Matthew Benham has sent Brentford fans into waves of mild panic that the club will be signing former QPR midfielder and current free agent Joey Barton.
The cause for this alarm was the club owner using Twitter on Wednesday lunchtime to release one of his ‘cryptic clues’ – always a sign that transfer news is imminent. This time around, the video was a scene from Coen Brothers classic, Barton Fink. Hence the immediate thought that similarly monikered Joey was next on the Griffin Park shopping list.
Thanks for reading and all your comments over the course of the season. For now, it’s the annual clean up to make more space on the site for the inevitable follow up. However, ‘close season’ will continue in full, further along.
But wait, like all the best infomercials, there’s more. The last three seasons of the Last Word : Celebrating like they’d won the FA Cup; Tales from the football village and Ready. Steady. Go Again are also available in one combined volume as:
A lot of the ‘paper talk’ on Monday suggested that Brentford are about to ‘swoop’ for Sunderland striker Danny Graham. The Daily Mail, The Mirror and, of course, our own Get West London (who’d report a possible transfer if they found it in a packet of cereal) all suggest the player, who last saw meaningful action on loan at Middlesbrough, is going to join us until January.
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.
With most of the speculation yesterday about who may sign for Brentford focusing on Scott Hogan, club owner Matthew Benham added his own voice with the return of the ever popular ‘cryptic clue’. This now customary ‘air raid siren’ to announce an incoming signing went off last night as Bees fans were still wondering who will replace Birmingham City new boy Clayton Donaldson or Will Grigg, last seen visiting concrete cows at Milton Keynes.
Matthew’s clues have, in the past, been as tricky to answer as one of those from TV’s 3-2-1. Hosted by the late, great Ted Rogers, contestants on that show had more chance picking out the holiday from the booby prize by sticking a finger in the air than attempting to untangle the mystery rhyme.
A typical Ted Rogers clue. Matthew has a tough act to follow
However, last night even ‘your’s truly’ seems to have got this one. A twitter link from Matthew with the line “obvious clue” , led to this video of ‘Wigwam’ by Bob Dylan. Whilst being a great tune, the song is somewhat bereft of lyrics.
It seems obvious, but….
That said, it is only a short step from the Bob Dylan version to the song of the same name by The Sweet. And that includes the line: “Wigwam, Bam, gonna make you my man”.
Surely, with Patrick Bamford being the other name in the frame, it wouldn’t be that obvious? But I’d be very pleased if it was. VERY pleased .
The Chelsea youngster is already an England U-21 and has an extremely impressive strike rate at both MK Dons and Derby County. 22 goals from his last 45 games for these two is a more than potent ratio for a twenty year old. It’s just a shame that, if this does come to pass, we won’t get the chance to see him face off against Will, given MK failed to trouble the play offs last season.
Still, at the time of writing (6.30am on Monday morning) the Hogan and Bamford stories both remain speculation . Which, if either, could be true? Is Matthew deliberately sending us off course? Or have I just put 2+2 together and got 5? As ever, I’m sure the club site will be the place to find out.
Unless, of course, the players themselves tell us first on twitter (Moses Odubajo, I’m looking at you….)
BrentfordFC 