Do this again and the next game will be brutal. The next game will be brackets.

Is there a way to dress that up? Can Brentford take any consolation in the no show at Brighton (sadly, we don’t mean the home fans). What next for the visit of Manchester City on Wednesday evening? With Pep Guardiola’s team bracketing Leeds United the other week and then falling one short of the magical 7(seven) against Leicester City themselves, that one has all the potential to be a turkey shoot if the Bees don’t find whatever was missing at the Amex. Starting a game without Vitaly Janely (covid) and Rico Henry (hamstring) was always going to be tough. Moreso, given the longer term injuries felt by David Raya and Kris Ajer. Yet, yet, yet surely we could have offered something, anything, more than a first half so laid back as to be practically horizontal. Beautifully taken first-half goals by Leandro Trossard and Neal Maupay (of course, although kudos to the man for his own reaction and post-match comments) were the least Brighton deserved but by the time Brentford got their arse into gear, it was too little too late.

🗣 "I respect them so much, everything they've done for me."

Brighton's Neal Maupay says he didn't want to celebrate his goal against former club Brentford as they gave him his chance four years ago 🙌 pic.twitter.com/xYxOaxZ0ym

— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) December 26, 2021

Neal. Class, as ever

There are no words to really describe how frustrating this one was. Bryan Mbeumo limped off with little more than a half hour gone whilst Matthias Jensen was pulled off with the tea cups still being thrown around the dressing room at half-time. The makeshift defence having twice held open the door for Brighton to seize the initiative and put this one beyond reached after the initial threat that Brentford had been hinting at disappeared into the ether. By the time we rediscovered our mojo in the second half, the game had already been put to bed. Robert Sánchez in goal for the Seagulls preserving their dignity when Baptiste and Pinnock got the ball goalwards.

Having now caught up on the highlights, it feels even more deflating than seeing it at the time.

The legs, as much as the door, held open for the second goal

Perhaps we have been spoiled this season. Perhaps it is as much the fact that, at times, we’ve made the step up to the Premier League look easy. Perhaps games like this – whether outclassed or just not showing up – were always going to happen. Likewise, there is the dreaded Covid factor to factor in. An added element of pot luck to chuck into the mix of trying to prepare for big games with key names already absent. 

I’m certainly not in the doom and gloom camp – anything but. Prior to this we’d had two wins, two draws and a solitary defeat in our previous five league games. It could, probably, should have been three wins but for the 95th moment up at Leeds United. The only performance of real concern being that one at Spurs. This ranked alongside it. Alongside Burnley away. Signs as much has anything else that the Premier League is just so, so tough. Play slightly below your best and watch that gulf in class unfold into a gaping chasm.

We don’t generally do match reports on these pages. Not huge ones, anyway. Besides, we’ve all seen the game – whether at the Amex of c/o our friends at Sky. Thanks a bunch, again. Instead of regurgitating what we all know (albeit the player feature will be up later) , it is as much about where we go from here. Manchester City, Aston Villa and Liverpool (a) are next up in the league. Assuming, of course, Covid doesn’t do its thing in either camp. They’re going to be as tough a set if fixtures as they come. One could almost argue they are games with nothing to lose and everything to gain. Moreso given we know that Christian Norgaard will also be on the casualty list for the City game, given his (soft) yellow card now takes him to five and a mandatory one game ban. 

Certainly, there’s a chance for a midfield bereft of him and Vitaly to either crank it up a notch or be brutally exposed. Given the current popularity and wayward form of his Danish international team mate, one can guess which way supporter feeling will be leaning. 

The pace of Rico Henry was another crucial dimension to our game missing last night. Here’s hoping his stint on the sidelines is as short as possible albeit hamstring injuries don’t, as a rule, cure themselves overnight. On the plus side, Shandon Baptiste is really adjusting to this level well and looking more and more exciting with each game. Had Sanchez not been equal to his effort early in the second half we could well have been sitting here in a different frame of mind today. But we aren’t. That’s not how football works.

