Harry managed Brentford between 1926 and 1949, taking The Bees from the third tier to the very top of English football. He earned the accolade in a 2013 poll and is a member of our Hall of Fame. His name will now be enshrined when Brentford Community Stadium opens next year incorporating The Harry Curtis Boardroom.
We have re-assessed the names of some lounges in the new stadium after meeting with representatives from our fan groups at the start of the year. The names of rooms were released late last year but there were requests for these to be reconsidered. After listening to representations from our supporters and Brentford FC historians, names for the premium lounges at our new home have now been agreed.
Along with The Harry Curtis Boardroom, the lounge names will reflect the history of the Club and the area, as well as noting the location of the new stadium. Fans who buy our top premium seating package and join Club 1889 – named to reference the year Brentford FC was formed – will be in The Oxford and Cambridge (pictured below). This is named after the hotel, next to Kew Bridge and just yards from our new home, where Brentford Rowing Club met in autumn 1889 and agreed to form Brentford FC.
Those who are in Club TW8 will have a choice of two lounges – The Railway and The Orchard. The Railway (pictured below) picks up on a key aspect of the site itself, bounded on all sides by railway lines and right beside a station, something the architects have also picked up on and reflected in the design of the stadium itself. The stadium land was donated by the Rothschild family for railway purposes many years ago - Walter Rothschild was a Club Patron in the early 1900s which encouraged a change in shirt colours in 1903 to blue and gold so we felt it would be good to mark this in some way.
The Orchard (pictured below) was named to reference Griffin Park, which was built on an orchard leased to the Club by Fuller, Smith and Turner – with whom we have a relationship to this day. Though we may be leaving Griffin Park, the historic association will live on.
We have agreed to name two other lounges The Legends and The Fortress. The Legends will be used to pay homage to the great players that have graced the red and white stripes over the years. The Fortress refers to the 1929/30 season in the Third Division South when Brentford set an English football record, that still stands today, by winning all 21 home games during that season - something that we’d love to replicate at the new stadium. These lounges will go on sale when other premium spaces are sold out.
There are still other areas of the stadium and surrounding areas to name. The large bar for fans in the South Stand – tentatively called The Dugout during initial communications – will be formally named after further consultation with supporters while the executive boxes will also receive Brentford themes.
Cliff Crown, Brentford FC Chairman, said: “After meeting with representatives of Bees United and independent fan organisations, it became clear that there was a real desire to reference Brentford FC history and special figures in a more detailed way than we had originally conceived. We listened and took that on board. I thank those fans I met with for the detailed suggestions they submitted which enabled us to come up with a solution that has been agreed by all.
“The heritage of Brentford FC is extremely important to everyone behind the scenes and we continue to work hard striking a balance protecting this while also ensuring that we are attractive and relevant to new audiences. I think we have been able to do that with the help of our fans and I look forward to being able to have more historic references as we confirm more names in the coming months.”
Adam Hobbs, Chairman of BIAS – the Brentford Independent Association of Supporters, said: "The new stadium is a great opportunity for the Club to embark on a new era, however it is important that our past and heritage are preserved. It's great that the Club have listened to the independent supporters' groups and made changes to reflect this."
Dave Lane, from Beesotted – the Brentford fan network, said: "Moving to our new stadium is going to be an emotional landmark for all die-hard Brentford fans, so keeping the Club’s heritage and history locked into the Bees’ DNA wherever possible will help ensure many of our proud traditions move with us. Beesotted are delighted to have played our part in helping the club make these important decisions.”
Trevor Inns, who administers the Griffin Park Grapevine message board, added: "This is a great example of how independent supporters' groups can work constructively with the Club to influence how the new stadium can reflect our heritage, making it befitting of our new home."
The Brentford Community Stadium development is an important part of the wider regeneration of the area known as Brentford East. It will deliver a brand-new stadium together with more than 900 new homes, a new purpose-built location for Brentford FC Community Sports Trust, and a public square with shops and cafes. Construction on the 17,250-seater stadium and associated development commenced in April 2018 with the Club’s development partner EcoWorld London, and its stadium subcontractor Buckingham Group, and is progressing well.
Hospitality packages for our new stadium are on sale now. To put your name on our waiting list visit newstadium.brentfordfc.com – the best place for all updates on our new home.