Sad times for Brentford fans. As anticipated these last few days, Harlee Dean has joined Birmingham City for an undisclosed transfer fee thought to be £2million. He joins Sam Saunders in breaking my four year old’s heart as two of his three favourite players departed Griffin Park to join what is known as ‘The naughty team’ (i.e. anybody who isn’t Brentford). That was a ‘fun’ conversation last night. Good luck and everything Harlee, genuinely, but the fallout from your move has been catastrophic in our house. I’m only hoping that Jota doesn’t make it a full house today. Where, on the positive side, after yesterday’s early morning stories there has been tumbleweed out of Fulham.
And if you’d like to read more whilst helping the Brentford FC Community Sports Trust …. the rest of this article can now be found in the Kindle e-book Ten Times Better. Brentford FC Season review: 2017/18. Inspired by ‘that’ interview it contains the least bad of these columns in one, handy volume as it looks at our own campaign as well as wider divisional life and the promotion / relegation races.
As a bonus there’s a whole host of new material. New that is, for my pages. Specifically, all the programme articles submitted (both home and away where, if nothing else, you can get the original versions of both Birmingham City and Millwall).
In addition, There Is No Plan B. Brentford FC Season reviews: 2013/14 – 2017/18 takes us all the way back to the start of this latest leg in the journey. That penalty. League One. Harlee Dean was a hero. Jota was something we thought happened to the temperature for one week in July. Alan Judge had joined on loan whilst the Marinus Experiment was something nobody had contemplated. Bringing things bang up to date by the inclusion of this year’s volume alongside the four previously published campaign round ups, it has five seasons in one weighty tome. As weighty as a download can be, that is.
Relive the memories. See how often the same material gets regurgitated. Remind yourself about the likes of Betinho, Martin Fillo, Javi Venta and Marcos Tebar. Certainly, if there’s no Marcos Tea Bar at Lionel Road it will be an opportunity missed.
All proceeds from any sales will go to the Community Sports Trust. For less than the cost of a half / pint respectively, they may help while away some time on the commute. By the pool on holiday. In the bathroom. Who knows? It will certainly do some good for the Trust, whose work has been well documented at Griffin Park but you can read all about it on their site.
And if that wasn’t enough, I’ve been given something very special. A 2017/18 third team shirt with Lewis Macleod’s squad number on the reverse in the EFL typeface. Anyone with half an interest in Bees kits will know that these were never made available in the club shop. Anyone who has read any of this before will know what a kit nerd yours truly is so when I say this is rare, take that in good faith!
To be in with a chance of owning it, download a copy of either before the end of June 2018 and you’ll go into a draw to win this. Just DM/tweet me (@NickBruzon) a copy of your purchase confirmation mail and I’ll add your name to the list before selecting a random Bees fan to win this on July 1st.
Harlee Dean – never backward in coming forward.
https://www.instagram.com/p/qIQN1clwvK/
Farewell, Harlee Dean
Nick Bruzon
BrentfordFC 
Well said Nick , I would like to add my best wishes to Harlee for the future .
Regards Jota , it takes me back to 1961 when we sold ‘ the terrible twins ‘ Jim Towers and George Francis to QPR , believe me Nick , that felt a lot worse .
Thanks OBF. I was fortunate enough to interview Jim Towers a few years ago. Even he didn’t want to go…. How times change
He lost me with his comments reported in he paper that he is frustrated that Brentford are only there or there about and Birmingham are better. How on earth can a player given the responsibility as Captain have such a view. In battle week in week out if the captain has no belief then how on earth can he lead, instill belief in his team mates when the challenge is really tough. Also sounds as though he has a man crush on Harry Rednapp. Don’t forget he is also error prone. No doubt a Very nice guy but Brentford need true believers leading the team. Good luck in Brum, but I bet Brentford will be more successful.
Jota and now maybe Colin also going to brum. Never mind the Barcelona of the lower leagues we will soon have the Brentford of the midlands
NEWS FLASH Jota fails medical Doctor could not find a right foot
Brentford Official:Jota will only be allowed to leave GP if we get an offer of £8 million from a Premier League side.Brentford Official:(as reported) Jota to be sold to Championship rival Birmingham for £6 million.! Am I missing something ? One consolation if it blows Fulham out of the water!!
Nice one richard
jota’s understudy is already waiting in the wings….hope Josh Clarke gets more game time cos i reckon he will easily plug the gap….in recent years we don’t seem to have suffered too much after the departure of any player…we got on ok when Jota was in Spain..
Agree with steve b as a fan of Josh Clarke.Just hope we do not sell him to Birmingham!!Regret I fell for all the pre-season HYPE and the prospect of an Automatic escape from the Championship Never thought it might be into League One.!If my fears do become a reality (heaven forbid) how many fans will want to pay premium seat prices to watch League One football at the new LR stadium ?? I am sure there will be those to tell me to be more patient and positive but as a supporter for more than 75 years I am finding it extremely difficult to come to terms with days like this!
Didn’t realise your boy was only four, so you will have ignored the rubbish I wrote last time about what to say. Having said that, I really like this ‘naughty team’ concept. Let’s hope Jota goes to a naughty team or a very naughty team but not a very, very naughty team.
What on earth is going on…..10/12 million in the bank….but a much weaker squad. What next….Egan to Sheffield Utd, if that happens we might as well get ready for Division 1. I think we have bought some really good young players, we need judge back and a forward with Championship experience. I laughed at Kermogant going to Reading but he did a good job. We need someone like that to hold ball up and provide chances for Maupay and Watkins. As for the defence, who knows what is going to happen??
I had been a Brentford fan for some years when George Francis and Jim Towers, were transferred to QPR. And I knew both on a friendly basis as a local newspaper journalist. But the past two days have been the worst I have experienced in more than 75 years as a Bees fan. Good luck to the players concerned.Discretion prevents me from making any comment about the club and the senior management team who led me,and hundreds of other fans,to believe that Jota would only be allowed to leave if a Premier club paid near to the club valuation of £8 million
I remember the Terrible Twins going, but those were different days, they were sold but didn’t want to go and I stopped going for a while. In the case of Jota it was either cash in or pay him three times what anybody else was getting. The eight million to Premiership was said just to boost the price. If they want to go there is not much you can do and if somebody offered me three times my salary, I know what I would do. At least it wasn’t Fulham.
PS to comment above: Will the last player to leave Griffin Park please turn the floodlights off !!