Bees beat Birmingham but should supporters be worried about Scott’s buttocks?

Well what a difference a few days has made for Brentford. Having ended 2016 with the insipid draw against Norwich City, the Bees began 2017 with a 3-1 thumping of Birmingham City as Gianfranco Zola’s poor start in charge of the Blues less than justified their board’s decision to dispense with the services of play-off chasing Gary Rowett.

Brentford could even afford the luxury of missing a penalty as we ran riot in the second half. Perhaps Scott Hogan (who grabbed our first)  – was a shocked as anybody else that the Bees had finally been awarded a spot kick.

To read the rest of this article, season 2016/17 is now available for download on e-book in the retrospective: Welcome Home, King Jota (Brentford FC season review 2016/17)

Priced at just £1.99, all sales are being donated to the Brentford FC Community Sports Trust.

Likewise any sales from the previous titles – Celebrating like they’d won the FA Cup (2013/14), Tales from the football village (2014/15) and Ready. Steady. Go Again. (2015/16) – are also now going to the BFCCST.

Containing the least bad of the blogs from May 16 to May 17, you can pick it up, here. Its all for a great cause and,hey, you may even enjoy it…..

Was it a pen? It made no difference

 

An absolute rocket! 🚀 @Nico_Yennaris caps a great victory for @BrentfordFC with a superb strike. pic.twitter.com/DDViMQKT64

— Channel 5 Sport (@Channel5Sport) January 2, 2017

 

Nick Bruzon

The good, the bad and the ugly. Bees undone by Leeds, Leicester City scoop more awards whilst this is one scary Santa. A week in football.

Brentford were hit by the ultimate sucker punch at Leeds United – an 89th minute goal from a short corner as the Elland Road outfit ran out 1-0 winners. At the tops its ‘as you were’. Dwight Gayle doing what he does for Newcastle United to move further ahead of Scott Hogan in the Championship scorer charts whilst Brighton kept pace with a 2-1 win at Birmingham City. At the bottom, Cardiff traded places with Blackburn Rovers who once again take up their place in the relegation spots alongside Wigan Athletic and Rotherham. Indeed, only the ongoing ineptitude of those teams stopping QPR from joining them although that gap now down to a mere three points….

That’s the latest Championship action in a nutshell. Yet there has been so much more going on in the division and beyond. In the latest edition of our regular, weekly feature we look back at those things you might have missed from the world of social media.

Actually, there hasn’t been that much this week. That, or the Christmas party season has meant social media usage is a lot less than usual. But we’ll root through the detritus to start with Brentford and the last knockings from the game at Leeds United.

Despite the incredible £37/£42 ticket prices, supporters were in good voice.

Scott hogan’s goal WAS onside.

Leeds supporters show just what the win means.

Tom Field underlined his importance to this team.

Off the field, there was exciting news on the injury front.

Whilst, as you could almost have predicted, Martin Allen has done what he does best and now set up an FA Cup third round tie at Griffin Park.

And one we missed last week but worth a look – just for a surreal headline / teaser line image c/o Beeschat. One can only imagine what takes place over there toast at Dean Smith’s domestic tactical workshop.

Elsewhere, pickings were slim. Just what is going on at Birmingham City?

What is going on at Leicester City?

What is going on at Manchester City?

Is Mike Phelan channelling his inner Fred Dibnah? Just a flat cap short of the full look…

Up in Scotland, Santa has taken a very scary turn for the worst.

Perhaps he’s been listening to the advertisers.

In more advertising news , Nike have displayed incredible precognitive powers.

Whilst on the BBC, Sunday night’s Sports Personality of the year saw Leicester City triumph (twice) and Andy Murray receiving his overall winner’s award via a video link up from a friend.

But, as ever, we close with Ian Moose and his birthday friend of the week. Which of his good friends from the world of football did the Talksport DJ wish happy birthday to, via the medium of a Twitter post and picture of them together?

This week: Preston manager Simon Grayson.

Nick Bruzon

All to play for in promotion race (as ‘Zola’ spotted at Reading)

Before we get on to the win for Brentford at Reading, it would be wrong to start with anything but offering congratulations to Watford for their promotion to the Premiership. One of the few teams to do the double over the Bees this season, their fine recent form has pushed them through the play offs and into automatic at a time when all around them have wobbled. As Middlesbrough fell apart in the last minute at Fulham, Watford’s promotion was assured. And whilst Ipswich Town and Derby County couldn’t, quite, hang on to a draw and defeat respectively (both sides going one better in the final few minutes), the table still looks a lot healthier for the Bees going into Saturday’s final round of games.

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 on.

Reading Zola – no pun too tenuous or crowbarred

Media team goes bonkers (twice) as ‘new manager’ spotted. Hmmm

That was an interesting day of news. Chelsea legend and former Watford manager Gianfranco Zola is in line to be the next Brentford manager if you believe the Daily Mail whilst the club media team (at both Doncaster Rovers and Inverness Caledonian Thistle, that is) proved they have a sense of humour. Meanwhile, back at Griffin Park

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 on.