John Dean turns 93 today, Friday 19 October, and will be the Brentford FC mascot at the game tomorrow. Alongside him will be Brandon Kear, who turns 13 today. And Brandon has more reason than most to celebrate becoming a teenager.

Earlier this year the 13-year-old contracted Stevens-Johnson syndrome, a rare but serious disorder of the skin. He was in intensive care and his family were told he may not survive. The Kear family were given lots of support on social media by fellow Brentford fans and Brandon managed to pull through.

Brandon’s family have been invited to the Bristol City game as guests of the Club and will display a banner at half time thanking Bees fans for their support. The Club has also asked Brandon to be a mascot on the day. He had his kit delivered by Buzz Bee and Buzzette earlier this week and was at the Club’s Training Ground today to meet Thomas and the players.

Walking out alongside Brandon will be someone who remembers Brentford playing in the top tier of English football. John first went to Griffin Park in 1931 when he was six-years-old and was at some of the great days of the Club’s Golden Era in the 1930s and 40s. Born in Isleworth, John was at Wembley Stadium when Brentford won the London War Cup in 1942 and is still attending matches today.

Mark Devlin, Brentford FC Chief Executive, said: “It will be a great pleasure for the Club to welcome Brandon and John to Griffin Park on Saturday, as it was for Thomas and the football staff to have Brandon and his family at the Training Ground today. We believe in being open and accessible and even though the Club is growing at a terrific pace, we’re still small enough to care and we wanted to do something special for both families when we became aware of their stories.

“Brandon’s family want to thank all Brentford fans for their support and that was something we could facilitate and help give them some great memories after a difficult year. And John’s story is an amazing one. As we come close to the end of Griffin Park being able to celebrate someone who remembers some of the oldest days will fill us all with joy. I hope they both have a great day.”

Give your support to Thomas and the lads by joining us at Griffin Park tomorrow. With our away end sold out, tickets for this game are only available to supporters with a ticket purchasing history, so don’t forget to log in to your ticketing account to secure your place for this match.

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