Newsletter: Aug. 18 Opener at Red Lion, Review with Shades of Blue

Hi NYC Bees, we're just about set to kick off Brentford's fourth Premier League season, and can't wait to connect on a regular basis for match days! Here are some links and information to get you primed for the 2024-25 season!

Red Lion opening early for August 18: Brentford v Palace
Brentford's regular season opener is set for Sunday, Aug. 18, when the Bees host Crystal Palace! The match kicks off at 9 a.m. ET, and The Red Lion, 151 Bleecker St., will open its doors early for us. We will be meeting at the pub for all three league games this month, so I hope you're all eager to bring the early-morning Brentford fandom back to Greenwich Village! See the graphic for the full August schedule.

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Brentford Review, with Shades of Blue
Our good friends at the Shades of Blue Network brought me back for their End of Season Report Show series. This was recorded quite a while ago, but fortunately they waited until after most of the Euros and Copa America to promote this series. I chatted with host Crunk Chocolate and provided some 2023-24 season grades on a variety of Brentford topics, ranging from player performance to even our kit designs! The America-based, Manchester City show has done a fantastic job of incorporating opposing club voices, so it's been a welcome platform to participate in over the past year. I also met the host a couple days before the Man City-AC Milan match at Yankee Stadium! We're certainly game to continue joining them when the Bees take on the defending champs next season!

Brentford News & Notes
Two preseason fixtures left on the docket: Brentford's preseason wraps up shortly, with two more games: At Watford on Saturday, Aug. 3 (10 a.m. ET kickoff) and against Wolfsburg on Friday, Aug. 9 (2:45 p.m. ET), the latter taking place at Gtech Community Stadium. The Bees are 1-1-1 this preseason, most recently falling 3-1 to Estrela de Amadora on Tuesday in a closed-door friendly to conclude their Portugal trip.

Newcomer Thiago effective, but injured: The Bees didn't make a splash with new signings, and their most prominent newcomer Igor Thiago unfortunately is now out for the first half of the 2024-25 season. Despite a nice contribution with a first-half brace during Brentford's 5-2 preseason victory against AFC Wimbledon, Thiago suffered a meniscus injury during that July 20 game. Thiago recently had surgery, and the club says he will not be available until the end of 2024.

New kits available: The most exciting Brentford news -- though short-lived because of the timing of the Thiago injury -- was the club's introduction of its 2024-25 away and third kits! The pink away jersey and green third kit, produced by Umbro, seemed to earn rave reviews among most supporters as the club rolled out this collection on July 25. Visit the Official Bees Store to add to your wardrobe!

Toney earns runner-up medal at Euros: England forward Ivan Toney finished the 2024 Euros as a runner-up to Spain in mid-July. Though England couldn't come through in the finale, Toney's impact, even in limited time, was valuable. He converted a penalty kick during a shootout victory over Switzerland in the quarterfinals on July 6, and previously Toney contributed the winning assist to Harry Kane to defeat Slovakia in the group stage. Manager Gareth Southgate resigned a couple days after the Euros.

The big question on everybody's mind: Is Toney staying or going? There's plenty of unsubstantiated chatter out there; we'll find out soon, either way!

Quick hits: Brentford defender Fin Stevens made a permanent move to St. Pauli (German Bundesliga) on July 26. Stevens had one Premier League appearance against Southampton in 2021-22 and nine games in all first-team competitions during his Bees tenure. ... The Brentford Women begin their 2024-25 season on Aug. 18 against Leatherhead in the LSE Division One North. The team missed promotion by just one point in 2023-24. ... The 10th Premier League Mornings Live Fan Fest is going to be held from Sept. 21-22 in Chicago, the league announced on Tuesday.

