Out of tune and out of touch but who looks good in green?

We’ve got a bumper Last Word today. England took on Portugal last night in their final warm up game ahead of EURO 2016. Whilst I promised we’d drop the Brentford ‘green shirt’ stuff, there is an 11th hour addendum from one supporter which Bees fans may find of interest. And on the subject, we look at the top ten green shirts of all time. From Plymouth to Palmeiras and Carlisle to Panathinaikos, can anybody make this under used colour look good?

But first, England. Whereas I’d normally say they “entertained Portugal last night” rather than “took on”, anybody who saw the game will know there’d have been more entertainment in an episode of Hale and Pace (kids, ask your dads. Actually, don’t. Spare them the pain).

The 1-0 win at Wembley was an experience that many found uninspiring, out of touch with the occasion and somewhat flat. An indication of the pain that awaits supporters over the next few weeks unless something changes and fast. ITV nailed it, by accident, in the commentary with the observation that, “This is Dier”.

But enough about the England supporter’s band.

Look, it wasn’t the best game by any stretch of the imagination. The red card for Bruno Alves, channelling his inner Eric Cantona with a crazy challenge on Harry Kane, hardly helped proceedings as both teams had to adjust to playing 11 on 10 for most of the game. If you want a full match report then, as ever, other sources are the place to go. However, if you want a full match report in two tweets then we’ve got it here c/o DJ’s Andy Bush and Conor McNamara.

I’m still no closer to knowing who Roy will start with against Russia next Saturday but at least we can now look forward to the tournament with no other distractions. The one week countdown is underway, the wall chart is on the fridge and Will Grigg is, apparently, still on fire (if he manages to score, ‘that song’ is just going to become interminable).

After that, the rest just comes naturally. Sit back, grab a beer, prepare the ‘butt groove’ in the sofa and enjoy a month of bonus football that we wouldn’t get in a normal ‘closed season’. Hey, if nothing else it might distract from endless rumours and talk of “Bees boss set for double transfer swoop”. All being well, it might even extinguish Will Grigg. No offence to the former Bee but I’m half expecting ‘that band’ to add ‘that song’ to their repertoire.

Next up, Brentford. More specfically, the  last word on our wearing green (unless, of course, somebody actually manages to unearth a picture of that adidas shirt). Supporter   Geoff Buckingham has been in touch about when, and why, Brentford first wore this most unusual of colours :

It was due to a motor coach not turning up !

It happened in the grim days of January 1974, when the club were close to bottom of The Football League, the country was gripped by the Miner’s Strike and ‘The Three Day’ week, and funds at Griffin Park were very tight indeed. To make matters worse, on a freezing cold 12th Jan.the Brentford team coach did not show up at the meeting point for the trip to bottom of the table Doncaster Rovers.This meant a hurried change of plan, and the players had to quickly sort out cars and drive themselves up to Doncaster. 

If that was not bad enough, one of them, winger Barry Salvage, got nicked for speeding on the return journey. As for the kit we had to borrow them from Slough Town FC. The shirts were indeed green, but with pink numbers on the back!

Anyway, the green shirts brought Brentford a bit of luck as the Bees won the match 2-1 , with a brace from ex Bognor Regis deckchair attendant Andy Woon ( you could not make this up,could you?!)

That win, in front of 3009 perishingly cold spectators, was Brentford’s only victory in a 14 game spell. But it was enough to lift the Bees up to third from bottom, and was actually a crucial two points, as we finished the season just two points above the Division 4 bottom four re-election places! 

Thanks, Geoff. And no more so than because talk of pink and green allows me to get out the industrial sized crowbar as we segue into : ‘the top ten green shirts of all time’.

This, a research topic I’ve undertaken simply down to the fact that, whilst most Brentford fans seemed quite keen on the idea (if you believe social media), one New Road observer contacted me to say: “Glad we’re not getting the hideous green kit this season but seems nailed on for next time.”

Is green hideous?   Unusual, for sure. But hideous? It’s one view and who am I to judge? Instead, let the world of football fashion be your guide….

Carlisle away 1993

10) Carlise away 1993. Accused by many of resembling a deckchair, this cult classic even has a hint of red and white. If Matthew Benham and co are keen on the green, could this give inspiration for 2017? Bonus points always awarded for anything made by the much missed ‘Matchwinner’

 

 

Mexico 1996 – wow

9) Mexico 1996. It’s one thing having some discreet design added to your shirt but Mexico didn’t hold back on the subtly when it came to embracing their heritage back in 1996. It’s bold, I’ll give you that. I love it!

