Christmas is almost upon us and, rather stupendously, Forest have a chance of spending the 25th December in the Champions League spots. It has a been a tremendous season so far and every credit to Nuno and his team.
I think many of us would also really like to finally experience a win at Brentford’s new stadium to make it a really Merry Christmas. We have had a couple of humdinger on our previous two visits, both of which have ended in dejection and frustration, so a win at our third attempt would be very rewarding.
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I wrote in the Manchester United away guide that we had been contacted by PC Simon Travell of Nottinghamshire Police regarding this fixture. Following the fixtures at the Gtech in 2023 and earlier this year, complaints were raised by a number of Forest supporters following a perceived unhelpful, excessive and, at times, confrontational approach from Brentford stewards. We ourselves passed some of these concerns onto PC Travell previously and noted our own observations.
In advance of this latest visit, PC Travell has sought clarity with his Brentford counterpart. PC Paul Wright, at the Met Police surrounding some of these issues. PC Travell has pointed out that PC Wright has been very receptive and helpful to avoid any further issues for supporters. It is also encouraging that both police forces and the Head of Safety and Security at NFFC have, along with ourselves, been involved and in dialogue to try and make this a better experience for Forest supporters.
A couple of very specific items that Forest supporters have raised were addressed directly by PC Travell with the Met Police and the following advice has been provided:
The searching of wallets / searches at the turnstiles – Forest supporters are advised that this practise will still be in place on Saturday. It is specifically undertaken by Brentford due to issues with fans (from various clubs) having been found to have cocaine in their possession. We have further pointed out in response that this is very unfortunate and not welcome due to the intrusion of people’s personal belongings and it is unfair on the vast, vast majority of football supporters.
Stewards wearing balaclavas / hoods – It has been acknowledged that this does not always give the best impression, although there is the obvious caveat that individuals may simply be doing this to protect themselves from the cold. It will be raised at the stewards briefing ahead of the game.
The issue was also raised with PC Travell about fans being overly intoxicated at the turnstiles. Some Forest supporters were apparently refused entry at the previous fixture and it is advised that stewards / local police are being particularly mindful for this game given the proximity to the Christmas holidays.
Given the wider complaints about the general issues with Brentford staff in and outside the away section, we have received the following statement in conclusion from PC Travell:
Nottingham Forest FC will have their own stewards present within the concourse at the Gtech and we (Notts Police) will be working closely with them as well as the Met Police Football Unit. PC Wright (Met Police) will be attending the steward briefings along with representatives from the NFFC Safety Team. The intentions are to highlight previous issues and aim to improve the situation / avoid previous issues.
With the additional engagements with everyone involved, we hope that we can improve the experience for all, protect the great reputation that Forest fans have when they follow the team away from home and limit the number of persons coming to Police attention.
GENERAL INFORMATION – BRENTFORD
Last Visit: January 2024, when a controversial Ivan Toney free-kick helped the hosts to a 3-2 victory.
In addition to the words above about the approach to away supporters from Brentford, it is recommended to arrive at the away turnstiles in
good time. There are typically queues that build up due to a couple of layers of security checks.
Forest supporters will again be housed in the same corner of the stadium. I’ve found it to be a great away section for the view and atmosphere.
TRAVEL
RAIL: There is significant disruption which will impact all direct services between Nottingham and St Pancras, with no trains carrying on past Bedford. The East Midlands Railway website offers the following recommendations for those looking to use its services to head to London:
EMR customers travelling to / from London should use London Northwestern services between Euston and Milton Keynes
> EMR Rail Replacement Buses will operate between Milton Keynes and Bedford, and connect onto EMR services between Bedford and Corby / Derby / Sheffield / Nottingham
The obvious solution here is to avoid the direct route altogether and, if relying on train travel, get across to Grantham or Peterborough and head into Kings Cross. But expect services to be busier.
A Super Off-Peak Day Return is currently over £60 via Grantham on Trainline.com. Some single tickets are available which brings the price down slightly, but this does restrict you to specific trains.
The Gtech is served by a few different stations so plan your journey to work out which one suits you best.
The closest overground station is Kew Bridge, which is pretty much next door, but I recall this being closed after one game. The other overground stations close by are Gunnersbury, Kew Gardens and South Acton. There is also Brentford which is in the area of the old Griffin Park and is around 25 mins walk away. Linking to pub recommendations below, Chiswick overground is also a good option for a slow pub crawl down the river before the game.
Gunnersbury and Kew Gardens are both also on the underground, with Chiswick Park and South Ealing other options.
ROAD: It’s likely to be busier than normal as people being their own Christmas getaways and with the issues on the trains. One thing that does make a car journey closer to the stadium a bit more realistic than other London grounds is that the M4 heads right through the area and offers a bit more of a direct route in and out rather than the usual gridlock through Greater London suburbs. Having never done it myself I can’t say this with any certainty but I understand that there are parking options (likely that cost a fee) around the Ealing area north of the stadium.
Otherwise, the usually reliable alternative is to park further out at a tube or overground stop. There is the usual places to the north which cut down on the drive like Stanmore, Edgware and Watford Junction but this is a fairly long journey through London to Brentford. Alternatively, try and hook up with a station out to the west not far from the M25. Somewhere like Staines is very close to the motorway and is only 20-25 minutes on a train to Brentford.
PUBS
The area around the stadium, I have found, is welcoming for away fans. There is an abundance of pubs and bars within walking distance and, although certain ones close to the Gtech may have restrictions on away fans, there are many that won’t. Brentford is one of the few London-based Premier League ground where I would encourage you to have a drink around the ground rather than in central London
The enclosed Met Police pub map should offer a useful visual guide, but I’d personally recommend taking in a few pubs down by the Thames. The Bulls Head and the City Barge are down towards Chiswick (close to Oliver’s Island on the right of the map) and further up the river towards the stadium are a couple of other nice options.
Depending on which way you are coming in, the area around the old ground is also still a really decent spot for pubs. The Kings Arms and the Globe are both good pubs but there are plenty around here to choose from. Just allow 25-30 minutes to reach the away end.
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Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas.
For those travelling to Brentford, safe travels and let’s hope for Jingle Bells ringing out from the away end at full time.
Matt