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Sunday, August 2, 2026

NYC Bees Newsletter: Aug. 22 at Red Lion, 4K followers, Sangare signs

Greetings NYC Bees, it's been a while since I've put this newsletter together. Let's get into all the happenings as we prepare for Brentford's 2026-27 Premier League season and another campaign at The Red Lion!

Returning to Red Lion for Aug. 22 opener
We've confirmed with The Red Lion, 151 Bleecker St., and we are good to go for our two regular season Brentford matches this month, starting with Aug. 22 against Tottenham! The other one is on Sunday, Aug. 30, against Leeds, and the pub will open its doors early for us. Looking forward to seeing all of you again on a regular basis!

NYC Bees reach combined 4K followers on social
Our supporters' group hit a nice little milestone in late July, surpassing a combined 4,000 followers on our six respective social media platforms: X, Instagram, Threads, Facebook, Bluesky and TikTok. Links to each platform are listed above. Thanks for the incredible support, and keep spreading the good word!

Club signs Ligue 1 Team of the Year MF Sangare
Brentford made a splash this offseason with the signing of 24-year-old midfielder Mamadou Sangare from Lens. On Aug. 1, the Mali international inked a five-year deal after completing his 2025-26 season with Lens in Ligue 1. He was named to the Ligue 1 Team of the Year, as well.

"He fits everything we want from a Brentford player, on and off the pitch," Brentford head coach Keith Andrews said. "He'll be a player that I think will become very, very popular with the fans."

Brentford News & Notes
Henderson departs for Chelsea: Midfielder Jordan Henderson, whose veteran leadership was crucial in the early months of the 2025-26 season, has departed Brentford and he will be joining Chelsea for the upcoming campaign. The 36-year-old featured briefly for England during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, but his tournament was cut short after injuring his wrist during a celebration over the advertising boards. Henderson played in his fourth World Cup. Even though Henderson was signed through the 2026-27 season, the club mutually agreed to terminate his contract early.

Rennes, Frankfurt on preseason docket: We'll finally get to enjoy some on-field Brentford football this month, with a couple preseason friendlies on the horizon. Brentford travels to France to face Rennes on Saturday, Aug. 8, followed by a home match against Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday, Aug. 15. The club has said both games will be broadcast, but details have not been released.

In preparation for these games and many more throughout the season, we've introduced a miniature #BeesIn30 reel to get you caught up with the latest in a mere 30 seconds. Hope this component fills a void in your busy schedules!

NYC Bees and the World Cup: It already feels like a long time ago, but North America's hosting of the World Cup was certainly a big part of the summer for many of us NYC Bees. Thanks for some of the photos during the group stage of the tournament, covering multiple matches in the U.S. and Canada.

We also had a Red Lion meet-up with Beesotted's Billy "The Bee" Grant for Norway-France, as well as a run-in with Alex Hill, the creator of the one-man show Why I Stuck a Flare Up My Arse, during the England victory over Norway.

Obviously the tournament (and FIFA) continues to have its share of embarrassing moments away from the actual football, but the passion of this wonderful game ultimately shone through, and that's the most important thing!

In the media: Our NYC Bees community had a little shout-out in George Moriarty's article on Axios: "Choose Your Premier League Adventure." ... I was fortunate to connect with BBC Radio London a couple times during the World Cup for Total Sport with Rob Green. Hopefully that's a new show we can join again during the upcoming season! ... NYC Bee Abhi Goyal rejoined the folks at the Don't Know Much About Football podcast in mid-June. The show's panel covered an array of topics that defined the 2025-26 campaign. Make sure to check out Abhi's appearance!

