Keith Loring RIP

[rebus]

I’ve just seen on Facebook that Keith Loring, the club’s former chief executive from 1986 to 1995 has died.

He arrived at Griffin Park in late 1984 as a commercial consultant and took the CEO role when Christine Matthews left to work for Martin Lange directly.

There is no doubt he got the club off the field rivalling some Premier League outfits on commercial ideas and income. The club shop consistently made superb yearly profits.

He was integral to the launch of Lifeline in 1986, which has bought in seven figure donations to the club since its inception.

He wasn’t all that popular with supporters at the time on various things but with the benefit of hindsight we were lucky to have him. Derby County poached Keith to be part of their new stadium project and he stayed for a long time, alps assisting Derbyshire CCC.

I know @Peter G will be able to do him more justice.

RIP.

 

[Downbeat Bee]

Crikey - he was a considerable presence in my early years supporting Brentford. I got the feeling that relative to our standing on the field he was probably doing a decent job 'commercially'. RIP.

 

[halibutbee64]

I’ve just seen on Facebook that Keith Loring, the club’s former chief executive from 1986 to 1995 has died.

He arrived at Griffin Park in late 1984 as a commercial consultant and took the CEO role when Christine Matthews left to work for Martin Lange directly.

There is no doubt he got the club off the field rivalling some Premier League outfits on commercial ideas and income. The club shop consistently made superb yearly profits.

He was integral to the launch of Lifeline in 1986, which has bought in seven figure donations to the club since its inception.

He wasn’t all that popular with supporters at the time on various things but with the benefit of hindsight we were lucky to have him. Derby County poached Keith to be part of their new stadium project and he stayed for a long time, alps assisting Derbyshire CCC.

I know @Peter G will be able to do him more justice.

RIP.

I think he was a very capable man and did a very good job while he was here.
RIP Keith

 

[WarrenBee]

RIP Keith. Shared a round of Golf with him on one of the GPG Golf Days a few years ago.

 

[HantsBee]

Sorry to hear this and I knew Keith well from his time at Brentford and after. Not always an easy man to deal with but he certainly changed things round at Griffin Park and his wife Leslie ran the Club shop with great success as @rebus mentioned.

My sincere condolences to family and friends.

R.I.P.

 

[stevil]

My friend's dad used to supply the club shop in the early 90s, and he always spoke very highly of Keith Loring.

RIP.

 

[Houghton Bee]

RIP Keith.

 

[nanny58]

R I P Kieth put us on the right road and always approachable to chat, condolences to Lesley and family

 

[North London Bee]

He played a major, major part in professionalising us off the pitch and was thorough, creative and very hard working. He also did a marvellous job of marshalling, organising and motivating the band of volunteers needed to help run the club.

So sorry to hear this ghastly news.

RIP.

 

[Balders Bee]

An important part of keeping the club afloat in harder times. R.I.P Mr Loring.

 

[Ashford Bees]

RIP. An instrumental part of success in the late 80’s / early 90’s era. Remember feeling gutted when he left us for Derby.

 

[vcmazz]

I remember him as a very approachable and practical man. He was willing to argue with you if you disagreed, without falling out. He helped me with a Liverpool ticket problem in 1989. I liked him. Very sad news.

 

[johnnym]

Did me a lot of favours back then,when my behaviour probably didn’t warrant it.RIP Keith.

 

[Billy Hunt]

Sad news

RIP Mr. Loring

 

[PhilE]

RIP Keith,

I remember him calling me unexpectedly once on some matter that I had raised - can't remember what now but was nice for him to take a personal interest as I doubt it demanded his attention. Also met him on a tour of the ground before a match upgrade at some point. Seemed a nice guy and as others have said had us firing well commercially.

 

[Infatuated Bees Alter Ego]

Very sad news. RIP Keith.

 

[horshambees]

Rip Keith.
Sad news

 

[Humblebee]

RIP Keith.

 

[Bill Benn]

Got to know keith well over the years when he first joined the club he was known as Loring Out.He would come down to stripes from the boardroom after the game and take a lot of stick from us lot on the round table but gave as good as he got.His sportsman dinners at the airport hotels were legendary and with Peter Gilham alongside brought a lot of money into the club.I spoke with him after the Noades/W£bb disaster and he was very interested in getting involved with the club but sadly it never materialise.Keith was
a very good operator and a genuine decent bloke who helped out many fans who had problems over his time at the club.RIP Keith shame you could t be around for this great time in our history.

 

[Simon W]

He was the right man at the right time to lead our club .. sad news

RIP Keith

 

[moribee]

RIP Keith and thankyou for being human. A personal touch in my life above and beyond.

