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In our 4th article in the Bee positive series, @JimmyMack84 harks back to playoffs of past and tells why he feels, despite the groundhog-day disappointment of the Doncaster game, this time it will be different

We’ve all had time to come to terms with the way Saturday ended and the sound of the ball crashing against that crossbar and the gasp that followed around the terraces were truly new adventures in disappointment.

Whatever the politics of the penalty taker decision, Marcelo was confident and was 2 inches away from securing his place in the Brentford Hall of fame. It’s fine margins in this game though and if we are going to take our place in the Championship next season it will be achieved through the playoffs where previously we have always come up short.

The last time I truly thought we could win the playoffs was probably the Steve Coppell year where the team managed to get past Huddersfield thanks to a 2-1 win at Griffin Park, but lost out to Stoke at the Millennium stadium. Even then, with that brilliant team, there was an impending doom to the whole set of events where failure was going to mean a mass player exodus leaving us to start again.

When Martin Allen got us to the playoffs 2 years in a row, I can’t say I was at all optimistic either year. I don’t believe anybody who says they were. I never truly thought we had anything more than a ‘punchers chance’ to beat either Swansea or Sheffield Wednesday and such it was.

The Sheffield Wednesday game at home in 2005 brought with it that amazing moment at the end of the game. We were pretty much knocked out with Wednesday beating us on our own turf when the whole crowd suddenly got behind Brentford with a 10 minute rendition of ‘The Great Escape’. The atmosphere was incredible when it quite frankly had no right to be.

It was strange leaving Griffin Park feeling so proud to support the club on the back of a convincing defeat over 2 legs. Everybody knew the club’s limitations and accepted them. The players were also aware of this also and it became an almost self-fulfilling prophecy ending in failure.

And that’s what’s different this year. The whole setting around the club isn’t about to collapse if we lose. There is no financial mess in the background. The squad will stay together whatever the outcome.

Although Saturday was the toughest way to mentally prepare for the game, there is truly no reason to be negative in the build-up to these playoff games. The Big Red ball was a great tonic for anyone lucky enough to be there and any thoughts I had of the event being nothing more than a wake were removed when Uwe walked in looking composed and in control of the situation like Saturday didn’t happen or at least didn’t matter.

Then Marcello Trotta arrives when It would have been easier to hide away and he stood with Kev O’Connor side by side. There was no sign of bickering or blame. Just a group of players focussed on what they need to do and they believe they will do it.

This is the dawning of a new era for Brentford on and off the pitch regardless of what happens in the next few weeks. But what better way for the club to signify this than by achieving promotion by winning at Wembley in the process shedding all the baggage that we have carried for years.

These players don’t need to be burdened by the weight of history. And as fans we need to give this regime the support it deserves this weekend.

Get your playoff tickets today, Be loud, be positive.

The future is unwritten……….

JimmyMack
@jimmymack84