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Paul Claydon reports on the new Brentford Community Stadium
Brentford Community Stadium All Photos : Paul Claydon
As stadium openings go , it couldn ’ t have been further removed from what Brentford must have envisaged when planning started on the club ’ s relocation well over a decade ago . Pretty much every ‘ Elite ’ level game during the pandemic has been low-key , and this one was no different , with the Bees taking on Wycombe Wanderers in the EFL Cup on 6 September 2020 . At least the home team scored the new ground ’ s first-ever goal , Etan Pinnock netting in the game that his side eventually won on penalties .
Costing around £ 71 million , the Brentford Community Stadium has been shoehorned into a small triangle of land between railway lines and busy roads . Located in Lionel Road South , the regeneration of the plot that was previously a downat-heel mix of industrial units and yards is nothing short of phenomenal . As well as a 17,250-seat stadium , there are a number of high-rise residential blocks at various stages of completion . These blocks are huge and are literally within touching distance of the stadium , with relatively narrow walkways around the ground . Unsurprisingly there is virtually zero parking , with just a tiny allocation of spaces for the club ’ s use on the road side . There
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A housing block close to the stadium