Brentford and promotion

Not that many years since we were playing both of the teams in the play off final. In fact, all 4 teams in the playoffs. But, well done to Brentford. Can remember seeing town a couple of times at Griffin park, an fa cup game (I think we won 3-0) was a great game.

And I know that most teams are bank rolled when they make it big nowadays, but I just feel that this is one of those teams (and possibly Barnsley too) are one of those clubs that we can identify with.

Have a couple of mates that were there supporting Swansea today and gutted for them, but, am actually looking forward to seeing what Brentford, Thomas frank, Ivan Toney etc have to offer next season.

Quoted from WOZOFGRIMSBY

Not that many years since we were playing both of the teams in the play off final. In fact, all 4 teams in the playoffs. But, well done to Brentford. Can remember seeing town a couple of times at Griffin park, an fa cup game (I think we won 3-0) was a great game.

And I know that most teams are bank rolled when they make it big nowadays, but I just feel that this is one of those teams (and possibly Barnsley too) are one of those clubs that we can identify with.

Pleased for them that their going to be playing top flight football since 1946. As you say reminds me a bit of Grimsby who were last in the top flight at around the same time. Interesting as well when you see how Brentford recruited players using some sort of statistical model due to their cash restraints.

In most of my time watching the Mariners, both Swansea and Brentford were on a par with us - not only in the same division but with roughly the same crowds. I remember the game against the Bees when we had our lowest ever attendance in 1969. We still played them regularly until they got their act together. I am sure we all remember Swansea's troubles at the old Vetch Field. How fortunes can change very quickly.

Anything can be achieved in this game if you have a plan, investment and a long term strategy. We have to start somewhere, and although I hate it being in the NL, so be it.

Pleased for Brentford. They deserve their day in the sun as they're a slick, we'll run club. Saw us win at Griffith Park a few times. Decent pub near the ground. To think we used to be their bogey team...

Very interesting (if long) piece on the Brentford model here:

https://bleacherreport.com/art.....ms-with-huge-budgets

It’s an approach centred on thorough analysis, pragmatism and squaring up to the game’s undeniable truths and finding a way to work around them in smart and effective ways. Pretty much the opposite of what we’ve been doing for the last twenty years.

They’ve no doubt had some outside investment over the years, but their path is nothing like that of Bournemouth who bought their way to the top, albeit smarty and effectively.

We could do a lot worse than take a deep look at what Brentford have done and look to emulate the parts of it that don’t necessarily cost millions.

Well done to them today. Well deserved.

Couple of games early 90's at Griffin Park, two games in very short succession, Dave Beasant in goal for one but I think his loan ended before the second game and Wilmott was back in.

Went to the Vetch for a night game in the same season I think. Sad old place by then, long after their little foray into the old first division and very much on the down.

We played and beat Brentford in the 1971-72 promotion season in the old Div 4,

We played and beat Brentford in the 1971-72 promotion season in the old Div 4,

Quoted from moosey_club

Couple of games early 90's at Griffin Park, two games in very short succession, Dave Beasant in goal for one but I think his loan ended before the second game and Wilmott was back in.

Went to the Vetch for a night game in the same season I think. Sad old place by then, long after their little foray into the old first division and very much on the down.

Only went to the vetch once. It was an fa cup match and after a 300 hour round trip (or so it seemed) we could only get a 0-0 draw. Though, the highlight was a group of lads playing football with a mannequins head

Town beat Brentford 2-0 at Griffin Park on 1 May 1962  in front of nearly 20000 mainly QPR supporters to get promotion to Div 2. with goals from Cliff Portwood and ….. Ron Rafferty.

Quoted from WOZOFGRIMSBY

Not that many years since we were playing both of the teams in the play off final. In fact, all 4 teams in the playoffs. But, well done to Brentford. Can remember seeing town a couple of times at Griffin park, an fa cup game (I think we won 3-0) was a great game.

And I know that most teams are bank rolled when they make it big nowadays, but I just feel that this is one of those teams (and possibly Barnsley too) are one of those clubs that we can identify with.

