At the October meeting of the Bees United board I said that the Annual General Meeting would be my last as Chair and that I would be standing down afterwards. Tonight at the AGM I have made that announcement to those BU members on the zoom and I am confirming it in an email to all our 3,500 members.
I was elected Chair in February 2019. Brentford were in 18th place in the Championship and a few faint-hearted fans were worried about possible relegation to League One. Under the recently appointed Head Coach, Thomas Frank, the Bees had gone ten matches with just one win. Quite a lot has changed in these four years, we are currently tenth in the Premier League. So it has been a privilege to be the BU Chair and BU’s representative on the Club board.
For the avoidance of doubt I have had absolutely no role in the club’s success on the pitch, but as somebody who went to their first Bees game 65 years ago, it has been great to have been an eye-witness to Club history.
I would like to thank all those I have worked with on the BU and Club boards and all the wonderful Bees fans I have met during my term as Chair. Tonight I was able to thank Thomas Frank personally on our Q&A for all the success he has brought the Bees.
Now like all organisations as soon as somebody says they are leaving what people really want to know is who is going to take over?
Back in October I consulted with the Bees United board members to check the rules and agree a process. The rules say the Chair has to be an elected member of the board and has to be chosen by the board.
After consulting the BU board members they resolved on December 1st to appoint Stuart Hatcher as the new chair. Stuart is a long term Brentford fan and long time season ticket holder. For many years he was involved with BU behind the scenes working as a volunteer using his day job skills as a corporate lawyer. He advised BU on how to acquire the club and then later to sell it to Matthew Benham. In particular he advised on the creation of the BU Special Share (or the BU Golden Share as it is sometimes called).That still exists today. So Stuart is extremely well qualified to be the Chair and take up BU’s non-executive directorship on the Club board. I am delighted at his appointment and wish him luck. He will take over from me in both roles in February.
Up The Bees.
Stewart Purvis.