Trevor Francis takes us into the Twilight Zone

Could things get any more surreal this weekend? I’m still struggling to reconcile Brentford sticking four past Wolves to go third in the Championship table. Third In the Championship. Apologies, but it bears repeating. Then Birmingham City just had to go and take things to an even stranger place.

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.

Clem. A giant ham. Insert your own joke

Attack of the Killer Bees. Even Leroy is buzzing after 4-0 win

Possibly the craziest November on record ended up with Brentford making it five Championship wins on the bounce, the latest being Saturday’s 4-0 thumping of Wolves. With The Bees now up to third in the table (only a point off the top) and Warbs, surely, a shoe-in for Manager of the Month, the whole thing is just taking a turn for the surreal.

Frankly, I’ve run out of superlatives to describe the spirit and endeavor of this team.

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.

How farce became fantasy. Fulham provide the best opposition possible

Brentford fans were celebrating like….. etc etc etc last night. With the draw for the Capital One Cup having been made, the likes of Manchester United visiting MK Dons or Newcastle at Gillingham would seem the obvious ‘TV’ ties. However, it is the arrival of Fulham at Griffin Park that has to be the most atmospheric and anticipated of the second round.

I’m sure the good people at Sky will go for Manchester United – if only because last season’s campaign of self destruct has seen them enter the competition at this stage for the first time in 19 seasons. They’re welcome to it – I’ll be at Griffin Park regardless.

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.

Celebrating like they’ve won the (first round of the) cup

On a night of cup shocks that saw Wigan Athletic lose 2-1 to Burton (stop sniggering at the back) and Crawley beat Ipswich Town 1-0, it was still Brentford that dominated the headlines – despite triumphing against Dagenham and Redbridge.

Our 18 goal Capital One Cup thriller (12 in open play and a further 6 on penalties) saw Brentford go through 4-2 on spot kicks after a surreal 6-6 draw. It was a game that equaled the competition’s previous ‘goals scored’ record (Reading 5 Arsenal 7 set in 2012).

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.

Is Clem the new Liverpool? (and our fans hit back)

You have to feel for the fans of Leeds United. Whilst everything at Brentford has been very much ‘on the up’ in recent months, they’ve been through the ringer. Their star player, Ross McCormack, has been sold to Championship rivals Fulham whilst the managerial situation has been one that could be politely described as ‘unsettled’. That’s before you chuck controversial owner Massimo Cellino into the mix.

However, things really took a turn for the worse on Saturday when The Football League Show highlighted their team with a visit from roving reporter Mark Clemmit – universally known as Clem.

I wrote in full last season about the four simple rules to ‘football betting’. In short they are:

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.

1 down. 45 to go, as strange changes happen (with video)

So the Championship has begun with Brentford unbeaten after the draw with Charlton. Wolves, our main rivals last season, picked up an impressive three points on TV yesterday at Molineux agasint Norwich City whilst Bournemouth top the early table following their emphatic 4-0 win at Huddersfield.

That last result being of particular pertinence for two reasons.

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.

The Championship has begun. But how was it?

Brentford kicked off their Championship campaign with a draw at home to Charlton Athletic yesterday and then had the added bonus of finishing clear of Fulham (who were beaten by Ipswich Town).

The final 1-1 score doesn’t even tell half the story. The Bees, who dominated vast swathes of the first half, were probably fortunate to come away with a draw by the end. With Charlton already 1-0 up, Callum Harriott somehow conspired to hit the crossbar when clear of David Button and with the net gaping.

If you don’t take your chances then you’ll pay the price. Sure enough, Tommy Smith popped up with six minutes left to send Griffin Park delirious.

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.

EXCLUSIVE: Bees once missed a penalty! P.S. Still top of the league.

By all rights I should be ecstatic. But I’m not.

Brentford made it eight wins out of eight (40 points out of the last 42) whilst even though rivals Wolves and Leyton Orient also won, these were only their second and third victories, respectively, from the same eight game period.

The Bees were even pushed up to opening slot on the Football League Show’s divisional round up, despite Wolves v Preston – two teams currently in the play off mix – probably being the most attractive fixture of the day, on paper.

But it is another aspect of this BBC coverage that is making me redder than a Keith Stroud convention.

Just for once I’d love it if the Football League Show could make reference to Brentford, and specifically Marcello Trotta, without mentioning that, blinkin’, penalty.

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.

Terry and Farid – could this be the best present yet….?

Back in 2005 the BBC conducted a fans’ survey to find their club’s ‘cult hero’.

If I recall correctly, ‘Football Focus’ would then run a piece each weekend, highlighting several clubs and announcing the respective winners.

A quick trawl of the interweb reveals that the results are still out there and, in the case of Brentford, the winner a very deserving Terry Evans – who secured 47% of the total vote. For the record, Terry Hurlock (28%) and Dean Holdsworth (25%) took second and third place.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Terry back in 2009, where he talked fondly about this honour : “It was probably one of my proudest moments, something like that. Especially compared to some of the people that have pulled on a Brentford shirt. For me to be in that top three was a hell of an achievement. I’ve really got to thank the fans for that, for rating me so highly.”

I also asked Terry whom he would have picked, had he voted? The answer was unequivocally in favour of Mr Hurlock: “Terry! I’d come here as a young professional and he just epitomised it. He was just a leader and I only thought – if I could emulate this fellow. He’d get press for his ruggedness and tough tackling but he could play. Week in, week out, year after year Tel was ripping up trees for Brentford so he’d have been my vote. He was a great player.“

Terry – swapped Bees for Wasps

I’d love the BBC to run this poll again. It’s been almost ten years since the last one and would be a great feature to include as part of the Football League Show. Manish, Leroy, Steve – if you are reading (you aren’t) how about it?

More importantly though, who would get the Brentford vote?

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.