Quick hits: Back on July 3, Brentford worked out a new deal with defender Michael Kayode through June of 2032. ... Brentford B signed New York Red Bulls goalkeeper Aidan Stokes to a season-long loan. We're looking forward to seeing how one of our locals performs in West London! ... The club signed Callum Wilson to a one-season contract on July 9, and Nigerian international Benjamin Frederick was promoted to the first team on July 10. ... Brentford signed former Burnley forward Jaidon Anthony to a four-year deal. ... The Brentford Women's schedule through November has been released, and they will open play in the London and South East Regional Premier Division on Sunday, Aug. 16. ... Brentford released their 2026-28 home kit and their 2026-27 away kit last month -- something to potentially budget for!

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

Charlie

Saturday, May 30, 2026

Newsletter: Biggest Red Lion turnout, Thiago Player of Year, WC call-ups

Hi NYC Bees, Premier League Season No. 5 is in the books, and while Brentford missed out on Europe, it was certainly a greater-than-expected showing if you look at the big picture! And we've got loads of football ahead. The FIFA World Cup is on the horizon, with the final taking place in East Rutherford, New Jersey in mid-July. Here are some highlights and other noteworthy bits of news in the meantime. Thanks for the continued support in NYC, it's amazing where we've taken this supporters' group in such a short time!

50 Bees fans at NYC's Red Lion for finale
Brentford's season finale was certainly a huge spectacle here in the Big Apple! We drew 50 Bees supporters at the club's biggest overseas spot, The Red Lion, for the 1-1 draw at Liverpool. This was our largest turnout since we've been hosting NYC Bees events over the past five years. Brentford finished the season in ninth place, marking the first time the club has posted back-to-back top-10 finishes in the Premier League! Qualifying for European competition will have to wait at least another season, but we're close!

Brentford News & Notes
Thiago named Brentford Player of the Year: It was unanimous from the supporters and players: Thiago was named Brentford Player of the Year during a ceremony held on May 20. It really comes as no surprise after Thiago set a club record for goals in a Premier League season (22), finishing second in the league's Golden Boot race behind Manchester City's Erling Haaland. Among some of the other recognitions, Mathias Jensen earned Goal of the Season for his long-distance strike against Manchester United, Ashley Cheatley was Brentford Women Supporters' Player of the Year, and Asees Sangha won the Brentford Women's Player of the Year after recording 11 goals and 5 assists in 29 games.

Thiago was also named to the Premier League Fan Team of the Season, and the BBC Sport Premier League Team of the Season.

Four call-ups for World Cup: The 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off on June 11, and we're lucky to have a handful of Brentford players across North America in the competition! The meteoric rise of Thiago with both club and now country (Brazil) will certainly be the one to watch. Midfielder Jordan Henderson is back with the England squad, defender Kris Ajer is representing Norway, and defender Aaron Hickey was named to Scotland's national team. Good luck guys!

Club launching girls' academy in 2026-27: In late May, the club announced the introduction of a girls' academy as part of their development pathway. The academy will include U14 and U16 squads, and a U18 Trust side, competing in the Junior Premier League. Among other news, the Brentford Women will play their home fixtures at Uxbridge Football Club in 2026-27.

Top-5 moments of 2025-26: I can't speak for everyone, but I figured I'd put my top moments of the 2025-26 season out there. My return to West London for Brentford's win over Liverpool was obviously among the group, as well as owner Matthew Benham's New York City appearance at The Red Lion. Hopefully you'll agree with a few of these choices!

Quick hits: Brentford announced a couple player moves just after the season, with midfielder Ryan Trevitt to leave the club, and Reiss Nelson returning to Arsenal following his season-long loan. Trevitt made five first-team appearances across all competitions, and Nelson made 14 appearances this past season in all competitions. ... The Brentford Women confirmed the departure of 11 players from the club this offseason. ... Former Bees center back Ben Mee announced his decision to retire from football in early May. Congrats on a great career! ... We had a few media hits to close out the month, ranging from the Shades of Blue podcast to preview our game against Man City, a halftime appearance on NBC, and our regular spot on Premier League Fanzone Live on Peacock prior to our road game at Liverpool. We'll make sure to keep a strong presence on all of these channels moving forward! ... To cap off the season, I thought it would be fitting to call out the so-called "expert" pundits on their relegation predictions. We'll be underestimated many more times down the road, but the likes of Wayne Rooney and Robbie Fowler deserved to have their negative predictions called out. See you for Season 6 in the Premier League in a few months!

