Brentford advertise for board member in pursuit of ambition to become country's most inclusive club

Brentford are taking the rare step of advertising for a board member as they aim to become the most inclusive football club in the country.

The west London club already has a gender-diverse and ethnically diverse board. Director Nity Raj is a British South Asian, chairman Cliff Crown is Jewish, while Monique Choudhuri was, up until late last year, one of just five female directors in the Championship. Co-director of football Rasmus Ankersen, who is Danish, also sits on the club’s board.

It is commonplace for non-executive directors to be appointed by football clubs, but Brentford want to give themselves the best chance of making a diverse appointment – after last year declaring they want to try and become the most inclusive club in the country.

The Bees will actively encourage applications from under-represented groups – including ethnically diverse communities, women, people with disabilities and those from an LGBT+ background – to join their board.

Brentford are conscious of the fact they serve a highly diverse community and are keen to ensure their own board reflects that diversity as they believe that only then will the club will be able to reach its full potential on and off the pitch.

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There is consensus within the club that diversity must run through their entire organisation, and must start at the top if the Premier League hopefuls want to realise their ambitions.

The club is based in the London Borough of Hounslow – where ethnic diversity is in the region of 45 per cent – and are looking for a non-executive director with skills and experience in community or stakeholder engagement.

Blackburn Rovers
Brentford

Brentford, four-time winners of the EFL Community Club of the Year Award, are already the only professional football club in the UK with a Business in the Community and Community Mark Award.

They moved to a state-of-the-art new 17,250-seater stadium less than a mile away from Griffin Park – their iconic home for more than a century – at the beginning of this season.

The stadium complex is at the centre of the Brentford East redevelopment scheme, which includes the construction of almost 1,000 new homes as well as a new purpose-built location for Brentford FC Community Sports Trust.

Brentford want to cast their net widely in their search for a new board member, with plenty of research and evidence pointing to better decision-making made by diverse boards. The club is committed to selecting the best candidate for the job and will run a fair and transparent selection process.

Brentford are one of the clubs that have signed up to The FA’s Football Leadership Diversity Code and will shortlist at least one diverse candidate provided all of the requirements for the role are met.

The club finished third in the Championship and missed out on a place in the Premier League after an agonising play-off final defeat to neighbours Fulham last season. Brentford are currently fourth in the Championship and travel to Ewood Park to play Blackburn, live on Sky Sports Football on Friday evening.

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