Rev Peter Crumpler is a life-long Brentford FC supporter, and a Church of England minister in St St Albans, Herts.
As a lifelong Bees fan, I’m seldom – really seldom – envious of the supporters of other clubs. But I couldn’t help having some pangs of regret when I saw the Everton fans saying farewell to Goodison Park in their last home match.
Former Everton player Pat Nevin described the club’s last men’s match at the ground as ‘incredibly emotional.’
Many former Everton players were invited back to be on the pitch at the finale, and fans shared memories and experiences, including “fathers and sons hugging on the terraces after a goal, when they could never hug anywhere else.” Goodison had been the club’s home since 1892.
When we began our last 2019/20 season at Griffin Park, I recall ‘Mr Brentford’ Peter Gilham using the – often dodgy – PA to ask fans for their memories of the ground. Not so much for the big matches, the victories and losses, but of the people who had first taken us to Griffin Park, many of whom would no longer be with us.
It was an acknowledgement that football is about far more than what happens on the pitch. It’s about family, community and a sense of belonging. An identity, if you like.
But even though the countdown to the last match at Griffin Park was set out on a big red scoreboard, we never made it to zero. Covid intervened and the last competitive match with a full crowd was the 5-0 defeat of Sheffield Wednesday on March 7th 2020.
It was a momentous occasion, with many fans slow to leave as rumours of a possible Covid lockdown were beginning to circulate.
Historians will point out that the last first team match at Griffin Park was the 3-1 victory against Swansea in the Championship semi-final in July 2020. Bryan Mbuemo scoring the last goal at the ground, with the first being scored 106 years earlier. But Covid regulations meant the match was played with a restricted crowd, and many fans watched the match via livestream.
So this month Everton fans were able to say goodbye to Goodison, with a celebration that Brentford fans were denied. Reports say they were a whole lot noisier than when the Bees held them to a 0-0 draw at the ground in November.
But does all this matter? Maybe we celebrated Griffin Park in the best possible way – with the 2-0 thrashing of Arsenal in the new (now GTech) community stadium on our Premier League debut that Friday evening in August 2021, with Canos and Norgaard scoring. It was a thrilling, historic night for every Bees supporter.
Yes, I do think it matters. Saying goodbye is never easy. As a Church of England minister, I conduct many funerals, each designed to reflect the person who has died. We mark their passing and celebrate their life. There is mourning, there is giving thanks and there is celebration of all that the person was. In Christian funerals, there is also a message of hope, hope for a life beyond.
Brentford supporters are now enjoying that life beyond Griffin Park, with a brilliant season behind us and much more to look forward to. New memories are being forged as, week by week, we establish ourselves in the Premier League. New generations of fans are growing to love the GTech, as older fans hold Griffin Park in their hearts.
But I would still have liked to have said a proper goodbye to Griffin Park, just as Everton fans did to Goodison. You were part of my life for so long…
Rev Peter Crumpler
