Sunday’s pre-match silence at The City Ground was a poignant moment, held in memory of Diogo Jota and his brother André Silva, who both tragically lost their lives last month. Brentford supporters stood quietly in reflection, just as Forest fans did, with respect for the occasion and for our own players – Kelleher, Van Den Berg, Carvalho and Henderson – who were all former teammates of Jota at Liverpool.
However, frustration has grown after suggestions that Brentford fans were responsible for shouting during the silence. This simply isn’t true. Multiple supporters in the away end have confirmed that the noise came from the top tier, not from the Brentford section. Two separate fans even photographed the same Forest supporter mid-rant.
As one Bees fan explained:
“Some people don’t care about stuff like that, they just want make their point known. Forest fans were saying that he called out ‘What about Terry Hennessey’ or something. I think it needs to be said that it wasn’t Brentford fans. As I was being escorted to the seats at the front we stopped for the silence and I heard some people shouting out something about ‘Cockney wankers’. It’s obvious that they thought our fans were responsible.”
It appears the disruption was linked to frustration that Forest had not yet marked their former player Terry Hennessey. While that tribute will hooefully be made in due course, this was not the time to raise it. Another Brentford fan summed it up:
“I completely understand why Forest fans would want to pay tribute to Terry Hennessy – and I’m sure Forest will make provision at their next home game – but disrupting a minute’s silence for two young men who were so tragically killed, was not the time to make a point about this. He didn’t just shout it out once, either. I couldn’t help thinking how Henderson and particularly Kelleher – who was one of Jota’s closest friends – felt at that moment.”
The photographs shared by Bees supporters leave little doubt as to where the shouts came from, and one added:
“If the people who took the photo are sure it’s him and willing to corroborate if asked by NFFC etc the they should share the pictures.”
This is not really about finger-pointing but about clarity. Brentford fans respected the silence and stood in solidarity, and it’s important that message is made clear.
Our thoughts and deepest condolences remain with the family and friends of Diogo Jota and André Silva at this difficult time and with the Brentford and Forest players who knew him as a friend.
Dave Lane