 

[Indian Bee]

Just heard the news. RIP Keith. A thoroughly decent man whom I had the pleasure meeting him on a number of occasions. Did a lot for the club and was excellent at his job and brought a lot of monies into the club through his commercial acumen. A sad day for BFC and his family.

 

[TW3Bee]

Sad to hear this.

RIP Keith.

 

[jlove]

An important man steering Brentford through difficult times and a vital contributor to the Club's evolution.

RIP Keith and condolences to your family and friends.

 

[WARFIELD BEE]

Sad to hear of his demise, however I can't forget him telling me that all genuine Brentford fans got in for the Fulham game, when
my Father and I didn't after a joint 100 years of Brentford support (We didn't have season tickets then).
This was said to us on the Coach to Peterboro.

 

[Voice from the Braemar]

RIP Keith…was a good bloke….when we where a lot younger he offered to meet our little group for one to one chats about recent ahem off the pitch activities at gp and was very fair once he’d heard the reasons why….let’s just say that the club nowadays just ban you for life, having no interest in the whys where’s and whats …it was a much nicer club for the real die hard fans in those days and Keith played a big part in that

 

[Ruislip_Rich]

Very sad news.
Thank you for everything you did for our club.
RIP Keith.

 

[Hullbee]

Was he responsible for bringing Whinnie to the club shop and turning its fortunes around?

 

[rodders]

Is this the chap who came from Cambridge United and then to Derby ? If so I remember he phoned me up at work in reply to a letter I had written.

 

[Edmundo]

Sad news. RIP

 

[sonofabee]

Got to know keith well over the years when he first joined the club he was known as Loring Out.He would come down to stripes from the boardroom after the game and take a lot of stick from us lot on the round table but gave as good as he got.His sportsman dinners at the airport hotels were legendary and with Peter Gilham alongside brought a lot of money into the club.I spoke with him after the Noades/W£bb disaster and he was very interested in getting involved with the club but sadly it never materialise.Keith was
a very good operator and a genuine decent bloke who helped out many fans who had problems over his time at the club.RIP Keith shame you could t be around for this great time in our history.

That is a top post, he was a very fair man who probably allowed us a bit more rope than most. God bless and RIP Keith

 

[trevalanintravel]

I’ve just seen on Facebook that Keith Loring, the club’s former chief executive from 1986 to 1995 has died.

He arrived at Griffin Park in late 1984 as a commercial consultant and took the CEO role when Christine Matthews left to work for Martin Lange directly.

There is no doubt he got the club off the field rivalling some Premier League outfits on commercial ideas and income. The club shop consistently made superb yearly profits.

He was integral to the launch of Lifeline in 1986, which has bought in seven figure donations to the club since its inception.

He wasn’t all that popular with supporters at the time on various things but with the benefit of hindsight we were lucky to have him. Derby County poached Keith to be part of their new stadium project and he stayed for a long time, alps assisting Derbyshire CCC.

I know @Peter G will be able to do him more justice.

RIP.

What sad news I worked along side Keith for many years, had great respect for him. He loved Brentford and worked hard for them and was always very professional in everything he done. my condolences to Lesley his son and daughter. R.I.P.

 

[Leedsbee]

RIP Keith, thanks for being part of our history.

 

[BlueJayBee]

RIP Keith.

 

[Beecareful]

I had many positive dealings with him.

A largely unsung hero in our long history.

RIP and condolences to his family and friends.

 

[Wise old Bee]

Sorry to hear this. Keith injected a dose of professionalism into the club off the pitch which was needed at the time. RIP.

 

[forever gelson]

Went to California in 88 with Lifeline and Keith and Leslie were lovely always had time for chat and you knew that they were really interested in you and your life .Whenever I saw him at the ground always stopped to have a chat and have a coffee . He was genuinely a lovely man . RIP Keith

 

[Paul USA]

R.I.P Keith

I think it would be fair to say that the road to where we are today started to be laid when you arrived at Brentford.

I did not know him well, but on the 2 matters I wanted to talk to him about back in the day he was open and receptive. Can not imagine many CEO’s engageing with supporters like Keith did.

 

[The Joker]

RIP Keith.

The tributes and insights already shared on this thread are testament to his place in BFC history.

 

[Alan D]

RIP Keith.
I had the pleasure of talking to him on a number occaisions and always felt that he was a top guy.

 

[Jim Rourke]

Part of our history passes

RIP Keith

 

[wanderer paul]

RIP Keith Loring.

Remembered last night at Brentford by all.

 

[Mattingly Bee]

Peter Gilham paid a beautiful and emotional tribute on Friday. Thoroughly deserved and well done Peter.

 

[IslandBee]

Peter Gilham paid a beautiful and emotional tribute on Friday. Thoroughly deserved and well done Peter.

It was indeed a beautiful tribute, heartfelt and very well received by those who were above stairs at half-time.