Brentford spent almost two decades getting from a stadium plan to a finished ground
When Brentford first announced a new home near Kew Bridge in 2002, the scheme even included a monorail. That idea vanished, and the club did not confirm the ground was ready until August 2020. The result sits boxed in by railway tracks, holds 17,250 people and has staged international women's football.
For most of its history Brentford played at Griffin Park. The move began with an October 2002 announcement of a 20,000-seat stadium close to Kew Bridge, followed by years of silence until the club said in late 2007 that it held an option on the land. Barratt Homes came in as a development partner in February 2008, and the housebuilder sold the 7.6-acre Lionel Road plot to the club on 28 June 2012. Hounslow Council, the Mayor of London and the government all gave their blessing in December 2013.
Getting the rest of the land took longer. A Compulsory Purchase Order was needed for the plots meant for flats that would help pay for the project, and objections dragged the process into a further hearing in 2015 before approval in April 2016. Willmott Dixon had signed on as builder in December 2014. Site clearance started on 24 March 2017, with the main construction under way in spring 2018. The capacity ended up at 17,250 rather than the 20,000 once planned.
Football arrived on 1 September 2020, a 2 to 2 friendly with Oxford United in which Sergi Canos scored twice. The first league fixture, on 19 September, was a 3 to 0 victory over Huddersfield Town. In summer 2022 the West Stand and a corner were fitted with rail seating after the government permitted licensed safe standing, and a ten-year deal with the manufacturer Grey Technology renamed the venue the Gtech Community Stadium that July.
The ground was built for rugby as well. London Irish moved in as tenants and beat Leicester Tigers 22 to 9 in their first match there on 29 November 2020, but the club was suspended before the 2023 to 24 season and went into administration. During the Women's Euro 2022 the stadium hosted three group games and a quarter-final between Germany and Austria.
Source: Brentford Community Stadium