So close – Brentford ‘official’ capture the moment on their Twitter feed

Crying over being below par won’t help us recover. It certainly won’t help us against Manchester City on Wednesday. Just about the toughest job in football – stopping pep Guardiola – will only become ten times harder if we aren’t all fully on it.

So, yes, it was a terrible performance. No question. It shouldn’t take that long to get out of first gear – at any level. But it is the Premier league and the game is now over. We put it to bed, file it under b and move on.

Here’s to Wednesday. Here’s to some good news on the health front. Here’s to Manchester City. Here’s to emulating one of my all time favourite football moments. Perhaps…… See you there.

The quintessential Brentford FA Cup image

Nick Bruzon 

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Will there be more of the same at a price that, surely, is beyond generous?

Saturday morning. Match day. Except, of course, it isn’t. Brentford fans have to wait an extra day for the chance to see if we can match Tuesday night’s annihilation of Aston Villa. This time around, the visitors are none other than Brighton. A team who, whilst managing to reel in and then fend off long term runaway leaders Newcastle United, went down 3-1 at Huddersfield Town in front of the Sky TV cameras on Thursday night.

Will the Seagulls fall victim to Dean’s killer Bees?

There’ll never be a better time for the Bees to take on the Seagulls. Brentford blew away Aston Villa on Tuesday night as though they were nothing more inconvenient than an empty crisp packet. 3-0 really doesn’t even begin to do justice to a scoreline that saw added width courtesy of Florian Jozefzoon and the wonderful Jota.

It was something noted by Dean, who used his press conference to note that “They give us an extra dimension and that enabled me to flip the system on Tuesday” (and, as ever, you can read his full interview on ‘official’).

With one defender less and more room in the middle of the pitch, Dean set his team up in much more balanced and positive formation than we’d seen in a long time. The results more than justified the tactical reshuffle. And this is before the returning Sergi Canos has even got a look in. Whilst I can’t imagine he’ll start in this one, I can already hear the reception he’ll get coming off the bench.

Jota was back in the starting XI on Tuesday night

The big question now being whether it was a one off or if we can expect more of the same against Brighton? I hope so. Desperately. Tuesday night saw genuinely exciting football as the Bees, perhaps with a point to prove to Scott Hogan, tore Villa a new one.

Brighton, meanwhile, may well be back in second place by the time we cross paths. Newcastle United play on Saturday although a visit from Derby County won’t be the easiest fixture in the calendar. Yet if they can get the win, that adds the pressure to Albion. Especially if third placed Reading can also do the business at hapless Ipswich Town. A win for the Royals will take them to within just two points of Brighton.

Then, of course, we’ve got Thursday night to consider. Nobody needs a midweek trip to Huddersfield at the best of times, let alone when you then put in a performance that Chris Hughton would later describe saying, “Every now and again you get a real bad one, and that was a real bad one.”

Perhaps he should compare notes with Steve Bruce !  To compound their misery, highly rated defender Lewis Dunk was shown the red card so misses out at Griffin Park.

One can’t help but think Brighton will be exhausted. With little over 48 hours to recover from the game and subsequent trip back from Yorkshire to the South coast, they are back on the road again.  Whilst we’ve all been victims to the vagaries of TV scheduling, this one seems extreme and yet another example of the TV companies putting teams and fans firmly in second place.

The question being if Dean Smith and his team can take advantage of this gift we’ve been offered. Brentford have already beaten Brighton in the corresponding fixture – becoming the only team this season to leave the Amex with all three points. Can we now become the first to do the double over the Seagulls? Could Sergi cause havoc in the final twenty minutes as tiredness starts to tell?

At odds of 11/5 with club sponsors 888, it seems to be free money for anybody looking to invest. Surely that’s too generous a price?

On Sunday afternoon, we find out.

Nick Bruzon

The good, the bad and the ugly. A week in football as Aston Villa await and West Ham implode.

