How A Professional Gambler Turned Brentford Into a Premier League Mainstay

Tony Bloom’s rise from sports bettor and poker player to owner of Premier League football club Brighton & Hove Albion is well documented.

With such a unique background compared to the other owners in the Premier League it would be safe to assume that the odds of this happening again are slim.

However, Brentford owner Matthew Benham’s path to ownership goes down a similar direction, with the help of Tony Bloom himself.

Beginnings

A long-time Brentford fan, Benham began his career in the financial sector with the City of London, derivatives trader for Deutsche Bank and vice president of Bank of America. Following his career in the banking and finance industry, Benham was introduced to the gambling industry, having been hired by Tony Bloom to work for Premier Bet.

During his time in the gambling sector, Benham made a significant sum of money through the Asian betting market. Benham would use a statistical model which enabled him to predict the probabilities of football scores more accurately than the bookmakers.

Having parted ways with Bloom in 2004, Benham founded statistical research and sports modelling company Smartodds.

Investment in Brentford

Facing financial troubles in 2005, Brentford’s ‘supporters’ trust Bees United Were seeking investment in order to buy out the previous owner.

In 2007 Benham would pay out almost £3 million to take over the club's loans, while promising to hold Brentford interest free for five years.

He would invest a further £1 million a year for five years in return for preference shares in the club - giving Benham the option to takeover the club as a majority shareholder.

Having built a strong relationship with the supporters' trust, Bees United transferred full control of the club to Benham in 2012 while in the third tier of English football.

🚨 The FA have been accused of ‘double standards’ in allowing club owners to bet on football while banning players.

Brentford owner Matthew Benham is one of a select few multimillionaire club owners who enjoy an opaque arrangement with the FA that allows them to be involved in… pic.twitter.com/wgwpz78mWM

— Transfer News Live (@DeadlineDayLive) September 25, 2023

Majority Owner of Brentford

Within a week of becoming owner of the Bees, Benham would purchase land close to the existing Griffin Park with the intention of building a new stadium.

Benham’s first managerial appointment in charge was to promote Mark Warburton to first-team coach in 2013. A decision which would pay off almost automatically as Brentford were promoted to the Championship for the first time in 21 years at the end of the 2014-15 season.

With Benham at the helm, Brentford would see a change in philosophy compared to prior years.

The Bees’ switch to a mathematical and statistical based approach caused uproar within the club as Mark Warburton parted ways with the club at the end of the following campaign.

It was reported that the decision to give the manager less influence over transfers, style of play and staff was key behind the decision.

The data based approach seemed to bring success to the football club, as Brentford focused on identifying talent through the use of mathematics and statistics, developing players they felt had high potential and selling them for a large profit - such as the signing of Ivan Toney for £5 million.

Record-breaker.
Promotion-winner.
The man for the biggest of stages.

Ivan Toney, Brentford legend. 🐝 pic.twitter.com/T4f2UrfMfU

— Brentford FC (@BrentfordFC) August 30, 2024

Brentford began identifying undervalued talent by applying mathematics and statistics, using its limited budget to sign them, developing players with high potential, and selling them on to other clubs for a sizable profit on transfers.

Promotion to the Premier League

Having appointed Danish coach Thomas Frank following Dean Smith’s departure, Brentford got closest they’d ever been to promotion but failed at the final hurdle, losing to Fulham in the Championship play-off final.

Brentford would officially open the new 17,000 seater Brentford Community Stadium in 2020.

🆙 Brentford have won promotion via the @EFL play-offs for the first time, at the 10th attempt, and next season they’ll play in the top-division for the first time since 1947 pic.twitter.com/MQVfINLuBk

— Sky Sports Statto (@SkySportsStatto) May 29, 2021

Just a year later, Thomas Frank’s side would secure promotion to the Premier League for the first time in 74 years.

Since achieving promotion Brentford have found themselves amongst the most stable clubs in the division, having avoided any prospect of relegation during its four year stay.