Brentford 0-0 BFC, Saturday 16th December 2017

‘One good thing.  When we’re 3 down at half time, there’s no shortage of pubs we can go to.’

Nice touch....Xmas at Waterloo Station ticket office.

HOLD THE FRONT PAGE!  The rot has stopped.  After 5 defeats in a row the Super Reds finally scrape a point!  And scrape we did, an outstanding performance from the centre halves and keeper restricting Brentford’s first half dominance from burying us alive.  Then, with our tails up 2^nd half, we had Moncur pulling the strings for 20 minutes and we very nearly pinched it when Barnes sent in a low cross and Bradshaw cleared the bar.  A difficult chance, but a chance nonetheless.  I don’t think the sheeting rain helped, but it was nice to see what we COULD do. What we USED to do, before Barnes lost all his form (Bradshaw has remained consistent).

Welcome to ...

After a couple of errands in the morning, I rocked up to Waterloo to narrowly miss one train and have the next one cancelled.  Great. Meant I had to hang out with the Slacks and Nice Guy Chris.  It was lovely really.  I’ve never seen Ian moan at young Jake before,but like every other teenager in the land, Jake is perennially hungry (greedy)…though giving him a tenner to go and get something seemed extraordinarily generous.  Needless to say the tykester came back with A Burger King meal.  

The Royal Oak...re-open for business (back to a pub on all 4 corners).

We encamped to the Griffin.  Why change a winning habit after last year’s 2-0?  I think the highlight was when Reedy came back from the bar with about 8 beers and upon dishing them out I heard ‘oh, Allan didn’t want one.’  Did I not? Woulda been nice to have been asked.  Ian got one, and I was at exactly the same stage of pint he was.  Duly noted, I got up, waded through the crowd, bought my own beer and then chatted on to a couple of Brentford at the bar who were discussing who they wanted to see relegated from the Prem.  ‘I tell ya who I’d like to see go down’, I said.  ‘It’s be great to see West Ham get relegated and the Olympic Stadium in the Championship.’  Cue a very (very) dirty look from one, and a quick ‘oh, he’s West Ham’ from the other.  Well, I was only saying…

Merry Xmas...(I missed the teams coming out).

Of course, everyone loves Griffin Park, with the pub about 50 yards from the turnstiles.  So make the most of it, they plan to be out within 2 years.  In disseminating their plans in the programme, Brentford also admitted they had a problem on where to house the club offices, since there wouldn’t be room at the new stadium.  WTF?  They can build a 20,000 ground, and quite a few houses to boot, but yet not find room for a couple of offices?  I am confused.  I think they need a better architect.

They don't build overhangs like this anymore.  Cosy.

We cosied up behind the goal, ready for the expected onslaught.  And it came.  It’s great when all the action’s at your end.  Davies smothered one when clean through, while a shot which was going in was blocked by Lindsay.  The midfield, containing Gardner (‘he’s not even a good gardner!’) and Moncur lived up to its pre-match billing: woeful.  Nevermind the front 2, Thiam and Bradshaw.  Have they actually played well in a game in which they’re STARTED together?  Cos if they have, I can’t remember it.  I don’t know what’s worse: Bradshaw on his own up top or the pair of them together.  No need to worry, we’ve got Ugbo on the bench.  ‘I’d pack him off an’ all’ said one Reds fan I overheard.  I concur.

A busy looking Bill Axbey Stand.

So, we scraped to half time despite not having had a kick of the ball.  I lost count of how many times I heard ‘we’re not gonna hold out’ but the quota increased when I stood next to Nozzer 2^nd half.  At least I was stillin range of Loko going apoplectic at Moncur every time he went near the ball.  All good fun!  At least you could see Moncur (it must be that stupid top knot – would God approve?).  Gardner shuffles about aimlessly.  Actually, while I think on – is this the 1^st point for a Barnsley midfield containing Gardner?  Hecky: you’ve won your bet.  You don’t have to play him anymore.

A rare 1st half foray into Brentford's half.

The rain then seriously started coming down.  A time for big strong northerners to show their mettle.  Step forward Super Georgie Moncur, running things from wide midfield.  (Hammill is officially now 3^rd at best in the wing pecking order behind Potts and Moncur.)  Flashes of skill, laying balls off, keeping possession.  What a shame that when he actually could have done some damage, he completely miscontrolled a long ball which could have sent him clean through.  Oh well.  At least we’d recovered some sense of pride amongst the team and support.  But hang on, there’s still time for Brentford to cut inside from the left and unleash a shot which arrowed towards the far bottom corner – only for Davies to tip it around the post.  A fitting end to a super performance from Davies.  Let’s hope it continues.

