Newsletter: March Madness, Watch Event 'Field Trip,' Breaking Bread

Hi NYC Bees, we're heading into a pivotal three-month stretch as we struggle to create some distance from the dreaded relegation zone! Here are some links and updates:

March Madness, Field Trip to Football Factory
Our stretch of March Madness features four matches, including a road game against Arsenal on March 9. We will be getting together for every game this month, but there is a little hurdle: The late kickoff on March 30 against Manchester United cuts into the Saturday music entertainment window at The Red Lion, and unfortunately the pub is unable to adjust its itinerary. Therefore, we will be doing a one-time field trip to watch that match at The Football Factory at Legends, 6 W. 33rd St., in Midtown Manhattan. I'm sure some of you have set foot in there before; it works as a nice temporary venue to make some noise!

See the graphic for our schedule breakdown.

More on NYC Bees: Instagram | TikTok | Twitter | Media Hub

Breaking Bread with Opposing Supporters
Our February included four NYC Bees appearances on the USA-based podcast circuit. I connected two times for the live Manchester City Shades of Blue show, previewing the Feb. 3 match and then rejoining a couple weeks later to chat about manager Thomas Frank and some other interesting Bees topics. Our good friends Tim Searls and Greville Waterman also welcomed me back to the Across the Seas But Forever Bees podcast, and our own Abhi Goyal contributed once again about the Brentford side of things on the Whole Lotta Wolves podcast to preview our last victory.

I have one upcoming podcast on the March docket and will keep a lookout for some more opportunities. I'm always open to any contributions or suggestions you may have in this space!

Brentford News & Notes
Grasping for reinforcements: With just two victories and 10 defeats over its past 12 league matches, Brentford finds itself only a couple positions about the relegation zone in the club's third Premier League season. The Bees did come up with a crucial 2-0 road victory against Wolves on Feb. 10, but it also came at a price as center back Ethan Pinnock injured his ankle. The early prognosis from the club is that Pinnock could return after the March international break. The timetable for Bryan Mbeumo (also an ankle injury) might be similar to Pinnock, which gives some sliver of hope that reinforcements could be on the way heading into April. But then there are other injuries that have lingered much longer than expected. Outside back Aaron Hickey had a "setback" as he has been sidelined with a hamstring injury since late October, and there's still no timetable on Kevin Schade (groin), who was injured during warm-ups before Brentford's loss to Everton in September. The one small bit of fortune is that the bottom two teams in the league (Burnley, Sheffield United) are likely headed back down to the Championship. It's that third relegation spot that is giving us some panic!

New April date for Brighton: Brentford's match against Brighton has been rescheduled for April 3, with kickoff set for 2:30 p.m. ET. The match was previously scheduled for April 2.

RIP, Stan Bowles: Former Brentford footballer Stan Bowles recently passed away at the age of 75. He had been battling Alzheimer's disease since 2015. Greville Waterman wrote a piece for Bees United to pay homage to Bowles, who capped off his career with the Bees in the early 1980s.

Africa Cup of Nations: Brentford's Frank Onyeka and his Nigeria side finished runner-up in the Africa Cup of Nations. Though they had a 1-0 lead, Nigeria ended up falling 2-1 to Ivory Coast in the final on Feb. 11. Yoane Wissa and DR Congo took fourth in the event, and Wissa was named to the Africa Cup Team of the Tournament.

Quick Hits: If you happen to be in Florida in the coming days, the club is setting up a watch event with its partner Visit Tampa Bay on March 2. Former Bee Gary Blissett will be on site at MacDinton's Irish Pub, 405 S. Howard Ave., in Tampa, Fla. Click here to register. ... Feb. 20 marked one year since our first major media attention with the NYC Bees prevalently featured in The Athletic. I thought it was important to recognize how we have garnered dozens of media and content opportunities since that moment! ... Everton's points deduction for breach of league profitability and sustainability rules was reduced from 10 to six points, making things a bit more crowded for us at the bottom half of the league table. ... The Brentford FC Women posted a massive 14-0 victory against Camden & Islington United on Feb. 25!

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

Charlie

Guest Appearance: NYC Bees return to Shades of Blue to preview City

For the second time in a couple weeks, NYC Bees Co-Founder Charlie Corr represented Brentford FC and the NYC Bees during the live Shades of Blue show, "Breaking Bread," hosted by Crunk Chocolate. The two supporters, who were part of the Premier League FanFest series throughout the 2023-24 season, spoke about the upcoming rematch between Brentford and Manchester City on Feb. 20.

This 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.

Corr and the NYC Bees will likely be represented one more time this season for another show within the Shades of Blue production, so stay tuned in the coming weeks.

NYC Bees: Corr makes third appearance on Forever Bees pod

NYC Bees co-founder Charlie Corr joined Tim Searls and Greville Waterman for the stateside-based Across the Seas But Forever Bees podcast on Feb. 6. The group took away some positives from Brentford's loss to Manchester City and provided a synopsis of the club heading into a difficult six-game stretch.