Have a couple of mates that were there supporting Swansea today and gutted for them, but, am actually looking forward to seeing what Brentford, Thomas frank, Ivan Toney etc have to offer next season.

I went down to London to watch it with a large group of Brentford friends in a beer garden near Kew Bridge . I didn't have enough points to get a Wembley ticket. I've been watching Town for 42 years and the Bees for more than 30. I'm really pleased.

I bought a Brentford ST in January 2020 which is frozen for 2021-2022. Because it is unlikely fixtures will clash much, I'll no doubt get a Town ST too. I'd lost patience with the previous regime but now Fenty has gone I'm happy to renew.

It was superb this afternoon.

Quoted from WOZOFGRIMSBY

Only went to the vetch once. It was an fa cup match and after a 300 hour round trip (or so it seemed) we could only get a 0-0 draw. Though, the highlight was a group of lads playing football with a mannequins head

I was there - a mere 200 hour round trip for the Lancashire Mariners including the late Steve Plowes, editor of SWWF. I wrote a piece in SWWF about it - Percy the Peugeot goes to Swansea - my old Peugeot diesel clocked up 120k miles, watching Town home and away over the great Buckley seasons.

In those days, the FA Cup got bigger crowds than league games not much smaller as now - as we drove through Swansea every street corner seemed to have a pub on it, with lots celtic types hanging around outside. They seemed to just ooze anti-Englishness as they stared at the Peugeot with the black and white striped clad driver (me feeling very self-conscious about the 71/72 style shirt that I otherwise treasured).

Quoted from Limerick Mariner

I was there - a mere 200 hour round for the trip for the Lancashire Mariners including the late Steve Plowes, editor of SWWF. I wrote a piece in SWWF about it - Percy the Peugeot goes to Swansea - my old Peugeot diesel clocked up 120k miles, watching Town home and away over the great Buckley seasons.

In those days, the FA Cup got bigger crowds than league games not much smaller as now - as we drove through Swansea every street corner seemed to have a pub on it, with lots celtic types hanging around outside. They seemed to just ooze anti-Englishness as they stared at the Peugeot with black and white striped clad driver (me feeling very self-conscious about the 71/72 style shirt that I otherwise treasured).

Sounds about the same as me here when I mention rangers lol (am in Derry/Londonderry!)

It's interesting how things come around. In the 1946/7 season Brentford were relegated, with Leeds, from the 1st division. Town were 16th out of 22 teams in that division, 1 point behind Chelsea who today just won the champions league final. There is still hope!!

Never been to Brentford. My dad lives in Swansea so have connections their and gutted for them (I'll be there next week)
But also living down in the south west alot of my friends are Exeter fans, do they have a promotion clause in Ollie Watkins' transfer I wonder?

Excellent to see Brentord in the Premier League.....  always happy to see the little clubs punch above their weight.  They have been very impressive for a few years now - innovative and unconventional.  Their fans must be going mental right now....... good luck to them,  Brentford, Barnsley, Bourmouth, Wigan... all these smaller clubs that 15 years ago were down in the crap with Grimsby have managed to claw their way up (and sometimes back down).  Great to see.

My last trip to the fabulous griffin park was a 1-0 win thanks to Gary Jones when I was more than a bit spangled on various substances

Quoted from WOZOFGRIMSBY

Sounds about the same as me here when I mention rangers lol (am in Derry/Londonderry!)

Ahh, 'The Black Velvet Band', brings back many memories of that beautiful town throughout the time I was there.  The Irish Kitchen, back in the early 70's you had to knock on the door and be inspected by someone looking through the little peephole.  Served great bowls of Irish stew along with some good beer.  The Metropolitan Hotel, or as we called it, 'The Met', normally our starting pub on a night out, The Diamond Bar' in Butcher Street was another popular drinking place, I remember they always had a live band playing on a Saturday afternoon, and if we were lucky to have our one day off every 3 weeks fall on a Saturday, that is where I would be.  Show Bands at the Embassy!  Usually the place we ended up at the end of the night, usually plastered after a day on the urine in that great little town.  Sadly all of those places, except the Embassy were blown up by the IRA for the crime of letting British soldiers drink there.  Just to keep it football talk, I never got to get in to Brandywell, home of Derry City, I could only see it when in a sangar on top of the old dairy on the banks of the Foyle, and I met my wife of 50 years in November there.  

