Christmas is a time for giving; a small gift or act of generosity or kindness can make a big impact on those around us.

I thought I’d use the theme of giving for my Christmas message this year. 

Giving belief

Last week, as we officially opened the Robert Rowan Performance Centre, we held an event for staff and players to come together, alongside members of the Rowan family.

At that event, Thomas Frank addressed those in the room and spoke about the importance of giving the players belief. Belief that they can perform in the Premier League, belief that they can compete with the very best opposition, and belief that we can win, even in the toughest circumstances. 

That belief, added to the talent of our players, coaches and staff along with hard work and application, has led to some of the amazing results that we have witnessed this year at the Gtech Community Stadium and notably on those special very days at Stamford Bridge and the Etihad. 

Giving back 

Something that I am most proud about as a Bees fan, and chief executive, is our work in the community.

Giving back to the community here in west London, which has given us so much support over the years, will always be important for us. 

This year, we have also witnessed two major events overseas that have also touched us here in west London: the war in Ukraine and the terrible flooding in Pakistan.

We were pleased to be able to make financial contributions to both Disasters Emergency Committee’s funds to help those most impacted. 

Our work to support refugees who have settled in west London also continues. We set up a group for Ukrainian families who have attended matches at the Gtech and ran sessions at Brentford FC Community Sports Trust’s new Hub facility, helping to integrate those who have been displaced.

We were also delighted to work with Refugees Welcome Hounslow to host a recent Christmas celebration with them, again at the new Trust Hub. Participants from countries in the Middle East and Africa including Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Democratic Republic of the Congo and Sudan came together to celebrate the festive period, sharing food from different cultures.

In November this year, Brentford FC Community Sports Trust celebrated the launch of its latest impact report, Changing Horizons. It was a wonderful reminder of all the good work that they do throughout west London, to provide education, exercise and opportunities to those in our communities. 

Giving our best

2022 has also been busy behind the scenes as we work on developing the club, taking it to the next level.

To support that, there has been an influx of new staff supporting the on-field and off-field operations.

We are re-establishing our academy, developing our non-matchday events programme at the Gtech and, more generally, trying to raise the bar in terms of the service we provide to our fans and business partners. 

It is one of our top priorities to create an environment for our staff to succeed, which means helping them understand our values, our history and our fans. 

We don’t always get everything right, but I can assure you that we will always continue to give our very best as we move into 2023. 

Giving our respects

Christmas provides us with an opportunity to pause and remember those loved ones we have lost this year.

This time of year can be difficult; we think about those who aren’t with us any more to celebrate and spend time with over the festive period. 

Our annual remembrance game, organised by the club in conjunction with BIAS, will take place on Monday 2 January at our home fixture against Liverpool. 

That will be a moment for us to come together, give our respects and remember fellow fans and loved ones who have recently passed away.

Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to personally thank Matthew Benham, Cliff Crown, Phil Giles, the board, staff and fans for the support they have given me since becoming chief executive back in March 2019.

The togetherness shown through some challenging periods has given our great club resilient and strong foundations. There has never been a better time to be part of the Bees family and I look forward to what the future holds.   

On behalf of everyone at Brentford, I wish you all a merry Christmas, happy new year and some more memorable days cheering on the Bees!

Jon Varney