Lionel Road has been a topic of conversation amongst Brentford fans for the best part of two decades and, after untold hours of work behind the scenes, ground will finally be broken on Monday afternoon.

Many have said 'I won't believe Lionel Road will happen until I see it with my own eyes'. Well, it's well and truly happening now.

There's been just cause for cynicism as the project has been a part of the club for 16 years and, for a long time, it felt as if it was one step forward and two steps back.

To appreciate the struggle it has been over the years, it is important to look at the history of the project.

It was October 2002 when Brentford first announced plans to relocate to the site and, pretty much since then every fans forum has featured a question about the stadium.

Originally, the plans included an ambitious monorail project which was abandoned a few years later and still joked about when the new ground is mentioned.

Focus, though, shifted away from the stadium as it became ever clearer the financial perils the club was in at the hands of Ron Noades.

Bees United rescued the club in January 2006 and, after turbulent times on the pitch, focus came back to Lionel Road.

They signed a partnership deal with Barratt Homes in 2008, with the property developers buying the site that year.

However, the economic downturn led to no progress being made until Bees owner Matthew Benham bought the land in 2012.

Work then began in earnest to design the stadium and surrounding areas with the original intent of moving in for the 2016/17 season.

The club went to Hounslow Council in December 6 2013 and secured planning permission for the site, which was then passed by the Mayor of London and the government in 2014.

Lionel Road from above

Work then went into acquiring the remaining land with a compulsory purchase order being completed in September 2016, after objections were made to the CPO.

The club amended the designs to the stadium last year which saw the capacity drop to 17,250 but these were approved by the council in December last year.

Every Brentford fan played their part to a greater or lesser degree, but the ones that stand out most to me are Matthew Benham, Brian Burgess, Chris Gammon as well as Richard Merritt.

Without Benham's funds, a move would be virtually impossible and all Bees fans should be grateful for the investment he has put into the club over the last decade.

However, without the tireless work the Brian Burgess and Chris Gammon put into the stadium for 15 years, even in the darkest times, Brentford would be unlikely to be where they are today.

The work Bees United and BIAS did behind the scenes in those times were crucial as well. Richard Merritt, BIAS chairman at the time, put in untold hours of hard work on the grassroots campaign, namely with the postcard to the council that many of you will have signed.

Monday is a day for celebration amongst Brentford fans. It's the most significant date in the club's recent history, moreso than winning promotions, moreso than FA Cup shocks.

It's a new dawn for an upwardly mobile, progressive club.

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