In 1967, Brentford Football Club came close to extinction. The Brentford owner and Chairman, Jack Dunnett, had agreed with his Queens Park Rangers counterpart Jim Gregory that Rangers would move into Brentford in the summer of 1967 and The Bees cease to exist. The news caused shock around the football world.

Brentford fans fight back

But Brentford fans said no! Headed by Supporters’ Association Chairman Peter Pond-Jones, the fight back began and a consortium of businessmen was quickly formed to try and save the Club. Over the course of the next five weeks, fans raised more than £10,000 towards the cost of buying out Dunnet’s shares in Brentford.

On 23 February 1967 it was announced the future of Brentford Football Club was secured when Dunnett’s shares were sold to new Chairman Ron Blindell on behalf of the consortium.

Bees Review special edition

A special collectors’ edition of Bees Review, spanning 108 pages and costing £5, will be sold against Rotherham United. Did you or your family save Brentford? The matchday programme will publish a complete list of all fans that purchased shares in the Club from 20 April 1967 and 6 June 1969 which has been compiled from a recently found shares allotment book created at the time.

Don’t miss out on a piece of history: celebrate the 50th anniversary of the fans saving Brentford by booking tickets now for The Bees’ home match against Rotherham United on 25 February. Prices are just £1 for Juniors, £5 for Young Persons, and £20 for adults all over Griffin Park.