A Liverpool fan and his son who suffered racist abuse from Brentford supporters after a game at Anfield were treated to a VIP experience by The Bees this weekend.
Mas Patel and his 12-year-old son Zenadin had to be escorted to safety on their train back to London after watching Liverpool beat Brentford at Anfield in January. Mas had tweeted about racist and homophobic chanting from Brentford fans on the train and then became a target for abuse himself.
Mas stood his ground and challenged the group of fans and was supported by a brave Brentford supporter who told the group they were disgusting and didn't represent the London club. Eventually Mas and his son were taken safely off the train by security teams.
READ MORE: Liverpool fan and son escorted to safety after confronting Brentford group over racist chants
Since his awful experience on the train, Mas has been raising awareness of the incident and trying to track down the Brentford fan who helped him. He was eventually reunited with the supporter this weekend when Brentford invited him and his son to watch The Bees beat Southampton at The Brentford Community Stadium on Saturday.
Mas and his son said they were 'overwhelmed' by their treatment by the club and were delighted to be reunited with the fan who backed them up at that difficult moment. Mas said: "I am so grateful to Brentford FC, it's staff and Directors. They made me and Zenadin feel so welcome, it was simply overwhelming. We had our reunion with the hero Brentford supporter and we have formed a bond of friendship which we will always cherish."
Mas and Zenadin were welcomed to the stadium by Brentford staff and also met with Alan Bush from the anti-racism charity Kick it Out. After the match, Brentford Director spent over an hour with them and gave them a personal tour of the ground.
Mas added: "We also met a few of the first team squad. It was a wonderful time for us both and I'm glad my son got to experience this, I know it will serve him well as he grows into an adult.
"Football can be a force for good not just for sport but also for society. I felt that force for good on Saturday and I can only say Brentford are a marvellous club that demonstrated exactly what they're all about, a community football club in the best traditions of our game."
