Brentford just keep on going. Hot on the heels that awesome draw at home to Arsenal came Monday’s FA Cup tie at Macclesfield.
Safe to say that a good time was had by all.
Those who made the journey bringing back stories of nothing but old-school good times. A reminder of when The Bees were playing at these grounds (with or without, ASTRO) as a week in, week out ritual.When football was played on a Saturday afternoon and you could choose to go to a league game on a whim. No expedition like planning required.
During the war, Grandad… Yeah, I know. If anything , this is referenced purely as a contrast as to just how far we’ve come since we last faced (then) Macclesfield Town in a January 2009 League game at Moss Rose. The home side running out 2-0 winners although the Bees went on to win the league.
The rest, as they say, is history.
The Bees now up to 7th in the Premier League. Let’s be honest, did anybody EVER see this coming? Matthew Benham aside. Even the most optimistic of supporters. The most Brentford FC loyal? The Champions League an actual possibility if the current run of fine form continues. This is madness. No, this is Brentford. The crazy dream that we show no signs of waking up from.
The whining from Arsenal TV still continuing, even now. Just drink it in. Their sour grapes becoming the sweetest of nectar. The annual bout of self-inflicted pressure once again descending on The Emirates like an unavoidable shroud of doom. Just imagine what they’d have been like had referee Jon Brooks actually helped us, rather than them, and The Bees denied Mikel Arteta’s side any points rather than the one that I still feel they got away with and for the Arteta watchers amongst you, the Gunners clearly didn’t have the right ammo at Wolves did they ….. who knows what the nerves might do…
That’s their problem, of course. Brentford host Brighton on Saturday – a game we’ll look closer at on Friday. For now, the talk is still of the FA Cup where progression to the fifth round was about as tough as it comes. Macclesfield very much levelling the playing field with ferocious determination and never say die desire. They had their chances and in the end it was only the most unfortunate of own goals to split the teams. Keith Andrews full of praise for the opposition and even going in to their changing room at full time to offer his own words.
The fifth round draw bequeathed another away game, albeit to a place we’ve become more familiar with in recent seasons. The tax payer funded former Olympic stadium now used by West Ham. On the plus side, we avoided the Wrexham circus that the draw was heading towards with only a few balls left, even if we do now have to listen to all the usual gumph. Primarily, Trevor Brooking’s header although not just limited to this. There’ll be the pathetic bubble machine parping away. The kettling. The terrible views from a million miles behind the goal.
Keith Jones. Liverpool v Bees. FA Cup QF 1989. Credits Legends Publishing
And? It’s the FA Cup. It’s alive and kicking. The Bees with a chance of reaching the quarter finals since the trip to Anfield back in 88-89.
It might have been dreamland for Brentford then.
It wasn’t. Class finally told as all conquering Liverpool (they were, back in the day, despite the current wobbles) eventually ran out 4-0 winners, then to play at Hillsborough instead of the Bees, a hindsight loss we can offer thanks for.
Reaching the quarters won’t be easy, there’s no such thing as a ‘gimme’ in the FA Cup.
Just look at Macclesfield. That said, confidence will be high. More so, if league form continues as it has done. 7 (seven) points from the last three games – three of the toughest on the calendar – Villa (a), Newcastle (a) and Arsenal (h) – has seen what looked like being one of the trickiest sequences cleared in style. If this continues, Keith Andrews might just allow himself a little thought about the quarter-finals by the time we get to Stratford
That tie is due on Monday March 9th, now the MNF gremlins got themselves to work. It should be an absolute cracker. Until then, Brighton are the visitors as we return to league action at the Gtech this weekend. More to follow….