It was hell on earth. Could the same happen again?

Sunday morning and another early start. The eSpresso has been drunk, last night’s washing up done and the cat fed whilst the rest of the family still sleep. Even the cat.  Hey, never let it be said that yours truly doesn’t lead a rock ’n’ roll lifestyle. Yet all of this mundane normality will explode out of the blocks in a few hours time. Brentford host Leicester City knowing that victory combined with a win for Liverpool could propel the Bees to fifth in the Premier League table (one of the teams having to get some combination of points in the Spurs – West Ham game makes fourth just out of sight). Having performed so well in recent weeks, moreso seeing how fellow promoted teams have fared against teams we’ve taken all the way (Chelsea hitting Norwich City for a 7(seven) goal bracketing yesterday), means we go in to this one with tails very much up.

A typical early morning in TW8

Bloody hell. The atmosphere, and performance, in the Chelsea game (Brentford rather Norwich) were like nothing else. Then again, we said the same after West Ham away and the 3-3 with Liverpool. Every time you think that things have got as good as they can, the team and the fans rewrite the form book. Last Saturday evening had just about everyone channeling their inner Dean Smith. We actually did deserve to win. It’s a real ‘break glass in case of emergency phase but for once, it rang so very true.

Of course, the record books will show we didn’t. Ben Chilwell’s goal separating the teams. True enough. Talking to friends and colleagues last week, all anyone outside TW8 could say was just how the heck had we been denied at least a point? The reaction was almost universal. Match of The Day showing the collection of wonderful saves, posts rattled and last gasp defending that kept us at bay. Kudos to Chelsea, btw. They did what they needed to and won the game. Yet seeing them dismantle Norwich City yesterday put it truly into context. Perhaps even more dramatically than Watford being obliterated by Liverpool the week after we were denied a famous victory over the Anfield side by nothing more than an offside flag.

It was a case of less Canaries and more headless chickens at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea with their pedal to the metal. Norwich, stuck in reverse and about as clueless as a Glenn Hoddle punditry masterclass. Just as at Lionel Road, the game started with the Champions of Europe pouring forward. Unlike the game at Lionel Road, the opposition crumbled and had no idea how to counter (or even contain) their opponents. The half-time assessment that with some substitutions Norwich might be able to play for the draw (they were 3-0 down at this juncture, having previously scored just 2 goals all campaign) was about as far fetched as it was just plain stupid. Instead, all we got was the aforementioned bracketing.

Let’s be clear. I’ve no particular love for Chelsea. Or any other club. At most, a lot of admiration for Norwich after they way they treated our Harry a few years back. Likewise, today’s opponents given the much needed shot of footballing romance they gave us all a few years back. If nothing else, the proof that the ‘elite’ don’t have it all their way.

Good times at Carrow Road. Pre kick-off…

Ultimately though, in our house it’s all Brentford. At the same time, seeing how the three promoted teams have performed against the best in the land shows such a marked contrast as one can’t help but try to draw parallels. The respective results speak for themselves.  Watford 0 Liverpool 5 to Brentford 3 Liverpool 3.  Chelsea 7(seven) Norwich 0 to Brentford 0 Mendy Chelsea 1. Last season’s performance in the Championship counting for nothing now we’ve all stepped up. 

The one clear difference being that we were at home for both. My word, home. Talk about making that advantage count. Talk about not just raising the roof but ripping it off. The noise levels being generated have been stratospheric. Gargantuan. Like nothing we’ve ever experienced before. “It was hell on Earth, the last 20 minutes” being the considered verdict of Ben Chilwell last time out. 

Hell on earth at Lionel Road, last time out

We may not have the financial clout to match but we certainly have the passion. I’ve been in stadiums where we’ve played European Champions and missed out on promotion by play offs. And the atmosphere at Lionel Road is ten times better than that. It’s just about getting the balance right.

We had it at Griffin Park, of course. Who could forget the denouement to the 5-0 against Birmingham City or that afternoon against Preston North End? Then lockdown came, we were all stuck at home and denied football for the best part of an entire season, not to mention the end of the one before. Yet upon return its almost as if all the frustration of missing out has been bottled and the stopper now released. Seriously, being part of these crowds has been as much cathartic as anything else. Makes the missing out and the early morning washing up all that bit more bearable. Mostly, though, it plays a HUGE part in stifling our opponents and making Lionel Road a place to be feared. A genuine fortress. 

Leicester City are about as tough as opponents get. Just like Brentford, they’ll have the top quarter of the table in sight and, of course, have experienced their own huge morale boost. Namely that of coming from 2-0 down in Moscow to stride out as eventual 4-3 winners. Jamie Vardy spent the evening on the bench, with the Foxes four coming c/o of Patson Daka. Joy, another goal threat to contend with today and Kasper Schmeichel a man mountain at the other end. Having finally said farewell to one top class shot stopper in Edouard Mendy, we’re straight back up against another. Nobody sad it would be easy at this level !   

Foxes in Europe. Laboured wordplay and a half hour spent on photoshop yesterday so damn well going to use it again

Can I call it? No hope. All we can say is that if the Brentford faithful keep it as loud as we have done all season then we’ve every chance of lifting the boys onwards and upwards.

The bookies have the Bees as the outsiders, plus ça change, although at least we are deemed a little bit closer than in previous weeks. To be honest, it counts for naff all barring curiosity. All that matters is how we hit the ground at 2pm – on and off the pitch.

The bookies give Leicester the edge

Bring it on. See you there. If nothing else, there are Panini Cards to swap. Our Harry has a stack of doubles and is all set for the 1pm swap meet underneath the Family Section in the North West corner of the stadium. You can read about that on ‘official’.

Fingers crossed, the team can match his, and our, enthusiasm…..

Nick Bruzon

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Oldham bracketed. Now bring on Liverpool.

Bring out the brackets. For a third successive season, Brentford managed the magical mark following a 7(seven) – 0 defeat of Oldham Athletic in the League Cup third round at Lionel Road on Tuesday night. Four goal Marcus Forss leading the charge, ably complemented by a Yoane Wissa brace and an o.g. from our visitors compounding their agony. It was every bit as comprehensive as the scoreline suggests. For once, stats telling the story with the Bees managing 24 efforts at goal. A largely scratch side but one still full of internationals could, really, have doubled things in what seemed to be a shoot on sight policy. Victory over the English football’s basement side as deserved as it comes. The big question being whether we can repeat it on Saturday when the league’s top side, Liverpool, come to visit. Joint first with Chelsea (also due here in a few weeks), that also has the potential to be a 7(seven) goal thriller. Anything but on top of our game though and I’d hate to imagine which way those would be shared out.