Quoted from Limerick Mariner

I was there - a mere 200 hour round trip for the Lancashire Mariners including the late Steve Plowes, editor of SWWF. I wrote a piece in SWWF about it - Percy the Peugeot goes to Swansea - my old Peugeot diesel clocked up 120k miles, watching Town home and away over the great Buckley seasons.

In those days, the FA Cup got bigger crowds than league games not much smaller as now - as we drove through Swansea every street corner seemed to have a pub on it, with lots celtic types hanging around outside. They seemed to just ooze anti-Englishness as they stared at the Peugeot with the black and white striped clad driver (me feeling very self-conscious about the 71/72 style shirt that I otherwise treasured).

I went to that. A midweek game in early 1993 I think.  A really thick fog descended so we decided to stop off for a bit. Ended up in a Cardiff City pub wearing Town colours. Good job we hadn't lost to Swansea.

It had been distinctively unfriendly in Swansea. We travelled up for the replay from London. A two nil win.

Quoted from lukeo

But also living down in the south west alot of my friends are Exeter fans, do they have a promotion clause in Ollie Watkins' transfer I wonder?

They might've done but he left nearly a year ago!

I went to work in west London in 1991 and met a lot of Brentford fans. We beat them more often than not and I particularly remember a 2-0 win at Griffin park, Jim Dobbin chipped in from 20 yards
The day of the rugby world final in 2003 we played them at Griffin Park and we ended up in the roughest pub I've ever been in, the Potters Arms. Several blokes had been in there since 08:00 and were just smashed
I think it was Buckley 3 we lost 4-0 with Heywood and no Hope at centre backs and that was the beginning of the end. Difficult to believe the dramatic change in fortunes for two very comparable clubs over 15 years, but it goes to show how it can be done with a modest club with bright people in charge

Chuffed for Brentford. I always saw them as the Grimsby of the South. Enjoyed most of the days we played Brentford.

That game on the day of the RWC Final in 2003 we won Bucks. In that Monsoon.

The game you’re thinking when we got hammered of was a few years later either at the end of Buckley III or early in Graham RodgerS’s short reign.

We won on the day of the Rugby World Cup final 3-1 I think. Michael Boulding scored a couple I seem to remember

Swim low sweet halibut!

Quoted from Poojah

Very interesting (if long) piece on the Brentford model here:

https://bleacherreport.com/art.....ms-with-huge-budgets

It’s an approach centred on thorough analysis, pragmatism and squaring up to the game’s undeniable truths and finding a way to work around them in smart and effective ways. Pretty much the opposite of what we’ve been doing for the last twenty years.

They’ve no doubt had some outside investment over the years, but their path is nothing like that of Bournemouth who bought their way to the top, albeit smarty and effectively.

We could do a lot worse than take a deep look at what Brentford have done and look to emulate the parts of it that don’t necessarily cost millions.

Well done to them today. Well deserved.

very interesting .love all that stuff about the marginal improvements and thinking laterally, plus , an old bugbear of mine, not learning from other sports

I agree with sentiments expressed here re. Brentford....a ‘proper’ club. I remember going there in late 70’s or maybe early 80’s. they had a centre forward called Mayo (Joe I think) a bloody giant. Must have been nearly 7ft tall....can’t remember the score but pretty sure we lost but  there was indeed a pretty good pub we went to close to the ground.
Swansea? Well I remember going to see us play a Friday night game there. Lost 1-0. John Toshack might have been their manager then tho don’t hold me to that. Stayed overnight in a freezing cold b&b n drove thru Wales up to Liverpool to watch them play arsenal on the Saturday n then went to a gig Saturday night. Happy days....then I got married and all that enjoying myself malarkey stopped. UTM

Good for Brentford.  I used to go to Griffin Park a lot as neutral when I lived in High Wycombe. I couldn't stand the local team.   Was there when we won 3-0 Tony Rees was on fire. Also remember seeing Brentford one freeing winter day at Blundell park 5-1 I think we won. Lad I was with buggered off early because of the cold.  He missed a couple of goals. Never leave before the final whistle.

