Newsletter: March slate, Because Football feature, Thiago new deal

Hi NYC Bees, down to a few months left in this surprisingly strong campaign! We're also fortunate to have drawn some new NYC Bees feature content through Because Football, to go with several other media spots! Here's some news and notes for you heading into March:

Four-game March schedule at Red Lion
Our March schedule is a bit unorthodox with only one Saturday game, but we'll be at The Red Lion, 151 Bleecker St., for the full four-game slate! We open the month on Tuesday, March 3, at Bournemouth, then resume FA Cup play (fifth round) on Monday, March 9, at West Ham. For folks who might be traveling during this stretch, keep in mind that three of these fixtures take place after the USA's Daylight Savings Time, which means we are four hours behind the UK instead of the typical five hours. See the graphic for our full meet-up schedule.

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NYC Bees spotlighted in Because Football series
Andrew Baggaley of Because Football featured the NYC Bees and Brentford as part of his New York/New Jersey stop and the Road Trip to the World Cup series! Andrew joined us at The Red Lion back in September, and he spoke with several of us (myself, Bruce Muni and Sarah Muni). We were the closing feature of Episode 1 of this four-part series. Additionally, Bruce was included in the "What it means to host the World Cup" section of the third episode, and they used my audio for the opening sentence of the second episode.

We're humbled that our little story was a part of this series. Andrew's covered every part of our football space in N.Y./NJ, so make sure to check it out. It's a perfect build-up series as we get ready for the FIFA World Cup here in North America this summer!

High billing for PL Fanzone on Peacock
Thanks to Brentford's success story, the Premier League Fanzone program is finally taking some notice! I joined the international live show a couple times this past month, including a Feb. 9 appearance prior to Brentford-Arsenal, which landed us on the second segment (which rarely happens). In addition to previewing that eventual 1-1 draw, I took part in the Feb. 2 show following our shorthanded road victory against Aston Villa. Hosts Anita Jones and Leroy Rosenior were on the Monday program on both occasions. Fanzone runs on Mondays and Fridays. If you're interested in participating in this show, which is shown on Peacock in the states, please reach out and I can connect you to their production folks!

Brentford News & Notes
Thiago inks new contract: Brentford forward Thiago, the No. 2 goal scorer in the Premier League so far this season, signed a new contract with the club that extends his deal to 2031. The same day of his new deal, the 24-year-old garnered January Premier League Player of the Month accolades. No question Bees fans want to see a long stay from the Brazilian. With his rising stock, we all know there will be other interested parties in the footballing market, especially if Thiago gets a Brazil call-up this summer. In any event, the Brentford front office did its due diligence. We could eventually be looking at the new largest outgoing transfer (above Bryan Mbeumo), but we're also potentially watching the best offensive performance from a Brentford player in the top tier of football. Let's enjoy it!

Historic road wins, hard-fought draw vs. Arsenal: It's tough to pick and choose which February moment stood out the most. If we're being honest with ourselves, not too much was expected from this daunting schedule. But Brentford stepped up in a number of moments, and rewrote a little history along the way. The Bees earned their first-ever league win at Villa Park, with a 10-man squad no less, upending Aston Villa 1-0. That was followed by Brentford's 3-2 win at Newcastle, the Bees' first victory at St. James' Park since 1934. Then there was a 1-1 draw against league-leading Arsenal, which actually felt like the full three points were there for the taking.

It's impossible to predict where things will finish a few months from now, but it's safe to say that reaching the 40-point mark by the 26th game, few were expecting that!

Onyeka to Coventry: Brentford's first signing of the Premier League era has likely seen his Bees tenure come to a close. Frank Onyeka has been loaned to Championship club Coventry City for the remainder of the season. The deal will become permanent if Coventry City gets promoted to the Premier League, and it's looking like this leap will occur, pending a drastic downfall in the Championship table. Onyeka made 87 appearances for the Bees in all competitions.

