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