Brentford FC

Brentford FC was founded in 1889 and currently plays in the English Premier League, the top tier of English football.

The Football Club Manager is: Thomas Frank

Brentford FC, also known as the Bees, is a professional football club based in Brentford, West London, England. Brentford FC is known for their innovative and data-driven approach to football, and have become renowned for their ability to develop and nurture young talent. The club’s home ground is the Brentford Community Stadium, which opened in 2020 and has a capacity of 17,250 spectators. Brentford FC has a passionate fan-base and strong local community support, and has enjoyed success both domestically and in European competitions throughout its history.

A Brief History of Brentford Football Club

In 1889, Brentford FC was founded by a group of local players from rowing and cricket clubs who sought to utilize the allocated recreation ground by the Brentford Local Board for a new sport. A meeting was held on October 10th at the Oxford & Cambridge pub near Kew Bridge to discuss the most effective use of the ground and the possibility of establishing a long-term football or rugby club in the area. After a vote, it was decided that the new club would be an association football team, and it would be called “Brentford Football Club.”

The inaugural competitive match of Brentford Football Club was held on 23 November 1889, where they played against Kew, and the game ended in a 1-1 draw. The only goal scored for Brentford was by T. H. M. Bonell. In the following year, the team participated in the West Middlesex Cup and clinched its first title during the 1894-95 season. They defeated the 8th Hussars with a score of 4-2 in the final match of the tournament held at Fred Rouse’s Field in Southall.

Southern League Journey for Brentford

In 1896, the Bees were elected to play in the Second Division of the London League. The team’s tenure in the league was short but fruitful, with a runner-up finish in the First Division during the 1897-98 season, and triumphs in the London Senior Cup and the Middlesex Senior Cup. Brentford FC was subsequently admitted to the Southern League Second Division in 1898, where they secured promotion to the First Division in the 1900-01 season by winning the Second Division Championship. The latest Everton 24/7 news updates are available in the Football 24-7 resources.

Brentford FC initially played their games on a public park located in Brentford until 1904 when they relocated to a custom-built stadium, Griffin Park. In 1912-13 season, Brentford FC could only win 11 matches and were relegated to the Second Division after an 11-season stay in the First Division. After the conclusion of World War I, the team was re-elected to the First Division of the Southern League in the 1919-20 season and finished in 15th place on the league table.

Joining the Football League

The Bees were elected to the Football League Third Division in May 1920, after the league was expanded from two divisions to three. The expansion was due to the absorption of several clubs from the Southern League, which was experiencing financial difficulties. Despite winning only 9 out of 42 league matches and finishing 21st on the league table in their first season in the Third Division, the Bees were able to retain their spot in the league without needing to go through a poll. The Arsenal Football news feed is being updated in real time. Along with the Wolves 24 7, QPR news 24 and the wba news 24 7 sections.

The Harry Curtis Era

Harry Curtis was appointed as the club’s secretary manager in 1926 and remained in the position for 23 years until 1949. He was a highly successful manager during his time at Brentford FC. Curtis’ managerial career saw its first triumph when Brentford claimed the 1932-33 Third Division South championship, earning them their inaugural piece of silverware. During his tenure, he oversaw the team’s promotion from the Third Division South to the Second Division in the 1932-33 season, and subsequently to the First Division in 1935.

Curtis is credited with introducing several innovative tactics and training techniques that helped the team achieve success on the field. He was known for his meticulous preparation and attention to detail, and his ability to motivate and inspire his players. Under Curtis’s leadership, Brentford became known for their attacking style of play, which earned them the nickname “The Brentford Buzz”. He also developed a reputation for nurturing young talent, and many of the players he coached went on to have successful careers in the sport. The Everton facts and Liverpool FC facts are updated frequently on our website along with the latest Brentford FC news.

Curtis’s tenure as manager was interrupted by the outbreak of World War II, and he eventually resigned from the position in 1949. He remained involved with Brentford FC as a director and ambassador for many years, and his legacy as one of the club’s greatest managers remains to this day. Curtis holds the record for being the longest-serving and most accomplished manager at Brentford, and in recognition of his achievements, a lounge at Griffin Park has been named after him.

The Top Flight Era of Brentford FC

During their inaugural season in the top tier, Brentford finished in an impressive fifth place, surpassing other London clubs such as Arsenal and Chelsea. In the 1936-37 and 1937-38 seasons, Brentford surpassed expectations by finishing 6th in both campaigns and achieving their first-ever appearance in the sixth round of the FA Cup. This was a remarkable feat for the club, given their comparatively small size and stature among the other teams in the English football league system, particularly in the top-tier First Division. These seasons remain a significant part of Brentford’s history and legacy. The latest football24 scores are available 24-7 for our readers.