Brentford Women advance to Capital Cup semis: The Brentford Women tallied four second-half goals and routed Dorking Wanders, 5-0, to win their Capital Cup quarterfinal match on Feb. 15 and advance to the tournament's semifinal stage. Cloe O'Brien scored the lone first-half goal, and then her teammates chipped in with tallies by Renai McCrea, Ashley Cheatley, Becca Teale and Lucy Potter. The Bees will host AFC Wimbledon in the semifinals on March 15. ... In other team news, Carly Williams won LSE Premier Manager of the Month for January. Her side won all four January matches.

Quick hits: We added some new opposing-team correspondence to the mix. Brighton supporter and content creator Henry Proudlock included me as part of a Brentford-Brighton preview article and analysis on What Are Brighton Doing? Henry hinted at the possibility of a podcast launch, as well, so we might be further involved in this space down the road! ... Center back Benjamin Arthur joined Scottish Premiership side Celtic on loan for the remainder of the 2025-26 season. ... Brentford appointed David Rainford the club's new Academy director. He had previously worked at the Premier League as head of education and player care. ... Premier League Fan Fest is taking place April 18-19 in Tampa, Florida. Brentford takes on Fulham that weekend, and the club's front office usually brings a number of staffers and a couple ambassadors. Check it out if you feel like making the trek to the Sunshine State! ... If you haven't come across the Michael Kayode throw-in baby reveal, it's a must-watch!

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

Charlie

Brentford guest contribution: 'What Are Brighton Doing?' preview

The NYC Bees have added another opposing team platform to collaborate with! NYC Bees Co-Founder Charlie Corr provided some Brentford perspective for the site "What Are Brighton Doing?" The Q&A portion was part of the preview content for the Feb. 21 matchup between host Brentford and Brighton.

The platform is currently focused on articles and written analysis, but there is the possibility that it could include a podcast component further down the road. In any event, hopefully this becomes a regular location where we can contribute our Bees analysis!

NYC Bees, Brentford spotlighted in Because Football series

Andrew Baggaley of Because Football featured the NYC Bees Brentford Supporters' Group as part of his New York/New Jersey stop and the Road Trip to the World Cup series!

Andrew joined us at The Red Lion back in September, and he spoke with several of us about our group (Charlie Corr, Bruce Muni, Sarah Muni), which was the closing feature of Episode 1 of his four-part series. We highly recommend you check out his extensive work, where he covers every nook and cranny in our football space in the N.Y./NJ area.

In addition to the first episode, Bruce was included in the "What it means to host the World Cup" section of the third episode, and the opening sentence/audio of the second episode has a familiar voice! (Charlie)

We're humbled that our little story was a part of this series. Andrew's doing a sensational job and for the history buffs of this fine game, he taps into so much depth. The perfect build-up as we get ready for the FIFA World Cup here in North America this summer!

NYC Bees, Brentford net higher billing for PL Fanzone on Peacock

Brentford's moving up in status these days! For a second straight week, the NYC Bees and Co-Founder Charlie Corr were part of the global feed for Premier League Fanzone on Feb. 9. The morning show, broadcast live on Peacock's Premier League TV channel in the states, invited us for the second segment of their program, which rarely happens.

Little ol' Brentford typically is booked over the final minutes of this twice-weekly program, produced by the league in London. We gave a quick perspective of the club as the Bees prepare for their big home match against Arsenal on Thursday, Feb. 12.

This was a very last-minute booking. If we have other opportunities down the road to plan in advance, please reach out to us and let us know if you're interested in participating.

Fanzone runs on Mondays and Fridays, but we've mostly been a regular part of the Monday program this season as the production team is giving us ample time. It's a great way to show your fandom and expertise!

NYC Bees on PL Fanzone: Looking at Brentford's shorthanded win at Villa

The NYC Bees were once again on the international stage to tout Brentford's recent success: a shorthanded 1-0 victory against Aston Villa! NYC Bees Co-Founder Charlie Corr returned to the Monday edition of Premier League Fanzone on Feb. 2, with hosts Anita Jones and Leroy Rosenior.