Forss of nature

First up, Oldham Athletic. They came into the game with a reputation as a club in trouble and that was proven on field when the flying Finn grabbed his first with less than three minutes gone. Forss making no mistake from the spot and from that point on it was game over. One had to feel for the 600 or so visiting fans. That’s a trek and a half to watch the goals roll in. Moreso with no beer in the away end. Sorry…. Kudos to them. We’ve been there over the years. Getting spanked on the road and no money rather than sobriety. Away clubs have always been very welcoming and I’m not, quite, sure why we’ve gone dry. Unless it’s some attempt to demoralise our guests. On pitch, nobody needs another history lesson on our own bucket rattling or lower league survival where, but for the grace of our ownership, we could still be. 

Instead, they gave it their all, going nuts when the odd shot from distance came in. One second half beauty from Jamie Bowden forcing Álvaro Fernández into a quite wonderful save as it headed for the far top corner . There would have been no complaints from the Bees faithful had that gone in but, instead, it was kept out and we now start the Twitter stampede to win a sponsored mattress as a result of our clean sheet. Not a typo.

Sadly for our guests it was one chance out of not many. Captain Jensen pulling the strings in the middle, Wissa on fire, Forss doing what he does for fun and Samman Ghoddos running his socks off. Pick of the goals being the last of the night. Wissa with a quite delicious bicycle kick to round off the rout. On another day he’d have had a hat trick too. Certainly not holding back on his efforts although it was one from Charlie Goode that really had the fans on their feet. An absolute howitzer from distance smacking the bar. Had it gone in Lionel Road would have erupted. Instead, we had to be content with a 5-0 HT lead, two in the second period and opponents for whom Brentford showed no signs of taking the foot off the gas. It was relentless. It was brutal. It was fun. For us.

Official Twitter capture the pick of the night

The fourth round draw takes place tonight. Micah Richards and Harry Redknapp pulling out the balls live from a Bedfordshire Bowls club. The competition sponsors once again doing their thing to mix it up and generate publicity. The sort of thing that previously would have had wringing of hands and much lamenting at unnecessary gimmicks. Now, with Brentford in the fourth round once more, I’m past caring. Just get the draw done and let us know who its going to be. With Wembley no longer the jinx it was, there’s an added layer of appeal about a potential visit. Of course, that’s still a fair way way off and there’ll be plenty of tough tests for whomever eventually lifts the trophy. On the flip side, you can only beat who is in front of you and last night Brentford did that in style.

Next up, Liverpool in the league. That’s at 5.30pm on Saturday evening and is, of course, a sell out. The game’s live on Sky for those unable to get a ticket. Victory will see Brentford move to within two points of the Anfield side. Should it happen. Defeat, something expected by just about everybody outside of TW8. I mean, there’s no way a team like Brentford, a bus stop in Hounslow, will get anything against such illustrious opposition. Is there? Eh, readers 😉  

We all know what we can do. Everyone else knows what Liverpool can, and have, done. The wealth of talent in their team. That’s taken as red. Yet with our own goal machine(s) in fine form and a bench the likes of which we’ve never had before, who knows? Christian Norgaard will be vital and it was good to see him picked out on Match of the Day for special treatment in the post-match analysis last week. Hey, we weren’t even last up in the running. 

It’s the sort of moment we’ve been building for. Years in the coming and, finally, a global super team up at Brentford for a competitive fixture. No offence, Arsenal. Beating them was quite wonderful but, equally, a club in disarray and very much trading on former glories were there for the taking. That opportunity was grabbed in some style on a night that saw the roof raised and Brentford dominant.

Can we do the same this time around? I can’t wait to find out. Hopefully we can show Mr. Klopp what he missed out when choosing Anfield over Griffin Park…. See you there.

Bring on the fixtures…The Bees haven’t played Livepool since the FA Cup in 1989

Nick Bruzon 

Put down the crowbar and look at the shoddy photoshop. The latest big game is upon us.

Tonight’s the night. We hope. Brentford finally play Bristol City after the teams have already seen our coming together twice cancelled. First due to Corona Virus suspicions and then, actual, cases. It is a game that reeks of potential for both clubs after recent results from our Championship rivals. Defeats for Watford and a fourth in a row last night for Bournemouth, along with Millwall holding Norwich City, make the business end of the table as open as it has been all season. The Bees are 2 and 7(seven) points behind Swansea City and The Canaries respectively but have games in hand on both. For The Robins, a win will take them level on points with sixth placed Bournemouth and possibly above them, should GD swing by more than one. Elsewhere, Manchester United did their one team bus tribute act. Not so much parking it as waiting for one.

We can, of course, only start with Brentford. It seems we’ve waited an eternity for the Bristol City game. One can only hope that severe injury list that coincided with their 11th hour cancellation of our New Years Day fixture has got a bit healthier. Much like their staff whom one can only be thankful that the sudden onset of Corona Virus symptoms proved to be nothing more than a false alarm at a time where the testing laboratories were closed. Relief all round, I am sure. It feels like we’ve all got a lot older waiting for the Bees to play the Robins…. And, with that, I’ll put away the crowbar and instead present the shoddy photoshop.

We’ve all grown old waiting for the Bees to play The Robins (kids, ask a grown up)

We all know the stats, of course. Brentford remain unbeaten in the league since October 24th and the Stoke City debacle. Since then, we’ve been unstoppable. Ivan Toney has been banging them in for fun with the hat-trick (now officially confirmed) against Wycombe Wanderers on Saturday the latest in a long line of goals, goals, goals. That was quite the performance from the entire team. Tarique on fire. Josh a welcome return to our midfield and Sergi blitzing it in the second half. The net still rippling from his goal(our fifth). An absolute blockbuster. 

If only we’d been allowed in to see Sergi, Josh and co..

We’re currently third placed on 48 points after 25 games and have just hit Wycombe for brackets. A 7(seven) -2 victory one that, being honest, could have gone to double figures had we taken those first half chances rather than allowing them back in to the game. For context, at the same marker last season we were sitting fourth with a still hugely respectable 40 points 3rd. We’d just gone down 1-0 at Millwall, fourth on 40 and were hoping Leeds United would fall apart. Again. 

