Cliff Crown: Reflecting on 2025 | OneFootball

As we approach Christmas and the start of 2026, I would like to take this opportunity to reflect on a year of growth and progress at our club, both on and off the pitch.

On the pitch, we were pleased to finish the 2024/25 season recording our second top 10 finish in four seasons in the Premier League.

Off the pitch, we welcomed new investment into Best Intentions Analytics, the holding company for Brentford Football Club, with philanthropist Gary Lubner and filmmaker Sir Matthew Vaughn becoming minority shareholders. This investment signals our determination to continue the progress we have made to date and remain competitive in the world’s most successful and challenging football league.

This summer, we saw a period of significant change as we said farewell to Thomas Frank, who left with our sincere thanks and best wishes after an incredible contribution to Brentford.

Ahead of the 2025/26 season, we welcomed Keith Andrews as our new men’s first-team head coach. Having previously played a key role as our set-piece coach, Keith had already shown how important he is to our on-field development. It has been fantastic to see him step into his new role, working with our longstanding director of football Phil Giles, performance director Ben Ryan and technical director Lee Dykes.

We have had a solid start to the season and are clearly making some good progress, with excellent form at home. We are all looking ahead with excitement to the second half of the season.

Following the departure of key members of the first-team squad, we added several new signings throughout the year. Jordan Henderson has brought invaluable experience to our midfield, while Michael Kayode is known to football fans around the world with his great defending, marauding runs and long throws. Caoimhín Kelleher and Dango Ouattara have made a positive impact on the team and helped us win points.

Brentford Women have made exceptional progress this year, winning 21 of their 22 league games in 2024/25, securing promotion to Tier 5 after winning the London & South East Regional Women’s Division One North.

We are a club firmly rooted in our community and through the great work of our Brentford FC Community Sports Trust, we have continued to work hard to bring positive change to people living in and around Brentford and the surrounding boroughs. This year, the Trust has delivered programmes across health, sport and education initiatives to nearly 14,500 participants.

We are proud to have now installed a series of Talking is the Best Tactic benches in the local community as part of our ongoing work to support mental health and wellbeing. This year, we also continued to raise awareness of the importance of women and girls’ safety, with Gtech Community Stadium being accredited as a Safe Haven and hosting our first-ever active bystander training for fans.

As I have said many times before, our supporters are the heartbeat of this club and we understand the importance of listening to and involving our fans. In March, Brentford retained second place and improved our overall score in the Premier League’s matchday fan experience survey, an achievement we hold with great pride.

This year has also brought a number of firsts and notable achievements. In May, we were named Overall Football Club of the Year at the Football Business Awards 2025. We also won Best Club Marketing Campaign in the Premier League for Gen10 and earned silver in the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion category. This recognition came shortly after we achieved intermediate level of the Premier League’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Standard (PLEDIS). We remain committed to making our club as inclusive as possible so that everyone feels welcome.

Just last month, our sustainability efforts with our fan group Sustaina-Bees were recognised with the Football Supporters’ Association Climate Action Award. Reducing our environmental impact is not optional, but essential. These accolades reflect the dedication of our staff across the club.

Sadly, 2025 has also been a year in which we said goodbye to several dear members of the Brentford family. In October, our head of academy goalkeeping, Christopher Ramsey, passed away after his battle with bowel cancer. He played a vital role in the restart of our Academy and was a greatly respected colleague who will be deeply missed.

We also lost former Brentford chair Dan Tana, under whom the Bees earned promotion to the Third Division in 1977/78, as well as former player Alan Hawley, who was inducted into our Hall of Fame in 2013. We hold them all in our hearts.

As we close the chapter on 2025, I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to our fans, partners, staff and community for their unwavering support throughout this last year.

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and, most importantly, a happy and healthy new year and a fantastic 2026.