The show was broadcast live on Peacock in the states. Brentford was the final segment to speak on the club's run to seventh place, overcoming a Kevin Schade red card to somehow gain all three points in the Bees' first win at Villa Park. There also was the look back at Villa's goal, which was taken away because of a clear-cut out-of-bounds sequence before the buildup, verified by VAR and multiple camera angles. It appears the third-place Villa supporters cannot stomach the moment, still.

Thanks as always to the Fanzone folks, who always host use several times during the Premier League season. As we gain more and more success, the odds of them needing a Brentford guest will increase. Feel free to reach out to the NYC Bees for more information or an introduction to Fanzone's production team if you'd like to participate!

Newsletter: February schedule, top-5 cameo, Ultra World Pod, PL Fanzone

Hello again, NYC Bees! Some pretty remarkable feats to Brentford's season in recent weeks, plus an extensive feature on our supporters' group from earlier in the campaign. Even though our six-game league unbeaten streak was put to an end, overall, these have been some good times! News and notes for you as we head into February:

Six-fixture February at Red Lion
Our February schedule includes five league games and a fourth-round FA Cup fixture, and we'll have a meet-up for all six at The Red Lion, 151 Bleecker St. The month begins with a road match against Aston Villa (Sunday, Feb. 1). The pub will open its doors early for that one (9 a.m. ET kickoff; doors open around 8:30). We also could potentially run into former Bee Yoane Wissa for the first time when we take on Newcastle (Saturday, Feb. 7). Outside of the Premier League, we face FA Cup Cinderella story Macclesfield (Monday, Feb. 16). See the graphic for our full meet-up schedule.

More on NYC Bees:
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Media Hub: SlideTackles.com

Brentford makes cameo in PL's top-5
The season's a marathon, not a sprint, we're always told. But you can't quickly look past the enthusiasm we felt on Jan. 7, when our midweek win over Sunderland -- combined with a couple other results -- put us into fifth place in the Premier League! Ahead of Manchester United. Ahead of Chelsea. The game also marked some massive individual accomplishments: Caoimhín Kelleher made his fourth PK save of the season (67 percent PK save rate at that juncture) on an Enzo Le Fee panenka attempt. Thiago netted his 15th and 16th goals to set a season league record for most goals in a PL campaign from a Brazilian player. The top reaction of the match had to be Yehor Yarmoliuk scoring his first Brentford goal in the 73rd minute!

NYC Bees featured on Ultra World Podcast
A new media outlet has been doing a superb job of covering the football fandom throughout New York City. The NYC Bees and Brentford were featured in the Ultra World Podcast on Jan. 9, with a bunch of us chatting with hosts Sean Cassels and Marc Ernay. (Ultra World Podcast - Ep. 8: Brentford Fandom) The duo dropped into The Red Lion back in late August and the conversations provided a good taste of this dedicated group of New York- and New Jersey-based Bees supporters! Interviews included myself, Bruce and Sarah Muni, and Dan Mitzelman. Big thanks for sharing your back stories and interest, and thank you to Sean and Marc for their work in putting together this feature! (Marc also joined us in the celebratory post-game photo, pictured to the left of the Ultra World logo.)

Episode is available on: PodBean | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube

Brentford News & Notes
January Window: Janelt and Ayer extensions, Furo signs: Historically, Brentford's January Transfer Window features maybe some sporadic incoming signees, but it's also a stretch where the club focuses on reworking some important contract extensions. Such is the case with both midfielder Vitaly Janelt and defender Kristoffer Ajer.

Janelt worked out a new deal on Jan. 17, keeping him in place through the summer of 2030. The 27-year-old became the first Bees player to reach 150 Premier League appearances, and head coach Keith Andrews was quick to recognize that "he's going to be a big player for us for many years to come."

Ajer's extension deal also runs through the summer of 2030, and he has been a significant piece in multiple defensive roles. Ajer was brought in from Celtic, joining the Bees before the club's first Premier League season in 2021.

New to the fold, 18-year-old Kaye Furo signed a five-and-a-half-year deal, after playing for Club Brugge in the Belgian Pro League. Furo instantly trained with the first team upon his arrival. The transfer window closes on Monday, Feb. 2.

