Leeds United badge launch breaks internet as everyone lines up to put the boot in.

Oh Leeds united. Where to start with this one. Indeed, should we? Of course we should. If the top brass at Brentford thought there had been some angst amongst supporters when our own new crest was revealed back in November 2016 then that was a mere storm in a teacup with what happened yesterday. Leeds United? Leeds Untied, more like. The internet went into meltdown after the Elland Road club proudly showed off their new crest to the world. Yet with furious supporters lining up to vent their rage, photoshop going into overload and even Aston Villa (amongst others) putting the boot in, it would seem the club are already looking to distance themselves from the fruits of a six month process that had involved an apparent 10,000 supporters.

📸 | Our new crest #MOT #LUFC

6 months of research
10,000 people consulted
Ready for the next 100 years

Watch video ➡️ https://t.co/rIIdL2Yz9F pic.twitter.com/pMrd3zTjCl

— Leeds United (@LUFC) January 24, 2018

The day began with Leeds telling the world: “We are now delighted and proud to reveal a new crest that represents the passion and the unique identity that runs deep through the Club”. Managing Director Angus Kinnear adding his own personal support with the additional clarification that the new crest was ”Authentic to Leeds United and honours the quality and loyalty of our fans. It is a symbol of ‘strength in unity’ and a proud expression of the club’s identity and history.”

 Less than 12 hours later Kinnear found himself in the position of telling the BBC “We need to reopen the consultation process… Because the direction is so distinctive and breaks with a lot of conventions, that consultation process hasn’t gone deep enough.” Adding that “It’s slightly unfortunate”.

Not deep enough? How on earth can six months and 10,000 supporters not be deep enough? Judging by the results, it was a research campsign that has been about as shallow as a puddle in the Sahara.

The new Leeds badge. Mr Muscle?

It seems the fans felt anything less than honoured. An online petition was launched to get rid of it, noting : “It makes a mockery of Leeds United and the clubs history. It is alienating the fans. It is has to go.” Within hours it had raced passed the 10,000 mark and at the time of wiring is just short of 70,000.

Supporters and critics went to town on Twitter with the club and the crest trending almost immediately. Not in a good way. And understandably so. Who thought this was good? Who were the 10,000? Who signed off on this? Why had the club borrowed the cover artwork from video game Pro Evolution Soccer 2? Perhaps, most importantly, what the hell got rejected that this was deemed the best? The future? That THIS was Leeds United?

Nice to see #PES2 still providing inspiration to this day… 😉 pic.twitter.com/edCDZSNLRb

— Pro Evolution Soccer (@officialpes) January 24, 2018

Talk about farcical. You wouldn’t have got this at the most tinpot of non-league clubs, let alone these historical giants of the footballing world. A club with huge tradition and one fortunate enough to have such a massive and passionate fanbase. A club that had now turned itself into the laughing stock of the football world.

There was no Yorkshire Rose, no football or even a local landmark. No attempt at a retro spin based on a previous incarnation. From a club that changes crests as often as they change managers then surely that would have been an easy task. Instead, they’ve come out with something that would be be better suited to a communist propaganda poster or some Orwellian nightmare. That said, one can only respect that speed with which they have slammed into reverse.

We changed our crest at Brentford just over a year ago. There was the apparent confusion of it looking like a wasp – it doesn’t. The way to see this is to look at a Bee and then realise that’s the creature on the badge. There was some regret from those of us who were admirers of the cluttered clipart from the previous design – not me though. I loved the simplicity and modern twist on a 70s classic. I ignored the sneers about it only having four legs on display be reminding myself that this was not uncommon whilst, if you look at the previous badge and start counting legs there were only four visible on that design.

Yet supporters now seem to have warmed to it. The worst we had to put up with at the time were some snotty headlines from the gutter press:

 Brentford supporters left furious”. (Daily Mail)  

“Are we the wasps now?”  (Daily Mirror)

“Brentford’s new badge angers fans who claim traditional bee looks more like a wasp.”  (The S*n)

These, the same publications that used the rest of that day’s front pages to all talk about the apparently ‘awkward’ moment when Cliff Richard appeared on TV’s The One Show despite being in the process of suing the BBC. Hardly yardsticks of relevance.

Yet I’ve never seen anything like happened yesterday. Fairplay to the supporters for reacting so fast. One can only wonder what the crack marketing team who put this together thought as the comments rolled in. When Aston Villa have the moral high ground then three’s something seriously wrong.

I can’t wait to see how this unwinds though.

