Well that makes #BeeTheDJ nice and easy. The four ‘other’ things you have to know about our new signing

So the news is now, officially, official. Brentford ‘Official’ confirmed one of the most heavily touted rumours of the week when the signing of midfielder Christian Nørgaard from Italian giants ACF Fiorentina (their words) was confirmed on Tuesday morning. But what do we know about the latest addition to the squad with the signing of a player who was, of course, one of Thomas Frank’s first signings at Brøndby  – what were the odds of the stats computer coming up with his name 😉 ?  As for Leeds United, with the pain of the play-offs still fresh in the mind they’ve given supporters a boost. Even if it does involve that most awful of football phrases….  

We can only begin with the arrival of Christian Nørgaard at Griffin Park. The club website has their own ‘getting to know…’ piece and you can read that one here. Personally though, I prefer to read between the lines at the less obvious facts to see what we can come up with.

Firstly, that all important question of which ‘signing pose’ would Christian opt for has been answered. There was to be no ‘shirt with name on the back’ (new or old) and no ‘pen hovering over contract’. Instead, we were given ‘club scarf’ – worn in the traditional style rather than held aloft.

It’s always a safe option. Moreso given the unfortunate incident of Marcel Eger and the shirt that looked suspiciously too tight. ‘Noooo’ screamed anyone at a time the player should have absolutely opted to hold rather than wear.

Christian plays it safe with a scarf around the neck

The article in which his signing is announced refers to Christian as “The tall 25-year-old”. As one Braemar Road observer pointed out, this is a nice throwback to the club’s oft repeated description of “Long-legged midfielder Toumani Diagouraga”. One fan’s long-legged is another’s tall, I suppose.

According to the aforementioned ‘ten things’ piece, whilst at Brøndby Christian was described by Sporting Director Troels Bech as the “liaison between the team and this club’s wonderful fans.” This is great news, given the already strong bond between players and fans that we bore witness to under Thomas Frank. Those post-match laps of honour at the latter end of the season really helping crank up the emotion after another three points had been earned. If he does half as good a job as the likes of Yoann, Said, Neal or our official player liaison, the legend that is Peter Gilham, then we’re in for a treat.

As for songs, popular music’s The Vaccines give us an absolute shoe-in for #BeeTheDJ. And should Emiliano Marcondes cede his number 17 squad shirt then I can’t see it beyond the wit of mortal man or woman to come up with an alternate terrace chant, either.

An obvious selection

Moving on, Leeds United. I’m still amazed at quite how they managed to miss out on promotion to the Premier League this time around. Automatic was in their grasp for so long whilst even in the play-offs, they were all set in the second leg after that early goal from Stuart Dallas before hitting self-destruct just before half time against rank Lampard’s Derby County ™. Still, that’s all been and gone. Crying over it won’t change anything. Another campaign in the Championship awaits at Elland Road.

As such, one can imagine the joy after the club confirmed that head coach Marcelo Bielsa will be at the helm for another season. Leeds United chairman Andrea Radrizzani has exercised their option to extend Bielsa’s contract for a second season whilst the man himself has confirmed his intention to continue.

I think Bielsa is great. We’ve written about him many times on these pages and even in the matchday programme. Even though his team would ultimately miss out, one can’t deny the passion he displayed and the enjoyment he gave us over 2018/19. And not just Spygate.

So it was news which I read with genuine pleasure. Until the formal announcement was pointed out. Urghh. They’ve used ‘that phrase’. We go again. I can’t help but associate this with Harlee Dean and his Twitter account – usually used in conjunction with the phrases “Can’t apologise enough” or “The supporters deserve better”.

