Sunday, December 1, 2024

Newsletter: Long December, New Social Channels, Media Appearances

Hello again NYC Bees! Now that we're done with the international breaks for a few months, Brentford's schedule really picks up in December. We've also expanded our social media reach and connected with a new podcast this past month. Here's some news and links as we close out 2024!

Long December; Carabao Cup aspirations
We're looking at a jam-packed, six-game schedule in December -- five league games, and a Dec. 18 quarterfinal match at Newcastle in the Carabao Cup. December kicks off with a Wednesday, Dec. 4 game at Aston Villa. We'll be at The Red Lion, 151 Bleecker St., for all of them! Obviously many of us will have our holiday travels and itineraries, but hopefully you'll be able to join us for much of this stretch. (Side note: I'll be out of town for Dec. 21, but will do my usual promotion for that watch event.) See the graphic for our full December schedule.

More on NYC Bees:
Social:
Bluesky | Facebook | Instagram | Threads | TikTok | X
Media Hub: SlideTackles.com

New NYC Bees social media channels
You might have noticed that we've added to our social media presence this past month. We finally launched a Facebook channel to create a central hub for our busy schedule at The Red Lion. Then, with the massive growth of Bluesky (drawing 1 million new users per day!), we have created a Bluesky channel and already have surpassed a couple hundred followers. Connect with us at either platform. Our other social media channels are listed above.

NYC Bees featured on 'Don't Know Much About Football'
During the November international break, Alison Roberts and Abhi Goyal were featured on the Don't Know Much About Football show! This relatively new podcast introduces folks to American-based Premier League fans and gets into the origins of their support. For Alison and Abhi, they delved into their interest in Brentford and provided some wonderful context about their fandom, our supporters' group, The Red Lion and much more. Highly recommend you give it a listen!

Brentford News & Notes
Schade's breakout moment: German forward Kevin Schade recorded his first hat trick and added an assist en route to a 4-1 Brentford victory over Leicester City on Nov. 30, as the Bees maintained their unbeaten run at home this season. Schade had not scored a Premier League goal since April. Schade is just the second Brentford player to record a hat trick, the other being Ivan Toney on two occasions.

Bees finally notch road result: It took a shorthanded lineup to do it, but Brentford picked up its first road point of the season on Nov. 23, a scoreless draw at Everton. The Bees lost Christian Norgaard late in the first half to a red card, but the club put in its best defensive performance of the season, which also was the team's first clean sheet. Mark Flekken, the Premier League's saves leader, made five stops to lead the way.

Jansson among Brentford HOF inductees: Brentford held its Hall of Fame ceremony on Nov. 20 and welcomed in 10 new inductees, including former defender Pontus Jansson who helped lead the Bees into their Premier League era. The other inductees: Former Bees manager Frank Blunstone, general manager and welfare officer Amy Crook, forward Billy Dare, Scottish footballer John Docherty, midfielder and club captain Terry Hurlock, 1980s midfielder Chris Kamara, who was the first Black player to suit up for the Bees, former forward and assistant coach Billy Lane, 1930s-1940s midfielder Duncan McKenzie, and forward and manager Andy Scott. Congratulations to everyone involved!

COPA90 to film at Red Lion on Dec. 15: The COPA90 football media company is going to be popping into our Brentford-Chelsea watch event on Sunday, Dec. 15. They will be capturing some content for the Premier League and Guinness. We'll probably have a nice turnout anyway with an afternoon kickoff time, but if you have a few extra friends or haven't joined us in a while, we'd certainly love to do our part to pack The Red Lion for this one! Obviously it's a great media and promotional opportunity for our supporters' group and the pub. I'll keep you posted on any other details in the coming weeks.

Brentford Women advance to FA Cup 3rd Round: With each victory, the Brentford Women continue adding new heights to their showing in the Adobe Women's FA Cup! Their latest was a 1-0, second-round victory over London Seaward. Nikki Woods tallied the game-winning goal in the 85th minute. The Bees will next host Fulham on Sunday, Dec. 8, in the tournament's third round. It doesn't get mentioned enough, but Brentford plays in the sixth tier of English football, and this third round brings in the second-tier teams within the pyramid. Brentford has already accomplished an impressive feat with this run, but we wouldn't mind seeing this journey continue!

