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Burnley have spent most of this season in or just above the relegation zone and are fighting to preserve their Premier League status as they arrive at new Griffin Park on Saturday.

This is the Clarets’ sixth consecutive season in the Premier League – after two previous one-season stays – and they have comfortably survived in the other five.

But this time around, they have not been higher than 16th in the table since the first week of the campaign.

Their first win did not come until their 10th game at the end of October – 3-1 against us – and it was another 12 games until they tasted victory again, with their 3-0 triumph at Brighton in mid-February, which they followed with a 1-0 home defeat of Spurs in their next match.

Their unbeaten run stretched to three games in a goalless draw at Crystal Palace, but last week they lost back-to-back home matches against Leicester (2-0) and Chelsea (4-0) to remain in the bottom three, one point behind Everton.

Burnley’s visit – their first since January 2016 – will see ex-Bee James Tarkowski play his first game against us in west London since his move to Turf Moor.

It is also Saturday’s only 3pm Premier League game and our last home match for a month, and after Thursday night’s results is a crucial fixture for both sides.

The first of Burnley’s two single-season stays in the Premier League in 2009/10 was their first in the top flight since 1976, since when they have played in all four divisions and even come close to losing their Football League place.

On 9 May, 1987, the Clarets were bottom of Division Four and entertained Leyton Orient in the final game of the season knowing that their fate was out of their hands.

They trailed Tranmere, Rochdale and Torquay by a point and Lincoln by two, so even a victory would not guarantee keeping them out of the Conference.

After a 15-minute delay to kick-off because of crowd congestion, Burnley took the lead. They soon learned that Lincoln were losing to Swansea and quickly doubled their advantage.

Orient pulled a goal back early in the second half but Burnley held on to finish a point clear of the Imps, who were relegated, and Torquay, who survived by scoring in time added on after ex-Brentford defender Jim McNichol was bitten by a police dog!

WHO’S IN CHARGE

Sean Dyche is the Premier League’s longest-serving manager, and the third longest-serving in the country behind Harrogate’s Simon Weaver and Wycombe’s Gareth Ainsworth, having replaced Eddie Howe at Turf Moor in October 2012.

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He had previously been in charge at Watford during the 2011/12 season, during which he led the Hornets to their highest finish for four years in the Championship.

During an 18-year playing career, Sean made more than 500 senior appearances as a centre-half, with more than half of them coming for Chesterfield, who he helped to reach the 1997 FA Cup semi-finals.

The Spireites were one of four clubs where Sean won promotion – the others being Bristol City, Millwall and Northampton – while he also played for Luton and Watford.

WE’VE MET BEFORE

We have a poor recent record against Burnley and have failed to win any of our last seven meetings across three separate divisions and the FA Cup going back to 1998, losing the last five.

They have not been regular opponents in recent years, after many meetings during the 1980s and 90s.

In our seven-year spell in the Championship, our paths only crossed in one season – 2015/16 when they did the double over us – and we had not played them again before this campaign.

Michael Keane’s 26th minute goal was enough to give the Clarets their first victory of the season as they beat us 1-0 at Turf Moor at the end of August 2015. Andre Gray, who had left us for the Clarets the previous day – sat out the match.

James Tarkowski declared himself unavailable to play for us in the televised Friday night return game at Griffin Park in January. He joined Burnley a couple of weeks later.

Without him, we were 3-0 down by the 39th minute thanks to superb goals from Scott Arfield and George Boyd from long range, and a brilliant free-kick by Joey Barton.

Alan Judge pulled one back for us just before the hour mark but even though Andre Gray could not score against us on his return to TW8, Burnley’s 3-1 triumph was our third successive league defeat.

As mentioned earlier, we lost 3-1 at Turf Moor earlier this season – our first away defeat in the Premier League in our fifth game on the road.

It was all over by half-time as goals from Chris Wood, Matt Lowton and and Maxwel Cornet put the Clarets on the way to their first league win of the season.

Saman Ghoddos pulled one back with a superb volley late in the game – his first Brentford goal – but it was only a consolation.

Before that, they knocked us out of the FA Cup in a rare fourth round appearance for us in 2002/03, and took four points off us in Division Two (now League One) in 1999/2000.

The 2-2 draw at Turf Moor in the October featured one of our most memorable moments against them when captain Paul Evans, who had scored from the halfway line against Preston the previous Saturday, hit another superb long-range goal from just inside the Clarets half.

They won the Griffin Park return 3-2, with ex-England and Arsenal star Ian Wright scoring their second goal.

We drew 1-1 in Lancashire in February 1998, meaning our last win over Burnley came in September 1997.

Carl Hutchings gave us a second-minute lead but Mark Ford equalised soon after half-time. Burnley then had Lee Howey sent off in the 75th minute before Kevin Rapley hit a dramatic 89th-minute winner.