It’s a phrase that is high up there on the post-match defeat bingo card, nestling alongside Dean Smith telling journalists that “we deserved to win”. I have a(possibly) irrational loathing of this bland platitude, used to describe the fact that your team has been rubbish. Move along, nothing to see here.  File alongside the England Supporters ‘band’, Mrs. Browns Boys, Team GB, goal music, eXpresso, Star Wars day etc etc in the list of things that really get under the skin

On the plus side, at least there was no crowbarred hashtag to accompany the news whilst the picture used put me in mind of Alan Partridge – which can only ever be a good thing. Unlike the Norwich based superstar, Bielsa has been given that much required second season. Here’s to seeing if he can produce more of that liquid football. although perhaps not at Griffin Park. (Yet) another three points from Leeds will do me just fine.

Nick Bruzon  

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With launch imminent, the Kit Obsessive returns for a look at our good, bad and ugly

Finally. The most protracted kit launch since the Knight Industries 2000 rolled off the production line comes to a head. ‘Official’ have announced that the new Brentford home and away shirts will be revealed on Friday and then worn on Saturday against FC Kaiserslautern. Initial thoughts on this subject have already been published but, before we look forward, perhaps time to look back.

It’s coming. Not my words etc. etc. etc…..

Last Season I was fortunate enough to be able to write the ‘kit obsessive’ articles in the match day programme in which we looked at the best, worst and plain unusual of the visitor’s kit. Whilst for obvious reasons the feature won’t return this season – barring those newcomers to the Championship such as Burton Albion , Newcastle, Aston Villa etc  – these pages will (amongst other new features) no doubt make the odd reference to footballing fashion.

Indeed, over the years we’ve talked about the best, and worst, of Brentford shirts but never given them the ‘kit obsessive’ style treatment . So with the launch imminent, it seemed a timely juncture to close this loophole.

As ever, the categories remains : The best; the worst; the away; the unfortunate design / the retro classic. Likewise, these are picked using no more scientific criteria than personal taste.

Are these right? Wrong? What are your thoughts?

For me, they are as follows….

The Best: Chad. Home 1990-92 KLM sponsored. Chad manufactured. Title winning. Simple but stunning and the most evocative of memories. No nonsense red and white with black collar and tasteful trim. I can’t look at this without thinking of Terry Evans, Kevin Godfrey, Keith Millen, Neil Smillie and, of course, Deano & Bliss. Didn’t something happen at Peterborough? My all time favourite, hands down.

 

The away: Adidas. Third 2015/16 Whilst I’ve always opted for the corresponding Chad away shirt, kitman Bob pulled something very special out of the bag last season when we played Blackburn Rovers. A Brentford third kit. In black. Oh, this is a thing of beauty – and not just the image of Sam Saunders wearing it in conjunction with short shorts (which, I gather, medical advice suggests is apparently something not thought about in this already hot weather !) . We’ve gone for black again this season – can it match up to this?

 

 

The worst: Puma. Away.  2008/09 .Puma’s offering was truly horrific. It shouldn’t have been. There was nothing too fussy / garish about it whilst it had two shades of blue. But what a shade – pastel ‘baby blue’. The sort of thing a newborn might wear – until he vomited on it (which would be an improvement). Worse, it was regurgitated as 2009/10’s third kit.

And from a home perspective, how about Puma 2011/12 Floppy black collars. They’re floppy!!? The only point of a collar on a football shirt is so as you can stand it up – preferably just at the point of entering ‘Saunder’s territory’. Sizing issues. Yet the ultimate crime is the red shoulder patches and double black trim.  A combo that makes us look like hotel doormen in knock off adidas shirts – the brand with two stripes

Marcel Eger chose to wear a spray on shirt rather than hold it

 

Retro classic / unfortunate design: Osca. Home, 1983/84 . It just had to be. A white upper half and, for the first half of the season, worn with white shorts….. The Marmite of Brentford shirts. To some, an abhoration. To others (well, me) it’s brilliant. One man’s retro classic is another’s unfortunate design. I’m definitely in the former camp

Here’s hoping tomorrow brings something equally spectacular.