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: Brentford End of Season Report with Shades of Blue

NYC Bees Co-Founder Charlie Corr reconnected with the Shades of Blue podcast for a special Brentford End of Season Report episode. The interview aired on July 12 (was recorded shortly after the season), and it featured an assortment of grading assignments, ranging from the players and coaches, to even the Brentford kits -- an appropriate opportunity to discuss the Bees' dreadful two-season performance in the secondary blue kit!

On behalf of the NYC Bees, we wanted to thank Shades of Blue host Crunk Chocolate for allowing us the platform to discuss our club in-depth. The podcast is an America-based Manchester City outlet.

We will look to connect with them again soon throughout the 2024-25 campaign!

Newsletter: Euro Quarterfinals at The Red Lion, 2024-25 schedule

Greetings NYC Bees! Still a month and a half left before Brentford resumes Premier League play, but things will be picking up in the coming weeks in the buildup to 2024-25. Some information, links and more to keep you engaged in the meantime!

Meeting at Red Lion on July 6 for Euro Quarterfinals
England and Ivan Toney have advanced to the quarterfinals of the Euros, and we'll be getting a group together on Saturday, July 6, at The Red Lion! Kickoff against Switzerland is at Noon ET, and we are in the process of setting up a reservation in our usual Brentford corner of the pub at 151 Bleecker St., in Manhattan. Last time we met for England's opener, we secured about 20 spots, and we'll try to do the same this time, or more space if needed. I'm keeping a detailed attendee list to assist the staff, so please let me know if you (and other visitors) will be joining. I anticipate this to be a pretty packed venue, so arrive early -- I will likely be there by 10:30/10:45 a.m. ET.

In case you missed it, Toney assisted Harry Kane's game-winner to help England pull off a 2-1 extra time victory against Slovakia in the Round of 16 match on June 30. Great to see him make the most of his opportunity, especially in limited time, and with England's tournament fate hanging in the balance!

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Bees opener 2024-25 on August against Palace
The Premier League announced its 2024-25 schedule in mid-June, and Brentford's season opener will take place on Sunday, Aug. 18, against Crystal Palace. Kickoff is at 9 a.m. ET, and I've already confirmed with The Red Lion that they will open early for us that day! We will map out the upcoming watch event schedule on a monthly basis starting with the next newsletter, so stay tuned!

Brentford releases more preseason details
The club announced that its first preseason match will be against AFC Wimbledon on Saturday, July 20, at Plough Lane. Here's the updated preseason schedule:

July 20: at AFC Wimbledon, 8 a.m. ET
July 25: at Benfica, 3 p.m. ET
July 30: vs. Estrela da Amadora, 6 a.m. ET (closed doors)
Aug. 3: at Watford, 10 a.m. ET
Aug. 9: vs. Wolfsburg, 2:45 p.m. ET (Gtech Community Stadium)

Brentford News & Notes
American Eyestone signs: On June 21, Brentford signed American 18-year-old goalkeeper Julian Eyestone to join the club's B Squad. The FC Dallas Academy product and U.S. youth international spent a collegiate season with Duke before signing a three-year deal with the Bees.

New signing Thiago introduced: Brazilian striker Igor Thiago was recently introduced to his future grounds in West London, and he will be donning the No. 9 jersey this season. The 23-year-old, previously of Club Brugge in the Belgian Pro League, signed a five-year deal with Brentford. Kevin Schade will change from No. 9 to No. 7 this season.

Club hires set piece coach: Brentford hired Keith Andrews as the club's set piece coach, having previously worked on Sheffield United's coaching staff.

Brentford Women preseason set: The preseason fixtures for the Brentford Women have been locked in, opening with Dulwich Hamlet on July 28. Other matches include Charshalton Athletic (July 31), Southampton U-21s (Aug. 4) and Bristol City U-21s (Aug. 7).

2024-25 membership details: Brentford announced the full breakdown regarding 2024-25 season memberships, for international supporters who are interested in attaining tickets and access to international events and offers. Brentford froze its membership and match ticket prices for the 2024-25 season.

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

Charlie