On Sunday Brentford Women will aim to make history once again as they hope to break the attendance record at Bedfont Sports Club for the second time as they face Richmond Park in the London South East Regional Football League Division One North in a 3pm kick-off.
With the Bees currently sitting second in the league and only first place ensuring promotion from the division, the women’s first team need all the support they can get as they continue their hunt for the league title.
In what has been a strong season up to this point, former Brentford defender and now Women’s first team head coach Karleigh Osborne can be proud of his team’s efforts as we enter the final stage of the campaign.
“It’s been a good season so far, we’ve been fighting for that top spot in the league and had a good cup run which got us into the final which is a fantastic achievement,” explains Osborne as he sits in the lounge area of the Robert Rowan Performance Centre.
“Most importantly we have seen the players improve game by game and over the course of the season so I’m super pleased.”
Brentford Women are no strangers to important games and have performed in front of some big crowds this season but their experience at the Gtech Community Stadium back in November is one that will be remembered forever.
The club broke the attendance record for a tier six women’s game with 5,116 fans watching on as Brentford Women came from a goal behind at half-time to beat Watford Ladies Development 4-2 with Osborne pointing to the game as a turning point in his side’s season.
“The atmosphere was incredible, it sounded like there was 20,000 people in the stadium and they were fantastic on the day, it was a wonderful experience and something we would love to do more,” said Osborne.
“I think it helped massively, for everyone that played that’s the biggest crowd they would of played in front of and there’s a different expectation that comes when you’re playing at home and in front of those fans.”
"They want to see you perform, win the game and play some good football and we did all three of those things but I think mainly it’s been a good learning curve for the players as there has been a lot of expectation this year and they have had to raise their standards which they have done.
"I think the game and that crowd added experience to the team for the second half of the season and it’s now about using that to come away from big moments with positive results.”
On Wednesday evening’s both women’s teams make use of the gym facilities at the Robert Rowan Performance Centre before their head off to Gunnersbury Sports Park for full training.
As a former professional footballer himself, Osborne understands what it means for his young side to be under the same roof as the men’s first team players and believes the togetherness within the whole club is at an all-time high.
“It’s huge, they understand that they’re a part of something bigger than them just playing football, this is a club which has been fantastic in what it’s done on the pitch and off the pitch, it’s a Premier League club and the girls get that feel now.
“We want to play at the highest level possible and I think in order for us to do that we need to make sure we do the right things for the girls in and around the club, making sure the facilities are right, the training as well and hopefully that will inspire them to push on themselves.”
Brentford Women broke last season’s Bedfont Sports Club attendance record for the first time with 1,010 fans watching on as the Bees beat Sport London E Benfica in a 7-2 victory at their home ground.
Brentford Women put in a stunning performance at Bedfont last season
The game has since been recognised as the benchmark to further opportunities that the women’s first team have experienced as Osborne reflects back to the day as the start of something special.
He continued: “It was a fantastic day, it was very loud and everyone was right next to the pitch so there was a level of pressure but it was brilliant in terms of the atmosphere. I look forward to hopefully filling the stadium again and putting on another show for the fans in attendance.
“The players connection with the fans is incredible and they're inspiring the next generation of female footballers.”
As we look towards this weekend’s game against Richmond Park, Osborne and his team are excited at the prospect of potentially breaking last year’s record and proving just how far they have come in the past year, on and off the field.
Osborne said: “The players' want the support, it will definitely show how far the club has come and we want to build a fanbase for ourselves, we would love to have fans at our games more regularly especially at home, creating that atmosphere and making it difficult for teams to come and play against us, giving us that little extra when we need it.
“This is another opportunity for us to showcase what we’re capable of.”
The head coach’s final message to those supporters who are thinking of coming down to Bedfont on Sunday was a clear one: “Make sure you come down there will be some fantastic football on show and we would love your support, come down and join us!”
Register your interest here to watch Brentford Women in action on Sunday, tickets are free of charge!