OPPOSITION VIEW

BBC Radio Lancashire’s Burnley reporter Scott Read analyses the Clarets’ chances of survival, and looks at the secret to Sean Dyche’s longevity in the job and at how James Tarkowski has done in his six years at the club.

Q – It’s been a tough season so far for Burnley, but despite a recent revival how confident are you that they can avoid relegation?

A – More confident now than at the turn of the year. Burnley lost at Leeds United in their first game of 2022 and they were seven points behind Leeds, and a month later they were seven points adrift of safety after losing at home to Liverpool. Those two successive wins against Brighton and Spurs transformed their season and it’s certainly given the supporters belief that they can stay up.

Q – What has been different this season to the past five years when the club has survived comfortably in the top flight?

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A – Not a lot in truth, last Saturday’s 4-0 home defeat by Chelsea was their heaviest of the season, they’ve not been hammered in games very often and during those previous five seasons the club have found themselves in the bottom at different times.

Three years ago Burnley had 12 points at the halfway stage and were bottom at Christmas and stayed up. The difference I think this year has been not taking their chances in close games. The season they finished seventh they only scored 36 goals in 38 games, Burnley have never been big scorers.

Q – What is Sean Dyche’s managerial style and what’s the secret of his longevity in the job?

A – His mantra is “maximum effort is the minimum requirement” – it’s the first thing he said when he got the job and that sums him and his team up nicely. The secret of his longevity is he has plenty in the bank, two promotions, one as champions, plus five successive seasons has given Sean the chance to ride out poor runs, or in this case a struggling campaign.

Q – Wout Weghorst was the big January signing after Chris Wood’s departure – what has he brought to the side?

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A – Stats-wise he’s already contributed more to the team in goals and assists than Chris Wood all season, he looks a very good technical player, good with the ball at his feet.

Q – James Tarkowski left Brentford for the Clarets six years ago – how big an impact has he had in his time at the club?

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A – He’s been outstanding, and unlucky not to have played more for England. He’s out of contract in the summer and looks certain to leave, but you wouldn’t know it with his current level of performance.

Q – What do you remember of Brentford’s defeat at Turf Moor earlier in the season?

A – Mainly the Maxwell Cornet goal, it was in the middle of his run of goals which have dried up but that strike against Brentford was another spectacular one.

Q – Who are the key men in the Burnley side for Brentford fans to watch out for?
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A – It’s hard to say, Cornet has been a little below par since returning from the AFCON, Weghorst is a threat and Dwight McNeil at his best is Burnley’s most creative player.

Q – Any other particular past meetings between the sides stand out in your memory?

A – I remember covering a game at Brentford in the old Division Two – it was the season that Burnley won promotion to what is now the Championship. Ian Wright came off the bench to score their third in a 3-2 win.

Q – How much are you looking forward to your first trip to the Brentford Community Stadium?

A – Very much so, it looks a terrific venue and it’s always good fun ticking off new grounds.

Q – Finally can you give me a possible Clarets line-up and formation please?

A – It will be 4-4-2, that’s a certainty.

Pope

Roberts Mee Tarky Taylor

Lennon Brownhill Westwood McNeil

Weghorst Cornet.

HOW TO FOLLOW THE GAME IF YOU CAN’T BE THERE

If you can’t get to the Brentford Community Stadium for Saturday’s sold-out 3.00pm kick-off, there are various ways of following the game.

Radio – There will be live commentary on BBC London 94.9FM, and on BBC London Digital in London only, as part of the Saturday Sport Show from 2pm.

There is also live commentary on BBC Radio Five Live.

iFollow – If you want Brentford commentary, iFollow audio coverage is available via monthly or seasonal passes. Coverage starts half an hour before kick-off and is advert-free, with Mark Burridge and Jonathan Douglas.

IAN WESTBROOK

@ianwestbrook

PUBS IN BRENTFORD AND TRAVEL NEWS

For Burnley fans coming to the Brentford Community Stadium for the first time, there are plenty of pub options pre and post-match and all are most welcoming and away-fan-friendly (as it should be).

The pub areas are split into two zones. There is the area around Brentford’s old Griffin Park stadium. The pubs there are still very busy on match day frequented by Bees locals before heading down the road to the stadium at Kew Bridge which is only 15 minutes walk.

Then there is the area in and around the stadium in Kew Bridge.

It is possible, if you have a good early start, to savour a few pubs in and around Griffin Park and Brentford zone before heading off to the pubs in the Kew zone or even vice versa if you so fancy.

Pubs in Griffin Park/Brentford zone (still very  lively but easier to get a pint)

When at Griffin Park, Brentford was well known for its four pubs – one on each corner of the ground. Three are still operating.

