Who spent Saturday wandering around Griffin Park? Who spent Sunday in pole position at the EFL cup final?

Well that was some weekend. A 4-2 win for Brentford over Rotherham United will never be remembered as the classic that the scoreline suggests. That said, it will be remembered for the unadulterated excitement of seeing Jota wrap up his first hat-trick for the Bees. Yet with a lazy Sunday beckoning for the Griffin Park faithful and a chance for us all to recover from Saturday’s exertions, the Manchester United – Southampton EFL final at the W place in North London saw one of our number still hard at work.

First up though, the rest of the weekend round up from Griffin Park. Sitting where we do just below the director’s box, it really is the perfect place for seeing the great and the good from the world of football. And with Rotherham United in town, surely this would be the perfect place for spotting a Chuckle Brother or two?

Sadly, neither Paul of Barry were present. Or, if they were, they were maintaining a very low profile. Instead of the Chuckle Brothers, we had to be content with Rasmus putting in an appearance ‘upstairs’ and a rare pre-match sortie along the Braemar Road touchline from Dean Smith. Likewise, suspended Harlee Dean spent the day wandering around Griffin Park.

A prematch appearance in the club shop was followed by a similar touchline stroll to Dean aswell as then being spotted, twice, doing his thing on the forecourt at half time. It speaks volumes about our club that the manager (head coach) and captain can still walk around so easily, albeit happy to stop for autographs and photos, without being harangued by baying masses.

As my own guest for the day, Cousin Charles (and those who know of his ‘connections’ and win ratio should be chaining him to the terrace) would later note – Imagine that happening at Manchester United or Chelsea. There’d be mayhem.

Harlee looking up at the Director’s box before kick off. A fan of the Chuckle Brothers?

Instead, its just Brentford. We know our players. We’ve all met them and, with the tight environs of Griffin Park being what they are, it is the most natural thing in the world to see them up close and personal. Long may this continue. Long may the likes of Dean Smith and Harlee Dean feel comfortable enough to walk around in such close proximity to the supporters.Long may they both be as personable and friendly as they were on Saturday.

But if Dean and Harlee were spotted somewhat out of context, it was nothing compared to Cliff Crown on Sunday. Having been afforded the rare privilege of being allowed to watch an entire football match undisturbed after a roast beef lunch, yours truly took full advantage and wasn’t let down by the EFL Cup final .

Whatever your thoughts on the tournament itself, the game between Manchester United and Southampton was a stone cold classic. United being somewhat fortunate to come away with a 3-2 win that left the neutrals purring and Fantasy Football managers up and down the land crowbarring Manolo Gabbiadini into their teams.

But with United victorious and Wayne Rooney, who hadn’t even made it off the subs bench, kitted up and preparing to lift the trophy John Terry style, there was a surprise in store. Was that Cliff Crown in the royal box? The Brentford chairman? Sure enough, and with apologies for ruining the moment of the Southampton players receiving their runner’s up medals, a double take on the ‘rewind’ button confirmed the very same.

Cliff and Brentford jacket on full display

Even better, he’d gone in there with his Brentford colours on full display. Awesome stuff, Cliff. We may have missed the Chuckle Brothers in the Griffin Park box on Saturday but this more than made up for it the next day.

Brentford at Wembley. Who’d have thought it possible this season? Here’s hoping that next year we get a chance to do it for real.

Nick Bruzon

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Chuckles and points on offer after a two minute fantasy with Rachel.

Another Saturday, another game. For most teams. With Brentford travelling to Rotherham United today and looking to the top of the table, Manchester United, Southampton and Sky have already disrupted things for supporters with the return of Friday night football to our TV screens. More on that later but first, the Rotherham game.

Like Wolves, The Millers are a team that Brentford have gone neck and neck with over the last few seasons. Coming up with the Bees from League One, albeit via something called a play-off victory (I read the words, but I fail to truly grasp the concept) the Millers also begin their third successive season of Championship life.

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 16 to May 17, you can pick it up, here. Its all for a great cause and,hey, you may even enjoy it…..

Steve Evans – much missed. For now.