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

Charlie

Wednesday, April 29, 2026

NYC Bees Newsletter: Final stretch, Fan Fest recap, Forever Bees

Hi again NYC Bees, we're down to the final month of the season! Let's finish off our fifth Premier League campaign in strong form on the pitch and off. Here are some items to get you up to speed:

Four-match May schedule at Red Lion
We'll be at The Red Lion, 151 Bleecker St., for Brentford's final four matches of the season in May! Fortunately everything is on the weekend, too, starting with our May 2 fixture against a tough West Ham side that's fighting off relegation. Our season finale is on Sunday, May 24, at Liverpool. See the graphic for our full meet-up schedule.

Recapping PL Fan Fest in Tampa
A big thank you to Bruce and Sarah Muni for repping New Jersey and our NYC Bees to provide some color from the Premier League Fan Fest on April 18-19 in Tampa, Florida! They connected with local supporters and Brentford's impressive group: club ambassador Marcus Gayle, plus Fabio Carvalho and Antoni Milambo who juggled appearance duties and their ongoing rehab. Our result that weekend wasn't quite what we had hoped (scoreless draw against Fulham), but Brentford made the most of the stateside connection, whether it was the fan-favorite Michael Kayode/long throw-in station or the Q&A held at Shuffle. Tallahassee-based Bees supporter Reggie Grant wrote up a nice recap for Beesotted, and Atlanta's Michel Cowdery spoke with Across the Seas But Forever Bees to share his highlights.

Abhi Goyal returns to Forever Bees pod
Following our match against Manchester United at Old Trafford, NYC Bee Abhi Goyal hopped on the Across the Seas But Forever Bees podcast! He joined co-hosts Tim Searls and Greville Waterman after the Bees' hard-fought 2-1 loss to Man U. The group had an in-depth conversation about several of our players such as Kevin Schade, Reiss Nelson, and Josh Dasilva in his return to the bench, our European chances and more!

Brentford News & Notes
Valdimarsson signs extension: Backup goalkeeper Hakon Valdimarsson signed a new long-term contract on April 24 that keeps him with the Bees through the 2029-30 season. The 24-year-old Icelandic international has made 12 appearances for us in all competitions, and securing his services certainly is a promising move as he continues to serve a crucial -- not-so-glamorous -- role behind Caoimhin Kelleher.

Thiago sets single-season record: With his brace against Everton on April 11, Brentford forward Thiago established a single-season club record for goals in a Premier League season! That match brought him up to 21 PL goals in 2025-26, surpassing the previous mark of 20 shared by Ivan Toney and Bryan Mbeumo.

Academy earns top status: The Brentford Academy has been awarded Category One status by the Premier League -- the highest level under the Elite Player Performance Plan -- just four years after reopening. Starting in 2026-27, the club will compete in Premier League 2 and the U18 Premier League. The club intends to continue to operate the Brentford B team.

Quick hits: In the London and South East Premier League, Brentford Women captain Maddie Phillips was named LSE Player of the Month for March, tallying three goals and an assist across all competitions for that stretch. ... In the latest episode of the Ultra World Podcast, co-host Sean Cassels took a moment to look back on the show's visit with the NYC Bees at The Red Lion, expressing his appreciation of the club and our fandom. Hopefully we'll see a return visit soon! ... The Premier League Fanzone program booked us for a sixth time this season to preview the Brentford road match against Manchester United. The show is broadcast live on Mondays and Fridays, on Peacock stateside. If you're interested in participating in their program next season, please let us know and we'd be happy to connect you to their production team!

