For us Brentford fans, the season is over. A fourth top ten finish in the Championship, our last significant action of the campaign (aside from beating the Loftus Road mob, again) was Neal Maupay’s magnificent 94th minute equaliser at The Cottage in mid-April. Those two points denied to Fulham have ended up being the difference between their attaining automatic promotion to the Premier League and now finding themselves in a play-off final against Aston Villa. That game is today. Saturday.
But actually, I’m not as into it as perhaps I normally would be. This is nothing to do with excitement about the chance to play Liverpool bingo later in the Champion’s League final. More with the participants and what I’ve seen on social media this week.
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.
Could Scott Hogan celebrate another goal today ?
T
Nick Bruzon
BrentfordFC 
Good luck to Fulham (yes you read it right). For purely footballing reasons, I want those who play enterprising football to succeed, simply because success is copied. It is not as stark a contrast as between Fulham and Cardiff, but if others look at Fulham and think, that is the sort of football a team should play to get out of this division, I will have no complaint.
Thanks Martin.
Yeah well said Martin. I love us playing Fulham, and beating them, and they will be missed if they get promoted, but unlike Villa they haven’t tried to buy their way back up to the PL. They do play football in the right manner and they have nurtured young talent. So good luck to them. If they win, its good for football, and if they lose, its good luck for us!
Fulham have spent a lot of money, for two seasons, on expensive Premiership loan players, who have proven to be the key players in getting them into the final mix.
I expect that BFC, once due to move to Kew, will follow a similar path, to really push for a Premiership berth.
Hogan, has not had the greatest of seasons, but I would like to see him feature for a full game today and come good with a winning goal.
Terry, maybe unlikeable, certainly essential to AV.
AV, will have to make a supreme effort, but I would prefer them to go up, over the smug FFC mob.
Wow. What a negative attitude. Well done Fulham. Any true fan of football would have wanted Fulham to win. I am actually a Brighton fan but have seen much of Cardiff this year, through work. Brentford were very good at Cardiff and unlucky to lose. Most people would support the so called lesser teams, achieving promotion. The face of the Premiership is changing and I hope that next season we see three more teams promoted that haven’t spent millions on ex Premiership stars. I would love to see Brentford in the Premiership. Petty rivalries should be consigned to the past.
Wow. Just wow. Losers medals for all. Participation badges all round
You really are quite a moron. The Internet has given voice to people like you who otherwise would have only been able to shout at the tv.
Aww. Bless. Thanks Peter
Well well we dealt you a blow today Bees knobs.Whilst the mighty FFC go up AGAIN to where we belong you lot will be slugging again in the SECOND tier visiting maybe Shrewsbury Town or Rotherham.Please continue the Fulham bashing because quite honestly it spurs us on.Anyway must dash , we are busy planning trips to Old Trafford and Anfield for next season.Enjoy it up in Shrewsbury or Rotherham Lol.
Takes a big pair of balls to post AFTER the event, Tarquin
Lol.Come on you Super Fulham.
Can’t say I noticed Fulham “being spurred on” If not for a couple of ‘home town decisions’ would they have got 1 point against the Bees this year ? and they certainly came of second best in most of the other games in our recent encounters.
That said I felt they deserved to go up more than any of the other play-off contenders and maybe Cardiff as well.
Hopefully that’s a Premiership derby to look forward to in the 2019 /2020 season.
At least my daughter will be happy she went over to England about 13 years ago and played for Fulham ladies for a season mostly in reserve grade. When she gave birth to a son last year one of her work colleagues , knowing she had played for Fulham brought him a Fulham kit. He is of course banned from wearing it at our house