Nick Bruzon

The best of the rest were led by Aston Villa …

We can't wait for this one, @LUFC…😏

On sale dates here 👉 https://t.co/aDLq54KgUY #AVFC #LUFC pic.twitter.com/AEdDLojjje

— Aston Villa FC (@AVFCOfficial) January 24, 2018

I don't know who made this one, but kudos you anonymous meme genius. #lufc pic.twitter.com/cf0EyIHBLT

— The Scratching Shed (@TSSLUFC) January 24, 2018

pic.twitter.com/zR5cveG16k

— CJ (@CharlieJJones) January 24, 2018

📸 | Our new crest #FakeNews

10 minutes of research
2 people consulted
Ready for the next 24 hours pic.twitter.com/tm2IoXLlDl

— Zamalek SC (@ZSCOfficial) January 24, 2018

Ah, now I get it.#lufc #lufcbadge pic.twitter.com/Vas6MnFQ3O

— Chris Rand (@ChrisRandWrites) January 24, 2018

Bees, Dragons, Saints and Imps. As one dream dies, another continues

What a night and what a result. Lincoln Red Imps of Gibraltar set up a Champions League qualifying tie with Celtic after sweeping aside FC Flora Tallinn 0f Estonia 2-0 ( 3-2 aggregate). In other news, Portugal edged past Wales to reach the final of EURO 2016 whilst, for Brentford fans, could the new Southampton shirt offer cause for optimism/fear?

We’ll start, briefly, in Gibraltar where the local champions set up that intriguing encounter for Brendan Rodgers in his first competitive game as the new Celtic manager. What’s this got to do with me, you may ask? Well, aside from personal pride you may recall that Brentford owner Matthew Benham’s other team, FC Midtjylland, locked horns with the Imps at this stage last season.

After a hard fought first leg the Danes eventually ran out 3-0 winners but, it would be fair to say, performances have stepped up even more since then. With a huge swathe of the national team (who of course scored their first competitive goal against Scotland) representing the Imps, anybody taking this one as a foregone conclusion would be urged to think again.

Next up , Brentford. With supporters awaiting the first news about our new kit (which, of course, has been hinted at coming out later this week), Southampton have released their latest incarnation.

Again, something which on the surface may not have much to do with us but I’m always intrigued by how manufacturers can provide a new twist on red and white stripes. And, it would be fair to say, The Saints have done that.

A shirt that may well divide fans

Along with the stripes, technical sponsor Under Armour appear to have incorporated some sort of bra motif into the shoulder panels. The closest thing I can compare it to is our own Osca 83-84  – the one with the all white top half.

Initial shock has slowly turned into begrudging admiration. I’m not sure I’d be overly pleased if Mark Devlin was to reveal this as our new design but you can’t deny it’s different. Besides, with nothing this outlandish in the Adidas catalogue, I can only imagine we’re at least a few seasons away from anything this unusual.

The other point of note around this is: manufacturers blurb. According to the website, “The stripes appear in blocks of five to represent Southampton’s five core brand values.”. Although it fails to note what these values are. Let’s hope that when our new design is revealed to the world, we avoid such nonsense.

And , finally, the Welsh dream is over. It was a stunning effort to get as far as they did and, for a while, looked as though the game was going to go all the way though extra time and beyond. In the end though, it was ‘that man’ who proved the difference.

Say what you want about Cristiano Ronaldo – and many have, myself included – but the power and technique in the header for the opening goal, which he connected with at a height of 7ft 10″,  could only be applauded.

The less said about his subsequent celebration (or that bizarre spearmint coloured kit), the better.

Nick Bruzon

Osca 83-84. Better than spearmint. No core values

 

 

Trevor Francis takes us into the Twilight Zone

Could things get any more surreal this weekend? I’m still struggling to reconcile Brentford sticking four past Wolves to go third in the Championship table. Third In the Championship. Apologies, but it bears repeating. Then Birmingham City just had to go and take things to an even stranger place.

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 along.

Clem. A giant ham. Insert your own joke

Attack of the Killer Bees. Even Leroy is buzzing after 4-0 win

Possibly the craziest November on record ended up with Brentford making it five Championship wins on the bounce, the latest being Saturday’s 4-0 thumping of Wolves. With The Bees now up to third in the table (only a point off the top) and Warbs, surely, a shoe-in for Manager of the Month, the whole thing is just taking a turn for the surreal.

Frankly, I’ve run out of superlatives to describe the spirit and endeavor of this team.

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 along.

Is one player a secret Eurovision fan?

I make no apologies for being late to this party but, if you haven’t heard, today’s Brentford – Wolves game marks a very special occasion. Assuming Kenny Jackett picks him (and how would that be for putting a dampener on things) Wolves Bakary Sako will make his 100^th appearance for the club when they face the Bees in our Championship clash.

And what a way to recognise this landmark. The midfielder has commissioned a pair of custom made golden boots, bedecked in the club colours and covered in Swarovski crystals, to celebrate this centenary.

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 along.

Bakarys jewel encrusted boots could be on show at Griffin Park