A Heartfelt Gesture: Why Brentford Are Sporting Hearts on Their Shirts

Brentford take on Manchester City in the Premier League and they’ll be gunning for a big victory. The Bees have been buoyed by the return of Ivan Toney to their starting line-up, but City have an ace up their sleeve too.

Pep Guardiola’s side will have Erling Haaland in the XI for the first time since the end of 2023. But at home, Brentford will fancy their chances of an upset. Eagle-eyed fans may also notice something different Thomas Frank’s players’ shirts tonight. Brentford players will have a heart emblazoned on their chests, but it’s nothing to do with Valentine’s Day.

The Heart Behind Brentford’s Jerseys

Brentford have a partnership with the Heart of West London, spreading awareness about cardiac health in the process. Thousands of pounds of have been raised to fund research into cardiac health at Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospitals Charity. Brentford’s technical director Robert Rowan, died at the age of 28 in 2018 after suffering a a fatal cardiomyopathy episode. Now Brentford are doing their all to have fans learn how to react to potentially life-saving situations.

The heart on Brentford’s chests tonight will be filled with a CPQR code, which fans can scan from their TVs at home. At the stadium the code will be on the matchday programmes and on t-shirts which fans can purchase. The QR code will take you to a short, step-by-step CPR tutorial video by Resuscitation Council UK.