Now, destiny is in our complete control. The table doesn’t lie and the prize for winning tonight , whilst not season defining, would lay down a huge marker to the top two teams Norwich City and Swansea. Especially given they then play each other on Friday night. Yeah. Frank Out!! Sergi’s rubbish. Sign somebody Benham, we’re doomed. Oh, and insert Picard graphic. Again, I’ll put away the crowbar and insert…. 

Hmm. They’ve gone very quiet…..

All this, of course, ignores Bristol City. They aren’t just going to roll over and die. Surrender meekly and hand over more points to Brentford. Although it would be nice if they did. However, with Bournemouth picking up the mantle from Leeds United, the Robins will be chomping at the bit to do their thing. The play-off zone is back in sight and Dean Holden has the hottest instead of the sadly departed Lee Johnson. Last season’s fun and games feeling even further away than the original date for tonight’s fixture and another excuse to wield the photoshop.

Last season was fun. Farewell, Lee Johnson.

Moreso, we need to be wary of the Robins given how they slipped up to Wayne Rooney’s Derby County at the weekend. Or, should that be, Rooney’s derby. Cripes, the castration of the Rams continues apace. Having got through Frank Lampard’s, Steve McClaren’s and, to a lesser extent, Ashley Cole’s it looked like they were once more Derby County. Then Rooney came in, took over, and now Derby have already lost their capitalisation. Rooney’s derby proclaimed the weekend updates….

derby further emasculated (thanks to Trevor for spotting this one !)

Etc etc etc. We could go on. But won’t. With Bournemouth serving up that favour last night and reopening the door to Bristol City, they’ll no doubt have their own spirits lifted. Here’s to our high flying Bees doing our thing one more. Even half the performance on Saturday would be sufficient. As long as it’s the second-half.

The other news last night came at Old Trafford where Manchester United hit Southampton for 9. Cripes. If we were destructive on Saturday, this was next level. Like buses, you wait ages for brackets to come along and then two appear at almost the same time. My own phone alerts suddenly going off late in the evening suggesting something happened and , sure enough, The Red Devils hit the magical 7(seven) goal mark. A feat they managed on 87 minutes yet still then finding time for an additional two goals. Well played all round and a scoreline we could only aspire to. Whilst there’s no chance of it happening tonight – Daniel Bentley’s not a flappy ‘keeper – I’d be happy with a gritty 1-0 and the three points. 

Will we get them ? Roll on 7.45pm when we find out. Mark Burridge has the hot seat on the quality comms. There’s also Sky for those of you with that option, should you prefer. Regardless of the provider, this could be huge. Bring on kick off and see you there. In spirit, if not body.

Nick Bruzon

Bring out the brackets.

What an afternoon. What a result. What a performance. A hat-trick for Ivan Toney. Individual strikes from Tarique Fosu, Josh Dasilva, Ethan Pinnock and Sergi Canos (the net is still bulging) all adding up to a magnificent 7(seven) for Brentford. Despite scoring twice to go in level at half time, Wycombe Wanderers had no answer to the second half explosion inspired by a resurgent Sergi, a rampant Tariqe, Josh oozing class and Ivan back to his goal scoring best. With Norwich City dropping points against Middlesbrough, Wednesday’s game against Bristol City has taken on an even greater dimension. That’s for then. For now, its all about the Bees earning a further GD swing of +5 and the unbeaten league run continuing ever onwards.

Indeed there were…..

Brentford were magnificent. A 2-2 half-time scoreline about as frustrating as they come. Sergi had conspired to head over with just a few minutes on the clock before Ethan Pinnock buried a corner from Matthias Jensen. 1-0. Open the floodgates. Or, rather, don’t. Instead, show uncharacteristic indecision and let your opponents back into it. The lead lasting barely five minutes before Uche Ikpeazu levelled it up with a wonderful strike following a spate of possession form the visitors that had all the hallmarks of the inevitable equaliser. 

No matter, Brentford pressed on again. The goal sat waiting to be filled. Saves made. Posts hit. Openings unconverted. Agony cranking up until Tarique Fosu was awarded the goal that made it 2-1. For me, Clive, it was Ivan Toney’s all day long. Fosu, who played an absolute blinder today, stabbing home when the ball was already well over the line. It will no doubt be given to Ivan eventually and we’re already calling it as such. 

@TariqeFosu I love you loads but bro it’s already over. @SkyBetChamp @SkySports pic.twitter.com/VhvZpcplBc

— Ivan Toney (@ivantoney24) January 30, 2021

Whomever was credited at the time, the only thing that mattered was it crossing the line. Having taken the lead, we wouldn’t make the same mistake twice. Surely? Oh, we did. This time the lead lasting just two minutes before Admiral Muskwe restored parity just prior to half-time. Yet another demonstration of chances counting for naff all if you don’t bury them. Credit to Wycombe, they knew what to do when the moment came. Brentford had been profligate ; the visitors clinical.

Whatever Thomas Frank said at half-time , he needs to bottle. Talk about the mother of all pep talks. There was only one intent when the boys can back out – kill this one off and do it fast. Fosu was there first, then Ivan Toney with another of his ice cool penalties low to the right. A 4-2 lead with little more than ten minutes played and, this time, there was no choke. No invitation to our guest to get back into the game. Brentford strangled the life out of it before a blitzkrieg assault at the end saw the day end in 7th (seventh) heaven.

Sergi absolute leathered it home after fine work from Josh. A run and cool finish fro mIvan made it six and the hat-trick before man-of-the-match Dasilva completed the rout. The final three goals coming from 81 minutes onwards. Who knows just how crucial these may turn out to be come the end of the season? Only Swansea on 18 are even vaguely close to a GD that now reads +21.

We could have been down at half-time. We weren’t. The usual faces were laying into Sergi once more (well, I suppose with Charlie Goode and Emiliano missing they had to go for someone). Football is a game of 90 minutes and my word, didn’t we prove that ? This is the team that never gives up. That refuses to be beaten. That plays, and celebrates, together. You could see what this one meant. You could probably hear the screams from our house half way down to Lionel Road.

Brentford are now in third place. Two points off Swansea and six off Norwich with a game in hand on both. This season has plenty of twists left in it but you can’t ask for more than we got today. Sure, luck was ridden at times but the history books, and the table, don’t lie. And I know what both of those say.