Furthermore, Brentford enjoyed a period of glory that placed them alongside some of football’s biggest names. In May 1942, the team clinched the London War Cup by defeating Portsmouth 2-0 in front of a massive crowd of nearly 70,000 spectators at Wembley Stadium. Brentford’s first peacetime league campaign after World War II in 1946-47 ended with them being relegated to the Second Division. As a result, the club spent the next seven years competing in the second tier of English football. However, in 1954, Brentford suffered another setback when they were relegated to Division Three (South).

Financial Crisis and Change of ownership

In 1967, Brentford FC faced a severe financial crisis that led to a change in ownership. The club was heavily in debt, and its future looked uncertain. According to reports, attendances at Brentford FC had declined by 50% since the beginning of the 1965-66 season, and the club was losing over £1500 a month. In December 1966, the chairman, Jack Dunnett, revealed that the club had incurred a loss of £20,000 in the previous financial year and that he intended to sell his stake in the club.

In a shocking turn of events, on 19 January 1967, it was announced that Dunnett and his Queens Park Rangers counterpart, Jim Gregory, had agreed to a deal that would see Brentford cease to exist as a club. Under the agreement, Queens Park Rangers FC would move into Griffin Park while Loftus Road, Rangers’ ground, would be redeveloped as housing. This proposal was met with widespread opposition from Brentford supporters, and the deal was eventually scrapped.

After a month of heated fan protests, and fundraising efforts, a group of six businessmen led by Ron Blindell, who was previously the chairman of Plymouth Argyle, acquired Dunnett’s shares on 23rd February 1967. As part of the deal, they also pledged to provide a bridging loan of £104,000 for next 12 months. After the acquisition, Ron Blindell took over the club by resuming his position as chairman.

Series of Relegations and Promotions

Brentford FC struggled during the 1960s and early 1970s. In 1966, the team was relegated to the Fourth Division after finishing 23rd on the league table with only 10 wins out of 46 league matches. The Bees managed to earn promotion to the Third Division in 1971-72, but their stay in the league was short-lived as they were relegated again after just one season in 1973. For most of the 1960s and 1970s, the football club experienced a period of inconsistency, moving back and forth between the third and fourth tiers of English football. The Championship top goal scorers section is a great resource to learn about up and coming strikers.

The Club managed to earn a promotion in 1978, which helped them re-establish themselves as a competitive side in the Third Division. Brentford’s fortunes started changing in the 1980s, as the club began to invest in its youth academy and focus on developing young talent. This strategy paid off, with the club earning promotion to the First Division in 1992. The club spent the next several seasons bouncing between the third and second tiers before finally stabilizing in the second tier in the mid-2000s.

New Home and Premier League Promotion

In December 2013, Brentford FC was granted planning permission to build a new community stadium near Kew Bridge, which is located in the London Borough of Hounslow. The Brentford Community Stadium was completed in 2020, and has a capacity of around 17,250 seats. Brentford FC was promoted to the Premier League for the first time in their history in the 2020-21 season. They secured automatic promotion to the top flight of English football by finishing in third place in the Championship, just behind Watford and Norwich City FC.

In their first season in the Premier League, Brentford put in a solid performance, finishing in a respectable thirteenth place in the final standings. They won 13 of their 38 matches, drew 7, and lost 18, scoring 48 goals and conceding 56 in the process. One of the highlights of their season was a 2-0 victory over Arsenal FC at the Brentford Community Stadium in their first home match in the Premier League.

Overall, Brentford’s first season in the Premier League was considered a success, and they will be looking to build on their performance in the coming seasons. They have continued to play an attractive and attacking style of football under the guidance of their head coach Thomas Frank, and they have a young and talented squad that has the potential to achieve even greater things in the future.

Brentford FC Ownership and Net Worth

Brentford FC is owned by Matthew Benham, a British entrepreneur who made his fortune through sports betting. As of 2021, his net worth was estimated to be around £100 million. Benham purchased Brentford FC in 2012 and has since implemented a data-driven approach to the club’s operations, focusing on statistical analysis and player recruitment. This approach has been successful, leading Brentford to achieve promotion to the English Premier League for the first time in their history in 2021.