The podcast has featured New York-based fans prevalently over the past two and a half seasons, with Corr providing his perspective for a third time. Searls is based in Maine and Waterman in the UK, and Waterman has written a bevy of Brentford material over the years.

NYC Bees Appearance: Goyal previews Brentford on Wolves pod

In our continuation of contributing for Brentford's opposing team podcasts, the NYC Bees' Abhi Goyal made a second appearance on Whole Lotta Wolves on Feb. 6 as the Bees prepared for their final appearance of the season against Wolverhampton.

Goyal spoke about the different dynamic of the Brentford roster compared to the previous meet-ups with Wolves. The segment starts approximately 39 minutes into the show.

NYC Bees make live debut on Man City's Shades of Blue podcast

With Brentford prepping for the first matchup of the season against defending champions Manchester City, NYC Bees co-founder Charlie Corr appeared on the live Shades of Blue: Breaking Bread show on Feb. 2.

Corr and Shades of Blue host Crunk Chocolate spoke 1-on-1 for the hourlong program, with the opportunity to delve heavily into Brentford fandom and the club's performance. Both supporters were prevalently featured on the Premier League FanFest Live Show throughout the holiday season.

NYC Bees Newsletter: February Slate, Podcast Hits, Transfer Window Adds

Hi NYC Bees, a lot of interesting developments have been taking place within the club over the past month! Here are some updates to catch you up!

February Schedule
Our upcoming schedule at The Red Lion will be a bit challenging with three weekday afternoon games in February, and unfortunately there will not be a watch part for Brentford-Liverpool with the early kickoff time. That said, the pub will be all set up for four fixtures, so we hope to see you there! See the graphic for dates and kickoff times.

More on NYC Bees: Instagram | TikTok | Twitter | Media Hub

NYC Bees Social Media Growth
We're continuing to expand our social media presence. On Twitter (X), we recently surpassed 1,000 followers, which is a nice little milestone. And also in recent days, I've started a TikTok account. Give that a follow if you'd like; I'll be populating that a bit more!

Guest Podcast and PL Fanzone Spots
In January, the NYC Bees dropped some analytical knowledge on a couple platforms. Abhi Goyal joined the Whole Lotta Wolves podcast heading into our third-round FA Cup fixture against Wolves. I made another appearance on the live Premier League Fanzone program to preview Ivan Toney's big return from suspension. We'll look to build some more of these appearances and relationships. A return to the Wolves pod and some upcoming hits on Manchester City's Shades of Blue are likely on the horizon, so stay tuned for more Bees perspective on these channels! If you're eager to lend your Brentford opinion on anything, please let me know and I'll help with any types of introductions to make it happen!

Brentford News & Notes
Reguilon highlights transfer window: The January Transfer Window featured plenty of chatter but not necessarily much action, both for Brentford and league-wide. Nevertheless, the Bees did bring in a few pieces. The most important in the near future is the addition of left back Sergio Reguilon, on loan from Tottenham. It's quite possible he could see his first start for Brentford when the club faces Manchester City on Monday. Reguilon fills a big void on defense, after injuries to Rico Henry and Aaron Hickey left us depleted at outside back. Midfielder Yunus Emre Konak of the Turkish U-21s is a promising addition for the future, but Turkish reports indicate he suffered a tendon rupture during FA Cup warm-ups and is unavailable for the next 4-5 months. Then there's the addition of goalkeeper Hakon Valdimarsson, a 22-year-old who has appeared five times so far for Iceland's national team. One move that hit some snags was 18-year-old winger Antonio Nusa, who was reportedly set to transfer to Brentford, from Club Brugge. However, the move was put on hold after some knee and back issues arose during his medical.

Wissa, Onyeka continue Africa Cup run: Heading into Friday, both Yoane Wissa (DR Congo) and Frank Onyeka (Nigeria) continued into the quarterfinals of the Africa Cup of Nations. Onyeka's side faces Angola (12 p.m. ET) and Wissa's nation takes on Guinea (3 p.m. ET). Should either of them move on, the tournament's semifinals are set for Wednesday, Feb. 7. The third-place match is Feb. 10 and the final is on Feb. 11. With two league matches next week, it's looking like their first availability for Brentford would most likely take place on Feb. 17 against Liverpool.

Quick Hits: Star striker Ivan Toney completed his eight-month suspension for breaching betting rules and made his big return on Jan. 20, scoring a goal during Brentford's 3-2 victory against Nottingham Forest. His #Foamgate goal garnered a ton of reaction, too, including this entertaining take from Rebecca Lowe on NBC Sports' The Lowe Down. ... Last month, Bees United held its Annual General Meeting, which included this candid interview with club captain Christian Norgaard. ... The Brentford B Team welcomes a couple recent additions, with Mukhammadali Urinboev on a six-month loan deal and midfielder Ben Krauhaus signing a multi-year contract from Bromley. Brentford B Team forward Michael Olakigbe was recently loaned out to Petersborough United until the end of the season.

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

Charlie