Stand by for action. The Championship is finally here !!

This is it, Brentford. Today’s visit of Charlton Athletic finally offers the chance of some catharsis as all those years of ‘coming so close’ since 92/93 (not to mention a couple of relegations) can finally be put to one side.

After falling foul of League restructuring and missing out to Birmingham City in 94/95 – followed by our now standard play-off capitulation.

After the dire play off final of 96/97 agasint Crewe Alexandra at Wembley.

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.

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Who will start as a double transfer swoop actually happens?

The link between Hull City and Brentford was one I talked about a lot last season. However, with the visit of Charlton Athletic for the Championship opener only 24 hours away it has just became even stronger.

They were lining up to be photographed with the official Brentford signing shirt yesterday as the news was announced that both Tommy Smith (who had been on trial with the Bees for sometime) and Nick Proschwitz from Hull (not so widely predicted) have joined. These much-welcomed signings mean competition up front, where Andre Gray and Scott Hogan were in pole position, has suddenly become very fierce.

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.

We’ve been here before – the top ten of our last Championship campaign

With Charlton Athletic due to visit Brentford on Saturday in our Championship opener I made a somewhat outlandish claim in yesterday’s column as to where I think we’d finish the season. I stand by that and I’d hope history repeats to help this happen – the last time The Bees entertained Charlton at this level saw a 2-0 win for us back on Nov 7th 1992.

That said, I hope there aren’t too many more similarities between the forthcoming campaign and that one, given 1992/93 saw us return to League One (as is) after a solitary season. At times the season was exciting; at others, it offered nothing but the bitterest frustration.

Regular correspondent Bernard Quackenbush asked for ‘my memories’ of this and, whilst somewhat hazy, it did get me thinking. So here are the top five highs and lows from the last time we tried try our luck in English football’s second tier.

The lows:

5: Dean Holdsworth. If Wigan Athletic fans are wondering why Brentford supporters are so upset about the Adam Forshaw talk, this is why.

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.

Premiership, we’re coming for you (and this time it’ll be different)

Wednesday morning and I feel like a kid at Christmas. The Adam Forshaw to Wigan Athletic story has got in the way of what should be the most exciting week in the last 21 years as Brentford prepare to rejoin the Championship. So I’m done with that (Wigan, I mean) – we’ll let the story play out one way or another and, instead, start to focus on the weekend when it all kicks off again with the visit of Charlton Athletic.

Football always has been my game, no question. I love rugby and cricket but this has it all. And as much because of all the chatter, the banter, the build up, the speculation and the anticipation. We have a week of preparing for that moment when everything comes to a head and Buzzette leads the teams out to the pitch.

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 latest twist in the Wigan Athletic – Adam Forshaw saga.

There hasn’t, generally, been huge history between Brentford and Wigan Athletic. Until recently, we’ve bumbled around the lower leagues together, neither side particularly troubling (or bothered about) the other.

The Latics were, of course, responsible for kickstarting Brentford’s run of defeats at the national stadium with their 1985 Freight Rover Trophy win. Their handball inspired victory has set in motion more pain than I could care to imagine as defeat after defeat followed in whichever final we have participated in.

That aside, and largely due to Wigan’s Dave Whelan funded rise to the Premiership, our clubs have had little to do with each other. That was until late last year when his team, now back in the Championship, came in under cover of the Lionel Road climax for Bees boss Uwe Rösler.

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 3 key questions after Bees beat Crystal Palace and Wigan Athletic come sniffing.

Brentford rounded off pre-season with a 3-2 win over Crystal Palace. The highlight clearly our winning goal as Moses parted the Palace defence like the Red (or should that be Yellow) Sea? The lowlight being a no-show from Adam Forshaw after Wigan Athletic had made another “unsettling” bid for the League One player of the year.

Three key questions come out of Saturday for me.

Adam Forshaw. Whilst its probably not right we start here, given the overall team performance, it is the ‘hot topic’. So just how worried should we be by Wigan’s approach?

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.

Daniel, my brother. You are older than me (and a Manish bonus)

Not my words but those of Elton John (apart from the bit about Manish) which, I can only imagine, were ringing around the hot bed of activity that is the Griffin Park media centre on Friday as Brentford announced another new signing.

The latest name to join the Bees is Finland under-21 international, Daniel O’Shaughnessy. The 19 year centre back would seem, on paper, somebody who most definitely fits the club’s bill of acquiring young talent.

That said, early visitors to the Brentford club site may have been left somewhat confused. Had the media team taken a particularly long lunch, been caught short by a sudden signing or are they just massive Elton fans?

Apparently ‘defedner’ Daniel, brother of Daniel, played against England way back in 2003. Either Warbs had reversed the aforementioned youth policy or this had been in the under-9’s World Cup. You can see part of the story – as it first appeared – below.