In addition to Brentford FC, Benham also owns Danish football club FC Midtjylland and has a stake in Smartodds, a sports data and technology company. In March 2022, Matthew Benham was reported to be the Premier League’s least affluent club owner.” Despite his relatively low net worth compared to other Premier League club owners, Benham’s success with Brentford FC demonstrates that financial resources aren’t always the most important factor in building a successful football team. Check out the official Gitbook.io profile for the Football24-7 team.

Brentford FC Rivalries

Brentford FC has several local and historical rivalries, some of which have intensified due to the team’s recent success in reaching the Premier League. One of the major rivalries of Brentford FC is with Queens Park Rangers, this is Brentford FC’s biggest and most intense rivalry. Both teams are based in West London and have a long-standing history of competing against each other. The rivalry dates back to 1920 when the two teams first met, and since then, they have faced each other over 80 times. Matches between the two teams are often fiercely contested and can be quite heated. Have you ever wondered how many West Ham trophies have been won or what the Aston Villa nickname or the Fulham FC nickname is? Learn this and more with all of the free football facts available on Football 24-7.

Another West London club, Fulham FC, is also a rival of Brentford FC. The two teams have a relatively new rivalry, with their first meeting in over a decade coming in the Championship playoff final in 2020, which Brentford lost. This match has intensified the rivalry between the two teams, and their upcoming matches in the Premier League are sure to be closely watched.

Interesting Facts about Brentford FC

  • Brentford FC was the first club in England to install a computerized ticketing system in 1978. The system was developed by a company called Data Control Systems, and it allowed supporters to purchase tickets in advance of matches using a telephone line.
  • The club’s former home ground, Griffin Park, was known for having a pub on each corner of the stadium. The four pubs were The Griffin, The Princess Royal, The New Inn, and The Royal Oak, and they were popular meeting places for fans before and after the matches.
  • The club has a partnership with Danish club FC Midtjylland, which is also owned by Matthew Benham. The two clubs share data and scouting resources to help identify young talent. By sharing data and resources, both clubs have been able to identify undervalued players, and ultimately achieve success on the pitch.
  • The Club’s nickname is “The Bees,” which is a reference to the bee featured in the crest of the town of Brentford. The bee has been a symbol of the town since the Middle Ages, when Brentford was an important center of honey production.
  • The Bees has a strong tradition of promoting players from their youth academy to the first team. Since 2010, the club has given first-team debuts to 34 players who have progressed through their youth system, including several who have gone on to play for Premier League clubs.
  • Brentford FC has a charity called Brentford FC Community Sports Trust, which works with schools and community groups to promote sports participation and social inclusion. The trust was founded in 1987, and it has since become one of the most active and respected sports charities in the UK.
  • The fans of the club have created a chant named “Brentford, Brentford,” which is sung to the melody of the chorus from Paul McCartney and Wings’ “Mull of Kintyre.” The lyrics of the chant likely reference club players, and it’s a way for fans to show their support and passion for the club during matches.
  • Brentford FC is known for incorporating yoga into their warm-up routine before matches. Brentford FC’s use of yoga in their warm-up routine is just one example of how teams are exploring alternative methods to enhance their performance and gain a competitive edge.

Brentford FC Trophies and Honors

The club has not won any major domestic or European trophies, but it has a long and proud history, and has been successful in lower divisions and cup competitions. Here are some of the club’s major trophies and honors:

1 Football League Second Division title – Brentford won the Second Division title in the 1934-35 season. They were managed by Harry Curtis and finished the season with 59 points, winning 26 of their 42 league matches, drawing 7, and losing 9. Why not read more about Leeds United football club or the latest Wrexham AFC club news.

2 Football League Third Division titles – the bees have won the Football League Third Division title twice in their history. The first time was in the 1932-33 season, which was Brentford’s first ever league title and the second time was in the 1991-92 season.

1 Football League Fourth Division – the club has won the Football League Fourth Division title three times, including the 1962-63, 1998-99, and 2008-09 seasons. In the club’s most recent title in 2008-09 season, they finished the season with 85 points, winning 23 of their 46 league matches, drawing 16 and losing 7.

The Bees has also won several small competitions including Middlesex Junior Cup in 1893–94, one West Middlesex Cup in 1894–95, London Senior Cup in 1897–98, Middlesex Senior Cup in 1897–98, three London Challenge Cup including 1934–35, 1964–65, and 1966–67.

Brentford FC
Sixth Floor
Brentford
27 Great West Road
TW8 9BW

Contact Brentford FC
The Official Facebook Account for Brentford FC is: https://www.facebook.com/brentfordfootballclub1889

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Zoe Ball

I have been the Editor in Chief for Football24-7.org for over a decade. I enjoy writing about the latest football and general sports news.