Johnny Phillips: Brentford show the way to be a true community club

The 5-2 win for Brentford against Blackburn Rovers told barely half the story. It was a stunning comeback from the home side after they were trailing 2-0 inside the first seven minutes.

It was billed as a Community Takeover Match, dedicated to serving the local community and particularly children in the area. Having attended games in a professional capacity on and off for the last 15 years at Griffin Park, it was no surprise to see the club put forward this initiative.

In a part of London where competition for a professional club’s support is high, the Bees pride themselves on the work they do in the locality. Match days always have a positive community feel about them. This was a bit different, though.

Children from Brentford Community Sports Trust’s projects were given important match-day roles, alongside the professionals. Youngsters took over as coaches, photographers, match officials and many other roles.

From the ticket office, the press box, the dressing room and even on the football pitch, 10 children went behind the scenes to experience working at a football club.

The match was part of Brentford’s ongoing commitment to community initiatives. For every ticket bought at the game, one pound was donated to the club’s Community Sports Trust.

What an unforgettable day it was for the children who were tasked with some genuine responsibilities. These included stadium announcer, under the expert tutelage of the brilliant Peter Gilham who is one of the best match-day announcers anyone could wish to learn from. ‘Mr Brentford’, as he is affectionately known, is celebrating his 50th year as the club’s match-day announcer.

Then there was the lucky youngster who got to press the buzzer calling the teams into the tunnel before the match kicked off. There were also roles such as preparing the players’ kit with the kit man Bob Oteng, and writing the match reports and taking over the club’s Twitter account.

This was not tokenism, but a genuine experience for all who took part. What really brought home the work the club put into this was encountered at post match. Waiting in the club’s broadcast interview area after the game, manager Thomas Frank appeared with one of the youngsters at his side.

Frank then conducted all his post-match engagements by sharing the questions and answers with his young protégé, Eira Griffiths, who has been part of the trust’s girls’ football programme.

She will never forget the day, which included being invited on to the pitch for the post-match celebrations before heading in to the dressing room to be presented with a signed shirt by goal scorer Neal Maupay.

It was the first time I have encountered Frank, who was charged with continuing the great work done by former manager Dean Smith at the club.

Initially it was a tough period stepping into Smith’s shoes and the team struggled. Very early on in his tenure, in November, the club was dealt a shocking blow when technical director Robert Rowan died of heart failure, aged just 28.

Frank had to guide the players and coaching staff through this terrible time whilst trying to concentrate on Championship football, which must have paled into insignificance with Rowan’s death.

Months later, the loss of Rowan is still felt at the club, but the players are starting to come good for the Danish head coach.

The football on show against Rovers was as good as anything produced in the Championship this season and it was impossible not to share in the obvious pleasure it gave everyone at the club on a day when the community was put to the front of everything.

Frank is a genuinely warm person and he would have been just as accommodating had the Bees lost on Saturday, which looked a grim prospect at two nil down.

Before kick-off he took time out to meet all the youngsters involved in the day. By full-time, the old bones of Griffin Park were rocking.

Speaking of which, Brentford are moving into a new stadium after one more season at their current home. Griffin Park, squeezed in by the Victorian terraced streets, will be missed, not just by the home fans.

Those who have stood on the shallow away terrace will testify to the unique atmosphere that can be created there.

But the new stadium should turn out to be one of the most important developments in the history of the west London club.

Situated next to Kew Bridge station, less than a mile away from Griffin Park, it is much more than just a football ground. London Irish rugby club, currently exiled from the capital, will share the stadium too. And significant local redevelopment work is taking place here.

The new stadium will take some filling, but with more initiatives like Saturday’s, Brentford could become the place to be in London on a Saturday afternoon.