Lionel Road South · Brentford · London TW8 0RU · Capacity 17,250
Brentford: a stadium on a triangle of leftover land
The Gtech sits on a plot bounded by the elevated M4 on one side, the railway into Waterloo on another and the Grand Union Canal on the third. It is the newest ground in London, one of the smallest in the top flight, and the site is the reason for both.
The smallest capacity in the Premier League, which for once is good news for the journey. Seventeen thousand people leaving a modern stadium with proper circulation clear far quicker than forty thousand from an old ground.
The site explains everything about this ground
Brentford spent years finding somewhere to build. What they found was a triangle, and the design worked round it.
Elevated, directly overhead
The motorway runs above the northern edge on concrete piers. You can see it from the stands.
On the eastern side
Kew Bridge station is a few minutes' walk, which is unusually good access for a new ground.
And the river beyond
The Grand Union and the Thames bound the south. No through routes at all.
Which genuinely helps
Wide concourses and proper circulation. It empties faster than any comparable London ground.
TW8 from Kent
West London again, and the far side of it. The M4 corridor is quick once you reach it; getting there is the slow part.
| Pick-up area | Distance | Matchday journey |
|---|---|---|
| Bromley & Orpington | 21 miles | 65–95 min |
| Bexleyheath & Welling | 24 miles | 70–100 min |
| Sidcup & Bexley | 23 miles | 70–100 min |
| Dartford & Bluewater | 31 miles | 80–115 min |
| Sevenoaks & Tonbridge | 33 miles | 75–105 min |
| Gravesend & Northfleet | 36 miles | 85–120 min |
| Rochester & Chatham | 45 miles | 95–130 min |
| Maidstone & Aylesford | 46 miles | 95–130 min |
| Canterbury & Ashford | 70 miles | 120–155 min |
Getting in and out
A new ground built with a transport plan, which is not something we get to say often.
| Route | Note |
|---|---|
| Kew Bridge station | A few minutes' walk. Unusually convenient for a new stadium. |
| Lionel Road South | The stadium frontage. Restricted on matchdays. |
| Chiswick High Road side | Where we collect. Wide, and it moves. |
| Kew Bridge itself | Which crosses the Thames, and backs up after a match. |
| Effectively no parking | A deliberate design choice. The ground was approved on that basis. |
A Brentford matchday
Small ground, quick exit
Seventeen thousand people in a stadium designed this decade is the easiest football crowd we deal with anywhere. Wide concourses, sensible exits and a modern circulation plan mean the ground empties in minutes rather than the twenty or thirty an old ground takes. From a transport point of view it is the least difficult top-flight fixture in London.
Parking was designed out on purpose
The stadium was granted permission on the basis that supporters would arrive by public transport or on foot, and it has effectively no matchday parking. That is not an oversight, it is the planning condition. Anyone hoping to find a space nearby has misunderstood the site.
Kew Bridge is the pinch point
The bridge itself carries traffic across the Thames a short distance from the ground and it backs up after a match. We collect on the Chiswick High Road side to avoid needing to cross it, which is a slightly longer walk and a considerably faster departure.
The journey is the hard part, not the ground
TW8 is the far side of west London from Kent, which makes this among the longer London matchday runs we do. Once you are there, everything is straightforward. We leave earlier than a satnav suggests and the fixed fare absorbs whatever the Saturday traffic does.
Gtech Community Stadium questions
A new ground on an awkward site.
Is there parking at Brentford?
Effectively none, and by design. The stadium was approved on the basis that supporters would arrive by public transport or on foot, so there is no matchday parking to find.
How quickly does it empty?
Very quickly. Seventeen thousand people in a modern stadium with wide concourses is the easiest football crowd we handle anywhere in London.
Where do you collect?
On the Chiswick High Road side, which avoids needing to cross Kew Bridge afterwards. The bridge backs up after a match, so the slightly longer walk saves real time.
How far is it from Kent?
An hour to two and a half hours depending on where you start. TW8 is the far side of west London from us, which makes this one of the longer London matchday runs.
Is Kew Bridge station useful?
Yes, unusually so for a new ground. It is a few minutes' walk, which is part of why the stadium was approved without parking.
Is it also called Brentford Community Stadium?
Yes. The ground has carried both names; it is the same stadium on Lionel Road South.
Do you cover other events there?
Yes. The ground hosts rugby and concerts as well as football, and the access considerations are the same.
Is the fare fixed?
Yes, agreed at booking, and unaffected by west London traffic or added time.
West London grounds
The far side of the city, from Kent.