100 years of Brentford FC to be celebrated

Martin Allen on hand to open exhibition at Gunnersbury Park Museum

An exhibition about Brentford Football Club is to be opened at Gunnersbury Park Museum by Brentford manager, Martin Allen on Sunday 19th September at 11am

The Exhibition entitled “The Bees’ Knees” will celebrate the centenary of Brentford Football Club at Griffin Park, based on the collections and memories of Brentford supporters.

Brentford Football Club has played at Griffin Park for the last hundred years and is one of the few League clubs to retain its place in the heart of the community. To celebrate this, Gunnersbury Park Museum commissioned an oral history specialist, Rachel Cutler, to record interviews with 35 Brentford supporters young and old. Rachel asked them all about their match-day rituals and memories, the highs and lows of supporting Brentford and their thoughts on the future of the club and Griffin Park.

The result is a fascinating archive of facts and stories, many of which are transcribed or can be heard in the exhibition. Memories of Brentford’s glory days in the First Division, when crowds of 30,000 came to Griffin Park and the sound of wooden rattles was deafening. Stories of Welsh international, Dai Hopkins, who walked to Griffin Park with his boots in a paper parcel, or Gerry Cakebread who played a match even when his teeth had been knocked out. Fans also explain why they support Brentford and give their views on the takeover by Bees United and the future of the club.

The exhibition tries to capture the atmosphere of Griffin Park as described by the fans. You can come in through the famous Braemar Road entrance and stand on the “pitch”. You will find photographs, programmes, kit, match videos and supporters’ memorabilia, from polystyrene cheeses to inflatable bees. You can even manage your own “Bees” team – in a table top game.

September 14, 2004