We started the day saying this one had the potential to be Biblical. It was beyond that. It was immense. Finishing of the highest degree once we got our shooting boots properly laced up. I’d love to be there in person but its not too shabby following from home. Now bring on Bristol City…..  

ahem….. #BrentfordFC @ivantoney24 https://t.co/JzZ3PyOk7H

— Nick Bruzon (@NickBruzon) January 30, 2021

Nick Bruzon

FA Cup ‘highlights’ build anticipation for Tuesday.

Two more wake ups to go. The battle for the final place in next season’s Premier League is almost upon us. Who will join Frank Lampard’s Chelsea for next season’s West London derby? Brentford or Fulham? Who will stay behind in the Championship to slug it out with the Loftus Road club? Wembley awaits but before that it has played host to yesterday’s FA Cup final between The Blues and Arsenal. 

For the neutrals amongst us, it really was a cracking match despite being played out in front of a near-empty Wembley. Arsenal ran out 2-1 winners in a game that it wouldn’t have been a surprise to hear Keith Stroud had been refereeing. Some of the decisions made were, err, ‘questionable’. Specifically, the second half sending off of Mateo Kovacic when he earned a second yellow for what could be describe as, at worst, a harmless challenge. 

A Keith for all seasons

A bitter pill to swallow and, unlike Rico Henry’s red last week, there is no room for any further recourse. At least Brentford had the opportunity to appeal and bring back our man for that blockbuster destruction of Swansea. Instead, this game is now consigned to the record books. Arsenal lift the cup and have now earned the right to be kicked out in the last 16 of the Europa league. Chelsea are left to count the horrific injury cost suffered in this one. More dodgy hamstrings than the deli counter in Morrisons and what looked like a dislocated shoulder for Pedro.

There was a howl of frustration from Mrs. Bruzon when he came on to the pitch, let alone went off. “Urghh – Pedro”. Nothing to do with the player himself but a terrifying flashback to the relentless days and days and day spent watching Peppa Pig when H was much younger.

“All I can think of now is blinkin’ Pedro Pony and his whinny voice.” Brentford not feasting at football’s top table had meant, of course, that these are streams yet to be crossed. Until this unfortunate coming together. And with that, the Cup final was ruined.  

Pedro Pony

The other big talking point to come out of yesterday’s game was just what font had been used on the back of the Arsenal kit? Bavarian beer house? Medieval? Samurai? Had the designers at Adidas been on the pop when going through the MS Office gallery? 

Sadly, the answer would now seem to be a much more mundane one. Nothing more nostalgic than it being based on the classic crest that adorned their shirt from 1949-2002 before being replaced by the current Clipart. Typeface aficionados can look forward to seeing this in forthcoming Cup and European games.  

The ‘cup’ font – expect it to be retired by March

As ever, there was controversy. Not so much the sending off but the BBC losing the plot when the added time was announced at the end of the second half. The signal of ‘7’ on the board should have seen a regulation use of brackets. 

Yet rather than go with: “7 (seven) minutes added on” , the live updates on the BBC website went for a quite bizarre mismatch. Whomever was driving obviously had vague notion of 7 = brackets but that was about as far as their basic knowledge of football folklore went.

It was almost as though the videprinter was being operated by Officer Crabtree from ‘Allo ‘Allo. Good moaning. I was just pissing by your door etc etc etc.

How else to account for this mangled grammatical effort?

And with that, it was all over. I won’t deny a small increase in stress levels when the board went up. And not just because of the BBC setting my teeth on edge. More, due to the fast forward to Tuesday night. Brentford and Fulham really will be in to the last knockings at that point. Will it be a case of hanging on for extra time, backs to the wall defence or throwing the kitchen sink forwards in a last gasp attempt to win the game?

Imagining that moment wasn’t fun. The clock will either be moving at snail’s pace or accelerating at warp factor 10 (don’t ‘@‘ me, nerds) depending on how the scoreline sits.

It’s going to be awesome and awful in equal measure. And I can’t wait. The game is getting ever closer. The moment building. As we noted yesterday, life shouldn’t wished away yet, at the same time, waking up this morning the anticipation seems even greater than ever before. In part this was due to a great game yesterday but, equally, because knowing the possibility of facing both these clubs as part of a regular campaign is only 90 minutes away. Possibly  ninenty-SEVEN (97).

Elsewhere, The Scottish Premiership returned with Celtic looking for their chance to make it ten league titles in a row. Or, as Adam Devlin put it on Twitter…

And I can’t top that so, instead, it’s a case of saying thank you and good morning. 10am Boot Camp in St. Paul’s Park, Brentford calls (do get along if you are local). Anything to try and exorcise (exercise?) some of those pre-match demons that are already tapping on the shoulder…   

Nick Bruzon

Dasilva and goals leave Bees in 7th (seventh) heaven as Lu-tonked.

My. Word. We’ve only gone and done it. Brackets. This is not a typo. This is not a drill. Brentford achieved the magnificent 7(seven) – 0 scoreline in a game that was about as one-sided as they come at Griffin Park on Saturday afternoon. I’d fancied us in the build up but it really was a case of Luton Hoo as The Bees ran riot against the hapless Hatters, blowing them away as easily as a crisp packet aught in the breeze. A Josh Dasilva hat-trick added the cherry to the cake of a scoreline that could, quite easily, have reached double figures. Our biggest win in 25 years, The Bees were about as rampant as it gets. The performance we’ve been building to delivered in epic style.

It’s tricky to be objective in a game of this nature. Luton offered no resistance whatsoever in a game where their plan seemed to be one of matching us in an attempt to play football and, when fair means didn’t work, resort to foul. Referee Tony Harrington issuing no yellows but waving ‘advantage Brentford’ four or five times as somewhat cumbersome attempts to win the ball by the visitors saw the Bees retain possession and continue in our wonderful attacking vibe.

Luton tried but couldn’t keep pace

The returning Bryan Mbeumo scored the first with little more than five minutes on the clock. A calamitous mix up in the the Luton defence allowing him to nip through and tap it home. Dan Potts electing to chest it past his onrushing goalkeeper James Shea, leaving the Brentford man a tight finish but one he put away with aplomb in front of the home fans. 1-0 and what a relief. If only because the game had started with the ‘dirty trick’ of changing ends. It’s one of those things that just shouldn’t be done and always makes me feel extremely uncomfortable to see us kicking at the ‘away’ end in the second half. 

