Barry Hearn has built a reputation as one of the world's most influential sporting promoters, transforming snooker, darts and boxing into major television spectacles. At 78, the Matchroom founder remains instantly recognisable across the sports world.
Yet his involvement in football, though perhaps less celebrated, reveals an equally compelling story of ambition and long-term vision.
In March 1995, Hearn rescued Leyton Orient—the club he first attended at age 11—from the brink of bankruptcy, acquiring the organisation for £2.43. Over the following years, he invested substantially in the East London side's infrastructure and finances. By 2007, three sides of Brisbane Road had been reconstructed. By 2012, he had eliminated all outstanding debt and poured approximately £8m into the club.
The pinnacle came in 2013-14 when Orient reached the League One play-off final, presenting a genuine opportunity to climb into the second tier. That dream evaporated in heartbreaking fashion at Wembley, where they fell 4-3 on penalties to Rotherham. Within two months, Hearn had sold the club to Italian businessman Francesco Becchetti, stepping away from football entirely.
For nine years, Hearn's focus remained elsewhere, with no shortage of projects demanding his attention across the entertainment and sports promotion sectors.
Return to football
In July 2023, Matchroom became shirt sponsors of Brentwood Town, an Isthmian League North Division outfit situated just three miles from Matchroom's headquarters. The following year, Hearn acquired a minority stake in the club. Earlier this summer, the relationship deepened dramatically with the announcement of a five-year principal partnership and what the club described as significant investment.
According to City AM, Hearn now holds a 20% stake in Brentwood Town, with Matchroom's sponsorship valued at six figures. The broader ambition is explicit: Hearn wants Brentwood in the Football League within five years, a target that would see the club reach the fourth tier by 2031.
The partnership began unexpectedly.
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,explains 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.
We had some lunches and, after about the third one, he asked me what I wanted. I said obviously I wanted him to get involved, but 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.
Building from the ground up
While Hearn's name naturally attracts attention, Dickinson has been the architect of Brentwood's transformation since becoming chairman in May 2019. Before his arrival, the club faced fundamental structural problems.
There was no pathway for the youth into the first team, he recalls, adding that
the bar was like a 1970s puband
the ambition was just to stay in the league.
The changes have been sweeping. A brand new 3G pitch was installed in summer 2024. The club won the Isthmian North Division in 2024-25 and reached the play-off final last season, where promotion to the National League South hung in the balance. They fell short, but the infrastructure now supports genuine ambition.
Brentwood now operates a Centre of Excellence housing 250 boys and girls aged six to 12.
It's hollow if that isn't there,Dickinson observes, recognising that youth development forms the bedrock of sustainable growth.
Dickinson has invested seven years constructing these foundations. Hearn's involvement now provides the platform to accelerate progress toward higher levels of the pyramid.
How the partnership operates
I speak to him probably once a week, maybe twice. It depends what's happening,Dickinson explains of their working relationship.
He's hands-on in as much as he's available for anything we talk about. We'll sit down every couple of months, look at the financials, how we're getting on. He loves his numbers!
Though he's a minority shareholder and he owns some of the club, he doesn't want to run it. He says: 'I look at you, Jez and you're stressed enough, I don't want any of that!'
The value of Hearn's involvement extends beyond the financial.
What he does is actually raise the bar, subconsciously, for what I want to achieve. We'll have a catch-up at Matchroom and it is quite inspiring and you come away thinking, 'let's go for it'.
I don't underestimate that. It's probably 10 times as important as the financial stuff he does - not that I don't want the financial support as that's really important!
He's a fantastic ambassador for the club as well as a sponsor and partner. I was speaking to a potential partner recently and they said they were interested because if he's committing to five years, he doesn't do things by halves and won't give up easily. It creates confidence with us and people looking to be partners.
Current standing and future targets
Brentwood currently occupy 18th place in the Isthmian Premier Division after eight matches. The club is averaging attendances of just under 700, with aspirations to reach 1,000 this season. Plans exist for a 1,000-seater stand, though completion of the purchase of the Brentwood Centre Arena must be finalised before that project can advance.
Hearn's commitment to the five-year partnership sends a powerful signal to potential partners and investors. According to City AM, Hearn wants to recruit 20 to 50 additional backers from the local area to support the project, broadening the ownership base beyond Matchroom's involvement.
Dickinson articulates the five-year vision with clarity.
Barry decided on a five-year partnership to drive the club to the highest level of the pyramid possible. Hopefully after those five years, there'll be another five years!
Realistically, if we're playing National League football in five years, that will be pretty successful for us. That would be excellent.
It shows how much faith he and Matchroom have in us - it's down to us to deliver.
Hearn has emphasised that Matchroom's support is intended to leave a lasting impact on the community, framing the investment as more than a commercial exercise. The partnership, announced on 20 July 2026, represents a significant escalation from the initial shirt sponsorship three years earlier.
What comes next
The five-year partnership window runs through 2031, establishing the horizon for Hearn's Football League promotion target. The club's immediate focus involves consolidating their position in the Isthmian Premier Division while continuing to develop the youth academy and expand the supporter base toward the 1,000-attendance goal.
Whether Brentwood can replicate the kind of transformation that captured public imagination at Wrexham remains to be seen, but the combination of Dickinson's methodical groundwork and Hearn's resources and experience provides genuine cause for optimism among supporters of the Essex club.
