As part of saying goodbye to the Club, Mark has reflected on his time at Brentford in his last column for the Club’s matchday programme. Mark said he “thoroughly enjoyed” his time at the Club and was “very proud” of what had been achieved since he arrived in 2011. The piece can be seen in full in the programme, available at Griffin Park tomorrow.

Mark wrote: “The Club is unrecognisable in so many ways compared to where it was in 2011. Our fanbase has grown considerably, and we have more than doubled our number of Season Ticket holders since 2011. We need to grow interest in the Club further if we are to take advantage of the opportunities created by moving to our new home.

“Our social media output has been greatly enhanced and engagement figures and media values continue to grow year on year. Commercially, we have seen fantastic revenue growth and the number of commercial partners currently stands at 28. The relationship with Brentford FC Community Sports Trust is now closer than ever and we are very proud of their achievements.

“The new stadium is rising out of the ground and is currently on schedule for the Club to play its first competitive match there in August 2020. This is testimony to the supporters who have worked long and hard in making the dream a reality, and to the owner, without whom none of this would be possible. Thanks to all our supporters for their continued backing. I wish everyone at the Club all the very best for the future and I really do look forward to seeing The Bees playing at their new home (hopefully in the Premier League).”

Cliff Crown, Brentford FC Chairman, will step in as Chief Executive while the Club looks for a replacement for Mark. There has been a handover process since the announcement was made and Cliff will be managing day-to-day operations in the short term.

Cliff said: “I would like to thank Mark on behalf of the Board for his work during his time at the Club. He has overseen a dramatic growth at the Club and he deserves a lot of credit for the strong position we are in. I have enjoyed working with him and I wish him all the best for the future.”

Pick up your copy of Bees, our matchday programme, around the ground tomorrow for Mark's full programme notes and more exclusive content