For once, it made no difference. If anything, a decision that played in to our hands as Griffin Park exploded into life. The atmosphere built. The attacks kept coming and on the half hour it was two. Ollie Watkins guiding home a Josh Dasilva pass to take his personal goal tally for the season to 12. A few minutes later it was three. Mathias Jensen stroking it home in what seemed like slow motion for our next goal. 3-0 up and with complete one way traffic, not even Brentford could cock it up from here against shell shocked opposition? No chance. It was more the case of how many as things then became the Josh Dasilva show.

His first, a beautiful curler from distance that seem to be his trademark strike. It was an exquisite finish and the first of our four (at that point) that left ‘keeper Shea with no hope whatsoever. If the others had all been aided by what we’ll politely call ‘defensive frailty’, this one would have beaten pretty much any ‘keeper. A real thing of beauty with the celebration, from players and fans alike, one worthy of the strike. See also the fifth, and his second, bang on the stroke of half time. Firing home from the tightest of angles it went straight through Shea’s legs and into the far corner of the net. The assist from Benrahma nothing short of audacity on a stick as he scooped it over the Luton defence.

Brentford celebrate the fourth. Or was it fifth?

Oh my! This was incredible. The stuff of comic books. The stuff of dreams. A professional team shouldn’t, really, be this far ahead of their divisional rivals at this stage in a game. Yet, as we’ve been saying all season, this squad has ability in bucketloads. Has flair. Has confidence. And when we hit our stride, anything can happen.

It was one of those where we didn’t want half-time to come. Although, at the least, it allowed us the chance to catch breath and, more importantly, witness the turning of the Farewell Griffin Park countdown board. With it being the official Rainbow Laces day, this task was performed by our LGBT supporters group, the LGBeeTs. Great work all round.

And with boards updated, it was back out for more football. Whilst the Bees kept going, it almost felt as though the momentum of the first half had been lost. Luton came more into it (that’s relative) with a couple of substitutions having been made at the interval. 

“Is that a new goalkeeper?”, asked one Braemar Road observer. 

“I don’t know. I’ve only seen the other one from the back”. 

It wasn’t, but our guests did show more resolve as they looked to limit the goal difference deficit. Brentford tried to step it up but couldn’t, quite, break through. Both teams making the full compliment of substitutes, with Thomas Frank even comfortable enough to remove Pontus Jansson from the fray. And with Luton done, they were then blighted by an injury to Brendan Galloway that saw a lengthy break in play and the player eventually stretchered off on 69 minutes. It was a cruel twist of fate for the visitors but one which gave Brentford the impetus to turn the screw once more.

Saïd Benrahma from the penalty spot made it six with twenty minutes to go. If his previous effort, at Loftus Road, had been blasted high and hard this one was at complete odds. Rolled into the bottom corner it sent the home fans wild and, on personal note, set off a fair few Twitter notifications. As our regular reader may be well aware of yours truly’s fascination with what happens when the scoreline reaches that magical 7(seven) goal mark, there was never going to be a better chance. 

Cripes. This was tense. At 6 up the mood should be one of celebration. And, whilst of course it was, there was the underlying knowledge of what might happen. What could happen. What did happen when referee Harrington pointed to the spot for the second time with just minutes left on the clock. Gulp. There was to be no Benrahma this time. With Josh on a hat-trick, the ball was passed over to give him the chance to start off his match ball collection.  Get in !!! No mistake. Cool as you like. He’d done it. We’d done it. Peter Gilham on the microphone set to blow.  Referee Harringotn putting the visitors out of their misery with a mere 6 minutes added time. Seasoned observers calling that one closer to 10 but, at that juncture, any complaint wold have been somewhat trite.

It was incredible. Brilliant. Magnificent. All of the above. Luton, it is true, offered little but you can only beat the players in front of you and Brentford did that in some style. With it, we move to 7th(seventh) place in the table. One point off the play offs and two of fourth. We’ve the trip to Wednesday on Saturday and then visits from Cardiff City, next Wednesday and the small matter of Fulham the following Saturday. 

That’s all to come though. For now, let’s just enjoy the moment. It’s not often you score 7(seven) goals at home. December 1994 against Plymouth the last time we achieved that feat. It was a special afternoon. Here’s hoping there are more like this.  

Nick Bruzon

A day of questions for Clem, Sky, the BBC and lovers of football folklore.

Well that was a day that threw up all manner of questions. Brentford have been offered a potential ‘gift horse ahead of the visit from Stoke City this weekend whilst Manchester City have once more thrown open the age old question of brackets. This, after they hit the 7(seven) goal mark for the second time in less than a week when filling their boots against Burton Albion in the Carabao Cup.

First up, Stoke City. There’s an article on Brentford ‘official’ at present ( you can find that one here) , reminding us that it was 27 years ago that a Dean Holdsworth inspired team beat The Potters 2-0.

Cripes, it still feels like it was five minutes ago and is well worth a look. If for no other reason than the shorts and shirts on display – both of which I possess but only one of which Mrs. Bruzon allows me to wear in public. Or private. They certainly made shorts short in those days but, if nothing else, it will be a good excuse to crank something retro out of the wardrobe on Saturday.

Yet the visit of Stoke City offers a more intriguing prospect than yours truly being poured into a pair of vinyl effect Chad shorts. Not so much the return of their new signing Ryan Woods but more the fact that the visitors have new manager. Nathan Jones. Who has, of course, joined from Luton Town. Aside from being a shoe-in for #BeeTheDJ, it does pose a a much broader question.

On the day he joined Stoke, Nathan was also named as one of the nominees for League One manager of the month for December. I hope he wins it for no other reason than it will then provide an answer to the question that probably nobody has ever asked. Until now.

Is the manager of the month curse transferable ?

We all know what is supposed to happen. Win the award, lose your next game. It is a piece of footballing folklore as old as time itself and as certain as a team featured by Clem on his ‘football focus’ previews also failing to win. At least, historically. It is worth noting that in recent times that jinx has turned itself on its head and Clem is now viewed more as a black cat than a beleaguered albatross.

But what happens when a manager moves with the award ’inflight’ ? Should he succeed, does the jinx remain at Luton Town? Does it travel with him to Stoke City? I’m desperate for Nathan to pick up the trophy just so as we can find out.

Could Clem provide the answer?

Alongside this footballing curse, the other curio to visit these pages on a regular basis is the phenomenon of vidiprinter brackets. Regular readers will know of our love for a team scoring 7(seven) goals so that this additional qualification can be provided. No, it’s not a typo. Someone really has managed to score this many. 

And on the subject of favourite methods of goal clarification, see also use of the early evening World Cup phrase, “For those of you just coming in from work, the score is….”    

