Brentford’s history with Man Utd after promotion to Premier League

A SHORT HISTORY

The Bees were First Division regulars in the 1930s, as they rose from the third tier to record three consecutive top-six finishes. London’s premier side in 1936, the Second World War interrupted Brentford’s golden era and they were relegated in the first completed season after the conflict, in 1947. Since then, they have flitted around the lower divisions, spending the vast majority of the last four decades in the third tier. Promotion to the Championship in 2014 has signalled a new era, however, with owner and supporter Matthew Benham presiding over a data-driven, ‘smarter’ approach, where the club’s academy and Development Squad was scrapped in favour of a B team. Current Premier League stars such as Neal Maupay, Ollie Watkins and Said Benrahma made their name with the Bees, although, until this season, it was a story of hard luck for the club, as they were defeated in the play-offs in both 2015 and 2020.