Preview: Brentford at Man City, on Shades of Blue's 'Breaking Bread'

For a second straight season, we're previewing Brentford matches against Manchester City on the Shades of Blue "Breaking Bread" show. NYC Bees Co-Founder Charlie Corr connected with Crunk Chocolate and Lando Martinez to talk about the Bees. Topics included the big matchup, Brentford's transfer window grade, some individual season picks on who will have a strong season for the Bee, and the aspects of what have made Brentford a difficult matchup against Man City.

The program was a build-up toward the Sept. 14 match, which resulted in a 2-1 Man City victory -- the correct score prediction from our Brentford guest.

Newsletter: September Slate, BBC Appearance, Toney Saga Ends

Hello NYC Bees, we're back into the swing of things now! Here are some bits of news, media hits and information as we gear up for September!

Three-game PL slate in September, starting with Man City
We have a two-week break because of the international football window, but we'll resume our Premier League slate starting on Sept. 14 at the defending champions, Manchester City. All three September league matches kick off at 10 a.m. ET. When the team confirms specifics, there also might be an opportunity to get together to watch Brentford's third-round Carabao Cup action against Leyton Orient in mid-September, if there's interest. See the graphic for the full schedule this month at The Red Lion, 151 Bleecker St.

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Debut on BBC Sports' Sunday Sportsworld
We're stepping things up a bit already in the media space! I had the privilege to join BBC Sports live for their Sunday Sportsworld program in the minutes leading up toward Brentford's kickoff against Liverpool on Aug. 25. It was part of a new panel segment, so I had the chance to drum up the Brentford side of things just before our watch at The Red Lion. Sunday games are few and far between for Brentford, but when this timing works out in the future, BBC Sports will likely invite us back for this. It was good to get this one in the books (they reach about 40 million people globally per week), and the producer was incredibly complimentary on how our 15-minute segment went. If you're interested and would like to get involved, please let me know! The show is broadcast live via BBC World Service.

Brentford News & Notes
Toney headed to Saudi Arabia: The Ivan Toney saga has finally come to a close. The England striker is joining Saudi Arabian side Al-Hali, with Brentford receiving a reported £40 million transfer fee. Toney had not featured for the Bees this season and missed a large part of the 2023-24 campaign serving a suspension for breaching The FA's football betting rules. While Toney did play a highly crucial role in Brentford's promotion, and he contributed a 20-goal season en route to a ninth-place finish in 2022-23, the drama over the past year and various off-field commentary/behavior tended to cloud things during his tenure. We wish him the best, and we thank him for his massive role in the club, but this was not the next chapter (nor sendoff) that we wanted to see for a player who still has plenty of high-level football in him.

Club makes signing splash: After an incredibly quiet summer, Brentford made a handful of significant signings throughout the final few weeks of August. The most noteworthy additions are a pair of 22-year-old former Liverpool players: defender Sepp van den Berg and midfielder Fabio Carvalho. Both impressed during their respective loan spells. Van den Berg established himself as one of the top German Bundesliga center backs at Mainz 05, and Carvalho showcased his goal-scoring prowess at Hull City, earning an EFL Young Player of the Month honor during his 2024 stint. Both players signed five-year contracts with the Bees. Brazilian 18-year-old forward Gustavo Nunes and England youth international and 18-year-old left back Jayden Meghoma were also among Brentford's signings in the transfer window.

Hickey out for longer spell; Henry nears return: Our outside backs situation received some mixed news. Right back Aaron Hickey is now going to miss the majority of 2024-25. After a crutches photo made the social media rounds, the club promptly addressed the fact that Hickey's hamstring injury will now keep him off the pitch for nearly another season. Left back Rico Henry, fortunately, seems to be getting close to a return from his knee injury. He is scheduled to play in a closed-door friendly on Wednesday, Sept. 4. If Henry has a strong performance and continues to participate in full training, hopefully we will see him in league play within a couple weeks after the current international break. Fingers crossed for his return!

Bees off to best Premier League start: Three games don't make a season, but Brentford supporters have to savor the fact that the club is off to its best start in the Premier League. With six points through three matches, the Bees were sitting in fifth place in the table after Saturday's 3-1 victory against Southampton (now in sixth place after Sunday's completed matches). By comparison, it took Brentford four games to reach six points in 2023-24, and five games to hit that points total in 2022-23. We're on the upswing!

