I smell a giant rat. If it’s good enough for Lineker….

“Don’t click. Don’t click. Don’t click.” . Not a 21st Century equivalent of the mantra from ‘Candyman’ (kids, don’t even waste your time asking your dads) but a self-administered warning as the mouse hovered over one of the numerous : QPR moving for Brentford captain Jake Bidwell ‘stories’ doing the rounds yesterday. It was ignored.

I did it to myself, I did. And that’s what really hurt. As Radiohead almost sang way back.

This was always going to be flimsy but even by the desperate standards of ‘close season’ (where, as were’ve said before, news is so thin that a transfer in a cereal packet would get reported) it was bad. Yet another example of ‘journalism’ eating itself in an ongoing search for online hits.

Transfer news has always been popular

And despite normally avoiding such things – as much because of the ‘short survey’ required to access the rest of the article – this was too intriguing a lure. The captain of Brentford going to rivals QPR. Surely not?

Not, being the key word.

Our esteemed West London sources have been quoting a ‘report’ in the Mirror – a source whose usual line of stories seem to be about the ongoing invasion of the UK by giant rats .

And that ‘report’ was one buried amongst a whole host of other unsupported rumours,  claiming that the Loftus Road mob have apparently ‘made an enquiry’ . That was it.

Seriously, this won’t happen. I just can’t see any element of truth or any plausible way it would go through. Instead, it’s just 30 seconds I’ll never get back.

So confident am I that this is bull then if it does play out I’ll attend the first home game of next season in my pants. Hey, if its good enough for Gary Lineker.

If you really want to read some nonsense then, instead, could I suggest,  The Last Word’ review of the year which recently been released for download. Entitled “Ready.Steady. Go Again” it features the least bad of these columns from the appointment of Marinus in June 2015 up until 9th place in the Championship was confirmed earlier in the month.

‘And if you’d like to read more’….. there is also an anthology of the last three seasons  : “Brentford Football Club – The Bees are going up“. This runs from ‘that penalty’ and the subsequent fall out all the way through to the 5-1 humping of Huddersfield Town on Saturday. This, via all sorts of other Bees related trivia  including the answer to the oft asked question: Does Cameron Diaz support Brentford?

That said, there was genuine news from none other than Alan Judge yesterday. Twitter once again showing how much it has become legitimate font of up to the minute stories with the announcement: No Crutches

Accompanied by a self shot video that shows our player of the season walking, unaided, this is only a fantastic update.

The Brentford family were heartbroken when he suffered that season ending injury at Ipswich Town. With his chance of featuring in Euro 2016 also gone, The Judge has done nothing but keep the proverbial chin up in public.

As such, to see him at this level of recovery already is genuinely exciting. Here’s hoping Alan can push on from here and we see him in the red and white stripes come August.

The Judge has spoken

Nick Bruzon

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New pitch and TV cameras await Reading and QPR at Brentford

In the most expected piece of news since the sale of Andre Gray was confirmed, the announcement has been made that Brentford’s game with QPR has been moved to the evening of Friday 30^th October. And, it seems, we have a pitch in place for the visit of Reading this weekend although, of course, whether it gets the seal of approval from Steve Clarke is another thing altogether.

Will the pitch pass muster?

So. Our first game with QPR since a 1-1 draw at Griffin Park back in February 2004 will now take place on the evening of Friday 30^th October. Given the local police presence required for the following day’s rugby World Cup final at Twickenham this was only ever gong to happen. Moreso, given the lure that such a game would have held for the Sky TV camera who have also exercised their option to broadcast this one.

Aside from the ‘official site’ being mathematically challenged / supporter pedantry (delete as applicable), bringing it forwards nineteen and quarter hours does, instantly, destroy all chance of Halloween horror headlines. But it’s a small price to pay.

So, a 3pm kick off on Friday then?

Who doesn’t enjoy a game played under the new look Griffin Park Floodlights? Moreso, one against our closest rivals with a mere 5.2 miles (that’s about an hour on the 237 bus, using London Transport timings) between TW8 and Loftus Road.

Last season saw the home game with Fulham played in the same time slot and that all ended rather well for the Bees, thanks to Harlee Dean’s piledriver and then Jota ‘doing his thing’ in the last minute. We won’t even talk about the away game, yet, suffice to say it still brings a smile to the face thinking about the 4-1 hammering.

