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BEES UNITED NEWSLETTER
FEBRUARY 2022
Membership Number <<Membership No.>> 
 
With Christian Eriksen feeling he’s ‘in a very good place’ after his second friendly, all Bees fans are hoping to see him in today’s game against Newcastle United, the first of three matches against teams below us in the bottom third of the Premier League table. So it is even more important than usual that we try to support the team throughout the game. We report on how Christian Eriksen’s arrival is having an impact around the world but first Bees United has some important business of our own.
 


GET READY TO VOTE


Everybody who receives this newsletter is entitled to vote to decide which fans join the Board of Bees United. At the AGM last month we announced there were six candidates to become Board members but only five vacancies, so there would have to be an election. The voting is being supervised and managed independently by our auditors, a firm of accountants called Carpenter Box.

Here’s what we would like you to do :
  1. Read what the candidates have written about themselves. Read more. 
  2. Look out for an email from Carpenter Box which will arrive in your inbox on Tuesday March 1st between 0800 and 1100. The email will be called ‘Bees United Election’ and will come from portal@mg.carpenterbox.com. 

      Please check it hasn’t gone into your ‘Junk Mail’. 

  1. The email will explain how to vote. You can vote for up to five of the six candidates, you will not be able to vote for all six.You can only vote once.
  2. Make sure you vote by midnight on Friday 4 March 2022.

Members who are not online and receive the newsletter by post will receive a voting form which they will have to return in the post. Carpenter Box will count all the online and postal votes and tell us who has been elected. Happy voting.
 


WHAT YOU THOUGHT OF THE AGM


After last month’s AGM our Secretary, Don Tanswell, organised a survey of members’ feedback. There were over a hundred replies, that’s more than 50% of those who took part in the AGM. That’s a very high response rate for a survey of this kind so many thanks to everybody who replied. The majority of views were positive. BU Chairman Stewart Purvis has analysed what you liked and didn’t like. Read more.

Some members asked for another chance to see the AGM highlights video filmed and produced by Stuart Hughes. On the Griffin Park Grapevine ‘Rebus’ took the trouble to transcribe that video. So many thanks for that.
 


ALL YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED


Our members realised there were so many questions to Cliff Crown that there wasn’t enough time to answer them all. But Brentford’s Director of Fan and Community Relations, Sally Stephens, wanted fans to get a reply to every question.The answers cover ticketing and TAPS plus issues such as equality, diversity and inclusion at Brentford, future player recruitment and Matthew Benham’s strategy for the club.The document amounts to the most comprehensive policy document produced by the club since joining the Premier League. Read more.
 

‘THE SEASON STARTS TODAY’
The disappointing result at Arsenal and some better performances by clubs below us mean the gap between the Bees and the relegation zone has narrowed. BU Contributing Editor Greville Waterman says it is almost as if there’s a new season starting against Newcastle.

READ MORE

ERIKSEN CREATES GLOBAL INTEREST IN BRENTFORD
Christian Eriksen admits he is ‘a bit surprised' by how well his body has reacted to getting back on the pitch in two friendlies during which he got a total of three assists. Brentford’s highest ever profile player on the global stage says he has been ‘welcomed perfectly’ at the club. He certainly got a great welcome from Bees fans before the game against Crystal Palace. BU Contributing Editor Bill Hagerty wrote about that.

READ MORE

It seems all Denmark is suddenly interested in Brentford and at Bees United we’ve tried to help feed that appetite. Secretary Don Tanswell was interviewed for news website Ekstrabladet and Chairman Stewart Purvis talked to Denmark’s TV3 for a report which also included some fascinating stats from the Club superstore on the response around the world.

WATCH THE VIDEO

Greville Waterman, who is normally the writer of articles, found himself the subject of one in a Danish newspaper. We’ve translated it.

READ MORE

CLIVE LEWRY & JOHN DEAN
This month we mark the passing of two stalwarts among Bees supporters. As with every Bees United member who passes away, their membership numbers will be retired and never reissued and their names will be placed on the memorial page as they will forever be a part of Bees United history.


CLIVE LEWRY 1952-2022

Clive Lewry suffered a stroke at the Aston Villa game and died later in hospital aged 69. He followed the Bees up and down the country for 60 years, most recently as a member of the West Country Bees. His daughter Gemma has asked if as many supporters as possible at the Newcastle game to clap for Clive on the 69th minute.

READ MORE


JOHN DEAN 1923-2022

John Dean, who followed the Bees for 90 years, has died aged 96. John and his family had celebrated his 93rd birthday at Griffin Park with Thomas Frank. At his funeral in Poole BU Board member Ron Cooper read out a letter from BFC Chairman Cliff Crown. John’s son Andy said the letter ‘was an unbelievable gesture from an exceptional football club’.

READ THE LETTER

‘FAREWELL GRIFFIN PARK- THE FANS STORY’
With just six home games to go a reminder that the much-praised Bees United exhibition at the London Museum of Water and Steam will finish at the end of the season. Sadly those missing gnomes have not yet been found but there’s plenty more still there to see. So why not call in before the Newcastle game. Fans only pay a fiver.

READ MORE

BEES NEWS IN BRIEF
An important month for news about fans and decisions affecting fans: Brentford CEO Jon Varney has asked an unofficial ticket exchange site ‘to stop those activities’. He wants fans to use the official ticket exchange and for ticketing issues to be handled in a coordinated way through Bees United or BIAS.

COMMUNITY SPORTS TRUST
 

IMAGE OF THE MONTH

Last month we asked if anybody could help a man racially abused on a train back from Liverpool to find the Bees fan who helped defend him. See image above.

This month we got news of forthcoming stadium tours when Woody’s Mum, Natalie O’Rourke, tweeted that he had been a lucky ‘guinea pig’ for what would soon be ‘affordable and accessible’ tours.

 

This monthly newsletter is published by Bees United, the Brentford Supporters Trust. Please send any comments or suggestions to admin@beesunited.org.uk. If you know Brentford fans who are not yet members please encourage them to join here.
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