Quick hits: We made our fifth appearance of the season on Premier League Fanzone, live on Peacock, previewing the Brentford-Fulham match on their Monday show (Nov. 4). If you're ever interested in participating in this or any other program, please let us know! ... Brazilian forward Thiago made his much-anticipated Premier League debut as a second-half sub during the Bees' 0-0 draw against Everton on Nov. 23. Thiago had been out with a meniscus injury since Brentford's preseason win against AFC Wimbledon on July 20, a game in which he scored two first-half goals. ... Midfielder Mathias Jensen, who was subbed off in the first half of the win over Leicester City, suffered a left hamstring injury. The club is saying it was a precautionary move, but it's too early to tell what his situation is looking like for the early part of December. ... Bryan Mbeumo was named to Alan Shearer's Premier League Team of the Season So Far, which was released on Nov. 16.

Suggestions, Comments, Feedback
If you ever have any thoughts, feel free to email (brentfordnyc@gmail.com) or chat with me anytime! #COYB!

Charlie

Saturday, November 30, 2024

New York City Bees: Brentford FC Media Hits (2021-present)

The New York City Bees have been the largest international Brentford FC supporters group since the club's rise to the Premier League. The group has garnered dozens of media hits since 2021. Learn more about us below:

Peacock and NBC Sports (PL Stories)
July 19, 2023: The NYC Bees are prevalently featured on this Premier League Productions series. NYC Bees Co-Founder Charlie Corr is interviewed (and does the introductory team voice overs) to provide some insight on the NYC fandom. On Peacock, the feature is PL Stories: Season 2, Episode 61. NBC Sports also posted the feature on its YouTube page for North American-based viewers. (Peacock is a subscription media outlet.)

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The Athletic and New York Times
Feb. 20, 2023:
NYC Bees Charlie Corr (Manhattan) and Levar Riley (Newark, N.J.) are interviewed by The Athletic's Brentford beat writer, Jay Harris, for a piece focusing on the American Bees support. Corr discusses his draw to the club in 2015 and the growth of the fan group at The Red Lion, and Riley talks about his search for a footballing club back in 2019, and how Brentford checked all the boxes for what he wanted in a team. (The Athletic is a subscription media outlet.)

"The next-best thing to being at the Gtech."
-- The Athletic comments, on NYC's Red Lion

BBC

Aug. 25, 2024:
NYC Bees Co-Founder Charlie Corr joined BBC Radio's Sunday Sportsworld for a live panel appearance to help preview the fixture between Brentford and host side Liverpool. The panel discussion was presented by Nishat Ladha alongside football reporter George Addo. Topics included the club's play, recent signings, Brentford stateside fandom and more. The BBC World Service feed is available here:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/live:bbc_world_service

"If I could make a blueprint for what I wanted the panel to be like, that was it."
--Jake Katborg, BBC Sunday Sportsworld Producer

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Bees United
Charlie Corr has regularly submitted articles for Bees United's newsletter.

May 23, 2024: Stateside Perspective: Establishing our International Bees Voice | Corr recaps a significant 2023-24 season off the pitch that included substantial media attention and growth among the stateside fan base.

Dec. 30, 2023: International Greetings | Corr wrote on behalf of American-based supporters for Bees United's 2023 reflections piece. 

Aug. 12, 2023: Bees in the States: Partying Like It's 1889 | Corr looks back at the event surrounding Brentford's participation in the Premier League Summer Series in America.

June 10, 2023: Webb's Undertaking to Prove VAR Works in EPL | Corr, a former colleague of PGMOL's Howard Webb during his tenure at MLS, weighs in on Webb's role in Video Assistant Review in the UK.

April 29, 2023: USA Bees: The NYC Experience | Corr describes the Red Lion experience in Greenwich Village, home of the NYC Bees, and making the pub feel like an extension of Gtech and West London.

"We're 'Just a subway stop in The Village.'"

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Across The Seas But Forever Bees
NYC Bees supporters and visitors have frequently taken part in this USA-based Brentford FC podcast.

Sept. 19, 2024: NYC Bees Co-Founder Charlie Corr rejoined the podcast following Brentford's successful week that included a hard-fought match at Man City and Carabao Cup advancement against Leyton Orient.

April 23, 2024: Adam Harder of the NYC Bees made his first appearance on the show and spoke about the roots of his Brentford fandom during the later stages of the club's Championship tenure.