AFCON: Onyeka's Nigeria takes 3rd: Brentford's Frank Onyeka was part of the Nigeria side that finished third in the Africa Cup of Nations on Jan. 17. After a scoreless regulation, Nigeria defeated Egypt 4-2 in penalties. Onyeka hasn't had much playing time for the Bees, and reports have circulated for a couple weeks about a potential sale or loan.

PL Fanzone pre-New Year's Day spot: In the final media appearance of 2025, I joined Premier League Fanzone Live to chat a few days before our New Year's Day matchup between the Bees and Tottenham Hotspur. The Dec. 29 show also included former Brentford loanee Clinton Morrison as one of the hosts. We've been on Fanzone about 15 times since Brentford's promotion. If anyone is interested in making an appearance on this supporters'-driven show, let me know and I'd be happy to help coordinate with their production team. The program airs live on Mondays and Fridays, with the broadcast on Peacock for stateside viewers.

Back on Forever Bees pod: I dropped in for a return on Across the Seas But Forever Bees, the American-based Brentford podcast hosted by Tim Searls and Greville Waterman. Show topics from this Jan. 27 episode ranged from our frustrating performance against Nottingham Forest, to a challenging road trip upcoming against Aston Villa, and much more. Forever Bees is always looking for new Brentford guests to share their fandom stories and knowledge. If you're interested, contact us, or email Tim directly at timsearls@hotmail.com!

Quick hits: Midfielder Myles Peart-Harris completed a permanent transfer to Championship side Oxford United on Jan. 9. Peart-Harris debuted for the Bees back in September of 2021, but his stint with us typically lead to multiple loans. He made nine appearances for Brentford in all competitions. ... Midfielder Paris Maghoma also made a permanent transfer; he is bound for Norwich City in the Championship. Maghoma logged 10 games with the Bees in all competitions. ... Forward Gustavo Nunes will be playing for Championship club Swansea City for the rest of the season. The 20-year-old will be on loan after making five appearances off the bench during his injury-riddled first campaign with Brentford. ... Midfielder Yunus Konak has been loaned to Oxford United for the remainder of the 2025-26 season. The 20-year-old is signed with Brentford through June of 2029, so hopefully this extra playing time will pay dividends for our long-term plans. ... Matt Cox has been loaned to League Two side Shrewsbury Town for the rest of 2025-26. ... The Brentford Women completed a perfect January: Three league wins, including a 7-0 drubbing of Ebbsfleet United on Jan. 25, and a Capital Cup victory over Sport London E Benfica.

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

Charlie

NYC Bees return to Forever Bees to discuss Forest, big match vs. Villa

NYC Bees Co-Founder Charlie Corr dropped in for a return on Across the Seas But Forever Bees, the American-based Brentford podcast hosted by Tim Searls and Greville Waterman.

Show topics from this Jan. 27 episode ranged from Brentford's frustrating performance against Nottingham Forest, to a challenging road trip upcoming against Aston Villa, and much more.

Forever Bees is always looking for new Brentford guests to share their fandom stories and knowledge. If you're interested, contact us, or email Tim directly at timsearls@hotmail.com!

Ultra World Podcast features NYC Brentford supporters at Red Lion

A new media outlet has been doing a superb job of covering the football fandom throughout New York City over the past several months. The NYC Bees and Brentford were featured in the Ultra World Podcast on Jan. 9, with a bunch of our New York and New Jersey supporters chatting with hosts Sean Cassels and Marc Ernay.

• Ultra World Podcast - Ep. 8: Brentford Fandom

The duo dropped into The Red Lion in Greenwich Village to speak with a number of Bees fans during the club's 1-0 victory against Aston Villa in late August of 2025. The conversations provided a nice sampling of the folks who have latched onto the West London-based club, and what draws them into the New York supporters' group on a weekly basis. Interviews included NYC Bees co-founder Charlie Corr, Bruce and Sarah Muni, and Dan Mitzelman.

• UltraWorldPodcast.com

Big thanks to Sean and Marc for their work in putting together this feature, and we'll cross paths again down the road!