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She’s thought to be an avid Watford fan, but Geri Halliwell was a few miles south of the Hertfordshire town while cheering on a completely different team over the weekend.
The Spice Girl was accompanied by husband Christian Horner during a surprise appearance at the Gtech Community Stadium in London, where Premier League side Brentford hosted Leeds United on Sunday afternoon.
And the pair were in good company, with German supermodel Claudia Schiffer and her filmmaker husband Matthew Vaughn – the club’s new minority shareholder – also present to watch the game play out a 1-1 draw.
But despite bringing some much needed glamour to the Gtech, a disinterested looking Halliwell struggled to stifle a yawn while sat alongside Horner.
Even a rare Premier League goal from England midfielder Jordan Henderson, who dedicated his smart finish to the late Liverpool striker Diogo Jota, wasn’t enough to raise a cheer from the singer.
Halliwell and Horner made it a family occasion by bringing the Spice Girl’s step-daughter Olivia along for the occasion.
The 12-year old, Horner’s biological daughter from a former relationship with Beverley Allen, was flanked by her parents as they took selfies while watching the stalemate play out.
Schiffer’s filmmaker husband and philanthropist Gary Lubner joined the London club as minority shareholders over the summer.
News of their involvement followed a report from Sky News that majority owner Matthew Benham had clinched a deal to buy a minority stake that values the club at £450million.
Benham took full control of the Bees in 2012 when they were in League One and has overseen their rise to the top half of the Premier League.
Schiffer, who holds more covers than any model in history, married Vaughn in 2002, the year after they had met at a Los Angeles dinner party. They now raise three children together.
Vaughn is a co-creator of the Kingsman franchise, directed X-Men: First Class, and was director and producer of 2024 film Argylle among other achievements.
On their new investors, chief executive Jon Varney said: ‘This is an exciting time for Brentford. The club has enjoyed significant success in recent years, and this investment will build on that progress to help us continue to challenge in both on-pitch performance and off-pitch commercial growth.
‘It is vital to us that any new investors understand and reflect the values of our club. Since we first met Gary and Matthew, we have been aligned on how they can make a positive impact.
‘They bring different but complementary expertise, and I am excited to see what we can collectively achieve.
Vaughn admitted he regretted not investing in Brentford sooner: ‘My journey with Brentford began 25 years ago when an actor suggested it would be a ‘great club to invest in’ and I’ve followed their progress ever since with well-earned respect.
‘Some years later, an agent made the same suggestion and so I went to a game, and it was the most unique, intimate, and yet epic match I had ever been to.
‘As he showed me around the stadium and introduced me to the brilliant owner and exceptional management team, all I could hear was the voice of the actor who first told me about the club echoing in my head, saying “You should have listened to me, it would have been much cheaper 25 years ago!”‘
