| Firstly, huge congratulations to everyone associated with the Club for achieving another Season in the Premier League. A fantastic achievement for Thomas and the players which will see ‘little old Brentford’ competing at the highest level once again, and we can’t wait for the new season to begin. As Thomas says, ‘Brentford in the Premier League shouldn’t be possible’, but once again we have defied the odds and had a great season. Remember, it is only 15 years since we emerged from League Two. Congratulations also to Karleigh & Brentford Women’s team winning the Capital Cup and Trophy Cup and missing out on winning the London South East Division One North and earning promotion to tier five by only one point – We are sure they will go one better next season. This season, your committee has also been very busy, engaging with the Club and the Football Supporters Association (FSA) on a wide range of issues and concerns affecting our membership. Below we provide a recap on some of the topics raised on your behalf. |
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| Stadium rumours |
| We are aware of rumours circulating regarding using a larger stadium and wanted to make our position clear from the outset. You can find our reaction HERE. |
| Ticketing |
| We played an active role in testing the new ticketing system introduced this season to ensure that this worked effectively from day one – we hope you agree! We were disappointed that the Club did not consult with us on ticket prices for next season – you can see our response HERE. We will be working with the Club and the Football Supporters Association (FSA) to try and ensure we have more engagement on this key issue going forward. |
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| Every Seat Counts |
| ‣ We met with the Club on numerous occasions to ensure that the Every Seat Count initiative introduced this season was fairly implemented and transparent for all supporters. ‣ All appeals against loss of season tickets were allowed by the club. ‣ Up to 500 extra tickets per game were made available to My Bees Members.‣ The Club’s aim for next season is to encourage STHs to list earlier, and to guarantee a ticket refund to any Season Ticket Holder listing one week before a game, even if the ticket does not sell. We will be working with the Club to ensure this is communicated clearly and in good time before each game. |
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| Griffin Park |
| We have met with EcoWorld regarding the redevelopment of Griffin Park, however a planning application for redevelopment is not expected to be submitted until the end of this year. We will of course keep abreast of developments and work with both the Club and Bees United to ensure there is a suitable remembrance garden to remember our time at Griffin Park. We will keep members updated on any developments in relation to the plans for our ‘old home’. |
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| Matchday Experience |
| We have been having regular meetings with the Club to review the feedback received from supporters as part of the end of match, mid-season, and Bee Order surveys. We have seen the following improvements this season: Ticketing matters: ‣ Half-price tickets for Everton Away match affected by TV ‣ More Season Tickets for Under-18s ‣ Season Ticket Holders able to buy off the Ticket Exchange late in the window ‣ Lower prices for Juniors buying off the Ticket Exchange ‣ No further increase for Matchday ticket prices next season Food and Drink: ‣ Shorter half-time queues with Self Service Order tills ‣ Greater choice of food offerings with launch of Bee Order. You can find out more about Bee Order HERE ‣ Increased shelving in North Stand Outer Concourse Other matters: ‣ Introduction of larger 15/16 YX2L 23/25 Junior Home shirts ‣ Improved processes for the Club handling fan behaviour issues ‣ Non-renewal of contentious Club Official partners (Coinjar and Lofbergs) ‣ Post-match walks with Police to improve security for women fans ‣ Supported successful planning application for the development of Jersey Road Academy |
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| Sustainability |
| We are working with the Club, Bees United, and Sustaina-Bees to help deliver the Club’s Sustainability plans. |
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| Football Supporters Association (FSA) & Police Meetings |
| ‣ We regularly attend meetings with the FSA where concerns regarding the introduction of an Independent Regulator and the impact of TV Broadcasters on kick off times are discussed and raised with the Premier League. ‣ We also attend the Metropolitan Police Independent Advisory Group meetings which include supporter groups from across London to discuss supporter safety. Learn more HERE. |
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| Our Annual General Meeting |
| We have also been busy welcoming our new committee members following our Annual General Meeting on the 15th November 2023. You can find more detail on our AGM HERE. Following our AGM the Executive Committee continue to meet every month and have confirmed the following in line with Clause 7.11 of our Constitution. ‣ Adam Hobbs will continue in the role of Chair of the Association ‣ David Minckley will continue in role of Finance Officer for the Association ‣ Sarah Todd will continue in role of General Secretary for the Association ‣ David will continue to act as Deputy Chair in case of need In line with clause 6.5 of our Constitution, the Executive Committee have also confirmed that Adam will remain as co-chair of the Fan Advisory Board (FAB) in conjunction with our colleagues at Bees United. The FAB is part of the Premier League’s response to the Government White Paper on Football governance and forms part of their new Fan Engagement Standard. The FAB is run by the Club and focusses on strategic and long-term elements of the club’s off-field operations. Adam is joined on the FAB by Executive Committee members, Ronald Mansveld, Angelo Basu, and Allyson Woyak. You can find more information on the FAB HERE and summaries of meetings held to date. In addition to the Officers of BIAS and the FAB members above, the other committee members who have roles on the committee are Ben Bland, Peter Edward, Andy Griffin, Richard Kirchner, Richard Nabarro and Matthew White. Remember the BIAS committee is completely voluntary, and is run by Brentford fans for the benefit of all Brentford fans. Our priorities for 2024 have been discussed and agreed by the Executive Committee and are contained in our 2024 Mission Statement which can be found HERE. If you are interested in joining our committee or helping on any of our various workstreams please email feedback@bias.org.uk with your details. |
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| Fulham Away |
| Our ever popular boat trip to Fulham last August sold out once again and of course we returned with a 3-0 win and 3 valuable points. Once fixtures are released in the 18th June we will start looking at the possibility of running another boat, so watch this space… |
| Membership |
| This season we have seen our membership increase by over 200 new members. Remember, every time a new member joins BIAS, our voice grows in volume and our ability to represent and survey supporters’ views increases. Just imagine if every BIAS member encouraged a colleague, friend or family member who supports Brentford Football Club to join BIAS and of course membership is now FREE. We now have over 3200 members so anything you can do to help increase our membership will be very much appreciated. So please invite your fellow bees to join BIAS today! Paste this link into your Bees group chats to invite your friends: https://bias.org.uk/join/ Thank you, The BIAS Executive Committee |
| TOGETHER WE ARE STRONGER |