While I am itching to share thoughts and look back on the incredible season that we have had (once again), and with still an outside shot of a European place and ahead of our US Summer Series, there is still a game to play tomorrow and so the season review will have to remain although how “Brentford, innit?” would it be if we ended up doing the double over the possible Treble winners? Let’s save that for Sunday!
Instead, let me just write a few words about Heritage and update you on where things stand.
As you all know, Bees United has always relied upon volunteers – from those who stood up and made things happen, to buy the club from Noades and then sell on to Matthew, to those who shook buckets (or did walks – more on that below!), or indeed the current BU board who all give their team freely to keep BU going – and once again I marvel at the lengths our fans will go to and will step up to work to protect the heritage of our club.
So, it is was that recently that the following fans, Paul Briers, Paul Stembridge, Rob Jex, once again put their hands out and literally jumped in a van and got to work in moving the Brentford memorabilia. Siân Allpress, who is already part of a major club’s Museum structure, has not only been advising us but also joined in. Siân is our new team member, more used to shouting support from West Stand, and on the actual moving and shifting days, Board Members, Jeff Dent and Keith Macinnes, were on hand too!
One of the key pillars of BU is to make sure our heritage is both protected and promoted but also made accessible to our fans – and part of that does involve the hard leg work that would put a roadie to shame as the collection of memorabilia (to include the BFC collection of which BU is taking custodianship) was moved to a new larger storage space. This new space will allow the experts in archiving to start re-cataloguing all of the collection (with appropriate tagging of special points of interest) so that items can be found quickly (eventually on the web) to allow us to create our next pop-up displays.
Ultimately having a detailed, professional and compliant archive, will allow us to move to the next stage of digitising the collection so that it can be accessed online so that our rich history (socially and footballing wise) can be enjoyed by fans wherever they are. There is much more to be done but this is an important start and we as fans will in due course benefit from the labours of these most passionate fans who are putting us on the right track as regards cataloguing and protecting our collection.
Fans for years to come and from our local community, will hopefully enjoy the spoils of all of this effort and enjoy learning about one of the most valued occupants of TW8 for over 130 years, Brentford FC!
There’s two other quick mentions of heritage very worthy of note: The first is the start of our “Oral Histories” programme where we are capturing the memories of our fans of what it was like as a Brentford fan in the past.
Don Tanswell and Chris Tate have already made a start with a fantastic 5 minute piece with 95 year old Frankie Hatley who was actually at the 1942 War Cup final and first stood at Griffin Park in 1937!
This is a must watch “Frankie Hatley – Young at heart at 95”
We want to meet more of these wonderful fans, so we can capture our history in this form. If you have any suggestions for people to interview then we would love to hear from you!
The other is that we not only remember this month, the 15th anniversary of the Brighton walk but we announce our plan to hold a 15th Anniversary Reunion of those 40 who set out 15 years ago, with all the helpers drivers and organisers, who made it possible!
I asked Chris Tate if he remembered the aches bruises and blisters, so here’s Chris with the detail (he wasn’t smiling then he assures me!)
“It was 15 years ago this month, 40 years after the original 1967 walk, when Bees United organised another walk from Brighton to Griffin Park to raise money for both Bees United and Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY) of which former Bee Andy Scott is a Patron. 40 Bees fans, set off from Brighton promenade, waved off by the then BFC Manager, Terry Butcher. Of the 40 starters, 11 fans managed to complete the gruelling 70 mile journey to reach Griffin park almost 24 hours later, greeted by fans and former players Peter Gelson, Gordon Phillips and Alan Hawley who all participated in the 1967 Brighton – Brentford Walk. Thank you Stuart, I’m remembering all those blisters, all over again!”
And yes, BU is pleased to announce that it will hold a reunion for the 40 walkers and helpers – next season – watch this space
So I will just end by wishing everyone a lovely pre- season/summer and see you in the Premier League next season!
Stuart
Chair, Bees United
