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Jim Levack has been writing about Brentford FC for over thirty years and has been one of the most respected commentators on the club’s ups and downs during that time… so when this article dropped into the Beesotted inbox, it really made us stop and think about some of the home truths in contains. Share your own thoughts in the comments section below the article as we will be talking about this on the Beesotted Pride of West London Podcast.

My grandad, a season ticket holder until he left us, always told me “if you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all”.

It was a mantra I’ve always tried to stick to as a journalist when writing about Brentford personnel, with the honourable exceptions of Dave Webb, Ron Noades and Paul Davis. All deserved scrutiny.

I also managed to upset our current Ambassador Marcus Gayle in one of his first outings for us when, if his memory serves him right, I referred to him as “lanky”. I’ve since apologised.

There’ve been times I wanted to let off steam but I always applied the rule of not putting on paper something I wouldn’t say to a player’s face.

Call me old fashioned but that’s just common decency. If a player is giving his all – and no one can ever accuse ANY of the current squad of not doing that – then that’ll do me.

Whether they’re good enough to consistently cut the mustard in the top flight is another matter and something for the club’s management to ponder. They don’t often get it wrong.

But it seems kindness and manners have disappeared from the vocabulary of some Bees fans, both new and those who really should know better. “I’ve paid for a season ticket, I can say what I like” seems to be the justification behind anonymous social media attacks.

And attacks they are. Personal, bile-filled, vitriolic, snide or just plain nasty. Dare to question them and like a playground pack their responses are ‘liked’ by mates who share their sometimes poorly thought out arguments.

With every tweet or facebook post they unashamedly expose their lack of knowledge of the game. Keyboard warriors with zero concept of the massive gap between watching on TV and playing FIFA and the realities of the physicality, fitness and emotional resilience needed to succeed in elite football.

But if it was just the new fans who’ve yet to see us not winning every week in their five years watching the club, you could understand it. Kind of.

More worryingly – and you’d think that after years of watching us at Blackpool and Crewe they’d know better – some of the most vocal critics are middle aged blokes. Their biogs proudly proclaim “Brentford fan since the 70s”, that longevity giving them the right to say what they like.

Fortunately they and the tourists popping up all over the shop are a noisy minority, but after sitting behind the dugouts on Saturday and listening to some of the off-colour comments aimed at Thomas, I salute his restraint.

There’s a lot at the club that could be better and is far more deserving of the vitriol. Yes, we’ve yet to replace Henrik and the dry, bumpy pitch isn’t the best. 

What Christian Eriksen thought of the green rugby markings and bobbly surface who knows, but it’s something that needs to be sorted and pronto before it’s allowed to sabotage what I’m convinced will be a successful run in.

Both Thomas and Pontus remarked on it in the post-match pressers but there’s been little twitter comment about it. Why bother when you can slate easy target individuals instead?

Criticising those same players who’ve got us where we are is surely counter productive. If they weren’t trying or giving it everything, that’s a whole different matter and I’d agree with the moaners. But seeing many of them collapse onto their backs at full time on Saturday suggests otherwise.

It’s a free world and people can say what they like, but if someone turned up at my office and suggested “you’re not really trying are you?” I’d be pretty pissed off.

Fortunately, and I hope the players realise this, it’s a tiny minority but sadly they make the most noise and get listened to. 

Off the field there are elements that still need improvement, but staff-wise I think we have one of the most progressive set ups in the country. We are punching massively above our weight… and learning all the time.

There’s so much to be proud of but recent defeats have crystalised the debate. Forget that they were against Liverpool, Man Utd, Wolves and Man City like Micah Richards did.

“Sometimes context and perspective has to be put on some results and I thought the criticism on some results was over the top.

“This is a well-run football club, well supported, we deserve that place in the Premier League and we’re fighting really hard to keep it.

“So, the noise, what I can only describe as mainly ignorance about the football club, we have to shut it out and concentrate on ourselves.”

Not my words. Those of Dean Smith at Norwich, whose form has improved dramatically since he addressed the negative element at the club.

This is a heartfelt plea. All of us, even those quick to vent online, want the same thing. To be a Premier League club next season.

If we are, we will have learned a lot from this season. If we’re not, then the end of a gruelling campaign will be the right time for a sensible and considered deep dive into where we could have done better.

One thing is certain though. We are weaker divided.

Jim Levack