Brentford picked up all three points at Brighton to head into Wednesday’s game with Aston Villa in high spirits whilst Huddersfield Town and Newcastle United, like the Bees, both recorded a 2-0 away win. These, results that allow them to sit first and second respectively and, in the case of the former, sending Leeds United into the relegation zone where they now sit just behind Wigan Athletic. The supposed conflagration engulfing Will Grigg proving insufficient to stop them making it three defeats on the spin. Meanwhile, defeat for Fulham (Clayton Donaldson both scoring and missing penalties against David Button) and a tepid draw for the Loftus Road mob at home to Blackburn mean the West London triumvirate are separated by just one point and goal difference respectively.

That’s the most recent Championship action in a nutshell. Yet there has been so much more going on in the division and beyond. In the next of our regular Monday morning feature we look back at those things you might have missed from the world of social media over the last seven days.

We’ll start off, as ever, with Brentford.The win over Brighton and the trip to Villa Park on Wednesday have everybody in high spirits. Regular correspondent Bernard Quackenbush summarising one of the best moments from the Amex in a single tweet. Kids, you may need to ask your parents.

After another misplaced @GaetanBong pass, the reaction from @AKnockaert reminded me of this lady #bhafc #BrentfordFC pic.twitter.com/mdthcII2gh

— Bernard Quackenbush (@BernardQuack) September 11, 2016

Billy Reeves, in the meantime, taking over from stats guru Luis Melville with something which, if not over elaborate, shows what true football immolation is (and please, let’s NOT rip off that song. It’s bad enough we’ve appropriated one from Oldham).

That's 10 goals in 10 games for Hogan. #BrentfordFC

— Billy Reeves (@TheBillyReeves) September 10, 2016

And talking of stats, how’s this for an Aston Villa related one? Brentford really have nothing to lose and everything to gain later this week. With a fleet of free coaches heading up the motorway c/o the club sponsors, will you be there to see if we can move that ‘W’ column from 0 to 1 ?

On Wednesday, the two teams will face each other for the first time since 1953. #BrentfordFC have never beaten Aston Villa (W0 D2 L6).

— Essential Brentford (@BrentEssential) September 11, 2016

But, as ever, it was Kitman Bob who proves to be the wonderful random element, a so called ‘x-factor’, at Brentford official. The frog DNA in the otherwise ‘perfectly safe’ laboratory controlled environment of club twitter. (Bob, if you are reading, that’s a good thing – trust me). Let’s hope he doesn’t get preserved in amber and, instead, keeps the zingers coming…

Thanks to all the @BrentfordFC boys & girls today. Great support & I heard another FIRE DRILL 😀😀

— Bob Oteng (@ganodecafe10) September 10, 2016

Saturday saw a surprise visitor to the New Inn. Former Bee and Leeds United legend Chris Kamara (amongst the numerous accolades on his still glittering CV) popping in for an afternoon off.

In the New Inn in Brentford 2watch 2nd half of the Liverpool game & bumped into wrecked people who have played the soccer sat drinking game😂

— Chris Kamara (@chris_kammy) September 10, 2016

Regular readers to this column will be aware of my admiration for Sam Saunders. Our number 7(seven) summing up everything it means to play for Brentford in terms of what seems to be his genuine love for the game, the team and the fans. Then , of course, there’s the shorts, the tan, the free kicks and his wonderful use of Twitter.

Supposed to go out and see the new film brotherhood,

Ended up staying in to watch great British bake off.

😎 Gangster

— Sam Saunders (@samsaunders7) September 7, 2016

Before we move on to the wider football world, the  last Brentford related matter of the week concerns a supporter rather than a player. Specifically Luis Adriano. Whilst, of course, a few fans have released club related books in recent years (with varying degrees of success and publicity) Luis isn’t one to overly blow his trumpet.

Yet he has taken the step of writing a third novel. And it is has just been released. Words can’t put into, erm, words what a huge undertaking this is and I can’t wait to get my hands on a copy. The link below should give you more of a flavour

#HelloMrMagpie
My #bestselling #paperback.
Published 9am on 9/9 2016.
#999
🇬🇧 https://t.co/DN6nx4USF1
🇺🇸 https://t.co/tQM384Etni

— Luis Adriano (@LuisAdrianoUK) September 11, 2016

Next up, referees. We’ve seen a much tougher stance from the men in black this season in an attempt to cut down on back chat, abuse and petulance. Rightly so, in my eyes. Yet, equally, the hard line has extended to diving, pulling and now, it seems, general over-exuberance. Certainly something for our own players to watch out for following Nottingham Forest’s late equaliser at Villa Park yesterday.

