A good news, bad news sort of day. Thieves, tickets and a lot of love.

So here we are. The build up to Saturday’s play off final between Brentford and Swansea City has well and truly begun. Our paltry ticket allocation (the same for both clubs) is now flying off the shelves to those fans with sufficient TAPS. The petition started by BIAS to have the attendance increased to 20,000 is gathering momentum (with Gemma Teale getting it as far as the BBC last night). As of this morning, the count was approaching 9000 signatures and there is still time to get this signed. Will publish a further link at the bottom. Closer to home, my faith in the goodwill of people has gone through both the roof and the floor. The love coming in for Woody and his family, following the words penned by his mum on Sunday morning, has seen emotions all over the place. On the flip side, thieves have targeted the Magpie and Crown pub on Brentford High Street at the weekend using the distraction of the post Bournemouth spirit to steal a squad signed  Bees shirt being raffled to raise money for a Hounslow food bank.

First up, tickets. We all know the scoop by now. Both Brentford and Swansea City will have less fans in on Saturday than they did for their respective semi finals. A stadium three or four times the size holding a fraction of supporters, despite the fact everybody was quite happy to double the capacity at the drop of a hat when there was the lure of a Champions League final at the same stadium on the same day dangled under the nose.Hmmm. 

BIAS have done sterling work in galvanising supporters with both Brentford and Swansea official also making their opinions very publicly known. We ALL want this to be the occasion it most definitely could and whilst the 8000 official fans (I’m not counting superfluous corporates etc) will do a wondrous job in building the atmosphere, imagine it with double that? There IS still hope. 

Today will be crucial to keep the momentum going. If you haven’t signed it as yet then please do. Please pass it on toy our football loving friends. Your families. Anybody you think would want this to happen / who has access to the internet. The link is at the bottom of this column.

On a personal note it was a real good news, bad news sort of Monday. As much through having been coming to Griffin Park (now LR) since 1979, I’m over the TAP threshold so got my ticket. I will be at Wembley with my friends but I won’t be with there with my family. Our Harry, who lives and breathes the club, misses out. Mrs B will be left behind, too. 

There are thousands of us in the same boat. Thousands of deserving fans with Season Tickets who, ordinarily, would be guaranteed a ticket to the game. Instead, we’ve all been torn apart. I haven’t missed a match with H in I don’t know how long. He’s gutted. I’m gutted. We’re gutted. He loves the club (especially Sergi) and his life revolves around it. From reading the teams pre kick off to being a mascot. From having the players in our house at Halloween to modelling the kit for the launch photos. Something which, even as recently as this weekend, I was given a wonderful reminder of when bumping into a fellow ‘model’ outside The Griff who also shared this photo. Thank you.

He’s still only 7(seven) yet thinks that’s ‘just’ how football works. That Brentford make this sort of stuff happen all the time if supporters want to get involved. The possibility of not going to a game when others can is one that hadn’t even crossed the mind. Until now.

The old ‘eagle distraction trick’ a tool up the sleeve of every decent photographer

Again, we all know this isn’t the club’s fault. We’ve been served up a dog’s dinner of a deal. We have SO MANY deserving fans who, like Harry, will miss out. I’m not after special treatment but simply giving my version of a personal story that I know is impacting so many of us. There will be many, many more similar. Many, many more who should be there and can’t . Who will be devastated about missing this. Who will be crammed in to pubs or front rooms trying to make the best of the situation. Many, many who like us will be sitting anxiously by the phone today. Please, get signing. Get your voice heard.

Look at Woody. The  positive reaction and love coming back on social media as a reply to the piece about him was nothing short of life affirming. Thank you. He won’t be there as it stands but If anybody needs to be it is him. If anybody gets the chance to lead out the team (should Corona somehow allow it) it is him. Here’s hoping he gets the first of the phone calls saying a ballot place has been awarded. Pretty sure everybody has read this one but, if not, then you can find that here…. Please do enjoy.

Harry – no eagle needed these days – and Woody at the weekend.

