The start of a new season is always a special time for football fans, of whatever team, and following three long months of cold turkey, it is particularly exciting when your club is visibly gearing up for a real promotion push, even if they’re not admitting quite as much. 

With slates wiped clean and every club starting on an even keel, even fans of clubs destined to struggle can afford to be hopefully until the reality starts to kick in mid-October … as George Orwell eluded, all football clubs are equal, but some are more equal than others, especially in August.

But here at Brentford, I’ve never known the mood to be so buoyant and upbeat ahead of a new campaign. Whether or not the trip to Bramall Lane Sheffield will be as fruitful as the Bees’ 5-1 opening day win at Plymouth in 1994 is perhaps a little too hopeful, however, according to Beesotted’s latest Twitter poll there is an overwhelming majorly of fans who will be travelling north expecting a win. Despite the bookies making Sheffield United favourites at 11/10, 62% of the 600 fans to have voted so far have predicted an away win. 

How do you think #brentfordfc will get on in their opening match at Sheffield United on Saturday

— Beesotted Brentford (@Beesotted) August 3, 2017

I know that some people amongst us are calling for more of a cautiously optimistic stance this campaign, rather than see us starting singing too soon, but I’m not one for reigning my hopes (not expectations) in just yet. There’s certainly something tangible growing at our club and even the most negative doom mongers have stopped bleating.

Last season our Danish Director of Football (DoF) was “A Wankerson” and our English one was “robbing a living” apparently. It seems par for the course for DoFs, who have been prepared to take it on the chin before being given a chance to prove themselves. Even Mark Warburton was labelled “A Clown” when he got the job only to be revered six months later by his haters. You get used to this kind of irrational mind changing.

Either way, it suits our club to remain under the radar and I predict that will continue for some time – hopefully we’re in for a season of surprises and surprising other people… three top ten finishes is no fluke and it should prove the kind of springboard to go one step further. 

There’s no way things will go all our way in the following nine months, and there will be some testing times ahead… but those concerns are for later, either next week, next month or next transfer window… right now lets bask in the new season vibe and raise our glasses to celebrate another season in the Championship

Dave Lane
@beesotted100

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