A Forest player was sent off today – for over-celebrating a late equaliser https://t.co/nxKDQrphO6 pic.twitter.com/PPMKVhVLS8

— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) September 11, 2016

But if Pereira had it bad, spare a thought for Joe Hart. Already shown the cold shoulder at Manchester City, he had a rotten start to his loan career at Torino. The performance on pitch was bad enough, by all accounts, yet things had already gone South before a ball was even kicked.

Poor Joe Hart.

Dropped again, this time in favour of his uncle John. pic.twitter.com/ztj1pJe4RH

— 888sport (@888sport) September 11, 2016

Not even opponents Atalanta running out to Status Quo ( Whatever You Want) was enough to inspire him. Many thanks to the soothsayer of scores, Richie Firth on the Absolute Radio Christian O’Connell breakfast show, for that gem. As Richie noted this morning, “How often do you hear of teams running out to Status Quo”. Sadly, never – Richie .

Perhaps my own suggestion of ‘Down, Down’ for our own #BeeTheDJ not quite so silly !

Still, if Manchester City have made a shrewd move in the transfer market with that one, can the same be said of Manchester United? The much trumpeted record transfer of Paul Pogba hasn’t, so far, proven to be the success intended.

Paul Pogba 2016-17:

270 minutes
0 goals
0 assists
0 dabs
3 haircuts pic.twitter.com/K9DXCpEy7Q

— Pie Sports Booze (@piesportsbooze) September 10, 2016

As ever, though, it is the regular visitors to this column that provide the weekend’s big story. West Ham have done it again. If Hart was hapless, what does that make the Hammers? Fisticuffs in the stands and the scared children were the least of their concerns after Saturday’s result.

Angelo Ogbonna of West Ham, who didn’t make it onto the pitch during the 4-2 home humping administered by Watford,  still took the time to share the score with his followers. Proving a point that he hadn’t featured or just totally misreading the situation? As one Brentford fan noted, imagine the meltdown if Harlee Dean had done this..

pic.twitter.com/2jh933C4LX

— Angelo Ogbonna (@OgbonnaOfficial) September 10, 2016

C2C railway had to give this advice to their passengers. Things going well at the Olympic Park, then ?

Pugilistic passengers earlier resulted in a temporary instruction from @BTP for trains not to stop at West Ham station. All clear again.

— c2c Rail (@c2c_Rail) September 10, 2016

But it was an X-Factor reject who really summed thing up for the one time Upton Park outfit.

Being a West Ham fan today genuinely feels worse than being chucked off the X Factor for snorting cocaine. @davidgold

— Frankie Cocozza (@FrankieCocozza) September 10, 2016

But if West Ham fans feel like they are getting the rough end of the stick, spare a thought for Southend United. Their loan deal with Crystal Palace not proving quite as well researched as the one which brought Sullay Kaikai to Griffin Park

I feel like this is something we should have checked out before we signed him… https://t.co/a48IDJ3Atc

— Iain Macintosh (@iainmacintosh) September 9, 2016

Ryan Innis has been sent to prison, so is unavailable for Southend. Makes Gills signing of an unfit Cargill look like a master stroke.

— Andrew White (@Andrew_GFC_GTCC) September 9, 2016

Nick Bruzon

Decisions, decisions. Who’d be a manager? The big game awaits.

Saturday football is back. With most sports pages devoted to the incessant wittering on about if Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho will have a glass of wine together (although whether this is before, during or after the Manchester United – Manchester City game remains unclear) you’d be forgiven for thinking nobody else was in action today. But, of course, the really big one is down on the South Coast where Brentford head to Brighton hoping to pick up where we left off against Sheffield Wednesday. Albeit without the injury time equaliser or open goal chances being served up on a plate.

