Barry Hearn is most widely recognised for turning snooker, darts and boxing into televised spectacles that attract millions of viewers. Even at the age of 78, the founder of Matchroom remains one of the most familiar faces in global sport promotion. While his work in those cue‑sport and combat‑sport arenas is well documented, his involvement in football is less publicised but no less fascinating. In March 1995, a 78‑year‑old Hearn stepped in to rescue Leyton Orient – a club he had first watched as an eleven‑year‑old boy – from the brink of collapse.
He acquired the club for a symbolic £2.43 and set about rebuilding it from the ground up. Over the next decade the three stands at Brisbane Road were refurbished, the club’s debt was eliminated by 2012 and Hearn is reported to have poured roughly £8 million into the side. The 2013‑14 season saw Orient reach the League One play‑off final, a chance to ascend to the Championship, only to lose 4‑3 on penalties to Rotherham at Wembley.
Just two months later Hearn sold the club to Italian businessman Francesco Becchetti, marking the end of his first football chapter. For nine years Hearn turned his attention back to his core businesses, but his passion for grassroots football never faded. In July 2023 Matchroom signed a sponsorship deal for the home shirts of Brentford Town – a modest Isthmian League North Division side located a few miles from the Matchroom headquarters.
The following season Hearn took a minority shareholding in the club, and earlier this summer the two parties announced a five‑year partnership backed by a "significant investment". "The reason Barry came over initially was we were doing something for Saint Francis Hospice, which he is a patron of, and he sat next to me for a game," recalls chairman Jez Dickinson. "It was an entertaining game and Barry said afterwards, 'I'm never going to sit next to you again, Jez!
Every time the ball went into the box, you were going up for a header and elbowing me in the side!' Barry is very much about passion and wearing his heart on his sleeve, so that's probably where we connected." Dickinson explains that after a few lunches Barry asked what he wanted. "I said I wanted him to get involved because he wanted to get involved, not because I was asking him – and he said he'd do it," Dickinson says. While Hearn's name naturally draws attention, Dickinson has been the driving force at Brentford Town since taking over as chairman in May 2019.
He describes the club’s condition at that time as having "no pathway for the youth into the first team", a bar that resembled a 1970s pub and an ambition limited to merely staying in the league. Under Dickinson’s stewardship the club has made steady progress. A brand‑new 3G pitch was installed in the summer of 2024, the side won the Isthmian North Division in the 2024‑25 season and, despite losing the play‑off final that would have secured promotion to the National League South, the club demonstrated that it can compete at a higher level.
A Centre of Excellence now serves 250 boys and girls aged six to twelve, providing a clear development route that Dickinson believes is essential for any sustainable club structure. The partnership with Hearn is designed to accelerate that growth. "I speak to him probably once a week, maybe twice, depending on what’s happening," Dickinson says. "He’s hands‑on as much as his schedule allows.
We sit down every couple of months, look at the financials, see how we’re progressing – he loves his numbers!" Although Hearn holds a minority share, he deliberately avoids day‑to‑day management. "He looks at me and sees I’m already stressed enough, so he doesn’t want to add to that," Dickinson explains. "What he does is raise the bar, subconsciously, for what I want to achieve. When we meet at Matchroom it’s inspiring – you walk away thinking, ‘let’s go for it’.
Dickinson believes the intangible benefits of Hearn’s involvement outweigh the pure financial contribution. "It’s probably ten times as important as the money he puts in – not that the financial support isn’t crucial – but his presence as an ambassador creates confidence among potential partners. When I spoke to a prospective sponsor they said they were interested because Barry is committing to five years, he doesn’t do things by halves and won’t give up easily. That builds trust." Brentford Town currently sit 18th in the Isthmian Premier Division after eight matches, attracting just under 700 spectators per game.
The club’s ambition is to push that figure to 1,000 this season and eventually construct a 1,000‑seat stand, pending the finalisation of the purchase of the Brentwood Centre Arena. Looking ahead, Dickinson envisions a realistic but ambitious target: "Barry decided on a five‑year partnership to drive the club to the highest level of the pyramid possible.
If we’re playing National League football in five years, that will be a huge success. Realistically, that’s the goal – and after that we’ll hope for another five years of support." In summary, Barry Hearn’s involvement with Brentford Town illustrates how a high‑profile promoter can use his experience, capital and reputation to uplift a modest non‑league side. By providing strategic guidance, financial backing and a powerful endorsement, Hearn helps the club lay a foundation for sustainable growth, youth development and eventual promotion up the English football ladder. The partnership demonstrates that even at the grassroots level, visionary leadership and committed investment can transform aspirations into tangible progress, offering a blueprint for other small clubs seeking to climb the pyramid.
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