Sunday, August 25, 2024

BBC Radio, Sunday Sportsworld: Live panel for Brentford at Liverpool

Heading into Brentford's Aug. 25 fixture at Liverpool, NYC Bees Co-Founder Charlie Corr appeared live on BBC Radio's Sunday Sportsworld program. The panel discussion, led by Nashat Ladha and football reporter George Addo, covered the latest from the club's play, recent signings and Brentford stateside fandom.

The show's producer said the segment served as a "blueprint" for what the BBC was looking for, so his rave review and positive feedback from the hosts should potentially lead to more BBC Sports opportunities for our group down the road if we have another Sunday primetime slot. Let us know if you're interested in participating!

BBC World Service

Saturday, August 24, 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

* * *

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.'"

* * *

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

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
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.

* * *

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

* * *

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.

* * *

Premier League Fanzone, live on Peacock
The international PL Fanzone is broadcast live on 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.

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
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).

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.

Thursday, August 15, 2024

NYC Pub Scene: The Mecca for Premier League Fixtures

Your up-to-date NYC pub footballing guide heading into the 2024-25 Premier League season

By Charlie Corr
SlideTackles.com


Watching top-division European football (we're not calling it soccer here) is an early-morning ritual, especially in New York City. The modest five-hour time difference from the UK, the easy access to every televised match and the bevy of unique pubs have turned this into a mecca for watching the world's most popular sport, and your favorite overseas club.

The Premier League season gets underway on Friday, Aug. 16, and supporters will be starting most of their Saturdays with a coffee or cocktail, and a couple boisterous hours of football.

Brentford's NYC supporters at
The Red Lion, Greenwich Village
I oversee the Brentford New York supporters' group, the NYC Bees. Since the small West London club's first Premier League season (2021-22), we've made The Red Lion in Greenwich Village our home. The no-frills pub has the flavor of a gritty European establishment, perfect for an up-and-coming fanbase that has drawn 40-plus supporters on our best occasion: Not bad for a team that most in the USA didn't even know about before 2021.

Over my time in NYC, I've stopped inside a handful of establishments that host Premier League gatherings. The Football Factory at Legends in Midtown is a natural destination: The Disney World of NYC's footballing pubs. The wall-to-wall and ceiling signage, combined with officially hosting a whopping seven Premier League clubs, has been a go-to locale for more than a decade. Many times it's a shoulder-to-shoulder experience, especially since some supporters who don't have their own club destination tend to make Legends their semi-official home.

Smithfield Hall is the closest challenger for pub footballing status, the host site of Manchester United, Nottingham Forest and West Ham, and it's in a great location a few blocks away from Madison Square Garden. With more than a couple dozen TVs, it's also the easiest venue to stay on top of the action.

Manchester City supporters, the
New York Sky Blues, at Amity Hall
Arsenal and Liverpool both have a massive worldwide presence, and their stateside fan bases are so heavy that they host match day watches at more than a half dozen pub locales throughout NYC and New Jersey to cater to their supporters. Tottenham is in a similar boat, with most of the chants resonating from Flannery's in Manhattan, but also at official pub options in Brooklyn, Queens and Hoboken.

The two-floor Amity Hall Downtown in Greenwich Village is the polished type of environment you'd expect for the multi-champion Manchester City base; Everton's Flatiron District home, Turnmill, draws some massive support; and Wolves have been a budding supporters' group at McHale's Bar & Grill in Midtown.

The EPL pub scene is ever-growing. Stateside viewership continues to expand, and the dynamic of North American supporters and visitors from the UK and beyond will always make for a special experience.

Here is a breakdown of the most pertinent NYC locations that will be starting up their regular Premier League club watch events (if there are any updates or changes, please email charliecorr@gmail.com):

NYC Pubs: The Premier League Guide

Arsenal: O'Hanlon's, 349 E. 14th St., Manhattan; Highbury Pub, 1002 Cortelyou Road, Brooklyn (nine Arsenal locations in NYC and N.J.)

Aston Villa: The Football Factory at Legends, 6 W. 33rd St., Midtown / Manhattan

Bournemouth: The Football Factory at Legends, 6 W. 33rd St., Midtown / Manhattan (note: not an "official" partner, but supporters regularly attend here)

Brentford: The Red Lion, 151 Bleecker St., Greenwich Village / Manhattan

Brighton: The Football Factory at Legends, 6 W. 33rd St., Midtown / Manhattan

Chelsea: The Football Factory at Legends, 6 W. 33rd St., Midtown / Manhattan

Crystal Palace: The Football Factory at Legends, 6 W. 33rd St., Midtown / Manhattan

Everton: Turnmill, 119 E. 27th St., Flatiron / Manhattan

Fulham: The Football Factory at Legends, 6 W. 33rd St., Midtown / Manhattan

Ipswich Town: Area 140 First Bar, 140 1st Ave., East Village / Manhattan (note: new location; source: Reddit)

Leicester City: The Football Factory at Legends, 6 W. 33rd St., Midtown / Manhattan

Liverpool: 11th St. Bar, 510 E. 11th St., Manhattan (seven Liverpool locations in NYC and N.J.)

Manchester City: Amity Hall Downtown, 80 W. 3rd St., Greenwich Village / Manhattan

Newcastle: The Football Factory at Legends, 6 W. 33rd St., Midtown / Manhattan

Nottingham Forest: Smithfield Hall, 138 W. 28th St., Chelsea / Manhattan

Southampton: The Football Factory at Legends, 6 W. 33rd St., Midtown / Manhattan (note: not an "official" partner, but supporters regularly attend here)

Tottenham: Flannery's, 205 W. 14th St., Chelsea / Manhattan; other official locations include: Banter Bar, 132 Havemeyer St., Brooklyn; Rivercrest, 33-15 Ditmars Blvd., Astoria; Mulligan's Pub, 159 First St., Hoboken, N.J.

West Ham: Smithfield Hall, 138 W. 28th St., Chelsea / Manhattan

Wolves: McHale's Bar & Grill, 251 W 51st St., Midtown / Manhattan