To read the rest of this article, season 2016/17 is now available for download on e-book in the retrospective: Welcome Home, King Jota (Brentford FC season review 2016/17)

Priced at just £1.99, all sales are being donated to the Brentford FC Community Sports Trust.

Likewise any sales from the previous titles – Celebrating like they’d won the FA Cup (2013/14), Tales from the football village (2014/15) and Ready. Steady. Go Again. (2015/16) – are also now going to the BFCCST.

Containing the least bad of the blogs from May 2016 to May 2017 along with a smattering of new material, you can pick it up, here. Its all for a great cause and,hey, you may even enjoy it…..

 

Today’s the day

Brentford make their third Championship visit to the Amex

Nick Bruzon

A potential silver lining as another part of next season falls into place

Monday evening saw Brentford learn another opponent for next season as the horror and the brilliance of the play-offs was combined in equal measure. Despite throwing the proverbial kitchen sink at their opponents , Brighton were unable to overcome a 2-0 first leg deficit and so it is Sheffield Wednesday who reach the final next weekend. Barring a minor miracle, Hull City (who complete formalities at home to Derby tonight, 3-0 up) will be the only thing in their way as the Premier league beckons.

The nice part of me feels dreadfully for Brighton right now. The were in ‘automatic’ for long parts of the season and finished level on points with promoted Middlesbrough. Only two goals split the respective teams, with Boro ending the campaign on 89 points and +32 ; the Seagulls 89 points and + 30.

The BBC table doesn’t lie

Wednesday, meanwhile, finished 15 points behind the Seagulls and had gone into the semi on anything less than great form. Only 2 wins out of the last 7(seven) suggested a team who had as much chance as Derby County of making the final. Yet, as we all know, form counts for nothing and the play-offs are a fickle mistress.

If one team can feel Brighton’s pain right now it is Brentford. Our play off form is only matched by Sheffield United, in making it 8 attempts without winning the final. Even Preston, finally, breaking their hoodoo last season making it 1 win out of 10 to join us in the Championship.

For the record, our own campaign trail of woe reads.

1990/91 : Lost. SF. Tranmere Rovers (2-3)

1994/95 : Lost. SF. Huddersfield Town (2-2; pens)

1996/97 : Lost. Final. Crewe (0-1)

2000/01 : Lost. Final. Stoke City (0-2)

2004/05 : Lost. SF. Sheffield Wednesday (1-3)

2005/06 : Lost. SF. Swansea City (1-3)

2012/13 : Lost. Final. Yeovil Town (1-2)

2014/15 : Lost. SF. Middlesbrough (1-5)

I take no pleasure from seeing any team go through what we have done. Many times. If ever a reminder were needed (it wasn’t) about just how cruel the play-offs can be it was here. If ever a reminder was needed of the importance of grabbing ever point and every goal over the course of the regular season then last night served up yet another example.

Yet, at the same time, whilst I do have sympathy I also have some selfishness about this. As one observer noted on Twitter last night, “Brighton away its too good a trip to be wasted on the Premier League”.

I’ve got no new interest in Sheffield  – been there, done it, eaten their (albeit lovely) pies and heard ‘that band’ many times. Should Hull win the final, then no doubt I may go (again).

But a guaranteed trip to the Amex is only a fantastic thing for Brentford. A short hop on the train. A day out by the coast. A full house of Bees in the away end. A cracking atmosphere.

The Albion mascots – it feels like cheating on Buzzette

Sheffield are welcome to take their band and Hi-Ho, Silver Lining (see also: Let me Entertain you / We are the Champions for ‘overplayed stadium songs’ ) to the top flight. Good luck to them. Genuinely. I’ve always enjoyed going there and wish them no ill will.

But a trip to the Amex, something that many of us were denied this time around thanks to the decision making of Sky TV, can only be viewed as a positive. At least, for us visiting fans.

To be honest, missing out on that trip this time around was probably no bad thing (and if you’d like to read more about that, or the season just gone then you know the drill – it’s here). Brentford were abject when we went down 3-0 in February.

For that reason alone, redemption, I’m already looking forward to another visit. Now, where’s that railcard…?