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

Charlie

Thursday, March 26, 2026

Newsletter: Owner Matthew Benham at Red Lion, April schedule, Fan Fest

Hello NYC Bees, it's been another stretch of huge moments for our group, highlighted of course by the appearance of Brentford owner Matthew Benham at our Greenwich Village-based pub, The Red Lion! The annual Premier League Fan Fest is also on the horizon in the states, so there's plenty to look forward to as the season winds down in a couple months. Some news and notes for you as we head into April:

April schedule at Red Lion
Now that we're out of the FA Cup, our April schedule is much thinner, and unfortunately a kickoff/broadcast change will limit our watch events. We are getting together for two of the three Brentford games this month at The Red Lion, 151 Bleecker St. Because the kickoff time of our April 18 game against Fulham was moved up to 7:30 a.m. ET, we will NOT be getting together at The Red Lion for that one. If a heavy amount of supporter interest is there for a 7:30 a.m. ET watch event, we are always open to having the conversations with the pub, so please voice your thoughts! See the graphic for our full meet-up schedule.

Owner Matthew Benham joins NYC Bees at Red Lion
March 9, 2026: We'll certainly remember that date moving forward. Less than five years after forming the NYC Bees, we hosted Brentford owner Matthew Benham at The Red Lion! The moment started with some good fortune: Big shout-out to Ben Reynolds who was taking part in the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference in Boston. After Benham's discussion with Men In Blazers' Roger Bennett on March 7, Ben rushed ahead of the pack toward the majority owner, introduced himself and invited him to the NYC Bees' FA Cup watch event; it just so happened Benham would be in NYC. Lo and behold, he appeared during the opening minutes of West Ham-Brentford, and stayed with us through the final whistle!

The result didn't pan out the way we wanted, but it didn't sour the moment. With a dozen of us Bees supporters on hand for the weekday afternoon fixture (not too bad a turnout for workday hours!), we savored the incredibly rare opportunity to enjoy our favorite club alongside the man responsible for Brentford's tremendous rise in the Premier League. What a treat!

Benham Stateside:
Men In Blazers | Postgame Photo Op | Celebrating at Red Lion

Premier League Fan Fest in Tampa
As mentioned in our previous newsletter, the annual Premier League Fan Fest is coming up from April 18-19 in Tampa, Florida. At least a couple folks from our supporters' group will be on site, and I recently confirmed with the Brentford front office that they will be in attendance (as usual). Details are still being worked out, but the club will announce their itinerary, representatives and more in the coming weeks. Stay tuned!

Brentford faces Fulham at 7:30 a.m. ET on Saturday, April 18. Fan Fest will be held at Armature Works, 1910 N. Ola Ave., and that Saturday's event opens at 6:30 a.m. ET. Hopefully we'll see a few stateside Bees supporters on the broadcast!

Bruce Muni debuts on Forever Bees podcast
It was nice to have yet another supporter from the tri-state area join the U.S.-based Across the Seas but Forever Bees show! Bruce Muni made his podcast debut with hosts Tim Searls and Greville Waterman this week to chat Brentford fandom and football. For those of you who aren't part of our weekly circle, Bruce is among an incredibly dedicated group that commutes in from New Jersey to join us on match days at The Red Lion. Great show, give it a listen!

Brentford News & Notes
Thiago earns first Brazil call-up: In the midst of our current international break, the biggest call-up story without question was forward Thiago earning his first trip with Brazil's senior team squad! Thiago's family celebration of the announcement drew millions of hits on social media, too. The 24-year-old has obviously been deserving of this with a stellar 2025-26 campaign for the Bees. Earlier this season, Thiago broke the record for most goals by a Brazilian in a Premier League season, and he's on track to set a Brentford single-season record for goals in the PL. Thiago made his Brazil debut during Thursday's match against France at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. For this March window, 22 Brentford players are joining their senior or youth national teams. That's the largest grouping in club history.