The Griffin is closest to the old away end and has always been very popular with both home and away fans and has its regulars who still make the journey down to the new stadium from there on matchday. The New Inn is on the other side which used to also be popular with away fans before the move. The Brook pub is the other option if you want to savour a pub in and around what is left of our old home. Worth a peep if you want to reminisce about old Brentford.

About five minutes’ walk away from the old ground are two pubs which are enormously popular. The Globe (Windmill Rd) is a “lively but comfortable” pub on matchday. Incredibly friendly and cosy, it has always been popular with a selection of away fans who fancied having a beer a few minutes further walk away from the ground without having to queue six persons deep. After the move to the new ground, The Globe has retained many of lot its regulars from the Griffin Park days and with screens throughout the pub and in its sheltered beer garden, it shows both Premier League and EFL football before and after each match.

Meanwhile around the corner, The Lord Nelson (Enfield Rd) is another incredibly friendly and cosy away-friendly pubs about one minute walk from The Globe. Again with a TV screen for live sports and a lovely beer garden, this is another pub frequented by “away fans in the know”.

The other pub worth checking out in the Griffin Park region is The Black Dog Beer House, formerly The Albany, on Albany Road, if you like your real ales.

There are plenty of other pubs in and around Brentford High Street including real ale pub Magpie and Crown (Brentford High Street) and the cosy Brewery Tap (Catherine Wheel Road) near the river.

For a Griffin Park area pub crawl before heading over to Kew we recommend the following: Take the Piccadilly line to Northfields station. Turn left and walk for 2 mins and you will come to The Plough (Northfields Ave). Then walk to The Lord Nelson (10 min walk from The Plough) & then The Globe (1 min walk from The Nelson) en-route before hitting The Griffin (8 min walk from The Globe) and then The Black Dog (2 mins from The Griffin). You can also try and do the other three pubs on the corner whilst down here if you fancy.

Then you can then either walk (15 minutes from The Globe/The Nelson and The Griffin/Black Dog ) or take a train from Brentford station (which is five minutes walk away from both The Globe/The Nelson and The Griffin/Black Dog) or a bus (237/267) to Kew Bridge.

Trains run at 24 and 54 minutes past the hour to Kew Bridge from Brentford and take two minutes.

Pubs in the Kew Bridge zone (very busy on match days)

Right next to Kew Bridge station, you will find the Express Tavern – an ale pub with a retro feel. The pub has been refurbished in readiness for the new football season and needless to say, is popular before the match due to its close proximity to the stadium.

Across the road by the river is One Over the Ait – a spacious boozer right next to Kew Bridge. This pub is situated on the location of the now-demolished Oxford & Cambridge pub where Brentford Football Club was founded in 1889.

Across Kew Bridge and the River Thames, there are two pubs on Kew Green – the Cricketers and the Greyhound – very close to the pier where Brentford fans have embarked on their away journeys by water to F*lham, Orient, Charlton, West Ham and even Southend.

North of the river along hoity-toity Strand on the Green, you will find The Steam Packet, in an old Cafe Rouge, and The Bell. A bit further down are The City Barge and the Bulls Head – two pubs side-by-side in which you would often see Ant and Dec hanging out.

There is also The Pilot which you can get to coming out of the BACK entrance of Gunnersbury station and we believe the old John Bull pub at the front of the station has been refurbed as The Gunnersbury but we have never been there so can’t give it a rating.

Transport to Brentford and Kew Bridge

The simplest on paper to get to Brentford FC from town is to get the tube to Waterloo (Northern, Jubilee lines) or Vauxhall (Victoria Line) and then take the Overground train to Kew Bridge, which is right by the stadium. Brentford is one stop further on if you are on an ‘Original Griffin Park Pub’ mission.

With trains from Waterloo being only twice an hour (22 and 52) and taking 28 minutes, we normally recommend people jump on the tube from King’s Cross or Euston and head to Northfields or South Ealing on the Piccadilly Line as it is quicker (including the time getting across London and waiting at Waterloo) and trains are more frequent.

It is only 40 minutes max station by tube to station meaning you could be in a Brentford pub within an hour of embarking your train at Kings Cross, Euston or Liverpool Street.

The other station option is Gunnersbury. You can walk to the stadium from Gunnersbury tube station (District line) in 25 minutes or take a bus (H91, 237, 267, 110), but note that it is closed for entry for one hour after the match.

For the Brentford/Griffin Park pubs you can get the Piccadilly line tube to Northfields station from King’s Cross or Euston (35 minutes) then walk down to The Plough, The Globe, The Lord Nelson and The Griffin and other pubs from there.

The new stadium is around 25 minutes’ walk from South Ealing station – if you don’t fancy Gunnersbury – or you can get on the 65 bus from across the road which will drop you almost outside in 15 minutes.

You can also pick up the 65 bus from Ealing Broadway (district and central line) which will take you to the new stadium in 25 minutes.

You can check out Transport for London’s guide to travel on the Tube and Overground.