 

 

 

La Hoya – delicious design

8) La Hoya Lorca 2013/14. We’ve featured the Spanish lower division side’s kit on these pages many times over the years. And rightly so, given they’ve modelled it on the broccoli that signifies their agricultural heartland.

 

 

 

Green Arsenal?

7) Hibernian 1989/90. It’s made by Adidas and it just looks awesome.

 

 

 

 

 

St. Etienne add a certain, I don’t know what but it’s good

6) St. Etienne 1981/82. How can you honestly say this isn’t stylish? I’ll even forgive the non-matching collar and cuffs, such is the French chic on offer in this classic Le Coq Sportif template.

 

 

 

 

classic adidas

5) Palmeiras 1979/ 80.  The boys from Brazil kept it simple for this adidas effort. But then again, why mess around when simple equates to style?

 

 

 

 

 

Plymouth show that green can look good

4) Plymouth 1984/85. Much like the Palmeiras effort although with the addition of the discreet pinstripe that just screamed ’80’s football shirt’

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Modern is good, too

3) Panathinaikos 2008/09. Another Adidas shirt. Another stunner. Even the sponsor and other branding is done sympathetically

 

 

 

 

It’s green. It’s pink. It’s brilliant

2) Real Betis 2015/16. We love women on these pages. Not in a mysogynistic style but more to celebrate how at Brentford we have such a diverse fanbase. So it’s nice to include a wonderful effort from Spain as Betis took things one step further than even the Bees, creating a special shirt in order to celebrate the week of the Andalusian Woman.

 

 

My favourite green shirt of all time

1) Cameroon 1990. Roger Milla. Upset after upset as the Indomitable Lions almost got to the semi finals ahead of England. That foul by Benjamin Massing on Claudio Cannigia. Oh, and one of the most iconic shirts in World football. Adidas have done it again.

 

 

 

Nick Bruzon

Plug time (regular readers know the score from here) : As ever, The Last Word ‘season review’ : Ready. Steady. Go Again and the three year anthology : The Bees are going up remain available for download. Should anybody want to go over this nonsense and relive these moments once more then you can do so now.

It has been a stunning few years. Here’s to more of the same. We may have had a few lows (something about a penalty, the football village, the FA Cup, the pitch, the Marinus experiment) but there have been plenty more highs as the Bees made an unexpected challenge for the Premier League.

Thanks for reading.

Its all about the kit, man. And the Bees.

 

‘Crime doesn’t play’ whilst are these double standards from Mary Macleod?

In all the excitement over Brentford gaining promotion to the Championship I’ve not had the chance to mention one or two things you’ve probably seen by now. We’ll get to our favourite local MP and some awesome video work in a moment but first up, Carlisle United.

In a twisted way, it’s a good thing Wolves have won the title already and Brentford weren’t relying on a final game favour against them from League One’s most Northerly club. With the two sides meeting at Molineux in the final game of the campaign, it emerged on Tuesday that United loan striker Gary Madine isn’t able to play anyway.

Recently released from prison after serving a sentence for assault, the terms of his release include a curfew that means he must be home by 7pm. With United also due to travel to Crawley Town, he’ll miss their final two games as even playing for just the first half would make it tricky for him to get back in time for ‘Final score’.

This isn’t a great situation for anyone, least of all a team in the midst of a relegation battle and whose manager seems to have kept his eye somewhat off the ball. Carlisle boss Graham Kavanagh has been quoted as saying “We were aware of (the situation) but not to this extent”.

Madine – from captain’s armband to ankle tag

Next up – Mary Macleod. It seems our favourite MP is a massive fan of development in the Kew Bridge area. Fresh off the back of her staunch support for Lionel Road, she has this week taken to her twitter account to plug Hammonds, the new butchers on the corner of the bridge and Kew Bridge Road.

I do wonder if she has considered the impact this new establishment will have on the local residents whose flats it has been built directly beneath or who are sure to be blighted by parking problems associated with an increase of meat eaters visiting the area. Equally, it is somewhat of a concern that an MP is seen to be promoting drinking in the streets – champers or otherwise.

Mary Macleod’s twitter page – unsubtle plug or proud support of local business?

Personally, I’m all for supporting new growth in that area. And if, in future, it means I can pick up a half pound of chipolatas before watching the Bees in the Championship (or beyond) then all the better.

And finally, I’ve bigged up the work of the Beesotted boys before and this is another such occasion. Their post Preston promotion party video is now up on line. If you haven’t seen it yet, then please take a look.

It is a twenty minute extravaganza including interviews with everybody from Matthew Benham to Cliff Crown and, pretty much, the entire first team squad.

