After last Saturday’s defeat at St James’ Park, I contributed to the instant fan reaction that went up on The Mag and seemed to annoy some folk, as I suggested that Brentford should not be in the Premier League.
This is what I wrote: ‘Are Brentford a Premier League club? They beat us tonight with some dodgy VAR and then controlled the minutes the inept referee gave. Brentford is a rubbish club in my opinion, pandering to the so-called big clubs with their genuflecting and grovelling. Good luck to the sad Brentford fans who are happy to have a win tonight at a big club but will never be competing in real terms. The sooner we get rid of Burnley, Bournemouth, Brentford from the prem the better.’
If Brentford are there and beat us, then they deserve to be in the Premier Leaague.
Those people getting most annoyed with my match reaction comments, obviously unaware that I had written an article recently on The Mag, where I quoted my Burnley supporting mate. Who said that he knows his club are not big enough to punch their weight and would rather not be a Yo-Yo club, but will also be the team that take the cash to make up the numbers in the Premier League through parachute payments.
Thomas Frank has just lost his job at the so-called big club Spurs.
Thomas Frank who made his name at Brentford in the Premier League jumped ship (after Spurs paid £6.7m) to join one of the Premier League’s big names. Frank had enjoyed the privilege of being in a well run football club (Brentford, not Spurs!) from top to bottom.
The first time I went to a game at Brentford they were in the old Third/Fourth Division.
Easy to get to as I have lived permanently in London since 1992. Brentford and Fulham were two lower league clubs who when mates visited me, we could rock up to the game for pre-match beers in their local boozers then pay in on to the terraces. So relaxed back then that some lads would even spark up dodgy cigarettes, confident that no one would bat an eyelid on the sparsely populated concrete steps.
These teams have little history, unlike Burnley who have sepia-tinted memories of great days, as well defeat to us in the FA Cup semi-final when the great Spion Kop at Sheffield Wednesday exploded with Geordie mayhem.
Semi-finals were never held at Griffin Park. Brentford will never rival Sheff Wed in stature, though they will be divisions apart next season.
Clubs of the calibre of Brentford, Bournemouth and Brighton are playing the Premier League monetary system, well managed financially but realistically not challengers, just makeweights for the big clubs to continue their dominance.
Brentford have never been a top tier club in my book, but have become one and maintained their position, due to the financial regulations and payments to clubs for retaining their position, they hold their own through excellent stewardship.
Just down the road from Brentford are Chelsea and Fulham.
Chelsea have taken the Yankee dollar and are rapidly becoming a tourist club, if not already. How long before there is investment from the States and Brentford are on the bucket list map for the London Premier League experience? A visit to Kew Gardens and a Premier League game anyone? I’d rather go to Stoke on a wet Wednesday evening.