over the next few weeks and months!
Greville Waterman
Consulting Editor
Editor “Bees, Battles, Buckets and Ballot Boxes”
January 2026