Is that us nearly nicking it?

*** Davies.  Saved everything, caught everything (in the rain!) and kicked everything onto the pitch.  A job well done. 
** Lindsay.  A key reason why, for all Brentford’s possession, they had few decent efforts on target
* Pearson.  As above.  Only last 50 minutes, but it was the toughest 50 minutes.

Londontykes MOTM:  1. Lindsay  2. Davies  3. Pearson

Despatches:
Having a lowish view, I can’t say I was an expert on every performance, but I could see McCarthy was showing the winger too much on his outside, though at least Yiadom’s defending was an improvement on lately.  I can’t say we ever looked like scoring and, barring a miracle (Bradshaw scoring 2 next week at Fulham) I am in the money.  Still, it is the time the little baby Jesus was conceived by the Virgin Mary and Gabriel’s mate, the Big G, so’s all not lost yet.

Onwards and upwards!

Drink du jour: Pioneer lager.  Average.  Then Weihenstephaner at the Waterloo Tap.  Above average.  Home in time for the Strictly result.  Joy.

Away: c900.  Good atmosphere, before another terrace bites the dust.  Let’s hope we play here next year.  (Hang on though, I’ve only gone and bet 20 quid we’ll go down.  Oh dear.)

The Damage:
£20 ent
£3.50 prog
= £23.50

The Tunes:
Ghetto Style (Gil Scott Heron)
Cypress Hill III Temples of Boom (Cypress Hill)

Griffin Park panorama

Davies about to launch it.

Danish Bees.

Half time ents, Xmas-style.

Back of the away end.

'Maximum price £20.00'

Brentford 0-2 BFC, Saturday 22nd October 2016

‘Why are you wearing a lady’s coat?’ 

Welcome to ....

Finally, a game in The Smoke, so we can have a lie in and a casual start. ‘cept we can’t, cos there’s some reason we have to be on a 10:52 from Waterloo so’s we can bag a table in the pub.  No problem, apart from not getting home till late the nite before after far too many pints.  Marius needs to feed his beer app (he’s up to about 864 individual beers apparently).  Sarah has come too, and we meet the Captain and Reedy in the Beer House, Waterloo.  Does what it says on the tin, so I have a latte.  Feel like s***.

Head to the Griffin, the away pub of choice.

I love Brentford.  So when Marius wanted a recommendation for his Autumn visit from Norway, I suggested this one, especially since they've plans to build yet another soulless monstrosity.  Small ground, completely enclosed (especially since the roof was built on the old away terrace), surrounded (literally) by pubs, easy to get to.  All we need is a win – something we haven’t managed since god knows.  We bump into Pompey in the back streets, having just parked up, and we’re one of the 1^st in the pub (The Griffin?)  The ploy to bag a table works; we have an entire corner.  A couple of trains later and we’re joined by several more Londontykes.  But why is Ben wearing a coat of colour and style only seen on folk of a female hue?  Worse, him and his mum are wearing matching shoes.  What is it with these Lockwoods?  Soon the pub is full, mainly of Barnsley, shouting ‘Arr much?’ every time they buy a round.  Welcome to my world.

I bet the new place doesn't look like this.

I see the team line up pre-match and fear the worst; Armstrong, Winnall AND Watkins?  It can only mean one thing, a couple of midgets up front and Marley wide midfield.  And so it is. Hamill is dropped for his Tuesday nite shenanighans and his s*** form.  This had better work.  No Scowen (suspended) and no Roberts (injured?).  Worrying.
I leave early for the ground, fancying a good perch for myself and the flag, if possible.  All works well and we have a choice; stand at the back and watch the game behind some pillars, or stand right at the front, pitch level.  A few of us opt for b) and while I enjoyed the novelty, I’ll problies not do that again for a while.  You simply have no perspective on the other half of the field.  Why’s he not having a shot?  Problies cos he’s 40 yards out.  Where’s that player just come from?  Who’s that?  So it is that the ball pings around their box and someone (we think it’s Armstrong) prods it home. 

One view from behind the goal.

Half time and I go and visit Sarah upstairs and discover a whole new world: a view.  Sarah is right behind the goal, virtually on top of the net.  Even better, there’s a spare chair behind her.  I’m having some of this. So, despite really looking forward to being on a terrace, I end up in the seats.  Salisbury moans cos it’s where he wanted to be before those pesky Londontyke kids all said they wanted to stand.  In truth though, you’d have to be 4 foot tall to really enjoy it.  The seats have zero space, and it was a good job we were on the end of a row to stretch the legs.  Even better, we have Super Sammy Winnall.