April 10, 2024: Show host Tim Searls spoke about his visit to NYC and The Red Lion on April 6 as part of their program (approximately 22 minutes in). NYC Bees Charlie Corr and Levar Riley, who both have been on the show, finally caught up with Tim in person!

March 1, 2024: Our upstate neighbor, Brian O'Connell of the Saratoga Bees, made his debut on the podcast. O'Connell and his supporters joined the NYC Bees at The Red Lion for the 2022-23 season finale victory against Manchester City.

Feb. 6, 2024:
NYC Bees Co-Founder Charlie Corr joins the group for a third time to discuss the Bees' play heading into a difficult six-game stretch, following a match against defending league champions Manchester City.

Oct. 5, 2023: Host Tim Searls opens this episode with a shoutout to NYC and The Red Lion, as well as an important reminder for USA-based Bees supporters to reach out to him to promote your respective stateside watch events.

Aug. 17, 2023: Longtime Brentford expert and show co-host Greville Waterman provides his perspective on the American Bees, with recognition to Brentford USA's John Kenkel and NYC Bees' Charlie Corr on the watch party and supporter movement stateside.

July 28, 2023: NYC Bees Co-Founder Charlie Corr returns during the PL Summer Series, to chat about Brentford and the heavy supporters growth in NYC.

May 9, 2023: NYC Bees Co-Founder Charlie Corr makes his first appearance.

April 19, 2023: New Hampshire resident Dustin Senor spoke about his NYC experience after visiting The Red Lion for a midweek match.

March 13, 2023: Brentford USA's John Kenkel touts the growth of USA Bees support, with a nice shoutout about the NYC group playing a big role in this trend.

Sept. 2022: NYC Bee Levar Riley of Newark, N.J., discusses his Bees fandom. Riley was the first member of the NYC group to join this podcast.

"The scale and the center of gravity that they've been able to pull ... theirs is the model with which we want to replicate."
-- John Kenkel, Brentford USA, on the NYC Bees

* * *

Beesotted Podcast
NYC Bees supporters and visitors have connected with the highly-touted West London-based podcast.

Aug. 14, 2023: Billy "The Bee" Grant spoke to a bevy of NYC Bees during his visit at The Red Lion for Brentford's opener against Tottenham on Aug. 13. NYC Bees in order of conversations: Charlie Corr, Levar Riley, Adam Harder, Miles Dilworth, Brandi Daniels, Charles Daniel, Sarah Muni and Bruce Muni, followed by some repeat interviews.

Aug. 11, 2023: Billy "The Bee" Grant and Beesotted talked about the NYC Bees and The Red Lion, where Grant presided for the 2023-24 season opener, during their preseason podcast episode.

July 24, 2023:
Two-time Red Lion visitor Sophie Holmes and NYC Bees Co-Founder Charlie Corr spoke with Beesotted's Dave "Laney" Lane following Brentford's preseason match against Fulham, in Philadelphia.

April 22, 2023: Beesotted gave a great shoutout to the NYC Bees after making an unannounced drop-in at the pub.

"A must-go venue for any Bees fans visiting NYC."
-- Billy 'The Bee' Grant, Beesotted Podcast

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BrentfordFC.com and official Brentford outlets
Sept. 20, 2024: The NYC Bees were featured in Brentford FC's Fan Spotlight, a day before the club's match against Tottenham. "Our New York City Bees meet rain or shine to cheer on the team from across the pond!"

Aug. 29, 2023: During the Carabao Cup broadcast, Mark Burridge and Marcus Gayle dedicated much of the pregame toward the growth of American support. The segment included a mention of NYC Bees Co-Founder Charlie Corr, Brentford USA's John Kenkel and Across the Seas but Forever Bees' Tim Searls.

March 23, 2023: The club's official site, BrentfordFC.com, featured the NYC Brentford fan group and spoke with NYC Bees Co-Founder Charlie Corr about the rapid supporters growth taking place across the pond.

August of 2022: On the Brentford LinkedIn channel, NYC Bees Co-Founder Charlie Corr discussed the start of his Bees fandom and the building of the New York City supporters group.

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NBC
The NYC Bees have been featured frequently on the NBC or USA Network broadcasts throughout Brentford's Premier League tenure.