Welcome Daniel – as first reported on the official site

The story was soon cleared up as it transpired that the game against England, where defender Daniel had actually featured alongside his brother Patrick, took place just last year – 2013. As ever, you can read the full (corrected) version on the clubsite.

Those who saw Brentford play CA Osasuna on Tuesday will already have had a brief taste of Daniel in action. Don’t bet against him having a further run out at some point today when The Bees line up against Crystal Palace.

The other news to grab my attention yesterday was an announcement from Manish Bhasin, of ‘Football League Show’ fame. I love this programme and was a regular viewer last season (despite their obsession with ‘that penalty’).

If for no other reason than to see which team ‘coupon buster’ Clem would curse with a visit. The spectre of a home defeat seems to follow the ever-popular roving reporter like seagulls sniffing around the proverbial trawler.

Well, the good news is that rather than waiting up until well past midnight on Saturday for our only chance to catch this, the show is to get a second running on Sunday mornings. The time, 9am.Ish. The place, BBC2.

Great news from Manish.

This is fantastic news for those of us, myself included, who struggle to sit through Match of the Day. An hour of Mark Lawrenson is generally enough to finish off any hopes I had of lasting until the Bees action hits our screens.

Nice work, Manish. Now, if you could just make sure Clem is given a season ticket for Craven Cottage that would be perfect.

And if you want to read amore more about Manish, the Football League Show and how we reached the Championship then why not catch up on ‘Celebrating like they’d won the FA Cup…..’

The story of Brentford’s 2013/14 promotion campaign, amongst other football related gumph, is now available as a digital book. Featuring the best of the not so bad columns from last season, and some new content, you can download it here for your kindle / digital device.

Manish, Leroy and Clem feature more than Russell Slade

Forget Clifton. Brentford – Crystal Palace is a friendly that offers Moore

With Brentford due to entertain Premiership side Crystal Palace on Saturday in our last warm up for life in the Championship, it does beg that perennial question about friendlies – What is the point?

This is where the distinct difference between games at International and club level becomes more apparent (and I don’t mean in terms of player quality, with England’s World Cup showing making them very much the poor relations on that front).

I’ve long ranted about these – certainly when it comes to England. Despite looking and sounding like the real thing, they suffer from a total lack of punch. The footballing equivalent of alcohol-free beer or any James Bond film that doesn’t star Roger Moore.

Plus, internationally, you have the added pain of Bernie Clifton and his alleged supporter’s band…

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.

Could this be the new Best Worst Film Ever?

Sometimes there is more to life than Brentford and football. Every now and again you need to step back, put the Wigan Athletic / Adam Forshaw stories to one side and enjoy the other things that life has to offer. The Championship – and resuming rivalries with the likes of Wolves and Fulham – may be a mere nine days away but on Thursday, for one night only, football will be the last thing on my mind.

The time: 9pm.

The place: Syfy Channel (sky 114).

The reason: Sharknado 2: The Second One

This is (of course) the sequel to Sharknado – a movie universally acclaimed to be the ‘best worst film ever’. Starring Ian Ziering (out of Beverly Hills 90210, apparently) it told the story of what happened when freak storms swamped Los Angeles with thousands of hungry sharks.

This time the action is transplanted to New York where, somehow, the improbable events of the original are recreated and – if the review in today’s Telegraph is to be believed – become even bigger.

This film really exists – and you can see it tonight

I love football and I’m desperate to see Brentford in action. However, this evening I’ll be ditching the Bees and Wolves to enjoy the calm before the Championship storm with the mayhem and bad acting of a shark infested one.

Normal service will be resumed tomorrow.

 

And if you want to read about football, you can still catch up on how we reached the Championship. ‘Celebrating like they’d won the FA Cup…..’ (The story of Brentford’s 2013/14 promotion campaign, amongst other football related chatter) – is now available as a digital book. Featuring the best of the not so bad columns from last season, and some new content, you can download it here for your kindle / digital device.

You could always swap the sharks to read how the Bees got promoted

Forget the score – Warb’s words about Wigan impress

A very much young and ‘new look’ Brentford team slipped to a 0-4 home defeat against CA Osasuna on Tuesday night. Or should that be against two CA Osasuna teams, as the Spanish outfit’s 11 half time substitutions, with the scores level at 0-0, proved to be the turning point in the game. However, it was the post match interviews about Wigan Athletic that proved to be the main entertainment.

Talking to supporters after the game, nobody seemed too perturbed about the score. This was clearly an experimental line up with a lot of promise on show – Montell Moore, in particular, impressing. When even referee Gavin Ward ends a game without fans feeling they’d been ‘hard done by’ then you know it’s been a low key one.

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 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.