Jota – his televised winner against Fulham at Griffin Park was quite exciting

These local games are certainly the ones we love to win and hate to lose. We’ve got four of them this time around and I’m already getting excited about the approach of this first encounter with QPR in over a decade.

This is, of course, assuming we have a pitch to play it on (which might not be a stupid a comment as it might have sounded a month ago). That said, those of us living in the TW8 vicinity saw the floodlights burning long into the late evening as work in laying the Motz turf has now been completed.

Certainly, @JamieCrosby24 has been the man, if not on the ground, then the one loitering just outside it. He has kept Twitter updated with covert photographs and up to the minute updates, before finally advising at just after 9pm last night that “the final touches are (being) carried out.”

Jamie has kept Brentford fans updated all week

So Reading have somewhere to play. Referee Andrew Madley has a pitch that he can inspect. Marinus is expected to take training on the new surface this Friday. Steve Clarke might even smile. Perhaps.

I can understand Clarke’s nervousness and concern. The pictures following the Ipswich Town and Oxford United games were somewhat terrifying. However, the necessary remedial action has been taken and we now have to hope/ trust that the Motz turf does what it is supposed to between now and Saturday.

Like Fulham and QPR, a game with Reading is another that falls into the ‘local’ bracket. There are sure to be a good 1800 fans piling up the M4 for this one and it promises to be a cracking atmosphere. Last season saw a Jota inspired 3-1 victory over the Royals and Brentford fans will be hoping for more of the same as we consign the disappointment of Burnley to the waste bin of history.

There are sure to be more than a few people watching the on pitch action this weekend. And, for once, not just the men in red and white.

As ever at Griffin Park, Saturday could be interesting.

Nick Bruzon

Are points in the bag better than games in hand?

Brentford fans must feel like they are dreaming this morning after Wolves made it one point from the last six following last night’s shock defeat at Crawley. It was a result that few saw coming (myself included) and, following our own win over Leyton Orient on Saturday, has lifted spirits even further.

The proverbial ‘favour from other teams’ is all well and good but don’t forget that, as it stands, Wolves are still top of the table. That’s a fact. They are a point clear (effectively two with their gargantuan goal difference) and so still the team in the box seat.

Brentford, of course, have the ultimate destiny back in our own hands but Wolves have the points advantage. The two clichés in football I probably find have some actual resonance are, firstly, ‘The League is a marathon not a sprint’ (see Bournemouth last season) but also ‘Points in the bag are better than games in hand’.

Having to play that ‘one off’ game can bring its own pressures and this was no better illustrated than last night. The psychological advantage of getting a win when your rivals aren’t playing is immense – if you can get it right. Hand in hand with that goes the extra pressure of knowing what said win will do – as was illustrated last night with the game effectively turned into a mini cup final.

Wolves manager Kenny Jackett gave a very honest press conference afterwards, saying that the game “passed us by and that is a big frustration, particularly when it is one of the games that we have in hand” (perhaps Russell Slade should take note on how to speak to the media after a defeat).

As big a frustration for me, as a Brentford fan, was trying to keep track with the game. Although ‘Beesplayer’ does give access to every commentary (a very handy function, IF it works) mine seemed locked on the Charlton match. So, instead, I was stuck with the BBC ‘live text’ updates on their 21^st century videprinter.

Its not an easy way to watch a game due to the torturous update speeds and generic descriptions as to the action.  Last night’s game seemed to consist of efforts from 35 yards but were these the sort of ‘fizzing pile-drivers to test a goalkeeper’, Adam Forshaw style? Or were they hopeless punts from distance that had less chance of going in than a Miguel Llera set piece?

If anything, he hit it too well….or did he??

Watching a game on the BBC is a great way of knowing what is happening, if you are a fan of factual football. However, as a way of getting that genuine ‘gut feel’ as to who is on top and how things might turn out, then it is about as much help as Robert Madley.

Still, even I couldn’t fail but be moved to excitement by what happened just after the mid-way point of the first half. It began, ironically when you consider how many games Crawley have lost to the weather, raining goals.

Then it stopped. And the torture of waiting began.

But…. We all know the final score. Wolves remain top and, although the bookies still make them favourites for the title and promotion, Brentford have control back.

Coventry on Saturday will not be an easy task whilst I have no doubt that League One will throw up more than a few surprises before the season ends.

I’ll happily accept any gift from another team but, ultimately, it counts for nothing if we can’t do it ourselves. Fortunately, I have every confidence we will.

Wait 24 minutes for a goal, then three come along at once