...and another

Kent and Armstrong (?) rip Brentford to bits down our left and Kent fires one in.  He’s never gonna score from there, but it hits the post and cannons to our erstwhile goalhanger supreme.  He can’t miss – and he doesn’t.  Another 3 yarder to add to his tally.  Thank f*** I’m upstairs,no doubt saving myself from being jumped on by Slacki, Jonesy and anyone else looking forward to seeing me splash out 50 quid if he scores 10 league goals for us this season.  (He’d missed a good chance 1^st half, a header; if he keeps getting the chances, he should make double figures.)  As I said, thank the lord for Sammy, cos he gives me an opportunity to stand up and stretch my aching legs.  The old war injuries and all that.

The scoreboard

Armstrong then wastes a 3 on 2 chance, going for goal when the pass was on before Davies is forced into making 2 one-on-one saves and tipping another shot over the bar.  Hamill is even given a trot out and breaks forward a couple of times, a bit like Kent looking good when he came on t’other week.  Everyone else looks happy to take what they’ve got as time runs out for Brentford.  Finally, after a draw and 5 defeats comes the dawn of victory.  Unlike the others, I’d hardly say we played well; it was a game littered with mistakes from both teams.  So I could hardly believe the ‘It’s just like Brazil’ chants towards the end.  Rarely did we put more than a few passes together.  Still, mustn’t grumble.

On top of the net, second half.

*** McDonald.  Superb.  Won everything, passed balls about and strode out of defence like Beckenbauer (or Jim McNulty).  Always had the ball under control this week, while dealing with a very tricky (dirty) customer in Scott Hogan, a lower league Diego Costa if ever I saw one.
** Davies.  Didn’t have an awful lot to do 1^st half, but came into his own in the last 15.  His catching was also first rate, though his kicking could still improve.
* Morsy.  Put in some tackles, but also broke through the lines a couple of times with the ball.

Londontykes' MOTM:
***
**
*

Even Toby's been allowed out...

Despatches:
I’ll start with Jackson, McDonald’s new partner in central defence.  As well as having a good game, he was actually telling the rest of the defence what to do, where to stand, etc.  Looks a sound acquisition.  Mind, Bree and Yiadom didn’t convince at right and left back respectively.  Hourihane was excellent in midfield, and unlucky not to make my top 3.  Ditto Watkins.  You know what you get with Watkins, and apparently it was his knockdown for the 1^st goal.  This puts him among the league leaders for setting up goals WITHOUT the aid of taking every free kick and corner.  Kent flickered in and out.  I’m still not convinced.  He certainly can’t defend, as him and Bree were made to look clowns by one Brentford short corner routine in the 1^st half.  He also has a tendency to cut inside too often.  Armstrong and Winnall?  Well, one looked good on the ball and one ran around a lot, but, really, they don’t hold onto the ball well enough for me.  God (Ryan Williams – everyone’s heard of him, but nobody’s seen him) even came on.  Christ, was he s***?  I don’t mind that he can’t get into the game cos he needs some minutes to get used to it, but the LEAST he can do is track back. Actually, no he can’t.  Which is how they ended up clean through down their right.  2 or 3 times, Williams gambled on getting the ball on their goalside of their man, only for their man to turn and run away with the ball.  He simply makes too many bad decisions when out of possession. I know, I know, harsh for a 10 minute runout (5 mins plus an unbelievable 6 mins of injury time).  But I AM harsh.

The view from the upper tier

Anyway, 2-0 win, job’s a good un.  They hadn’t lost at home in 10 and were/are top half of the table. This win is not to be sniffed at, they’re a decent team.  But we rode our luck and were probably deserved winners (just).  And there was even Paul Heckingbottom (‘he’s one of our own’) to look forward to on the Channel 5 highlights later.

Now, please (please) let us beat that little tw*t next week.  Without Hourihane and Scowen and who knows else.

Onwards and upwards!  

YOU REDS!  Full time at Griffin Park.

Drink du jour: ‘Craft lager’ in the Griffin. Why does it taste like any old cooking lager?  Then several Weihenstephaner in the Waterloo Tap before Reedy took most of us to some back street pub wot does Thai.  A cracking find.  Drank Blue Moon, but only cos my 1^st 2 choices had ran out. 

Away: 900 odd.  A good atmosphere despite the lack of noise from the home fans.  I thought terraces were meant to create some noise?  Maybe getting beat by us does depress one slightly?

The Damage:
23 ent
5 prog (!)  A 4000^th Brentford league game special.
3.30 steak and kidney pukka pie. It was alright, but a bit soggy.
= 31.30

Downstairs panorama

Upstairs panorama

Celebrations at full time.