BEES UNITED NEWSLETTER
JULY 2021 Membership Number <<Membership No.>>
LOOKING BACK AND FORWARD
Once a game at Old Trafford would have been a one-off Cup game at best, now its part of our new Premier League reality. This month we remember our past and look forward to our future. A year since the last game at Griffin Park we announce a special BFC-Bees United exhibition about our old home and reveal a special video about one of our new Premier League signings. And we also have surprises in an interview with one of our best known fans.
A CLUB HISTORY MADE BY FANS FOR FANS
Bees fans will get the chance to remember our great old home in an exhibition made by fans for fans. ‘Farewell Griffin Park-The Fans Story’ has long been delayed by COVID but finally it will soon be opening at a Museum next to the new stadium. We are proud to say that Bees United has created it with the Club and Brentford’s fan historians.
Frank Onyeka got his first half an hour in a Brentford shirt during the friendly at Old Trafford having finished his COVID quarantine. We’ve discovered a video that tells his extraordinary life story. This is our Must Watch of the Month.
‘I CAN BARELY SLEEP AS THE FIRST MATCH DRAWS CLOSER’
It is a busy pre-season friendly period with West Ham and Valencia still to come. But like many Bees fans BU Contributing Editor Greville Waterman only has eyes for Brentford v Arsenal on 13th August.
Before the Euros fade from memory let’s not forget that two Bees played in the semi-final. Bill Hagerty looks back on the semi that featured a ’Danish team with a distinct Brentford flavour’ and a final where for England fans ‘in the end it was tears before bedtime’.
There was a big response to last month’s launch of an online BU memorial. One member called it ‘a fantastic idea’ to remember those Bees fans who didn’t live to see the day Brentford played in the Premier League. More than 175 names were put forward for the list which will remain here in perpetuity. We’ve put together some of the moving memories behind the memorial.
The name on the memorial which created the biggest response was that of Henry Fenton ‘who only ever knew the Bees as a Premier League team’. His father Joe later emailed us: “I’ve received many messages from lots of fans - the bees family really is a special one.”
Bees United is pleased that the official review by Tracey Crouch MP into the future of football has produced an interim report which supports ‘a golden share for fans giving veto powers over reserved items to be held by a democratic legally constituted fan group’ as we suggested. We’ve summarised her main findings.
The Crouch review’s findings make it even more important that Supporters Trusts such as Bees United comply with all the rules covering ‘democratic legally constituted fan groups’. If that sounds like a lot of paperwork you’re right but many of our 2,800 members have helped us by taking part in an update of our rules. BU Secretary Don Tanswell explains that we are now completely ‘official’.
Rock music legend and third-generation Bees fan Rick Wakeman CBE has revealed to Bees United that he offered to buy Brentford back in the 1970s but was rebuffed by the then owners.. Now 72 and still performing Rick was the keyboard player with ‘Yes’ and ‘The Strawbs’ and in over 2,000 other recording sessions played on famous tracks such as David Bowie’s ‘Life on Mars’ and Cat Stevens ‘Morning has Broken’. He’s been talking to BU Chairman Stewart Purvis.
During Rick’s interview he mentioned one newspaper prophecy from 1963 which had finally come true. Thanks to Brentford historian Rob Jex we’ve found the article and Rick’s memory of it was remarkably accurate. See the 1963 article for yourself.
The Premier League Handbook has 399 pages of facts and figures including a page (number 7) on Brentford. Our own more modest ‘Top Division Miscellany’ by Bees historian Rob Jex has all you need for some stat-dropping to friends this season.
The club’s recruitment policy always interests reporters and last month there were two profiles of Head of Recruitment Lee Dykes. One was in the Athletic behind a subscription paywall but one by the 90min.com website was free to read.
If you’re interested in tactics keep an eye on @BeesTactical and an ear on it's podcast, and also watch Bees Tactical videos on Vimeo
COMMUNITY SPORTS TRUST
The Trust, which benefits financially from promotion to the Premier League, has been the centre of attention too in this article in the Daily Mail.
IMAGE OF THE MONTH
Tweeter @gasteblock said this month of Griffin Park he ‘had to visit before it goes’. If you’re wondering what’s happened to the Brentford FC sign on the Braemar Road stand a year after the last game, visit our new exhibition.
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.