In 2023-24, the NYC Bees landed spots on the following NBC broadcasts:

April 27, 2024: Brentford-Everton (2x)
March 9, 2024: Brentford-Arsenal
Nov. 11, 2023: Birthday wishes to Rebecca Lowe (video)
Sept. 23, 2023: Brentford-Everton
Sept. 16, 2023: Brentford-Newcastle

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Premier League FanFest Live
NYC Bees Co-Founder Charlie Corr has been a regular guest on the show, which is the USA's pre-game supporter platform during the Premier League season and the PL Summer Series.

Dec. 17, 2023: The 8-minute opening segment led with Chelsea Cabarcas' conversation with Corr about the NYC Bees and featured the group from their home base, The Red Lion.

Dec. 10, 2023: The show's third segment included Corr and the NYC Bees during Week 16 of the Premier League season.

Dec. 3, 2023: As part of the Premier League's Festive Fixtures campaign, FanFest kicked off a series of shows featuring mostly American supporters. Corr of the NYC Bees was part of this panel, and the Brentford NYC group received rave reviews from the nearby Manchester City supporters.

July 26, 2023: This 30-minute show took part before the Brentford-Brighton preseason match, part of the PL Summer Series. Corr was one of FanFest Live's guests, and the show featured the 5-A-Side Pod, Elischa Edouard and Chelsea Cabarcas.

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Premier League Fanzone, live on Peacock
The international PL Fanzone is broadcast live on Mondays and Fridays in the USA via Peacock's PL channel. Shows are not archived or available online, but we give advance notice when we are aligned for an appearance.

Nov. 4, 2024:  In the buildup to the Brentford-Fulham derby, Charlie Corr joined the Monday Fanzone show to discuss the Bees and the club's upward trajectory this season.

Oct. 18, 2024: Charlie Corr spoke with the Friday Fanzone crew to talk about the ongoing Thomas Frank coaching rumor mill as Brentford was preparing for a bout with Manchester United.

Sept. 20, 2024:
Dan Mitzelman, who has been with the NYC Bees since our second Premier League season, made his Fanzone debut to cap off the show's supporter commentary heading into the weekend's Brentford-Tottenham match.

Sept. 16, 2024: The NYC Bees and The Red Lion were featured prevalently in our first Monday appearance on Fanzone. The show included some footage of our pub in Greenwich Village, followed by an interview with NYC Bees Co-Founder Charlie Corr, conducted by host Anita Nneka Jones and Leroy Rosenior.

Sept. 13, 2024: We made a cameo appearance prior to the Man City-Brentford match, with NYC Bees Co-Founder Charlie Corr answering a couple questions, and host Will Perry providing a little teaser for the following week's NYC Bees watch events feature and interview.

April 19, 2024:
NYC Bees Co-Founder Charlie Corr chatted with Fanzone hosts Will Perry and Clinton Morrison heading into Brentford's matchup against Luton Town, which turned out to be the Bees' best offensive performance in the Premier League.

March 29, 2024: NYC Bees Co-Founder Charlie Corr reflected on striker Ivan Toney's international history with the England national team and spoke about Brentford-Manchester United on Premier League Fanzone.

March 15, 2024: NYC Bees Co-Founder Charlie Corr made a cameo appearance to preview Brentford-Burnley on the Premier League Fanzone program.

Jan. 19, 2024: NYC Bees Co-Founder Charlie Corr returned to Premier League Fanzone to discuss the long-awaited return of Ivan Toney. For a second straight appearance, a Brentford victory was correctly predicted, as well!

Nov. 3, 2023: NYC Bees Co-Founder Charlie Corr made an appearance on the Premier League Fanzone program in the build-up toward Brentford's match against West Ham, which ultimately resulted in the Bees' third consecutive victory.

April 4, 2022: NYC Bees Co-Founder Ben Reynolds joined the Premier League Fanzone program to discuss the group and Brentford's strong play following a 4-1 rout of Chelsea.

#PLFans #PLFanzone

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Shades of Blue
Sept. 10, 2024: NYC Bees Co-Founder Charlie Corr connected with Crunk Chocolate and Lando Martinez to preview the first Manchester City-Brentford matchup of the 2024-25 season. Topics ranged from Brentford's transfer window grade to the aspects of the Bees' play that have made for such a difficult matchup in Manchester City's eyes.

July 12, 2024: NYC Bees Co-Founder Charlie Corr joined Shades of Blue for the podcast's Brentford End Of Season Report episode. The show featured an assortment of grading assignments, ranging from the players and coaches, to even the Brentford kits.