In the last 7(seven) days ‘brackets’ has happened three times. Spurs on Friday night against Tranmere and then Manchester City v Rotherham. Both in the FA Cup. Then last night, Manchester City did it again before eventually running out of steam after hitting 9 past Burton in the first leg of the league cup semi-final. The only saving grace for The Brewers meaning that as away goals don’t count double, they are spared the indignity of needing 11 should City find the net in the return game.

Yet more importantly, it once more opened the can of worms that is the etiquette of brackets. Do you keep going after 7(seven) to 8(eight), 9(nine) and beyond? Is it just prime numbers? High single figures? And then what case? Lower, Upper or a Capital letter? 

My own preference is 7(seven) only and always lower case. Never full ‘upper’ or higher numbers – both are brash, unnecessary hammering home of the fact that a team really has taken a kicking. Even a capital letter seems a little OTT. Absolutely use the 7(seven) but have a modicum of discretion and sportsmanship.

The reason for bringing this up again today – aside from having to doff several hats to Manchester City – is due to the BBC live text as last night’s game unfurled. They went through several permutations up to 9(Nine) before even chucking a 16(SIXTEEN) into the mix. 

A crossing of the streams that was as confusing as it was a terrible example for any younger fans that may have been watching. Probably. 

The point being that if anyone can give definitive authority on what the correct protocol is, and why, it would be appreciated. Until then I’ll stick with my 7(seven) and nothing else.

Have the BBC gone rogue?

Nick Bruzon

Maupay? Yes please. More Pie? No thanks.

What a weekend. Brentford picked up another three points and have gone another game unbeaten. A 2-0 win over Sheffield Wednesday see the Bees up to fourth place in the embryonic table on 7(seven) points, three off the top and with a mid-week trip to Aston Villa next up. Elsewhere, it was a case of being deafened by the brackets klaxon as QPR went down by that fateful scoreline at West Bromwich Albion on Saturday. On the down side, Ian Moose was back at Griffin Park.

We can only start with Brentford and another win for Dean Smith’s Bees. It was, by all accounts, as comfortable as they come – barring one block from Daniel Bentley at 1-0. A goal in either half wrapped things up. Neal Maupay with the first from the penalty spot and then the fox-in-the-box turning from poacher to provider as he set up Ollie Watkins for our second.

Monday Motivation on Twitter from @BrentfordFC

I say ’by all accounts’. Yours truly wasn’t at this one although attendance was already off the moment the game was moved to a Sunday with a long standing engagement taking precedence. As it happens sickness took hold and so both the game and the previously booked party also had to be missed, much to my dismay. Instead, it was a day spent feverishly sprawled out on the sofa under a duvet and having to follow the game via the open window and the cheers from Griffin Park.

So what can we say? Well, Dean started his third successive league game with an unchanged team. Meaning no start for Ryan Woods although he has now been named as substitute, albeit unused. One can understand Dean’s desire not to break up a team on form whilst, at the same time, his looking to ease the supporters’ (and travel club) player of the year back into the side after the bids from Swansea City.  

Could Aston Villa see him back in league action or will it be ‘more of the same’? With a bench that already seems to have the magnificent Said Benrahma, Kamo and Alan ‘The magician’ Judge as first choice changes for now, might this still be too soon for The Ginger Pirlo to be thrown back into action? Nobody is going to give up their place easily, that’s for sure. What a wonderful ‘problem’ for Dean to have.

The popular consensus on social media was that this was a win that, if anything, could have been even heavier:

@nickcarthew:If one were to be REALLY critical @BrentfordFC should have won that game much more comfortably.

@fatwhit5:@BrentfordFC may I be as bold to suggest that this week the boys work on one on one finishing ? 😂😂just a suggestion 🤪#BrentfordFC #couldofbeenbrackets

@swinedonbee:A clean sheet as well! Could have been 6-0! Well done you Beeeess

@3rhythms:#brentfordfc buzzing that Dean Smith has probably given the team an absolute rocket for not pumping Sheff Wed by at least five. Owls fans don’t even @ me #TeamsLikeBrentford

Three points are three points. That is the absolute priority from every game and for a side that have managed 12 goals in the opening four games (don’t forget the win on the road in the league cup) finding the back of the net isn’t something that is causing any concern at present. Yes, to really thump somebody again would be nice but let’s not get carried away with ourselves here. Sheffield Wednesday need to be offered the respect a proper club of their stature deserve. That any club deserve. They are in the Championship by right. Indeed, but for Daniel Bentley it could have been level at one point. The second you start to underestimate your opponents or how potentially fragile a 1-0 scoreline is then the game’s gone.

Personally, I’d take a 2-0 home win and minimal bookings all day long. There’s a tough game coming up on Wednesday with the trip to Aston Villa in front of the TV cameras. Like Brentford, the Villans have picked up 7(seven) points form their first three and sit one place below us in the interim play-off zone. With Jack Grealish (a player whose name is as synonymous with the words ‘transfer rumour’ as eighteen-year old Ryan Sessegnon’s is with his age – 18, for the record), seemingly unphased by his own speculation expect this to be as tough as they come.

The other point of note from Griffin Park was the presence of TalkSport DJ Ian Abrahams Moose in the Braemar Road press box. I don’t follow him on Twitter anymore but his feed (of the social media variety) crossed my timeline yesterday and, like many Bees fans, caused umbrage.

I don’t really get Mr. Moose – specifically his use of Twitter where, for a journalist giving match updates, so much written is about his apparently pivotal role in proceedings (just look at yesterday’s posts). Mention of a player doing something is so often accompanied by a picture of the pair of them together, usually with the obsequious reference to ‘my good friend’. Then there’s the constant harping on about pre-match grub. Oh look, another pie.

Is he just a desperately insecure human being, craving any form of perceived recognition and hanging off the coat tails of those who can actually play the beautiful game? Or is it just an act? His ‘thing’? And away from the glare of the public eye he’s the humblest human being on the planet. I don’t know the answer to either question so can only ask based on what I read. 

If the former then one can’t even begin to envisage how hard it must be for him to carry on thrusting himself into the public eye. If the later, he really needs a new scriptwriter. As routines go, this one is about as endearing as Noel Edmonds doing his faux-banter shtick with ‘the banker’ in the former Deal Or No Deal ‘dream factory’ (his name for it, not mine).

