Like many of you, I am filled with a sense of excitement as we approach the third season of our incredible journey in the Premier League. It feels like only yesterday that we celebrated our promotion to the top flight, and here we are, two years down the line ready to throw ourselves into another campaign against the top teams in the country and in arguably the most competitive football league in the world.
We have just returned from our pre-season tour of the USA. Preseason is an incredibly important time for is. We need to make sure that we go into that opening round of a Premier League season in his best shape as we can possibly be.
Historically, we’ve stayed relatively local in terms of that training camp, but this year, we presented the opportunity to come to the US to Thomas Frank and the rest of the football department.
While many clubs have travelled to the States for commercial reasons, for us, the primary aim was to deliver an outstanding preseason camp. And we were blown away with the facilities that we trained at and played in. The players were put through an intensive regime and the matches were competitive.
Our fans travelled near and far to cheer the Bees on!
The new additions to the squad really had an opportunity to settle into life at Brentford.
With the foundations laid, we look forward to the whistle going in our first match of the season against Tottenham at the Gtech Community Stadium.
Off the field, it has been another busy summer. As we roll out our plans for next season, the task of delivering the best fan engagement that we can remains as one of our top priorities.
Our work with Bees United and BIAS will be central to this. Our new fan advisory board, co-chaired by both groups, will help to shape our policies and plans in this area. This board is an extension of the dialogue that we’ve had with both groups over the years. The strategic input of the group is already starting to bear fruit. At the time of writing this, we are about of publish our fan engagement plan for next season, an updated supporter charter and a new acceptable behaviour policy – all of which have benefited from the reviews and discussions of those involved with the fan advisory board.
One standout achievement off the field last season was our fans rating us higher than every other club in the league in terms of matchday experience. Our matchday staff and stewards, the facilities within the stadium and a strong atmosphere have all played a part in earning this recognition. But I also recognise that a major driver of that is that the team have performed really well in the Premier League. All in all, this is definitely something we want to strive for again.
I’ve often said that the Gtech Community Stadium may be small but it is perfectly formed.
Our fans have made it one of the most vibrant stadiums in the country and Thomas Frank and the players recognise the impact of that support on their performances.
So, what can we do to raise the levels even higher? Well, we know that not everyone can come to every game, in fact, about one in ten season ticket holders missed each match and that is a number we want to significantly reduce this year.
So, we want to encourage each and every season ticket holder to ensure that their ticket is used each week – either by themselves, by transferring it to another Brentford fan or by listing it on our new and improved ticket exchange.
Our new ‘every seat counts’ policy, with the yellow card system in place for missing matches, is a new scheme which introduces consequences if fans consistently leave their seat empty. This is a policy which has some teeth, and we don’t apologise for that. We want as many Bees fans as possible to attend each and every game. It’ll improve the atmosphere further, increase ticketing access for other fans and will also help us to generate additional matchday revenues – supporting our desire to keep tickets as affordable as possible.
I’d urge all fans to read through the new policy before the season kicks off – the message is clear though in relation to your season ticket, if you don’t use it, you might lose it.
With ticket prices frozen, direct debits introduced and an improved online ticketing platform delivered with Ticketmaster Sport, we also want to consider the services fans receive inside the stadium. We will be completing the roll-out of self-service touch screen ordering points for food and drink in busy areas to reduce queues. This has worked well in the areas where they have been installed so far. We will also introduce a new catering app allowing fans to pre-order food and drink items to meet specific dietary requirements and increase the range of options available for fans around the stadium. This is in direct response to feedback that we have had from fans via our surveys last season.
Away from the stadium, our online content has improved significantly over the past few seasons and we have been pleased with the rollout of the new website last season. But we want to raise the bar again in this area. To do this, we will be bringing in a new director of content strategy and will be developing a new content plan that builds on what we have done to date. Our mission is to make sure that every fan feels connected, whether they’re in the stands or continents away.
What else am I looking forward to next season? There are too many projects to mention but we have a new sustainability manager starting this month to drive our environmental and climate plans. Our academy is back up and running. Then, we have our women’s teams. We’re investing in them, helping them grow, and giving them the spotlight they deserve. But most of all, I’m simply looking forward to getting back to the watching the Bees as the competitive action gets back underway.
To close, I want to express my gratitude to all the fans, staff, and players for their unwavering support. Together, we stand ready to do our very best in the Premier League once again.