March 28, 2024: NYC Bees Co-Founder Charlie Corr was invited for the Shades of Blue's LIT Stream, hosted by FanFest Live. Our segment (which starts approximately 30 minutes into the show) delved into Ivan Toney's international goal and accomplishments for England and his club future, Brentford's front-line talent and Thomas Frank. 

Feb. 19, 2024: NYC Bees Co-Founder Charlie Corr rejoined the America-based Manchester City show, Shades of Blue, heading into the rematch against the defending champs. The discussion included a nice range of Brentford topics, from the club's affinity toward manager Thomas Frank to the blueprint for posting a strong result against City.

Feb. 2, 2024: NYC Bees Co-Founder Charlie Corr made a live debut with Shades of Blue: Breaking Bread, a Manchester City-based show. Corr and Shades of Blue host Crunk Chocolate had prevalently featured on the Premier League FanFest Live Show during the holidays.

* * *

Whole Lotta Wolves
Feb. 6, 2024: NYC Bees' Abhi Goyal made a second appearance on Whole Lotta Wolves to provide the Brentford perspective heading into the Bees' final meet-up with Wolves (approximately 39 minutes into the show).

Jan. 3, 2024: Abhi Goyal of the NYC Bees joined the USA-based Wolves podcast in previewing the FA Cup 3rd Round matchup between Brentford and Wolves (approximately 45 minutes into the show).

* * *

Don't Know Much About Football
Nov. 16, 2024: NYC Bees Alison Roberts and Abhi Goyal were featured in this new show, which focuses on American-based Premier League fans and gets into the origins of their support. Alison and Abhi delved into their growing interest in Brentford and provided some wonderful color about their fandom, the NYC Bees, The Red Lion experience and much more.

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Hounslow Herald
May 30, 2024:
The London Borough of Hounslow publication ran an abridged version of the NYC Bees' piece focusing on the NYC Bees' stateside growth.

The Ealing Road Podcast
June 22, 2023: During the podcast's show with Brentford's Allen Tillyard (marketing) and Stu Wakeford (content), the staff gave kudos to the pockets of American watch parties, including New York City and Chicago.

The Anfield Wrap
Aug. 18, 2023: On the Liverpool-focused podcast, Beesotted's Billy "The Bee" Grant was invited on and talked about his time watching with the NYC Bees in The Red Lion for Brentford-Tottenham (approximately 9 minutes into the show).

Fulham FC Matchday Programme
Aug. 19, 2023: NYC Bee Adam Harder, 2023 Red Lion visitor Billy "The Bee" Grant and Brentford USA's John Kenkel were among the Brentford FC supporters who took over the pages of Fulham FC's official match day guide. Brentford went on to beat Fulham 3-0 at Craven College.

To contact, or for more information about the NYC Bees, email brentfordnyc@gmail.com.

Saturday, November 16, 2024

NYC Bees featured on Don't Know Much About Football show

During the November international break, NYC Bees Alison Roberts and Abhi Goyal were featured on the Don't Know Much About Football show!

This relatively new podcast introduces folks to American-based Premier League fans and gets into the origins of their support. For Alison and Abhi, they delved into their growing interest in Brentford and provided some wonderful color about their fandom, our supporters' group, The Red Lion and much more.

Don't be taken aback by the title: This Nov. 16 episode delivers some great insight whether you're a longtime footballing guru or a new fan. Thanks to Alison and Abhi for sitting down for this show -- highly recommend you give a listen!

We're always looking for fellow NYC Bees to contribute to podcasts, televised shows and more. If you're ever interested, chat with our supporters' group and we'd be happy to make some introductions and connections!

Monday, November 4, 2024

NYC Bees preview Brentford-Fulham derby on Premier League Fanzone

With a rare Monday fixture, we were able to preview the Nov. 4 Brentford at Fulham game on Premier League Fanzone, broadcast live on Peacock.

NYC Bees Co-Founder Charlie Corr joined hosts Anita Nneka Jones and Leroy Rosenior to chat about Brentford's growth as a mid-table Premier League club that's been turning more heads in the midst of the Bees' fourth PL campaign.

This was our second time on the Monday Fanzone program and our fifth overall this season. Big thanks to Anita and Leroy who have given us some strong questions and good time on their version of the program.

Any Brentford supporters who are interested in participating in Fanzone on either the Monday or Friday shows, please let us know and we'd be happy to make the connections to get you on the air!