After the week of media tumbleweed, ‘the statement’ was finally released and, with it, the much expected news that Mark Warburton, David Weir and Sporting Director Frank McParland are to leave Brentford at the end of the season. With Bournemouth due at Griffin Park on Saturday, one would hope that this will now help steady the ship following the debacle at Charlton Athletic and earlier loss to Watford. The instant the club failed to back Warbs when the story first broke but, instead, chose to release that gubbins about “The football village” (something that will go down in modern day TW8 folklore along with:
To read the rest of this article, season 2014/15 is now available to download onto Kindle (and other electronic reading device) in full. Containing additional material and even some (poor) editing, you can get it here for less than the cost of a Griffin Park matchday programme or Balti Pie.
Thanks for reading and all your comments over the course of the season. For now, I need to make more space on the site for any follow up. However, ‘close season’ will continue in full, further on.
Matthew Benham was back on Twitter with a great, new look
BrentfordFC 
We’ve lost 7 of 9, not 8. We beat Derby and Norwich.
Yes. Of course. Terrible maths from me. Cheers. Corrected
An excellent article and I agree with your sentiments. Putting aside the emotion, Brentford comes first and the prospects are exciting.
New Head Coach. What about Uwe?
Football’s a ‘funny old game’ but surely even that is beyond the realms of fantasy?!
Thanks for your comment and reading this piece. Cheers
Having been a supporter since the late 80’s and season ticket holder for 5 years until 1996 I have seen the bees self destruct before. After running high in the league proceeded to sell best players (Holdsworth Gayle Blissett etc) We are now on the cusp of potential Premier league status and we do this. I hope Martin knows what he is doing.
I’m sure Matthew has a very good idea. Certainly not a decision to be taken lightly, given how we are placed and the amount he has invested.
And as somebody who is a long term supporter (so would have been though the sales of Bliss, Deano, Forster, DJ etc) will be well aware of what can happen when we go down that route .
Thanks for reading and commenting
What on earth do Brentford think they’re doing Nick? On a points per pound spent ratio Warburton must be one of the best second tier managers in Europe. Certainly if we lost Kenny Jacket, Mark Warburton would be top of my list as his replacement. Not only that but releasing this information in a promotion run up. It has to affect the players and fans alike. Brentford are a club I have a huge amount of respect for but as an “outsider” this seems the wrong decision at the wrong time.
Timing isn’t great but I don’t think we had any choice except to release the information after it somehow got leaked to the press last week. The way we followed that up was hopeless, frankly, but we got there in the end.
Honestly, the mood has been really flat this week but you can see people picking up already. There is, largely, implicit trust in Matthew Benham whilst Mark Warburton was fantastic on Sky Sports today.
Who knows what the rest of the season will bring but I just hope we can continue as we have, mostly, gone so far.
As for once we hit the new regime – who knows…..?
Excellent article, beautifully written and shrewdly analysed, as always. Your own thoughts are along much the same lines as my own.
I’m glad we now have clarity and closure on this turbulent period and I personally can only see exciting times ahead. Very exciting indeed.
It’s clear to me (even if it isn’t to others) that Matthew Benham has big plans for Brentford Football Club and given his business nous, obvious intellect and most importantly, passion for the Club itself there’s no doubt at all in my mind that the direction he wants to move in is the right one. The right one for the sustainable future success of the Club.
Unfortunately, many fans and supporters think with their hearts rather than their heads and perhaps can’t see the larger picture that Benham is outlining for us. This isn’t about money, it’s about building a modern system and infrastructure at the Club to enable football excellence to translate into success on the pitch. Pitch success will bring its own rewards.
As a lifelong (and long suffering) Brentford fan I feel very excited indeed about what the future holds for the club I’ve held dear for so long.
Thank you so much for your comments.
I think there was always going to be a lot of knee jerk reaction. Football is a hugely emotive game at the best of times, let alone with a decision like this which, on the surface, goes against everything which many people associate with how a football team is run and managed.
Then add Mark Warburton’s success rate into the mix and it is no surprise that there has been a lot of heartfelt emotion .
Mark Warburton and this team now have a fantastic chance to create fantastic legacy for this football club and carve out their own place in history. It would be the ultimate’ high’ for him to leave on if everybody s able to get behind him, the team and (of course) the owner.
Roll on Saturday – I think Griffin Park is going to explode
I agree Nick.
Warburton has nothing to lose and everything to gain by finishing the season in style. If he can, by some miracle or devilish sorcery get them into the play offs, which is realistic given where they stand, his stock will rise immeasurably and leave him in a wonderful position to land a plum managerial job. I have no doubt that he will go on and be very successful wherever he goes — he’s a terrific man manager and it’s clear the players support and like him as a person.
It’s a shame he wasn’t able to ‘buy into’ Benham’s vision but understandable if that meant losing certain ‘powers’ like a veto over what players were purchased or loaned. Benham wants to apply a modern ‘high tech’ system to Brentford and whilst Warburton is a ‘modern thinking’ manager he’s still relatively inexperienced in his managerial career and Benham’s intended system may well have been step too far for him at this early stage. Far better to start afresh with a new manager who can operate symbiotically with the new system rather than try to change and adapt those already in the job.
I’m looking forward to European style football coming to Griffin Park!
Uwe Roessler back, really? That’s a joke right? We won’t reallise how blessed we’ve been until MW has gone.
Yes. One would have to assume any mention of Uwe coming back is meant as tongue in cheek joke. That’s how I’m taking it, anyway
European style football – what is that exactly? Mind numbingly dull generally – with a few exceptions. MWs football was a joy, skilful, width, pacy & always looking for the win. The love affair with continental methods is often a fallacy. Be careful what you wish for.
What is my interpretation of European style football? Playing the fast paced passing game Brentford currently try to play but with the technically skilful players in place to do so successfully.
Brentford’s current squad of players, with a few exceptions, aren’t good enough to play the style of football Warburton wants them to play. This is why they’re currently seventh, with a goal difference of only 4 and have lost 7 out 9 games against the 6 clubs sitting above them.
I have supported the Bees for 60 years and experienced a few lows but this seems the lowest .
I now live in Brighton and take an interest in the local team and can see some similarities as to what is happening .
Promotion to the Championship , a new ground , a top manager and then the Chairman gets carried away with his own importance .
The wheels have well and truly come off at Brighton and I can see the same thing happening at Brentford , like Brighton this season I fear next season the Bees will be in a relegation battle in the Championshiip with a manager who will be out of his depth .
Up the Bees ……….
To say that our current squad (with a few exceptions) isn’t good enough is harsh. Until this mess blew up we were in the PO positions playing the best football I’ve seen from a bees team. The 2 recent defeats are down to the self inflicted instability. Yes there are areas that need improving & decent cover is needed, we’ve also been unlucky with injuries.
I hoped for an evolution, we’ve now got a revolution. In the end I will support MB, but let’s not pretend it’s been a poor season of underachievement in order to defend the chaos of last week. It doesn’t wash.