Bees bow out of FA Cup in PK shootout: Brentford came from behind twice, but after a 2-2 scoreline through 120 minutes, West Ham prevailed 5-3 in the penalty kick shootout on March 9 to advance to the FA Cup's quarterfinals. Thiago scored both goals for the road side, including a game-tying penalty kick. The shootout felt like an afterthought, though, mainly because of the disappointing execution/decision of Dango Ouattara's Panenka attempt, which was easily saved by Alphonso Areola. Live and learn. It's now a thing of the past, and hopefully we'll make a deeper tournament run in 2026-27.

Brentford Women fall in Capital Cup semis: The fifth-tier Brentford Women came up short in the semifinals of the Capital Cup, falling 4-3 to third-tier side AFC Wimbledon on March 15 at Bedfont Sports Club. Renai McCrea and Maddie Phillips each tallied a goal, and the Bees benefited from an own goal in the first half. "We battled to the end and took the fight to Wimbledon, and I'm really proud of the girls," head coach Carly Williams said. "We talked about making sure that we showed our quality, and we did that."

Quick hits: We have now had a combination of five appearances and feature segments this 2025-26 season on Premier League Fanzone, which is shown stateside live on Peacock. I was brought in on the day of Brentford's March 16 match against Wolves. If anyone is interested in making an appearance this season or next, please let me know and I'll connect you with their production team! ... Because Football just collaborated with us for an Instagram post to highlight us again on March 21! The NYC Bees are profiled in Because Football's Road Trip to the World Cup series. ... Brentford ran a fantastic in-stadium video prior to Bees-Wolves, compiling all the negative predictions from the pundits who thought the worst of our fate in 2025-26. Check it out!

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

Charlie

Wednesday, February 25, 2026

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.

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

Tuesday, January 27, 2026

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.

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

Sunday, December 28, 2025

Happy New Year, Schade and KLP boost, Saturdays Football, PL in USA

Happy New Year, NYC Bees! Our 2026 gets started quickly, so why waste time with a long intro: Here's your news and notes to get you up to speed on the latest here!

Another six-game month at The Red Lion
We're set to watch every January game at The Red Lion, 151 Bleecker St., with five league matches, and a third-round FA Cup game on Saturday, Jan. 10, at Sheffield Wednesday. The month starts up with a rematch against former manager Thomas Frank and Tottenham Hotspur on New Year's Day (Thursday, Jan. 1). Look forward to seeing all of you after this holiday season! See the graphic for our full meet-up schedule.

Schade, KLP provide scoring boost

With a couple absences due to the Africa Cup of Nations (particularly Dango Ouattara), we knew we needed some players to step up in December. In the past two games, Kevin Schade and Keane Lewis-Potter have been up to the task! Schade recorded his second Premier League hat trick in two seasons to lead the Bees to a 4-1 victory over Bournemouth on Dec. 27. Schade joins Man City's Erling Haaland and Bournemouth's Justin Kluivert as the only players to record multiple hat tricks since the start of the 2024-25 season.

Lewis-Potter notched a brace during Brentford's 2-0 victory at Wolves on Dec. 20. It was hands-down KLP's best game for us, and for his efforts, Lewis-Potter was named to the Premier League Team of the Week by Alan Shearer. BBC Sport and other media outlets also gave Lewis-Potter some deserved recognition.

NYC Bees at Saturdays Football in Soho
Die-hard football fans in the area probably are familiar with the Saturdays Football store located in Soho, Manhattan. The NYC Bees dropped in for a Premier League event on Dec. 18 to don a little Brentford signage! There was a photo station to showcase the club's latest jersey, plus some trivia and foosball competitions. It might take some time before we start seeing a plethora of Brentford vintage jerseys available at Saturdays Football, but it was definitely a nice opportunity to connect with this establishment, which is sure to gain even more popularity with the FIFA World Cup coming here in 2026!

NYC Bees on PL in USA's 'Have a Guinness with' video
For a whopping ninth occasion, our shoot with Premier League in USA (#PLinUSA) led to another video appearance from our NYC Bees contingent! This time, myself and Abhi Goyal were asked: Which player would we have a Guinness with? Ireland and Brentford captain Nathan Collins felt like the proper answer! This Dec. 22 piece was shared on PL in USA's Instagram channel, which has more than 1.3 million followers. Video footage was captured during the 2024-25 PL season outside The Red Lion in Greenwich Village.

