30 August 2020
The next chapter in the Brentford FC story is ready to be written as our new stadium is now complete and ready for use. We can confirm that in the last few days a safety certificate has been granted for our new home to host games behind closed doors. The stadium was completed earlier this month and the first match will be played on the pitch in the coming days.
Work on the 17,250-seat stadium began in early 2018 and was almost complete at the start of this year when restrictions on movement were put in place due to the Covid-19 outbreak. Our Development Partner EcoWorld London and their stadium principal contractor Buckingham Construction Group Limited have been working safely to get the stadium ready over the past five months. The work of all involved from the Club, Lionel Road Developments Limited and our partners came to fruition when the area’s Safety Advisory Group awarded a safety certificate.
The Club will need to secure an updated safety certificate in order for supporters to be allowed inside our new home and meet social distance protocols. We are working hard to put plans in place for matches in front of fans based on the initial guidance that has been released. We will update you as soon as we can.
Cliff Crown, Brentford FC Chairman, said: “This is a momentous announcement and a great day for everyone involved with the Club. This is a project that was first conceived nearly two decades ago and that the Club has been actively pursuing for the last 15 years. It is the culmination of a lot of hard work.
“I would like to congratulate Conor Hayes, Chairman of Lionel Road Developments, who has worked tirelessly for the last five years. He had a great team working with him including our Operations Director Alan Walsh, Will Whitby, Barry Winterton, Richard Arnold and Adam Marks. We have relied on our advisors to help us achieve the completion of the stadium and I also want to thank EcoWorld and Buckingham, plus those working with them, for delivering the stadium.
“This has not been an easy project, given the tight space to build in, and the recent Covid-19 outbreak was an extra challenge to overcome. To get the stadium completed in those circumstances is a great achievement. And we should also praise the Club’s operations, safety and security staff – Dave Gregg and Barney McGhee, alongside Alan – for securing a safety certificate with that backdrop.
“I was delighted to be able to host the August Board Meeting inside the stadium last week. It is a stadium of the highest standard and a fitting home for a Brentford FC that is preparing for a bright future. It is a real shame that our fans cannot get inside yet but that day is coming soon, and we are all looking forward to it.”
The stadium development is an important part of the wider regeneration of the area known as Brentford East. It will deliver a 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. The stadium will also be home to London Irish RFC, who have a licence to play at the venue.
