BEES UNITED NEWSLETTER
NOVEMBER 2021 Membership Number <<Membership No.>>
As the Brentford squad promote the club superstore there’s good news that fans who always buy the latest club shirt won’t have to fork out next season. We’ve got the details plus our own range of pre-Christmas specials: how one fan wearing a Bees shirt has won a top poker prize in Las Vegas, how a school in Spain will be singing ‘Hey Jude’ as a tribute to our club, why Brentford was praised in the Government's ‘fan-led review’ and can you guess how many former Bees players still play league football?
A YEAR OFF FROM BUYING SHIRTS
Bees United has welcomed the club’s decision to use this season’s strip again next season thus saving money for fans who normally buy a new design each summer. The club believes it will help football be more affordable and sustainable without creating a material reduction in revenue.
Bees United’s ‘Golden Share’ in Brentford Football Club is the model for one of the main planks in ‘the fan-led review’ prepared for the Government by Tracey Crouch MP. She has developed a list of six ‘heritage items’ such as a club’s ground, name and colours which owners can only change with the agreement of a democratically chosen ‘golden shareholder’ such as BU. The full report is here but we’ve boiled it down to a ‘need to know’ summary.
Danish league leaders FC Midtylland -majority owned by Matthew Benham - also pride themselves on innovation.They run their own school, their own academy in Nigeria and are now working more closely with Brentford on recruitment. Bees United travelled to Denmark to meet our Danish relations, the ‘Black Wolves’ supporters group.
Jonathan Burchill is a Bees fan who loves collecting facts and figures, the more exotic the better. You may know him from Twitter and the Beesotted podcast. Now he’s written a book about Griffin Park called ‘A Pub On Each Corner’ which reveals, among many other things, which Brentford player ended up sleeping in a car on Ealing Common.
After the 3-3 draw at Newcastle the Bees face Everton on Sunday with both teams having been through a tough patch. In his latest ‘Bees Tactical’ podcast BU Board member David Anderson talks to Everton fan Felix Pate.
While many of us were in Newcastle last weekend West Stand season ticket holder Romain Lewis went even further afield. He was in Las Vegas winning an international poker title while wearing a Brentford shirt. Romain is one of the top ten poker players in the world and here’s his extraordinary story.
WHEN A HEAD TEACHER FROM SEVILLE FELL IN LOVE WITH THE BEES
Talking of extraordinary stories about Bees supporters, have you heard the one about the headmaster of a school in Spain who once went to a game in Griffin Park and is now such a fan that his school will be singing ’Hey Jude’ this Christmas as a tribute to Brentford.
Whatever happened to fan favourites like Toumani Diagouraga? BU Contributing Editor Greville Waterman set himself a challenge: to calculate how many former Brentford players are still playing their trade. Have a guess and then read what he’s discovered.
The Annual General Meeting of Bees United will be at 12 noon before the Wolves game on 22 January 2022. The AGM will be in person and online. More details in next month’s newsletter.
Every weekend there’s a ‘Fans for a Fiver’ offer at the London Museum of Water and Steam to visit BU’s ‘Farewell Griffin Park’ exhibition.
Last month we mentioned the progress of the B team in cup competitions, this month they beat Broadfields United 11-0 in the Middlesex FA Senior Cup. Here are the goals.
BEST OF BEES ONLINE
Yet another great video has been produced about the club, this time by NBC Sports who have just renewed their deal to show Premier League matches across the USA.
Four Four Two magazine revealed that Brazilian legend Ronaldo once considered buying Brentford.
Trials will take place next month for female footballers who want to join Brentford FC Community Sports Trust's Football Development Centre. Potential footballers will be put through their paces at Gunnersbury Park on 21 December. Details are here.
IMAGE OF THE MONTH
The developers of the Apo Kew Bridge complex have released pictures of what will be the ultimate fan pad to rent.
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.
