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This article appeared in the inky issue of Beesotted 104 which may (if you are lucky) be still available on ebay

As we walked into the Harvester on Bournemouth seafront, we were greeted by the less than friendly manager. “Sorry luv… no football fans in here!” After spending several minutes trying to explain that we weren’t hooligans… just little olde Brentford fans (adults with their kids) wanting to have a drink overlooking the sea, we gave up and found somewhere else more welcoming. However, we shouldn’t have been so surprised. This is surely a sign of things to come.

Being hidden away in the lower echelons of the Football League, some people would say that we’ve had it too cushy, for too long. We’ve become accustomed to bowling into grounds any time we like, and fully togged up in Brentford regalia… or walking into the nearest pub to the ground without a care in the world.

It certainly wasn’t like that the last time we were in this division. Colours to away games were a rarity. And you had to plot up where you were going to drink before the game with military precision so as not receive a good hiding – in the days of running the Official Unofficial coaches all over the country we found the most obscure pubs to stop off at pre-match using The Good Pub Guide in those far-off, pre-internet, days.

Wolves away last season was a taster of what the Championship was going to be be like, with Bees fans designated one, and ONLY one, pretty rank boozer in a town full of pubs, with bouncers on the door. Brentford fans were herded into the pub… then herded to the ground… just like sheep.

Fans of other clubs I know hinted that promotion to the Championship would be a wake-up call for Bees fans. And judging by early signs, we think they could have a point.

We’ve knocked up a wee guide, which highlights some of the less appetising elements of being in The Championship and topics to be aware of that are already facing fans of other teams in this division, but could emerge on our own radars.

AWAY-FRIENDLY PUBS

The concept of waltzing into any pub near the ground in your Bees top, to be greeted by locals willing to discuss the difference in tactics between our manager and their’s, will be more and more rare. To be fair, so far, we have had a good run so far this season. Bournemouth designated Brentford fans one away pub… but you could find others if you were in the know. Blackpool are in such disarray, all the pubs on the way to the ground were deserted, they were delighted for any Brentford trade at all. And Rotherham have a “Lower League mentality” still and, despite the National Front being kettled outside the door by the local police, the Rotherham fans inside welcomed away fans with open arms (with a sign saying so) in The Bridge pub opposite the station. However, as we look to play teams like Nottingham Forest, Ipswich, Norwich and Middlesboro, it will be interesting to see what their policy is towards away fans. Will it be back to the military planning of olde? Or will things be OK?

COLOURS
Brentford fans have become used to wearing colours, which are rarely an issue in the lower leagues. In fact, they’re encouraged as it boosts banter. But with fans’ movement being potentially restricted due to being visibly associated with a football team… and with fans being barred from drinking wherever they want pre-match, will this result in a section of Brentford fans ditching the traditional colours for away games?

ALL-TICKET HOME GAMES

With most away fans selling out their allocations, many home fans find themselves in the annoying scenario of now having to purchase tickets before the game. Games like Charlton and Birmingham, which really should have sold out, saw two or three thousand spare seats remain available. Some say Brentford fans need to ‘get with the programme’. Others say that unnecessary all-ticket designation restricts spontaneity… the casual fans, and friends of current fans who decide to pop down for a bit of football on the day. With the situation not looking to get any better, Bees fans will have to either get used to buying tickets in advance, or the club and police will have to become more flexible on which games they decide to make all-ticket.

TICKET PRICING AND CATEGORISATION

There has been much hoo-ha about ticket prices. The “20’s plenty” campaign, instigated by the Football Supporters Federation, and stipulating that £20 is plenty for an away fan to pay for a normal football game, is in full swing. This goes over the heads of many lower league fans, who rarely have had to pay over £20 for an away game. But, all of a sudden, we’re in the Championship, and Middlesboro have taken it upon themselves to charge Bees fans £31 per ticket. The pricing nail is being driven home in TW8, with some fans somewhat irked at the idea of paying over £30 to watch a match in a city which has one of the poorest average incomes in the UK. Talking to a Leeds friend of ours, £31 is apparently ‘nothing’. Leeds regularly get charged in excess of £30 a match, being a category One team (highest price band)… with Ipswich charging them a whopping £40 for entering Portman Road. Would Bees fans be happy to pay £40 for a Championship league match? Much is spoken of the fact that most Germany clubs charge around £120 for a season ticket in the Bundersleague (£12 to £15 a game)… So are our clubs just badly run?

Which brings us onto categorisation. Is it at all fair? Should teams be able to categorise matches? With away fan admission priced differently according to … er … popularity … In effect, making fans pay extra money the more popular their team is? Many say no… The fight goes on, but until the battle for fair pricing is won, higher prices and categorisation is something that Brentford fans are going to just have to get used to.

BUBBLE MATCHES

Most fans of lower league teams have no idea what bubble games are. They are games deemed by the police to offer a high enough risk of violence that they impose draconian measures to try and keep fans apart. The recent derby between Chester and Wrexham was designated a bubble match. As was Hull v Huddersfield. Even the MK Dons v AFC Wimbledon game was attempted to turn into a bubble, before the idea was popped.

In bubble matches, fans are ferried to and from the game, normally by coach, and often having to collect match tickets en-route at a pre-designated venue like a service station.

There have been scenarios where away fans living in, say, Yorkshire, ten minutes drive from the match, have had to travel all the way South to collect their tickets, then frogmarched en mass to the match … then frogmarched out of town… even though they live locally.

We don’t see Brentford fans getting into bubble scenarios any time soon it has to be said, but then who would have predicted that Chester v Wrexham or Hull v Huddersfield would have caused such a stir?

Saying that, it would make me chuckle if the police insisted that all Brentford fans attending the F*lham match on Good Friday make their way to the game in a fleet of boats and pick up their match tickets at the dock. That might actually work in our favour.

DRY TRAINS

I thought dry trains were a thing of the past. But not at all. Brentford fans could, one day soon, find themselves travelling up North on a dry train. A train which has been designated as having no alcohol for anyone on board. Not just football fans. All fans get searched whilst getting on the train and any alcohol is confiscated. And it may not even be Bees fans who are being targeted… we may happen to share a train with West Ham or Spurs travelling up North, which the authorities have red-flagged as a train where no alcohol is to be served.

Cheers!

BillyTheBee