Nick Bruzon

From the best shirt to the worst – with a video nod to Eric

Over the last 13 months since this column has been running, our reader may have realised I’m somewhat of a Brentford kit nerd. A quick search of this site with the word ‘kit’ will also show pieces on what we, our Championship rivals (and beyond) have worn. Likewise, some of the quirkier efforts through the ages. Hull City AFC and their tiger stripes, the Coventry City T, Spanish broccoli, beer and octopus designs being some of the best.

However, whilst reading a thread on GPG this morning in regards to Brentford shirt, it suddenly dawned on me. I’ve written about our best ever home and, equally, away shirt. There’s also been a piece published on what are, in my opinion, our worst ever away tops.

But I’ve never completed the story by talking about my least popular home effort. Until now.

By and large, our home kit has generally been pretty good over the years and so to compile a top ten or even top five would be, largely, a pointless exercise. That said, two do stand out for me and both are from recent years.

In second place is the 2012/13 effort. On the surface, I really liked this. Thick stripes, a decent shade of red and even a solitary touch of black on the shoulder was a nice touch. Then you turned it over.

Where were the stripes? Not only had they been removed ‘due to football league regulations’ (that, seemingly, Sheffield United were able to circumnavigate) but they’d been replaced by a teabag. Whilst the front of this was standard shirt material, the reverse was some sort of perforated ventex effort. It meant our female fans had their bra straps on display whilst it gave all of us the chance of gaining a polka dot sun tan.

As for the stick on ‘Skyex’ sponsor patch. It was the first appearance of this much maligned piece of low budget kit design – a trend that has continued into the Adidas regime and blighted their, otherwise, sterling efforts.

2012/13 – Fantastic front but that horrible, horrible back. No stripes; just teabags

But that’s nothing, to me, on the previous season’s effort. 2011/12 is, in my opinion, the most awful of all the shirts we’ve ever had.

It’s not just that there are too many red stripes, relative to a classic Brentford shirt, yet not enough to bring it into the cult territory of the ‘funky bee’ 1989 centenary effort. Although that’s a poor start.

Then chuck in the black collars. They’re floppy!!? Think Eric Cantona, but after a few too many Kronebourgs.

The only point of a collar on a football shirt is so as you can stand it up – preferably just at the point of entering ‘Saunder’s territory’. Nothing is more likely to put the wind up the opposition than a midfielder with a known eye for goal, making this final adjustment before striking a free kick.

Cantona shows how a collar, if it has to be incorporated into a football kit, should be treated.

 

So we have too many stripes and a pathetic collar but the ultimate crime is the red shoulder patches and double black trim. Adidas have their famous three stripes, so Puma decide to copy this but go one less. Why?

It’s an awful choice and this entire upper makes us look like hotel doormen. Perhaps some people like it but, personally, I won’t even have this one in my collection.

Talk about Puma seeing out their contract in style. Or lack of .

2011/12 – Marcel Eger models my worst ever Brentford shirt

It’s official! Nobody saw this coming (especially Alan Irwin)

It’s official – Brentford have signed Portugal U-21 striker Betinho on loan from Sporting. Just read that again! Brentford have signed Portugal U-21 striker Betinho on loan from Sporting. The story is so incredible sounding that you wouldn’t believe it to be true if it you’d read it any place other than in club news or on the BBC.

It’s official  – the deal to take Adam Forshaw to Wigan Athletic from Brentford has finally gone through, a week after the price finally reached an acceptable level (you can’t blame Dave Whelan for trying his luck).

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.

Farewell Farid. Hello Alan. Plus something very special from the sticker book.

I wrote yesterday about the brief moment I thought Brentford had signed X-factor judge Louis Walsh. Of course, we hadn’t, but just hours later we then went and secured a real ‘Judge’  – midfielder Alan – on loan from Blackburn Rovers.

Nominated as the 2012/13 League One player of the season, his record speaks for itself and is anything but criminal. That said, given yesterday’s similar story about Sam Saunders being put forward for December’s monthly award (and rightly so), I imagine that at first the Blackburn man will have to be content on the bench.

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.