 

View from the Braemar : Alan Judge did it all against Rotherham last season

 

The new look Chuckle Brothers line up was very short lived

Nick Bruzon

Russell, Slayed…. Get over it

Brilliant Brentford have done it again. Tuesday night’s 2-1 win over Cardiff City saw Dean Smith’s side make it 13 points from 15 over April whilst all but ending the visitor’s play off aspirations. But it was less the win and more the performance of super sub Scott Hogan that saw supporters leaving Griffin Park with genuine spring in the step.

Nobody needs any reminding of the interminable fight back from injury that Scott has endured these last two seasons. Yet that all seemed a distant memory as he came off the bench to equalise against Bristol City on Saturday afternoon. Exciting though it had been , it was merely the aperitif for what came tonight.

Not one but, this time, two goals for Scott in just 14 minutes as he rescued things once more for the Bees. The first a close range tap in after Barbet had hit the bar (bet?) whilst the second saw him latch on to Lasse Vibe’s pass to double the lead with a beautiful finish from a tight angle.

View from the terrace – Scott and Nico celebrate the opener

Despite a last minute consolation for Cardiff, the points were secure and mean that Scott has now scored three times in his last 32 minutes of League football. Just to put that into perspective, it’s one more than Nick Proschwitz managed all of last season and just two behind Northern Ireland International Will Grigg’s total for 2013/14.

Peter Gilham announced the goals over the p.a. system with similar exuberance to that on Saturday. I thought he was going to explode on the second, such was his excitement. Hey, had Scott got the hat-trick I think our man with the mic would have been celebrating like he’d won the FA Cup

More importantly though, the partnership he is forming with Lasse really is one to savour. Oh to see how they play together once Scott has regained his full match fitness.

Did Brentford deserve it tonight? Absolutely. Whilst Cardiff had the slightly better of a first half that Dean Smith would later describe, somewhat politely in my opinion, as “dismal”, it was the Bees who created the better chances the second period.

Lasse Vibe, clean through, had the very best of these. With just Marshall in the Cardiff goal to beat he squared it to Woods who, with just Marshall in the Cardiff goal to beat, returned it to his team mate. The momentum was lost and the chance smothered.

Still, as it transpired, this Chuckle Brothers tribute act didn’t matter. On a surreal night that saw everything from low flying herons over Griffin Park (not, as one terrace  observer thought, a seagull suffering from gigantism) to a post match hissy fit from Cardiff’s keeper,  two goals and three points that were all that mattered.

View from the terrace – City down and out after the second

Honourable mention must also go to Josh Clarke. He gave a very assured and confident display standing in for Maxime Colin. With James Ferry on the bench for the Bristol game and Reece Cole being given a similar honour tonight, it says a lot about the Bees youth system that these players are now coming through.

City manager Russell Slade was his usual curmudgeonly self after the game.  Reporter Ian Abrahams (aka Broadcast Moose) subsequently took to Twitter where he noted: What a bad loser Russell Slade has become, friendly as anything in his Orient days,tonight point blank refused to do a post match interview.Always sad to report when someone you think you know, you really don’t know at all, shame as Cardiff’s press team are so helpful & friendly.Mr Slade could only grunt no to me when I asked if he’d speak to me. Get over it Russell even the very best lose games at times.

Still, that’s their problem. Maybe there’d been a fight over the pies but it showed that, just as at Leyton Orient two years ago, Brentford had got one over the baseball cap sporting manager once again.

And doesn’t it feel good ? Like celebrating as though we’d won the…..

BBC Billy celebrates the moment 🙂

Nick Bruzon

Golden balls but where were the Bees?

My social media time line was nothing but Ballon d’Or, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi as the results of the FIFA player of the year, goal of the year and World XI (amongst others) were announced on Monday. Whilst undoubtedly prestigious awards, the accompanying hot air and time taken to string it out was as painful as listening to a Steve Evans post match interview. But nowhere near as funny. Besides, the whole thing was rendered largely meaningless to me by the lack of any Brentford players in contention for selection.

Where was Jonathan Douglas jostling with Ronaldo for the main prize or David Button forcing Manuel Neuer out of the team? Much as Brentford have come on leaps and bounds, we are still some way off being forced to don the dinner jackets and meet Sepp Blatter. Which, given the hype and tedium of all that surrounded this, is probably no bad thing.

Instead , I gave up on it to read about the Creme egg scandal gripping the nation and wonder what will happen, should the club perform their annual ‘programme and confectionery’ promotion for season ticket holders later this season.