Until then, this may remain on the cards. Still, if Wednesday do go up there will be one silver lining.

Enjoy

And finally, as ever, genuine thanks to all those who have so far downloaded both the aforementioned Last Word ‘season review’ (Ready. Steady. Go Again) aswell as the three year anthology (The Bees are going up). It is somewhat humbling that people take the time to go over this nonsense and relive these moments once more.

It has been a stunning few years. Here’s to more of the same.  Until then, the last three season reviews and overall anthology are available here.

Nick Bruzon

Tickets and travels – Wednesday and QPR are getting closer

After another painful wait for a game following last Friday’s shoeing at Brighton, it’s almost time to step back up to the plate with a trip to Sheffield Wednesday. The Hillsborough outfit will, of course, be looking to consolidate their place in the play-off zone. Before all that, though, we see the main swathe of tickets for QPR going on sale today.

It would be fair to say that, Chelsea aside, Brentford were kings of West London football last season. We finished well clear of Fulham whilst taking all 6 points and 6 goals off them in the League. Stuart Dallas scored THAT goal whilst Jota did his thing in the last minute. Twice.

QPR, meanwhile, slid out of the Premier League after a poor, poor campaign – returning to the second tier of English football once more. This time around, things haven’t been much better for either of our divisional rivals. Fulham are 11 points behind the Bees whilst despite a recent resurgence for the Loftus Road mob, it is still the Bees who occupy 12^th to their 13^th. Plus we have the advantage of first bragging rights as Marco Djuricin popped up with the only goal of the game when we secured all three points at Griffin Park back in October.

October at Griffin Park – who could forget ?

Tickets are sure to fly for those who now have the requisite amount of points. Last year’s ‘loyalty’ being this years ‘TAP’. Rightly so, we all love a local derby and will be desperate to get one over our neighbours in their own, cramped, stadium. With only half the allocation we normally get for Craven Cottage available, it is sure to be a packed and noisy crowd. I can’t wait.

Before all that is Sheffield Wednesday. With the Bees now 10 points (effectively 11 with goal difference) off the 6^th place that they occupy, anything but a win will ,surely, spell the end to the play-off aspirations that Dean Smith was still harbouring after the game at the Amex.

Despite his observation that , “We have 16 games and 48 points to play for, while there is still an opportunity to make the Play-Offs we will go for it”, I don’t think many are fooled. Sorry Dean but I can do the maths. Much as I love the Bees and only want the best for us, I’m also realistic. And can read a form table.

If that was, perhaps, a soundbite he was obliged to give, yesterday’s press day saw him come out with two much more positive / realistic ones. Firstly, that, “ I am not a massive fan of possession stats because they don’t always mean you will win the game,”

Hallelujah! As, I’ve been saying all season – all the possession in the world and sideways passing counts for naff all if you can’t get the ball in the back of the net or even manage a shot. Brighton saw the quintessential example of this. Despite seeing 65% of the ball, the Bees only managed one effort on target and went down 3-0. Here’s hoping lessons have been learned.

Equally pertinent were his observations about training. Specifically that Scott Hogan is getting stuck in and has really impressed after being out for so long. This is stunning news for the player but , equally, perhaps the motivation that everybody needs after Dean’s previous bombshell about us lacking intensity.

Sheffield Wednesday will provide a phenomenal challenge. If only for our supporters having to listen to ‘that band’. Yet if Dean’s words are to be believed, then we’ve got a team that are going to go for it

On Saturday, we find out.

Best avoided

Sam reveals all (some) amidst marketing blitz

With the game against Brighton just over 24 hours away, the Brentford marketing team got ready by going on a high-profile publicity drive of our own. With mixed results.

But before we get there just a quick word of praise for our own supporters . With tickets for the Brighton game now confirmed as available on the gate, at no extra cost, chief executive Mark Devlin has already taken to Twitter to announce:

Looks likely we will have approx 1200-1300 travelling fans at Brighton. Not bad for a Friday night, live on TV, match

Many people’s plans, my own included, were thrown into chaos when the game was moved forward from a Saturday afternoon to a Friday night to accommodate the Sky cameras. It is frustrating but just part and parcel of being in the Championship.

