Brentford fan James Passey kicked off the new decade with a surprise visit from Brentford’s mascot Buzz at his 90th birthday on New Year’s Day. James, who has been attending Brentford matches since the 1930s, couldn’t quite believe it when Brentford’s iconic mascot walked into The Bridge Hotel in Chertsey. Growing up on Distillery Road, a quarter of a mile from Griffin Park, James started supporting Brentford from the age of eight.

His granddaughter, Kerry, believes it will be a birthday he will never forget. She said: “Buzz’s surprise visit to his 90th birthday gave my Grandad the biggest smile. He absolutely loved the surprise and everyone was talking about it after – it was definitely the highlight of his birthday.”

“I remember walking to the stadium with my dad and the sound of the fans getting louder and louder as we got nearer,” James said. “In those days they were no seats – we used to stand in the Ealing Road end. My favourite memory of Griffin Park was when Sir Stanley Matthews played at Griffin Park in a charity match – it was an incredible atmosphere that day.”

With Brentford’s new stadium set to be ready for the 2020/21 season, The Bees are using their last season at Griffin Park to commemorate fans’ favourite memories. If you would like to book a mascot package for Brentford’s last season at Griffin Park click here or contact us at [email protected].