Quick hits: The Brentford Women posted their biggest win ever, dominating North Leigh 18-1 in the first qualifying round of the FA Cup on Sunday. Three different players scored four goals: Ashley Cheatley, Chloe Logie and Nikki Woods. ... Led by a Keane Lewis-Potter goal and a late Hakon Valdimarsson penalty kick save, Brentford edged Colchester United 1-0 in the second round of the Carabao Cup on Aug. 28. ... Among other Brentford player news, midfielder Frank Onyeka has joined Bundesliga side Augsburg on a season-long loan to get him some minutes. ... Midfielder Myles Peart-Harris is going to play for Championship side Swansea City for 2024-25, on a loan. ... Earlier in August, defender Zanka signed with Anderlecht of the Belgian Pro League. ... The 10th Premier League Mornings Live Fan Fest is going on from Sept. 21-22 in Lincoln Park, in Chicago. If you're interested in attending, register here.

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

Charlie

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

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

Manchester United: Smithfield Hall, 138 W. 28th St., Chelsea / 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

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

Newsletter: Our voice with Bees United, preseason, Player of the Year

Hi NYC Bees! First off, thank you for your continued support, especially during a pretty tough Premier League season! The fandom has only continued to grow, and we're eager for even bigger and better things heading into the 2024-25 campaign in the top flight! Here are a few bits of information, links and highlights to keep everyone up to date in the world of Brentford here in New York City!

Bees United: Our International Voice
Brentford FC's supporters' trust, Bees United, distributed their end-of-season newsletter on May 23. BU's brought me in for a variety of articles over the years, and so I contributed a piece: Stateside Perspective: Establishing Our International Bees Voice. The majority of the article is touting our growth, ranging from our media-related content, to our continued rise on Saturdays, to a couple initiatives on the horizon. All of you are well aware of the proactive approach we've taken, but it was a nice opportunity to remind the Bees United readership and supporters of how much has been put into this. Hopefully more pockets of international Bees fans will find their own niche!

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July and August Preseason Fixtures
Brentford finalized two firm times/dates for August preseason matches, and another matchup will be taking place sometime in July. The Bees travel to face Championship side Watford at Vicarage Road on Saturday, Aug. 3 (10 a.m. ET kickoff) and host German Bundesliga side Wolfsburg on Friday, Aug. 9 (2:45 p.m. ET) at Gtech Community Stadium. A fixture against Sutton United (National League) will be played behind closed doors sometime in July. I highly doubt there will be any broadcasts beyond in-house commentary, so we'll probably be out of luck with preseason watch events. I'll keep in touch with the club on these details.

Brentford News & Notes
Pinnock Names Brentford Supporters' Trust Player of the Year: Despite missing a handful of matches in the second half of the season, defender Ethan Pinnock was voted the Brentford Supporters' Player of the Year during the club's awards ceremony on May 15. Midfielder Vitaly Janelt was named the players' MVP, and Yoane Wissa earned goal of the season for his bicycle kick against Chelsea. Wissa also liked our Instagram post of us celebrating the moment at The Red Lion! Chloe Logie was the Women Supporters' Player of the Year after eclipsing 50 goals this season.

Euros around the corner: UEFA EURO 2024 kicks off on Friday, June 14, with the final taking place on Sunday, July 14. We'll have a handful of Brentford players involved in the event. Mark Flekken was named in the Netherlands' final squad. Danish trio Mikkel Damsgaard, Christian Norgaard and Mathias Jensen are head to the Euros. Ivan Toney made England's provisional squad, and the actual tournament roster is set to be announced on June 8. Stay tuned for the possibility of a watch event at The Red Lion; follow our social channels when that comes to fruition as we have not yet determined which match(es) we will make a "semi-official" gathering!

PL schedule release on June 18: The 2024-25 Premier League schedule is set to be announced at 4 a.m. ET (9 a.m. BST) on Tuesday, June 18! The season will officially start on Aug. 17. Visit premierleague.com for all the latest information on Brentford's fourth Premier League season!

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

Charlie