Whilst you may not be able to contain your disappointment that our local MP is missing (although I am sure she will be in attendance at the now sold out Stevenage game) do visit the Beesotted site and enjoy that feeling for a little bit longer.

Great job guys – can’t wait to see what you do with that camera in the Championship….

There’s more like this on the Beesotted website – enjoy !

 

“There must be a second goal, just had the pizza email”.

Not my words but those of Tim Griffiths, Woking FC’s ‘man with the mic’, who also happens to be a Brentford fan. It was a statement made just after George Saville had, indeed, put the Bees two up against Bradford City and, for the record, was made via text message rather than over the tannoy at Woking’s Kingfield ground.

I can only imagine that ‘Papa John’ is blissfully unaware of the spin-off benefits to displaced football fans resulting from his two-goal pizza deal. Whilst it may not have the finesse of the videprinter, that confirmation that you are now entitled to cheap pizza (should you so desire – I’m more a post match curry man) is a sure fire sign that your team are only five goals away from brackets (seven).

To read the rest of this article, season 2013/14 is now available to download onto Kindle, in full. Containing previously unseen content, you can do so here for less than the cost of one matchday programme.

 Thanks for reading over the course of the campaign. For now I need to make space on this page for any follow up.  The ‘close season’ / World Cup columns continue in full, further on in this site.

There’s a smörgåsbord of international talent at Griffin Park today

September 7^th was probably the darkest day of the season, to date, for Brentford as Bradford City administered a 4-0 beating. That defeat, still our heaviest in League One all campaign, also saw a red card for David Button.

Ironically, it was a result that came after the previous weekend’s 0-0 against Carlisle United although I’m not expecting any further déjà vu today. Too many things have changed since then.

To read the rest of this article, season 2013/14 is now available to download onto Kindle, in full. Containing previously unseen content, you can do so here for less than the cost of one matchday programme.

 Thanks for reading over the course of the campaign. For now I need to make space on this page for any follow up.  The ‘close season’ / World Cup columns continue in full, further on in this site.

Is this the worst free kick of all time?

Alan Pardew showing potential new owner Vince McMahon how much Newcastle United embrace the spirit of WWE. Deluded Arsenal fans (are you reading Richie Firth) still trying to convince themselves that ‘the treble is still on’. Brentford starting the next ‘unbeaten run’ with a draw at Carlisle United.

Whilst the major talking points of the weekend are clearly all about the madness at Newcastle, Arsenal and QPR matching each other ‘choke for choke’ or the ongoing state of League One, today’s column has found something you may not have seen on Match of the Day.

I’ve banged on about Gibraltar a lot this week, but last night they played their first match on ‘The Rock’ since officially becoming full members of UEFA.  The game, a 4-1 reverse to The Faroe Islands, saw the home side take the lead at their Victoria Stadium before, eventually, capitulating.

For me, it wasn’t so much about the result but the occasion. That, and the worst free kick you will, I am prepared to bet, ever see.

Former Manchester United and Stoke City star Danny Higginbotham, who has suddenly remembered he is Gibraltarian, was the man charged with executing a routine set piece just before the close of the first half. I won’t ruin what happened next; suffice to say that even Jonny Wilkinson would have been going some to match this.

You can find it here, after 01.17.10.  I’m sure Danny will blame ‘the wind’.

Higginbotham takes aim at the runway..

That’s not to belittle the GFA – from small acorns mighty oaks grow. Besides, The Faroes also struggled in the conditions as you’ll see five minutes earlier on the same video. Whilst the penalty they missed wasn’t, quite, up to Higginbotham standards it wasn’t far off.

As for Brentford, well I suggest you stick to @Bessotted for the match update this weekend. I didn’t travel and haven’t even seen the ‘highlight’s on the Football League show.

Hopefully, their service will be up to its usual standards, assuming Billy the Bee has now been able to compose himself sufficiently to write up his notes.

Come on Billy – was it THAT bad a game?

More strikers than London Transport – but who pays the penalty ?

Awaiting today’s League One action between Brentford and Carlisle, I proceeded to torture myself by watching last night’s game between Hibernian and Dundee United. I say ‘watch’ – refusal to sign up for a second subscription channel meant it was actually a case of going ‘old school’ and following the game on the internet equivalent of the now, sadly departed, ceefax.

The reason for this sudden interest in Scottish football was for, primarily, self-serving purposes rather than any particular desire to see who might limp into second place in the final table.

To read the rest of this article, season 2013/14 is now available to download onto Kindle, in full. Containing previously unseen content, you can do so here for less than the cost of one matchday programme.

 Thanks for reading over the course of the campaign. For now I need to make space on this page for any follow up.  The ‘close season’ / World Cup columns continue in full, further on in this site.