It has been truly boggling listening to the pundits praising Brentford to the skies since the start of the latest international break. Not just boggling but also confusing as I have been so used to Brentford being ignored, flying under the radar or at best being condescended to over the past few years, now they are receiving wall-to-wall coverage.
Things have certainly changed for the better in recent years given the massive improvements and developments in communication technology.
Back in the early 1980s I made what turned out to be a life changing decision to move to New York City.
I ended up missing the majority of what were, in truth, three pretty drab seasons, and in those now unimaginable pre-internet days, I was sent carefully folded copies of The Middlesex Chronicle, lovingly dispatched by my Mother, to bring me up to speed, about a week or so late, on what was happening at the club.
Like all other football loving expats, I had to rely upon the elusive BBC World Service, and do my utmost to track down the unmistakable tones of Paddy Feeny who hosted Sportsworld every Saturday.
The problem was it constantly changed frequencies throughout the afternoon and was almost impossible to keep tuned into, even with the expensive shortwave radio I was forced to purchase.
The coverage also tended to cut out, invariably at exactly the wrong time, whilst the final scores were being broadcast.
I once managed to catch the hardly credible words “Brentford Four” and floated on air until the belated arrival of the English Sunday newspapers two days later confirmed that we had, in fact, only drawn at Scunthorpe.
The arrival and widespread use of the internet around the turn of the century totally revolutionised how we learned how our team had done.
I remember many hurried visits to internet cafes in places such as Florida, New York and Cyprus during a variety of family holidays, some with positive outcomes, but given the poverty of our away record, mostly not.
Times have changed and particularly since Brentford’s promotion from the Championship and unexpectedly (to outsiders) impressive start to life in the EPL we have had a total information overload and it is illuminating to describe the differences between supporting a successful Championship team and one who has reached the magic circle of the EPL.
Firstly, I had to decide whether to stay loyal to my familiar, customary and well-established go-to experts on the EFL or become a glory seeker and abandon them given our new found rise.
I would normally watch the EFL on Quest highlights show every Saturday and midweek, which would always take priority over Match of the Day which I would record and maybe but not always watch at some point over the weekend or early part of the following week. The Premier League was literally a different league and I never really believed we would get there until we actually did so and I therefore minimised my time spent reading about it.
Football Focus would be totally ignored but is now an essential watch at lunchtime every Saturday as is Match of the Day2 late every Sunday evening given how often Brentford have featured on them both.
Sunday would traditionally start with my reading both The Football League Paper and The Non-League Paper in bed and only give a brief skim to the national press which, much to my disdain, largely ignored the likes of Brentford as being peripheral as nothing mattered outside the Premier League.
I would also have a regular but manageable weekly podcast regime comprising the Not the Top 20 and Second Tier and D3D4 football podcasts as well of course as the amazing Beesotted and Griffin Park Grapevine websites and a smattering of opposition fans’ forums.
With careful planning and some self-discipline, I could pretty much immerse myself in and assimilate everything written or said about the Bees in a mere few hours every week.
I have tried to remain loyal to all these old favourites – who knows, our stay at the top table might possibly be a short one and in that case it will be useful for me to be au fait with happenings in the EFL should we unfortunately return from whence we came. I therefore have to expend far more time on all my research and information getting.
Now all bets are off. It is totally impossible to keep up with everything given the massive global reach and coverage of the EPL and the fact that we have caught the attention of so many media pundits.
If I am to have any semblance of a normal life I have to cherry-pick and peruse the likes of The Times, Daily Telegraph and The Guardian every day, read most of the Sunday papers and the broadsheet and tabloid Monday football supplements as there is a total information overload with every Brentford match now covered in depth.
Sam Dean of The Telegraph, as well as Alyson Rudd and James Gheerbrant of The Times have become quite the Brentford cheerleaders proselytising about the Brentford way of doing things and praising our approach as being fresh, brave, original and different. Long may they continue in this vein!
As for podcasts – where do I start, as Brentford have recently featured on so many seemingly every week, including but not confined to The Game, Totally Football, BBC Football Daily, Football Weekly, Football Writers, The Athletic and Sky Sports,
A shout out also to the outspoken Peterborough United Chairman Darragh MacAnthony and his boggling and totally unmissable weekly Hard Truth podcast where he tells it as it really is (according to him!) about all the latest football issues, and has taken it on himself to talk up Ivan Toney practically every week. MacAnthony is currently suggesting that Liverpool could do far worse than sign the Brentford striker for a massive fee and, of course, his admiration for Toney has absolutely nothing to do with the sell-on clause that is currently burning a hole in his pocket!
Talking of the subscription website The Athetic which specialises in producing long form articles on every EPL club and other topical football matters, Jay Harris has recently taken over the Brentford beat and has already produced an excellent body of work and his regular articles are a must-read.
I have been given enormous help and support from the club at all levels whilst writing this book and was particularly delighted when I was granted permission to attend (in a non-speaking role) all of Thomas Frank’s pre-match press conferences.
These are all still held via Zoom and it has been most interesting to watch them unfold. There are several hardy perennials from the local London-based press force who attend most weeks, but when the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea come to town then the big national names grace us with their (virtual) presence. Some of whom exhibit a frankly shocking lack of background knowledge about us and who we are and what we stand for.