Except it doesn’t really seem to be either of these. Instead Mr. Moose comes over as straddling some line in between. If anything, he gives the impression of having been the sort of kid who was bullied at school. The last person to get picked for the football team. Left standing alone in that humiliating line up and then having to make the forlorn trudge over to despondent team mates who would rather have given him to the opposition. Yet despite this, he has made it in football. And now he is in a position of ‘power’. Giving it back to those who may have once mocked him with his trademark tools of narcissistic selfies and snidey digs. 

Yesterday was no better. We all know what Mr. Moose said about Neal Maupay last season following the game at Cardiff. Moreso, his own subsequent attempt at self-promotion. Needless to say, Neal had the last laugh with the game at Fulham being the crème de la crème of big match climaxes. Even better, his Man of the Match performance yesterday seeing him nab his third goal in as many games.

We’ve been here before. 

You’d think the dust might have settled after that. But no, he was back for round two. Moaning about his view at Griffin Park as a photograph of the Ealing Road goal was shared, with the caption: ”Hopefully not too many goals in the one away to my right (I can only see half of it)”

Aside from being factually incorrect, if it was an issue then I don’t suppose moving his head one inch to the left would have been beyond the bounds of credibility? Who knows? I’m not a journo but just the numpty on the terrace. Perhaps that sort of thing isn’t allowed in the press box?

Twenty minutes in and Maupay did his thing. Get in!!  1-0. Cue for celebrations all round. Cue for trademark Moose: GOAL – 20mins Lewis MacLeod pushed over in an off the ball incident in front of ref David Webb. My mate Neal Maupay dispatched the resulting penalty 1-0

My mate. Hmmm.

And with an hour on the clock, we had Neal cutting in to hold up play then square it to the arriving Ollie Watkins for 2-0. It was a goal reported by respective sources as:

BBC: Maupay rounded Wednesday keeper Cameron Dawson from a swift counter-attack just after the hour mark to allow Ollie Watkins to double the lead.

Sky Sports: Maupay racing clear from his own half before drawing the ‘keeper and squaring for Watkins to stroke home from 12 yards.

Ian Moose: “Maupay in on goal, dilly and dallying, keeper Dawson got a hand to the ball, but pushed it to Ollie Watkins who slid into an empty net 2-0”

Dillying and dallying? Dillying and dallying? What? Is? His? Problem? Thankfully Kitman Bob was on hand to call him out on this later that night where there was what I guess is as close to an apology as one could hope for.   

Well done, Bob.

You know what, we all make mistakes. But when your agenda comes across as one of negativity from the off then you are only ever going to see the worst. Even the full time summary lacked any praise for the Bees and, instead, noted how Brentford “could win by 6 but for Weds keeper Dawson, Weds really poor today” whilst Maupay was “Not prolific enough, should’ve had a hat-trick today”.

Why praise an assist and a goal against a ‘keeper you have recognised as doing the business, when it’s easier to put the boot in? Why praise a player who has the highest combined goals and assists in the Championship?

I’ve bitten. And I apologise. As noted earlier, there’s a simple way around this. Don’t follow. And personally, I don’t. But I don’t like people having an unnecessary pop. Especially journalists whom, as far as I am aware, we haven’t upset in an official capacity (Move along Oliver Holt, nothing to see here). Would it be that hard to say something, anything, positive?  You can be sure come the end of the season when we are storming into the Premier League he’ll be there giving it large. And great if so. Just remember how it started.

All of which has served as a huge distraction from the other event of the weekend. Brackets. At West Brom. Administered to none other than QPR. Does it get any sweeter? Well, perhaps if we’d been the ones to score the goals that go with a 7(seven) -1 scoreline.

Regular readers will be well aware of the love for this footballing on curio on these pages. So when the Twitter notifications started to rack up on Saturday afternoon I thought at first that it was simply more feedback from Birmingham City fans following that morning’s column. They really weren’t happy. Oh well.

I could wax lyrical about the QPR result but sometimes its just easier to cut to the chase….

"Our f***** boiler, he'd get in your team'. the Baggies fans sing to the travelling lot. #wba

— Paul Suart (@PaulSuartWBA) August 18, 2018

Nick Bruzon

7(seven) and out. Bees keep flying as Blues and Eagles have wings clipped.

It was all about lucky number 7(seven) yesterday. Or not so lucky for some. Brentford finally laid that Middlesbrough hoodoo to rest, Birmingham City came oh-so close to being on the wrong end of a bracketing whilst as for Crystal Palace. Well… With Matthew Benham’s comments on Tuesday night about moaners still fresh in our ears, anybody not overly happy with the Bees may want to look towards Selhurst Park.

But we can only start at the Riverside where the Bees took a first ever Championship point off Middlesbrough after those well documented six, straight losses. Arguably, we could well have returned South with all three. Hats off to the 332 supporters who made the long shlep up to the Riverside. Oh to have had the opportunity to be amongst them. Instead, it was their social media updates, commentary and the Sky Sports scrolly thing for those all important goal scores.

What can you say? Wow. 2-2 and genuine disappointment not to have got the win seem to be the order of the day. Chris Mepham followed up his midweek appearance with a full 90 minutes alongside opening goal scorer Yoann Barbet. The common consensus was of another rock solid performance and a potential star in the making. If they’re good enough, they’re old enough (or whatever the phrase is). What could have been a baptism of fire has shown once more the talent pool bubbling away under the surface of the B-team. Get it wrong as we did against Norwich in the cup, and overloading a team with newbies can be a disaster. Do it right and we get a wonderful glimpse of the future.

A full league debut to remember for Chris

Twice Brentford took the lead. Twice Middlesbrough hauled it back to level things up. Ollie Watkins scored again, aswell as setting up the first. Yoann, Chris and captain (for the last quarter) Daniel Bentley were amongst those to later express their disappointment at not quite hanging on for the win. Perhaps, but just getting the psychological monkey of unbeatable Middlesbrough off the back can only be a wonderful thing. Putting in another performance that sees us creeping up the table with five points out of the last nine can only be a huge stride in the right direction for this season.

As ever, Sky Sports have the immediate highlights and you can catch them here. As ever, Mark Burridge will provide a much better flavour once the mid-day embargo is lifted.

Sadly, no comms but plenty of passion on pitch.

So great chances, great creation and more penalties denied. We certainly don’t get the run with the refs. Talking this morning to one terrace wag who had made the trip she noted, “I thought they looked better yesterday in terms of intention and actual likelihood to score. Rather than chances that aren’t chances.”