But to be taking this many, when the option to watch from the comfort of our armchairs on a wet Friday evening presents itself, is truly admirable and shows just what a loyal fanbase this club has. There are others who will have practical reasons for being unable to attend : prior arrangements made to facilitate a trip to Brighton on a Saturday afternoon that have now backfired, childcare, work etc. Yet to still have this healthy a crowd deserves a lot of kudos be shown to those making the journey.

Here’s hoping we can reward them by replicating last season’s win at the Amex. Although perhaps without putting us through the torture of missing an unmissable open goal. Jon Toral, I’ll never forget that one….

The Bees beat Brighton 1-0 last time at the Amex – it could have been 2

 

Ok – so I mentioned at the top of the article that we’d been on a marketing drive. My email in-box was hit with both issue 1 of ‘The Buzz’ newsletter and a rather odd note about tickets for forthcoming games.

The Buzz newsletter had a mix of brief articles, video footage and social media highlights. All round a nice touch. If nothing else, I’ve learned that when Sam Saunders isn’t showing his romantic side, he is ..”An absolute animal on the dance floor. The Rondejon is my best move, as pro like myself I have it on lockdown” .

I am to dancefloors what Nick Proschwitz was to penalty boxes and really not best placed to comment on what a Rondejon even is. Whilst I’d imagine it’s something being practiced in discotheques and dancehalls up and down the land, could Sam also have a penchant for ballet?

The Rond de jambe, of course, being an exercise from that discipline at the bar or in the centre in which one leg is made to describe a series of circular movements on the ground (thanks, google) . Given the fleet footed skills of the popular wing wizard, nothing would surprise me.

Next up, the ticket email. I’ve often been accused of being ‘puerile’ but was there really any need to send me this?

It’s ‘dear’, not ‘hi’

Was somebody showing some solidarity after the recent twitter spat about my own, perceived, support ? No. Infact, the answer transpired to be a typo on the mail shot as, it turned out, I wasn’t alone in having an email sent to my ‘carer’.

These things happen. And I’m certainly not going to pay out our ticket office. If, indeed, it was them rather than the marketing team that sent this. We all know what a great job Rosina, Vicky, Mads and the rest of the team do (under some very testing circumstances).

However, in a year when fan interaction / comms has been high on the agenda in this blog, let’s hope this was a one off. People can take offence – albeit it most of those I spoke with saw the funny side when we thought we’d been ‘singled out’.

The reason I even mention this was because, it seems, we had several new recruits in the office.

The players are phoning some of the fans this afternoon, so don't hang up if someone rings up saying they are Josh! pic.twitter.com/WEzUJA5tLQ

— Brentford FC (@BrentfordFC) February 3, 2016

If ever there was a caption competition waiting to happen then here it is as, along with Josh, supporters might have received a call from Lasse Vibe, Jack Bonham or David Button. Another positive from the Bees to have a chat out of the blue with one of your heroes, even if the photo did make it look as though the call centre was based in a storeroom.

Was Josh to blame for the rogue email to our parents and carers? Did Jack drop the handset on the keyboard and accidentally hit ‘send’ ? Honestly, I don’t know what my reaction would have been had somebody called me out of the blue saying: “Hello. It’s David Button here”.

At the end of the day (Clive) you can’t knock the club for trying to reach out to supporters more. Whilst those first few calls must have taken a few people by surprise, this could be a great new initiative for future weeks.

I’m just waiting for my call from Sam. If he isn’t busy dancing.

Nick Bruzon

A tale of two away games as opportunity knocks

It doesn’t take a genius to realise that this Saturday is likely to see our largest away following of the season as Brentford travel to Fulham with close to 5,000 fans backing the Bees. QPR’s tiny away end makes any chance of a similar attendance impossible whilst Brighton and Hove Albion saw the intervention of Sky TV put a huge spanner in those works last night.

But we can only start with Craven Cottage. It’s now (at the time of writing) just over 48 hours until we head up the road towards Fulham with Brentford fans hoping for a repeat of last season’s league games.