Head of Communications Chris Wickham employs a light but firm touch in managing and controlling the proceedings and ensuring that everybody keeps to their turn, nobody hogs the limelight and all press embargos are strictly adhered to. Thomas Frank is interested and interesting, totally controls the agenda, makes his points clearly and concisely, obfuscates when necessary and manages to hide his frustration and maybe even boredom when the same question is asked ad nauseam by pretty much the whole gang. Fascinating stuff, indeed, watching how the press conferences unfurl.
The whole football calendar is also different. Brentford “enjoyed” if that is the correct word a mere 13-day break between the Fulham Playoff Final defeat and the start of the following preseason. In the COVID shortened 2020/21 season Brentford somehow fitted in an incredible 57 games in the eight months and 23 days – or 265 days between 6th September 2020 and 29th May 2021. They had to face a gruelling schedule of constant Saturday – Tuesday/Wednesday – Saturday matches and indeed, barring International Breaks, did not have a midweek free of a game until mid-April.
The Premier League schedule is less intense with only 38 league matches rather than the 46 of the Championship and they are far better spaced out apart from a packed December which will see the Bees play seven times. Otherwise, there are no other midweek EPL fixtures apart from the much-anticipated trip to Manchester City on 9th February. There is therefore a longer recovery time between matches which is certainly needed given the greater pace and intensity of the top division.
There is also no escape from scrutiny with each Premier League game covered by over a dozen cameras, every mistake will be highlighted and the pressure is intense. The Brentford players are also having to get used to playing before massive crowds with almost 50,000 watching them play against West Ham.
Given the higher standard every mistake is likely to be pounced and capitalised upon by opposition of a far higher standard than we have been used to facing on a regular basis.
There is also the dreaded VAR to contend with. It must be said that so far it appears that some referees are not entirely clear about when and how to utilise the system. Brentford have not been treated too well so far by VAR with goals by Vitaly Janelt and Ivan Toney being ruled out against Aston Villa and Wolves and Liverpool’s second goal which was initially disallowed was given the green light by VAR. VAR did however confirm our penalty award against Wolves.
There is also a massive difference in the stadia we are visiting every away game. So far only the Olympic Stadium is new to me but I cannot wait to visit the likes of Anfield and Old Trafford.
Talking of stadia we have had to bid farewell to our beloved Griffin Park, which will always be seared into my memory. We are now getting used to our beautiful Brentford Community Stadium which is rapidly becoming our new home from home and will hopefully be turned into a fortress given the incredible noise generated by our fans every game.
Car parking is a nightmare and so far I have barely managed to book an exorbitant parking space at the Old Citroen Garage, costing me a not inconsiderable £15 ger time. By the way I looked at the opening programme for the 1936/37 season, our second din the First Division and parking was also being offered in Brook Lane North for one shilling or Ealing road for six pence. How times have changed and not always for the better!
Over the past couple of weeks as performances and results have remained good, Brentford have been showered with praise from all quarters of the media.
The Athletic Football podcast said that we had made “as good a start from a promoted side as we have seen.”
Not only had our odds to be relegated fallen to 8/1 but the Bees were apparently a mere 20/1 bet to qualify for Europe, and leading broadcaster and pundit George Elek was not alone when he stated: “I have been really impressed by Brentford. They just look completely at ease at this level. They are a side who are better playing against better opposition because it enables them to exploit the space in behind and they are so comfortable in their shape. Rico Henry is a superb left back who is at least the third best left back that England have.”
Nate Silver’s respected FiveThirtyEight analytical website also projected a more than respectable eleventh-place finish for the Bees with 50 points and a ridiculous 6% chance of reaching the Champions League!
The Sky Sports Football Website also recently contained an 18-minute panegyric on the Bees and nobody who watched the Match of the Day2 segment on the club recently can fail to have been impressed.
Whilst there was perhaps more space to fill during the recent International Break, four of The leading football writers in The Times assessed the Premier League season so far, praised Brentford’s set piece innovation and rare use of two strikers to the rooftops and Paul Hirst saw the Bees as at least “a top half Premier League team.”
Ivan Toney who received a mention in despatches from England manager Gareth Southgate recently was also described in the Daily Telegraph as “a breakthrough star of the top flight” and tipped in The Times as a possible Newcastle United target after their takeover but at a price of “around £60 million.”
Apologies perhaps for the overkill for but it is fair to say that Brentford have quickly become a media phenomenon and darlings and perhaps many peoples’ second favourite club, something that I still find almost impossible to process given how we had flown well beneath the radar and been ignored, patronised, or at best been damned with faint praise, for so many years.
Hubris, even if the remark is made tongue in cheek and in jest so often leads to nemesis and I involuntarily cringed about tempting fate when the Beesotted lads in their latest podcast discussed the generous 20/1 odds of the Bees qualifying for Europe next season and described the forthcoming London derby against top of the table Chelsea as a “six-pointer.”
We are all well aware however that what goes up can also come crashing down and there is nothing crueller than a journalist who sees his tips for success fall far short of expectation. Certainly, let’s luxuriate and take much pride in all the praise and bouquets currently coming our way, because you have to celebrate the good times, but we must also remain grounded, fully recognising that the season has only just begun and that the board contains snakes aplenty as well as ladders as indeed we discovered against Leicester when we lost a game we should have had homed and hosed before the break. .
Never mind it is a wonderful time to be a Bee!