The real challenge now is turning these performances into wins. There can’t be many amongst us who wouldn’t have taken five points if offered them at 2.59 last Saturday before we kicked off against Bolton. I would have. That win, followed by the draw with Derby and yesterday’s result all well and good. The one word of caution being that the Bees are very much the divisional draw specialists . Only Fulham and Bristol City (5) come close to our 6 from 11. Even looking further afield in the Football league we are still top of the draw table.

Yoann – thought we should have got more

Next up, International break. Hopefully a chance for Andreas, Sergi and Lasse to get back to fitness. A hope that the injury which saw Rico Henry leave the field of play early isn’t as bad as feared. Whilst Josh Clarke filled in ably at left back, Tom Field is now tied in at Bradford until Christmas. Could we be dipping back into that B-team once more?

And then, back to back home games. Visits from Millwall and Sunderland are, on paper, a chance for Brentford to further continue that climb up the table. Of locking down that Championship status for a fifth season. For all our improving form we are still just a point above Birmingham City who still reside in the basement zone. Turning form and performance into clear air will only be a good thing.

As for Birmingham, well we’ve had a bit more of an interest in them than normal on these pages in recent weeks. For obvious reasons. And yesterday saw their brave new world further hit the skids as Hull City put six goals past the hapless Blues defence. I won’t deny bristling with anticipation as, at 6-0 down, another goal was reported for the KC stadium. Sadly, it wasn’t the bracket busting 7(seven) for Hull but, instead, a proverbial consolation. But it does show what a difference GD could make with the Blues (-12) Burton (-17) and Bolton (-18) effectively another point behind the Bees (-2).

Will the Bees compete at this level for a fifth season? Could Birmingham avoid a slide into League One. Will Crystal Palace be joining us in the Championship next campaign? Should the Bees keep on heading up the table then we are likely to be joined by the Eagles. Despite a change of manager, yesterday’s 4-0 loss at Manchester United sees their Premier League record for the 2017/18 campaign read:

P7 W0 D0 L7 Goals For 0 Goals Against 17 GD -17.

A record of 0-0-7(seven) with no goals scored is the stuff of nightmares. And James Bond puns. Next up, a visit from Chelsea. Should the Eagles mange to make the net ripple, I can only assume it will be very much a Victor Tourjansky moment.

However bad Brentford fans think we may have it at times, there’s always somebody worse off.

And then some…

And Palace have scored…. Victor Tourjansky does his thing

Nick Bruzon

Cardiff. We lost. And? It was sunny.

Cardiff City 2 Brentford 1. Apparently. Come for the football; stay for the sunshine and Cardiff beach. On a day that saw brackets in the Championship as Norwich City beat Reading 7(seven) – 1, we are clearly at the ‘relaxed’ end of the campaign.

Those who travelled to the Cardiff City Stadium were treated to as non-commital a stroll in the sunshine as one could expect. Perhaps it was just the net result of playing 3 games in 8 days but, with mid-table safety assured and QPR 6 points behind the Bees, this one had all the feel of a pre-season friendly.

A late shout for a penalty aside, when surely Alan McCormack was felled on the edge of the box, there was little to get the blood pumping. But perhaps this alone is testament to where our team are and where we have come from.

What’s that you say? We should accept a defeat like puppies rolling over to have our tummies tickled? At the same time, whilst I can’t imagine anyone having that specific thought, the point is more a long term one.

Sure. Brentford lost. However we’re now a regular mid-table Championship team and, moreso, one with every potential to really push on next season. The post Hogan era is one which has offered nothing but goals, points and exciting football.

I’d love to have won. I’d love to have pulled Fulham ever closer to us. But we didn’t. At the same time there was an acceptance about the game. Cardiff offered nothing. Nothing.

‘We Are Hoilett‘, declared the big screen at one point. Whilst perhaps true, Brentford were no better. In that whilst we equalled the Bluebirds, even taking the lead as half time approached thanks to the mercurial talent of Sergi Canos, it was what felt like our first real attempt at goal. To Cardiff’s none. A lot of huff. A lot of puff. But no penetration. Neil Warnock nullifying the attacking threat of the Bees as Dean Smith was unable to find a plan B.

But hey. Sergi had done the business. Despite the reluctance of the City scoreboard controller to acknowledge our goal, Brentford went in at half time a goal up. Surely this would be enough?

Sadly not. Failure to defend another corner (remember Burton?) was a gift to the Welsh hosts before many of the visiting fans had returned from their half time tea and a wee (other drinks/activities are available). And from there, the die was cast.

Despite Dan Bentley doing his very best, it was soon 2-1 to the hosts before everything reverted to the pre-season feel. And from that point, nothing. From either team. The Bees had the odd sortie forward, one culminating in the foul on McCormack, but there was little or nothing to get the blood pumping.

There was a big hint outside the ground

That’s no real complaint. We’ve no divine right to win everything. The players must be on their last legs and have done nothing in recent weeks than offer encouragement for next season. Now, the season is all but at an end. Although there are still plenty of highlights left.

Good Friday at home to Derby. The trip to Barnsley where our own Buzz has the chance to avenge his alleged defeat to Toby Tyke in our early season mascot race. Then there is the small matter of games with QPR and Fulham.

Whatever the time of year. Whatever the season. Whatever our league placings. Whatever the division. Those are games where nothing but a Brentford win can be the aspiration. Games where we know how incredible a win for the Bees can feel. Games where defeat can be that emptiest of sensations.

Think of Stuart Dallas at the Cottage. Romaine Sawyers at Loftus Road. Likewise, Alan Judge being pressed into that ‘false 9’ position a season earlier. When it’s great; it’s incredible. When it’s bad then there are no words.

View from the terrace – didn’t he hit that well

We may have lost today, but the season is still ending on a high. It is an odd feeling though.

From a personal perspective I’ve never been to an away game where the entire vibe was so relaxed. From both sets of fans. About the most that got Cardiff excited was the funfair in the car park. Perhaps one to give a wide berth to when Lionel Road is built. Even Billy Grant of Beesotted fame (and it’s always great to see our favourite fan group out and about) was in stealth mode with ne’er a selfie stick in sight. But at least he was here and still doing the much loved podcast thing. Have mobile phone, will travel.

With Simon Moore and his Sheffield United team earning promotion to the Championship today, perhaps it was ironic that we spent a sunny day in Cardiff, very much in beach mode.

Come for the football. Stay for the newspapers

Nick Bruzon