On the downside, local pub The Magpie and Crown have seen their own charity efforts hit by thieves late on Saturday night. A signed shirt being raffled to raise money for a Hounslow food bank was stolen. With everyone understandably distracted by the emotion of what had gone before, an opportunist(s) have pinched this off the wall behind the bar and it has gone walkies.

To date, the item has not been returned but if anyone has any information as to where it is, please get in touch with Scott Illman at the Magpie on the High Street. If you have it and have woken up with drunken regret, just pop it back through the letterbox or post it back – no questions asked. Hundreds of tickets had been sold to raise money for a cause that shouldn’t even require funds raised. Perhaps whomever took it was drunk and didn’t realise what it was for (he says being optimistic) but there can be no doubt now. Keep your eyes open on the auction sites, too. To date, this hasn’t been spotted online.

Finally, we have a referee for Saturday. Premier League Chris Kavanagh has been parachuted in to take charge of the final Championship game of the season. His record this season suggests yellow cards could be in the offing. Has a tense affair just go tenser? Roll on Saturday when we can find out. All being well, with 20,000 fans there.

That petiton link is HERE HERE HERE. Please sign it.

One more game…..

Nick Bruzon

Happy birthday to you. Three years in Brentford pictures

Its one for friends and family today  – albeit with a Brentford theme.

Harry Samuel Bruce Bruzon has just turned three years old. I’ve no idea where that time has gone already, beyond saying that the subtle scheme to introduce my first born to all things Griffin Park related is, so far, working.

That’s introduce, not indoctrinate. Honest!

Buzzette, Sam, Harlee, New Road observers and terrace wags  – thanks all for your help with that job.

Anyway, without further ado, here’s a life  – well, the first three years anyway – in Griffin Park related pictures .

Happy Birthday HB !

A TV debut (of sorts). Something about some sort of penalty thing followed

 

First trip to Griffin Park

Harry Sam Bruce Bruzon – middle name coincidence, honest 😉 

 

Practice that dribbling

poster boy !

Introduction to Buzzette didn’t go well

 

New shirt – a perfect fit

HB at Griffin Park once more

Learning those all important pre-match rituals

Jota puts a smile on the face of Family Bruzon at 2-2 against Forest

HB – now friends with Buzzette…

….and Harlee

 

Don’t forget Buzz

Never too young for a retro shirt

Call the police – the Bees have been robbed

Brennnnt-forddddd!!

Marcello? Lionel? Erm, Bermondsey?

Football is back. Brentford host Nottingham Forest on Saturday in what has felt an even longer international break than usual. However, I need to start on a personal note, following the football world’s incredulation yesterday after Millwall fanatic Mike Bloomfield named his newborn son: Bermondsey Millwall Den Bloomfield. This, without the prior knowledge of his (presumably now, ex) wife and using the logic that if it is good enough for Brooklyn and David Beckham then why not follow suit?

The reaction of most football fans was one of understandable horror. A child set up for a lifetime of bullying and, moreso, one who might not even like Millwall. Let alone football. Although somehow I can’t imagine the sort of dad who even named his dog after a club legend would ever let that happen on his watch.

Indeed my gut reaction was similar although, thinking about it more, I was taken back to a similar incident and the birth of my own son back in June 2013. At that point, I’d contemplated a similar act prior to the promotion decider against Doncaster Rovers. Indeed, what would subsequently transpire to be the penultimate Last Word to appear in the programme included the following paragraph – and potential marriage wrecker – in an article entitled: An open letter (and offer) to the Brentford FC first team.

“My wife, watching today from New Road, is expecting our first child in about four weeks. The discussion of names has been a long one but, currently, we aren’t even close to an agreement. So, unbeknown to her, I offer this. I will name our son after whomever scores a promotion-sealing goal for Brentford today. Will it be baby Clayton? Bradley Bruzon? The footballing romantic in me would love it to be Simon (Moore). “

Baby Clayton….?

