On 10 October 1889 members of a rowing club gathered in a pub by Kew Bridge and began discussing a new team. On 10 October 2027 Brentford turn 138 years old. It is a story of oars, students shouting chants and stripes that nobody knows why they were chosen.

Rowers in a pub at Kew

The first meeting took place at the Oxford & Cambridge pub, a week before a new recreation ground opened in the area. Members of the rowing club discussed whether to form a football or a rugby team.

On 16 October they met again at the same pub and voted to create Brentford Football Club. Key figures were rowing club co-founders Archer Green, who became secretary, and John Henry Strachan.

The first competitive match was played on 23 November 1889 and ended 1-1 against Kew.

"Buck up Bs!": how they became bees

The nickname "The Bees" was born from a misunderstanding. In 1894-95 students from Borough Road College came to support their friend Joseph Gettins and shouted their college chant, "Buck up Bs!".

Reporters heard "Buck up bees!" and the name stuck for good. That is why a bee features on almost every one of the club's crests.

The current crest was introduced in 1994 and refreshed in 2017. It is a double roundel with the name and founding year in white on red and a large bee in the middle.

From claret and blue to stripes

The team started out in the rowing club's colours: salmon, claret and light blue. In the early years it mostly wore claret and blue, and the press called it "the Reds".

In 1903 came blue and gold, possibly to win favour with the Rothschild family, whose racing colours they were. In 1920, on joining the Football League, the team switched to plain white shirts.

In 1925 the red and white stripes appeared, in the hope of better results. The reason for the choice remains unknown, but they have been the club's identity ever since.

Detours the fans would not accept

In 1960-61 Brentford tried an amber and blue home shirt, to avoid clashes with opponents, keeping the stripes for away games. After pressure from the fans, the stripes returned the very next season.

In 1998 a red and grey prototype was shown at half-time during a match, but it was dropped after the supporters' reaction. Happier was the 1988-90 shirt, which looked pink from a distance.

Griffin Park, the Premier League and legends

From 1904 to 2020 the team played at Griffin Park, and the 1930s were its golden era. It reached the top flight for the first time in 1935 and in 1935-36 finished fifth, its best position ever.

In 2020 it moved to the new Brentford Community Stadium, and in 2021 it beat Swansea 2-0 in the Championship play-off final. It was the club's first top-flight season since 1946-47 and came after nine lost play-offs.

Ken Coote holds the record with 559 appearances, and Jack Holliday scored 39 goals in 1932-33. Today the team continues in the Premier League under Keith Andrews, who succeeded Thomas Frank in June 2025.

Celebrate with us

From oars on the Thames to the Premier League, the Bees remain true to their red and white stripes. Happy 138th birthday, Brentford!

See our collectible jerseys at sportarena.gr.

Photo: the Brentford Community Stadium – AndyScott, Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.