Brentford FC’s chief executive, Jon Varney, has been awarded an honorary doctorate by Ealing’s University of West London (UWL), returning to Twickenham – where he once worked in the ticket office – for the graduation ceremony.
Mr Varney received an Honorary Doctor of Letters on Tuesday (2 December 2025) during the first of two days of ceremonies held at the Allianz Stadium in Twickenham.
UWL’s vice-chancellor, Professor Peter John, said the university had been one of Brentford’s “oldest and most loyal support partners”, revealing a partnership that dates back to 2012.
In his acceptance speech, Mr Varney described the occasion as “poignant”, recalling how his early role selling tickets led him into marketing and then sponsorship, including work connected to the stadium’s new hospitality boxes.
His career later took him to a sponsorship role at Coca-Cola before he co-founded an agency with the former Dragons’ Den investor Theo Paphitis. Mr Varney said he sold the business to a sports marketing agency, before returning to rugby as commercial director of Premiership Rugby. In 2019, he was a founding partner at Pitch International, a broadcast rights and sponsorship firm.
Mr Varney said he initially turned down the chance to lead Brentford because the club was his “weekend escape”, adding: “I’m so glad I said yes.”
He told graduates to “push your boundaries”, while telling them to “be kind to people”.