Quoted from Poojah

Very interesting (if long) piece on the Brentford model here:

https://bleacherreport.com/art.....ms-with-huge-budgets

It’s an approach centred on thorough analysis, pragmatism and squaring up to the game’s undeniable truths and finding a way to work around them in smart and effective ways. Pretty much the opposite of what we’ve been doing for the last twenty years.

They’ve no doubt had some outside investment over the years, but their path is nothing like that of Bournemouth who bought their way to the top, albeit smarty and effectively.

We could do a lot worse than take a deep look at what Brentford have done and look to emulate the parts of it that don’t necessarily cost millions.

Well done to them today. Well deserved.

Barnsley also use a similar model - https://theathletic.com/247988.....earch_query=barnsley

Quoted from TheRonRaffertyFanClub

Town beat Brentford 2-0 at Griffin Park on 1 May 1962  in front of nearly 20000 mainly QPR supporters to get promotion to Div 2. with goals from Cliff Portwood and ….. Ron Rafferty.

Yes I remember that game no internet or on radio so had to wait until news at ten giving the score.

QPR had a chance of going up if we lost so we beat two London teams that night.  

I think where Brentford and Barnaley are, being close to a lot of top clubs, make their plans work well. A liitle similar to Morecambe and Barrow who can pick up players from the bigger clubs on loan. Town don't really have many big clubs of that quality nearby.

Quoted from WOZOFGRIMSBY

Only went to the vetch once. It was an fa cup match and after a 300 hour round trip (or so it seemed) we could only get a 0-0 draw. Though, the highlight was a group of lads playing football with a mannequins head

I went to that on one of Bernard Morley's supporters coaches. It was postponed from a Saturday kick off due to waterlogged pitch or something. Despite it being a school day my Mum still let me go. Exciting at the time to be following Town 'abroad' but a proper travel mission for it to go to a replay. My biggest memory of the Vetch was the half built big grandstand at their end, started in the corner but ended in the middle of the goal probably an unfinished project from their brief stay in the top division.

Quoted from Manchester Mariner

I went to that on one of Bernard Morley's supporters coaches. It was postponed from a Saturday kick off due to waterlogged pitch or something. Despite it being a school day my Mum still let me go. Exciting at the time to be following Town 'abroad' but a proper travel mission for it to go to a replay. My biggest memory of the Vetch was the half built big grandstand at their end, started in the corner but ended in the middle of the goal probably an unfinished project from their brief stay in the top division.

Probably on the same coach! It had a tv/video combo on and it was like pure luxury back then. I think I got dropped off back at the memorial hall about 5am. Some ridiculous time anyway

Went to the Vetch in the 70s for a Friday night game. What a god awful depressing place! Two coppers tried to goad a Town skinhead into a fight. Never been so glad to get out of a place.

I skimmed through the Brentford report on how they achieve success.  It represents the sort of innovative thinking Fenty used every day.  Well, perhaps not.

What did strike me was the way problems were thought through mirrors how our new owners run their businesses.  Being open and embracing change (through necessity).  We can learn and improve.

Brentford said English players were massively over-priced.  The example given was £2 million being asked for a young and inexperienced Division 2 player.  I wonder which club this was?  Certainly not us.

Quote] Brentford said English players were massively over-priced.  The example given was £2 million being asked for a young and inexperienced Division 2 player.  I wonder which club this was?  Certainly not us.[/quote]

My guess is Exeter, as they sold Ethan Ampadu to Chelsea around the time of this articles, as a 17year old for millions.
The article Poojah posted is from 2017. Since then, Dean Smith to villa, benhrama and watkins and more to the prem, and now brentford to join them!