Creme eggs – all change at Cadbury

But catching up this morning on the fall out from the ceremony, I noticed one honour that had got little or no mention at the time, certainly relative to the shootout between Messi, Neuer and Ronaldo – Sepp Blatter’s Presidential award. Rather than being the right to host the World Cup for whoever handed over the biggest bag of cash (because, of course, that would never happen) this rank is, and I quote, “bestowed upon a person or institution that has made a superlative contribution to football without seeking to monopolise the limelight”.

And whilst long serving Peter Gilham was not up for nomination (yet) it went to a 90 year old former Japanese player and current journalist, Hiroshi Kagawa who covered his tenth World Cup finals last year. So modest is Kagawa that, talking about the event, he said “I was sceptical about coming to this ceremony today. But my friends in Japan said I must come – even if only to meet Manuel Neuer, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, and bring back some autographs”

Does FIFA have a decent heart amidst all the rumours of corruption and self-serving? One can only hope.

 Long serving Kagawa receives his award (no autograph book for Sepp, though) 

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Jack Whitehall challenges Cliff Crown as Bees win again

Brentford ran out 1-0 winners over Rotherham United in a game that was just one small part of a busy day for all things Bees related. With comedy legends coming out of our ears (not literally), Northern Ireland international Will Grigg and Matt Harrold involved in an unusual encounter when Crawley faced MK Dons and Clem doing his thing at Oldham Athletic, it’s been hectic.

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.

Comedians confirm their attendance, or not, via twitter

Producer: Do you now the way to Oldham? Clem: One in each hand

Could Windy Millers stop the Bees from chuckling today?

Finally. Much as I love the FA Cup, the visit of Rotherham United sees Championship action return to Griffin Park after what seems an interminable wait . With our last two league games seeing Brentford’s great run of form ended by losses to Ipswich Town (a wake up call) and Wolves (unlucky) today sees a great chance to get back to winning ways.

Brentford are, of course, unbeaten in League action in 2015 (a stat too far?) and Rotherham sees us with the opportunity to pick up our first Championship points of the year. But will we do it?

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.

No more Coldplay. And a video to make Mike Sullivan, chuckle

Derby County are Saturday’s visitors to Griffin Park, to face a Brentford team still smarting from last weekend’s 3-1 reverse at Bolton Wanderers. It was a game which even featured Trotter’s fans singing, “How sh*t must you be, we’re winning at home?” (didn’t one of our own club figures once tell us off for doing that?) and so Bees supporters will, of course, be hoping we can bounce straight back from that one and prove them wrong.

To read the rest of this article, season 2014/15 is now available to download onto Kindle (and other electronic reading device) in full. Containing additional material and even some (poor) editing, you can get it here for less than the cost of a Griffin Park matchday programme or Balti Pie.

 Thanks for reading and all your comments over the course of the season. For now, I need to make more space on the site for any follow up. However, ‘close season’ will continue in full, further along.

Excuses, excuses, excuses. And the latest from Clemwatch

Brentford moved up to a giddy eighth place in the Championship following Saturday’s 2-0 win at Rotherham United. This is some achievement – our joint highest league placing in a good 60 years and one that, equally, keeps us 15 places and seven points better off than Fulham. And for the record, stat fans, the Cottagers currently enduring their worst start since 1956-57

Rotherham boss Steve Evans was in typical sour form at full time.

To read the rest of this article, season 2014/15 is now available to download onto Kindle (and other electronic reading device) in full. Containing additional material and even some (poor) editing, you can get it here for less than the cost of a Griffin Park matchday programme or Balti Pie.

 Thanks for reading and all your comments over the course of the season. For now, I need to make more space on the site for any follow up. However, ‘close season’ will continue in full, further along.

To me. To you. To the Championship

So in the end it was Rotherham United, rather than Leyton Orient, who joined Brentford and Wolves in being promoted to the Championship this season.

Few who watched the League One play off final on Sunday could deny it was exciting. Some of the best goals ever to grace the stadium (in her old or new forms), more swings than a child’s play park and that most tense of conclusions – the, so-called, ‘lottery’ of the penalty shootout.

But then few who watched it could, honestly, have picked a winner. 

Paul, Barry and masked impersonators are chuckling all the way to the Championship

 

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.