Brentford News & Notes
AFCON: Ouattara records assist; Onyeka's Nigeria advances: At the Africa Cup of Nations tournament, Dango Ouattara provided a last-minute assist during Burkina Faso's come-from-behind 2-1 victory over Equatorial Guinea on Dec. 24. Burkina Faso has not reached the knockout round just yet and could use a positive result against Sudan on Dec. 31 to advance out of Group E. Frank Onyeka and Nigeria have already clinched a knockout round spot out of Group C, with wins against Tanzania and Tunisia.

Brentford Women atop LSE heading into 2026: In the midst of their first season in England's fifth tier, the Brentford Women enjoy a first-place position in the London and South East Premier Division! The Bees have posted 28 points in 12 games, though they do have some games in hand with the likes of Saltdean United and Dartford close behind. Following a mixed-bag November, Brentford responded well in December with an impressive 6-0 win against Millwall that featured three Ashley Cheatley goals. Also noteworthy, Brentford's Paula Holguin earned LSE Premier Player of the Month for November, with three goals and an assist during that stretch.

Pair of Shades of Blue appearances: To close out December, I joined the Shades of Blue Network for a couple shows in a weeklong stretch. The big finale was their weekly LIT Stream (Dec. 18), where we got into a number of topics beyond our respective clubs (Brentford and Manchester City), highlighted at the start by some World Cup-hosting opinions. Was a fun show! A couple days earlier, we previewed the quarterfinal Carabao Cup matchup between the Bees and City. We'll chat again on the 2026 side!

Quick hits: The 2026 FIFA World Cup draw took place in early December, and we now know the matches that will be taking place across the Hudson River in East Rutherford, N.J. Group-stage matches include Brazil-Morocco (June 13), France-Senegal (June 16), Norway-Senegal (June 22), Ecuador-Germany (June 25) and Panama-England (June 27). New Jersey will also be the host site of a Round of 32 match, Round of 16 match, and the much anticipated final on July 19. ... The semifinals of the 2026 FIFA Women's Champions Cup are taking place at Brentford's Gtech Community Stadium on Jan. 28. If you happen to be in West London for this stretch, our Harrison, N.J. neighbor Gotham FC of the National Women's Soccer League is playing in this competition! (for tickets and more info.) ... To cap this off, definitely check out Brentford manager Martin "Mad Dog" Allen's little Christmas story from his Bees tenure!

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

Charlie

Sunday, November 30, 2025

Newsletter: Busy December, red-hot Thiago, PL in USA hits, WC qualifying

Hello NYC Bees, hope you've had a nice Thanksgiving stretch. The season's going to pick up big-time with a busy December, so get ready! Here are some bits of news and information to get you up to speed as we close out 2025!

Packed December at The Red Lion
Our busiest month of the season is on tap at The Red Lion, 151 Bleecker St. We will be meeting up in Greenwich Village for SIX matches: five Premier League games and a Carabao Cup match this December! We start off with a weekday clash against Arsenal on Wednesday, Dec. 3 (2:30 p.m. ET kickoff). Outside of our hectic league schedule, we also travel to the Etihad to take on Manchester City on Wednesday, Dec. 17, in the quarterfinals of the Carabao Cup (2:30 p.m. ET). See the graphic for our full meet-up schedule.

Thiago sets new goal-scoring pace precedent
We try our best to ignore the critics and pundits out there who thought we'd suffer in the attack with the departure of several key cogs. That said, it is with some satisfaction that Brazilian forward Thiago is delivering for us so far this season! Following an injury-riddled 2024-25, the 24-year-old is leading the attack with 11 goals in 13 matches. That places him second in the Premier League Golden Boot race. He recorded a brace en route to a 3-1 victory against Newcastle on Nov. 9, earning Premier League Team of the Week accolades in the process. Most recently, he tallied two more during our 3-1 win over Burnley on Nov. 29, setting a new Brentford standard by reaching double-figure goalscoring just 13 matches into a single PL campaign.

