Party poop.Barnsley beat Brentford in game 4,000

Move along. Nothing to see here. A day that promised so much ended with Brentford having the candles blown off their own celebration cake by a Barnsley team who took their chances in a gritty game. As the Bees celebrated their 4,000th league game with the commemorative flags handed out to supporters, it was the away side who ended the day celebrating a first league win in 7(seven) games.

“It’s just like watching Brazil” sang the visitors.

“It’s just like watching League One”, sang the home support

“I just can’t get no relief” sang the half time guest of honour, Annelies. That, of course, during her Queen number rather than being any form of match analysis.

Annelies serenades Buzzette. Or is that vice-versa?

Indeed, half time was about as good as it got.

Peter Gilham was on hand to introduce Ben Summers, whose winning competition entry had been selected to be the cover for the programme. However, if Ben was expecting the keys to Griffin Park he was to be sadly disappointed.

“We’d like to say you’ve won a thousand pounds but you haven’t. Just a signed copy of the programme” announced Peter in his usual, avuncular style.

That said, Ben did have the honour of posing for a photograph with the protagonists in that other fan favourite – the half time mascot race. This, an event not seen since Scummy Bunny and Sonic the hedgehog were amongst those to grace the Griffin Park playing surface back in our League One (or was it two?) days.

This time around it was a three way shoot out between Buzz, Buzzette and the Barnsley mascot. I’m not sure if this was Toby the Tyke or, as one New Road observer noted,  Macroencephablitisbrain the bear.

Peter Gilham introduces Ben and the mascots

As for the game itself? I can’t talk about it. The BBC, Beesotted or ‘Official’ are your best hopes if any sort of match report is required. Likewise, the video highlights are already up on Sky, if anybody can draw highlights from yesterday’s game.

That said, two points of note to take away. Firstly, cheering the substitution of Romaine Sayers for Philipp Hofmann. Seriously? One can only hope this was due to the German’s popularity although I suspect not given the criticism the former Walsall man has come in for from certain quarters. Without wanting to get overly preachy, that’s really poor form and hardly going to help a player who would still seem to be settling into Championship life.

Secondly, Dean Smith’s post match interview which contained the pearler. “If we’d taken our chances it might have been a different story.” Hmm. That is, generally, how football works.

Instead, the interviews are probably best confined to those conducted by Sean Ridley with the return of Terrace Talk.

Can we have you every week?

That aside, it simply remains to offer congratulations to  Barnsley for a job well done. As for Brentford, there’s the small matter of a trip to Loftus Road on Friday.

I’m going, again. See you there.

Nick Bruzon

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Hurt pride and injured team but no need to panic

Brentford fell to their fifth defeat against Middlesbrough in little over a calendar year, as a 3-1 reverse at the Riverside saw the Bees slip to fourth bottom in the table. On a night where injuries meant Marinus was unable to even field a full substitute’s bench (and those he did name included two goalkeepers) it was a result predicted by many but, actually, it was a game that sounded a lot closer than the scoreline suggests.

Let’s be clear. I wasn’t amongst the 149 Brentford supporters who made that hellish journey on a Tuesday night. Middlesbrough is hard enough to get to from West London as it is, let alone for a game with a 7.45pm kick off that meant many of those who travelled only got in as the rest of us were starting to wake up.

Hats off to those who braved it. Twitter updates from the likes of Beesotted and BIAS very much helped supplement the dulcet tones of Billy Reeves on Beesplayer and the subsequent goal highlights on Sky Sports News.

Hats off to the hardy 149

From all these accounts it was an end-to-end game, with Brentford desperately unlucky not to make it 2-2. Lasse Vibe lifted a Marco Djuricin cross over the bar from yards out, immediately after Uruguayan international Christian Stuani had restored the home side’s lead. Likewise, Marinus used his post match interviews to note, “We created a lot of big chances”.

That said, all the possession in the world (according to the Beesplayer panel, Brentford are the divisional leaders for ball retention) and chances (4 on target per team) count for nothing if you can’t put them away. Ultimately, the only stat that really counts is balls in the back of the net and that’s where Middlesbrough, despite all our positivity, remained market leaders. As Marinus himself acknowledged, “the quality of their finishing was the difference.”

Injuries didn’t help, of course. The likes of Sam Saunders, Andy Gogia, James Tarkowski and Philipp Hofmann being added to the already lengthy sick list. Nobody on the bench had started a league game for the Bees before and, whilst the first XI that Marinus named gave a cracking account of themselves, there was nowhere else really to go when a change was needed.

No room for Marcos Tebar in the injured outfield side

It does beg the question of just how we have been so unfortunate on this front? Selling those key players was always a risk but moreso when those brought in to help replace them then get crocked. If this is nothing more than bad luck then I feel desperately sorry for Marinus. Every attempt to build a side seems to be spannered by factors outside of his, and our, control.

No excuses. You can’t deny a team who create, and take, their chances anything but the win so fairplay to Middlesbrough on that front. On the flipside, I’m not going to fall into the same panic mode that seems to be gripping many supporters just yet.

We’re only 6 games into the season and have already played the sides in 2nd, 3^rd and 5^th places. We’re a game behind the vast majority of our rivals, thanks to ‘pitchgate’ and now have a run of four home games out of the next five fixtures to try and consolidate.

We’ve already played several of the sides showing early form

Only when we reach the ten game point that (subject to postponements) comes at Derby in early October, will we have a true idea of what this season will bring. Who are the makeweights? Who is in with a chance of promotion? Who will be hoping for mid table security? Who is already plugging the likes of Scunthorpe United and Fleetwood Town into their tripometer for next year?

This campaign has a hell of a long way to run and, like last season, I’m predicting us to really get going come October/November time. The likes of Maxime Colin and Marco Djuricin are already looking like very decent acquisitions whilst the promise of Jota returning, and Josh McEachran starting, is one to look forward to.

Until then, roll on Saturday and Preston North End.

Nick Bruzon

Forget KLM, Top Man, JVC. Dave Gorman gets to the point

It’s all a bit quiet on the Brentford front this week and, frankly, after the mauling at Middlesbrough that suits me just fine. A chance for everyone to take stock and put the wheels back on ahead of Leeds United visiting Griffin Park on Saturday.

There’s no JPT action tonight (fortunately) and so if that’s your bag then I’m sure there’ll be commentary on Newport v Swindon somewhere. Likewise, (not so fortunately after we gifted Fulham their only positive result of an otherwise hilarious season) there’s no Capital One Cup.

That said for those still watching in that one, the highlights would seem to be Will Grigg getting the chance to test his shooting boots against Bradford – a tougher task than previous opponents Manchester United – and Middlesbrough hoping to prove that Saturday was no fluke with a visit to Liverpool.

So I hadn’t really planned on writing anything today, keeping the powder dry for Leeds at the weekend. Then I saw a tweet published by Billy Reeves. Specifically in regards to comedian Dave Gorman.

I’m very much a fan of the lumberjack shirt sporting, powerpoint wielding comedian whose new book ‘Too much information’ is out now. And I guess, theoretically, that makes him (unsubtle plug time) a label mate of yours truly on Amazon.

However, the proper point being that Billy shared an extract of this new work yesterday that really, to me summarised, exactly what it means to be a football supporter.

You can have your variations on stripes and sashes, but there are certain things that make a kit iconic. Those details that, every once in a while, transcend even the team colours themselves to be universally associated with a team

Move over KLM, Top Man, JVC and Ramsay Ladders. This, for me, nails it.

And Mr. Gorman says it so much better than I could ever try to.

The test of a real football fan (or just a kit nerd)

Possibly the only thing in common with Dave Gorman