The 2-1 win at Griffin Park was exciting enough. A dominant Bees side fell behind, albeit via a defensive faux pas, before Harlee hit a late thunderbolt to level things up. And then it all went crazy. The pressure built until Jota did his thing and secured all three points in the last minute to send the Bees fans wild.

Jota – his winner against Fulham at Griffin Park was quite exciting

It really doesn’t get any better than that. Except, of course, it did. With the Bees on a roll who needs reminding of what happened in the away game? Nobody, but it doesn’t mean we won’t do it !

A single match goal of the month competition ensued as Stuart Dallas (2), Alan Judge and Jota all found the back of the net and Fulham ended up on the wrong end of a 4-1 demolition.

It was, undoubtedly, THE away performance of the season. The chance to steamroller your local rivals in their own back yard sent Bees fans’ home ecstatic. It was one that still has me smiling even now.

I could wax lyrical on this for paragraphs but we all know what happened. And it was marvellous. Stuart Dallas hitting his second and celebrating on his knees in front of the Brentford faithful will stay with me for the rest of my life, whilst that scoreboard, reading: Fulham 1 Brentford 4, said it all.

View from the terrace – Stuart Dallas celebrates THAT screamer at Fulham

But the excitement of the weekend has been slightly tempered by the fact that the away game at Brighton, originally scheduled for 6th February, has been moved forward for a Friday night TV game. As with Fulham, that was one of the great adventures last season with a large travelling contingent bearing witness to another away win – albeit the 1-0 was a lot tighter than the performance at the Cottage.

Jon Toral’s unmissable open goal (which he missed with the ball getting tangled up under his feet) was another memory I’ll carry with me although, thankfully, it didn’t cost us. Likewise, there is just the all round good fun of a day on the coast and Brighton’s cracking stadium.

View from the terrace – and Toral must score….

But the gods of TV have pointed their fickle finger at us and spannered the fixture list. With Brighton flying high and the Bees storming up the blindside, it’s no surprise but still a disappointment as a sure fire ‘away’ trip is now coming very much into question.

I’m not going to overly complain. It’s frustrating, for sure, but I can’t see we get any choice in the matter. It’s all part of playing in a higher division and, had we got to the Premier League, would probably have been twice as bad. It’s just a shame that we won’t all be able to watch it live.

But Sky sponsor the division and pay for the TV rights. We all know what that means and, sadly, on this instance it is the (non-armchair) supporters who suffer.

Still, that’s one to worry about down the line. For now, we’ve got Fulham approaching at a rate of knots and, frankly, attention is better spent focusing on that one.

If it’s even half as exciting as last season then it promises to be a Christmas cracker,

And finally, belated best wishes to West London’s Premier Journalist and all round sport fanatic, Tom Moore, who celebrated yesterday. No ‘Last Word’ meant I couldn’t pass on my greetings at that point.

Happy Birthday, Tom. And I hope the Bees bring you all the best on Saturday.

Best wishes, Tom. A birthday suit?

Nick Bruzon

Is this a sign of the impending apocalypse?

Whilst this column is, primarily, about Brentford (and there’ll be more about the Norwich City game over the weekend) we aren’t afraid to look at other ‘issues’ in the world of football. And with Aston Villa due to entertain our Championship rivals Bournemouth in the FA Cup on Sunday, they don’t come much bigger than what could play out at Villa Park.

The regular reader will know of my interest in football jinxes.

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.

The apocalypse approaches… possibly

A night of surprise (and horror) as an exciting weekend awaits

And just when the top of the Championship table couldn’t get any tighter, it did after Brighton and Hove Albion beat Ipswich Town 3-2 at the Amex last night. Brighton who, despite our victory, ran Brentford close on Saturday did the Bees a massive favour. It is one that means another win at the weekend, when we visit Norwich City, will take us to within a point of the second and third placed teams.

To be quite honest, I’d forgotten all about that game as a night of channel surfing in our house (briefly) saw the horror of Mrs. Brown’s Boys winning ‘Best Comedy’ at the National Television Awards before I was able to switch to the football.

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.