Brentford News & Notes
Hickey, Scotland bound for World Cup: Brentford outside back Aaron Hickey and his Scotland side are headed to the 2026 FIFA World Cup! Hickey started for Scotland during its 4-2 win on Nov. 18 against Denmark to book a place in next year's competition in North America. It will be Scotland's first trip to the World Cup in 28 years:

Brentford FC International Roundup

Henry debuts for Jamaica: Left back Rico Henry, whose career was stalled because of an ACL injury back in 2023, is now making his presence felt on the international stage. Henry debuted for Jamaica during a 1-1 draw against Trinidad & Tobago on Nov. 13. The 28-year-old certainly seemed to be on his way toward breaking through for the England national team with his strong club play during the opening weeks of the 2023-24 season for Brentford, but a serious knee injury against Newcastle put everything on hold. It's great to see Rico getting some minutes on the global stage; he fully deserves it, and has earned it!

Trio of NYC Bees lands on latest PL in USA videos: We've certainly made a splash with the Premier League's USA channels (#PLinUSA) over the past year! First, NYC Bee Abhi Goyal was included in a montage critiquing the league's best hairstyles (international break content at its finest!). Then a week later, NYC Bees Alison Roberts and Lev Riley took part in a goal recommendations piece.

Both videos were distributed through PLinUSA's Instagram channel, which has 1.2 million followers!

Long throw-ins become the norm: Sorry Bees fans, we're not much of a secret when it comes to Michael Kayode and our goalscoring from long throw-ins! The Premier League decided to amplify that fact on Nov. 14, producing a graphic showing how Brentford easily leads the PL in most goals from throw-ins since the start of the 2024-25 season.

Quick hits: The draw for the 2026 FIFA World Cup is taking place on Friday, Dec. 5, from the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. In addition to the intrigue of our Brentford players and respective national teams, our supporters' group will have some content coming out for this stretch via Because Football (Andrew Baggaley joined us at The Red Lion earlier this season). Stay tuned! ... Bees United had an interesting "this date in history" piece recently: Nov. 15, 2005, tracing back to the start of the Matthew Benham era. Good stuff! ... Ashley Cheatley's bicycle kick during the first round of last season's Adobe Women's FA Cup has been nominated for the 2025 FIFA Marta Award!

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

Charlie

Wednesday, October 29, 2025

Newsletter: Beating the champs, NYC at Gtech, Front Row, venue change

Hi NYC Bees, this has been quite a memorable stretch! We're solidly in the middle of the league table after beating defending Premier League champion Liverpool, the club continues to move on in the Carabao Cup, and we've had some stellar promotional opportunities for our group both locally and abroad! There was a little hitch in our upcoming schedule, but things are perfectly sorted out. Here's a roundup of the latest Brentford happenings, and what we've got to look forward to in November!

Split schedule for November watch meet-ups
We will be meeting for all four matches in November, but with a little twist. The opening road match against Crystal Palace (Nov. 1) will take place at Dog & Bone, 338 3rd Ave., as a private event caused us to change venues. We have a group reservation, so hopefully you can join us! The remaining three November fixtures will all take place at our main home, The Red Lion, 151 Bleecker St. The Red Lion will open early for the 9 a.m. ET kickoff against Newcastle (Nov. 9); the odds of us facing Yoane Wissa are up in the air, but if he sets foot in Gtech Community Stadium, the "boo birds" should be out (and deserved!). See the graphic for our full meet-up schedule.