I forget the exact circumstances around what happened in that match. If only somebody had captured it on video or talked about it afterwards. However, I’ve a vague recollection that, whilst everybody else was holding their breath and watching the lunacy unfold, my own thoughts were along the lines of:

Marcello Bruzon?

Kevin Bruzon?

Does Toumani take penalties?

Give it to Sam!!

She’s going to kill me.

In the end if was none of the above. Instead, Harry Samuel Bruce Bruzon – in no way named after the fake tanned wing wizard – ended up with a much more conventional name although is now as addicted to ‘Daddy Bees’ (and, specifically, Buzzette) as his dad. That said, the name ‘Marcello’ is still one most definitely now lurking at the back of the mind should he ever have a brother.

Harry – unbeaten at Griffin Park (P3: W1 D2 L0)

The alternative would be to follow Mike Bloomfield’s lead. Will any prospective father in TW8 consider naming their future offspring: Brentford Lionel Road?

I can’t see it happening. Road is a terrible name and the child could end up being close to 21 years old before being able to see his team in our next home (come on Rhys, get building).

As for Saturday, the visit of Nottingham Forest sees the club having to make the somewhat precautionary announcement that there will be additional security measures on the way into Griffin Park. The full details appeared on the clubsite yesterday although, in short, supporters are advised to arrive at least half an hour earlier than normal as there will be bag searches, ‘pat downs’ and metal detectors in operation.

The reasons for this are clear to all following on from the horrific events in Paris last week. It doesn’t bear thinking about that this could happen once, let alone in future, and so I’m sure supporters will understand the steps being taken…..

Nick Bruzon

Slow news day? Surely this can’t be true?

I love an unusual headline – whether it be on the internet or the local press. But the one which appeared about QPR boss Harry Redknapp yesterday (or, should that be, former QPR boss Harry Redknapp) had me performing a double take. And moreso because of the immediate knock on this could have for Brentford and our own manager, Mark Warburton.

Harry Redknapp is no more (at QPR)

I can only wish Harry well although the whole thing does seem to smack of, what we could politely call, unfortunate timing. He waits until immediately after the transfer window has slammed shut, having failed to spend any money (a feat as rare as three points on the road for the Loftus Road mob), before deciding he has to walk away – although I apologise if that’s probably not the best choice of phrase in the circumstance.

And the Brentford spin off? Well, checking the shortlist for his successor, the bookmakers have Warbs at fourth favourite to be leaning out of a car window in the next transfer window.

However, before anybody gets overly concerned, Tim Sherwood is streets ahead at 1/10. ON. Indeed £18,269 of the first £18,763 was on the former Tottenham boss taking over at Loftus Road. Indeed, given the talk at the Brentford fans’ forum I think it safe to say that Warbs isn’t going anywhere for a while.

That said, it is always flattering to be associated with a top flight club and symptomatic of the success our manager (who you may not be aware is a former city trader) has had since taking over from Uwe.

So rather than worrying further about whether Warbs will be heading down the road, we’ll end this article here. Instead, here are a few comedy headlines. Whilst they may not have the same impact as the Redknapp knee, who doesn’t like a bit of ‘cow chaos’ ?

From our first away game of the season

Disturbing news from the world of theatre, via the BBC

The first of two entries from the Argus

Life imitating art

The Argus strikes again

But our winner is…

Bees up, Fulham down ! Brentford celebrate like we’ve won the FA Cup.

Russell Slade and Leyton Orient – Thank you. What began as a, seemingly, off the cup (sorry, cuff) comment made with a mouthful of sour grapes culminated in Griffin Park being transformed into a sea of Slade embossed FA cups yesterday as Brentford finally left League One.

Yes – we did celebrate when we won against strong opponents at Leyton Orient . I make no apologies for that. They were promotion rivals and their record demanded respect. However, that was nothing compared to yesterday.

Brentford were in celebratory mood all day long – fans, club officials and players alike.

Even Bees chairman Cliff Crown gets in on the act (and models his new pineapple hairdo)

Adam Forshaw’s reward for a great season

 

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.