NYC Bees at Gtech, on Premier League Fanzone
As part of the big Brentford win against Liverpool, I had the opportunity to be at Gtech Community Stadium to take it all in! While filming a little bit of the surroundings, Premier League Fanzone was interested in running some footage, so we landed a segment on the Oct. 27 program! (which aired live on Peacock in the states)

During this stretch, we got some NYC Bees signage near the old Brentford grounds at The Griffin, I was fortunate to land a full-page article in the official game day program, and we were flagged down to join Beesotted, approximately 20 minutes into the post-match podcast. It was amazing to connect with some new and old faces on this journey!

View from the Front Row: Saturday with the NYC Bees
Football writer Michael Lewis, well known for his extensive stateside and international coverage of the sport, decided to spend an afternoon with the NYC Bees when Brentford visited Fulham on Sept. 20. We were featured heavily in his Substack channel, View from the Front Row, on Oct. 3! With about 20 of us at The Red Lion, Michael soaked in the experience and reactions to tell our story. Thank you for making the trek from Long Island to paint the picture of this supporters' group! We wish Brentford didn't have one of its poorer performances, but it was nice to see him capture some of the components of our weekly gatherings!

Brentford News & Notes
Bees sink defending champion Liverpool: The signature moment of the season to this point surely is Brentford's 3-2 win against defending Premier League champion Liverpool on Oct. 25. Thiago's 60th-minute penalty kick proved to be the game-winner, but many of the fireworks took place in a shot-heavy first half. Off a patented long throw-in from Michael Kayode, Dango Ouattara put the Bees on the scoreboard in the fifth minute, and Mikkel Damsgaard set up Kevin Schade for a two-goal advantage in the 45th minute.

Kayode earned Premier League Team of the Week honors, and manager Keith Andrews also was recognized after this feat. With a respectable 13 points through nine league games, hopefully there are fewer naysayers out there!

Bees advance to Carabao Cup Quarterfinals: Brentford easily ousted the Cinderella Story of the Carabao Cup, Grimsby Town, with a 5-0 road victory on Oct. 28. The win puts the Bees into the tournament's quarterfinals. Mathias Jensen and Keane Lewis-Potter scored clinical goals in the 22nd and 26th minutes, respectively, and really never looked back. Reiss Nelson had an impactful game, setting up KLP's tally and scoring a goal of his own late in the first half. Brentford's Cup run resumes in mid-December, when the Bees visit Manchester City.

Milambo out for season: On Oct. 15, the club announced that Antoni Milambo will miss the remainder of the 2025-26 season. He suffered an ACL injury on international duty with the Netherlands U21s. The 20-year-old Milambo started in a pair of Carabao Cup wins earlier this season.

BBC's Sports World: This past month we made our third appearance with BBC Radio's Sports World show, and we've got you covered with the BBC recording. I joined a Brentford-Man City supporters' panel in the minutes preceding our Oct. 5 match. Hosted by Delyth Lloyd and reporter George Addo, we covered topics ranging from manager Keith Andrews, to Thiago, and the new-look Bees attack, season predictions and more. If Brentford's schedule returns to that 11:30 a.m. ET Sunday time slot, there's a good chance we will make a return. That said, if other Brentford supporters are interested in participating, we'd be happy to connect you with their producer!

Quick hits: Former Brentford player Alan Hawley passed away in early October. He was 79. Hawley is 11th on the club's all-time appearances list (343) and he was inducted into the Brentford Hall of Fame in 2013. ... The Brentford Women were eliminated from the Adobe Women's FA Cup on Oct. 26, falling in a 4-3 shootout against Sutton United. Esme Alaneme tallied her first Bees goal during regulation, which ended at 1-1 before going to the shootout. ... Among our other NYC Bees media opportunities, Abhi Goyal made his return to Across the Seas but Forever Bees in the build-up to Brentford-Liverpool, followed by Alison Roberts' debut after our Liverpool and Carabao Cup wins! We appreciate all these opportunities to join the guys at Forever Bees. I took part in another edition of Breaking Bread, a series on the Man City-focused Shades of Blue Network. The opening minutes of my Brentford v Man City conversation are available for free, and the remainder is a Patreon exclusive segment.

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

Charlie