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Are we nearly there yet?

Some would say we are already there.

That kid going to Florida has got off the plane, is on their way from the airport to the hotel and has their nose against the cab window in the hope of spotting any of the attractions they’re soon to enjoy.

The excitement is becoming unbearable as they know they are so close to the thrills of a lifetime. They will certainly never have experienced anything quite as exciting as what lies ahead. However, they still have to get to the hotel and go through all the checking-in nonsense and unpacking malarkey before the real fun can truly begin.

We’re also at the stage now where they have no time for puzzles. They’ll be too busy wishing the time away and will throw any music video clips or roof related spot the missing letter games right back in your face. They may just about have time to give you a ridiculous answer but that’s about it. They won’t spend hours revisiting the clues to try and work out the then disclosed answers like they used to do when they set off.

For the enthused Bees fan heading towards the 2014/15 Championship Season, the friendly at Boreham Wood on Thursday 17th July was that look out from the cab window and an early attempt at catching a glimpse of what lies ahead.

Brand new attractions Andre Gray, Marcos Tebar and Moses Odubajo were all on show and did enough in their brief appearances to have us wanting to see more. Forget Disneyland, the Theme Park you’ll see the best entertainment at over the next two years is Griffin.

Yes, welcome to the Griffin Park World of Adventures and its new attractions for the 2014/15 Season.

The ‘Gray’ is far from dull and can maybe be seen as an updated, more modern version of that old attraction the ‘Donaldson’ which proved worthy enough before being transferred to St. Andrews Park of Doom, Birmingham. There will no doubt be many thrills & spills, from this new addition over the next three years.

Then, imported from Spain, there is the ‘Tebar’. Somewhat of an unknown quantity, this looks as though it is going to be a classy attraction. Those who have enjoyed the experience most recently have been used to seeing the most exhilarating in the world so it must be rather special itself.

The ‘Odubajo’ meanwhile is a particularly lavish, exciting, new attraction which will probably have you standing up for an even better experience if you haven’t been strapped into your seats. This one has been a significant investment but is certain to have paid for itself before it is snapped up by one of the biggest theme parks of them all.

An attraction not on view to the public at Boreham Wood was the ‘Pritchard’ which we have been lucky enough to hire for the year ahead. As this one is likely to be only available for a limited time it is suggested you make the most of this one while you can. The clips already on Youtube are sensational and you have to ask yourself just how fun this is going to be when it opens for the new season on 9th August.

There are still whispers of another amazing attraction from one of the biggest theme parks in the world being borrowed to Griffin Park for the same duration as the ‘Pritchard’ but naturally there are loads of other destinations attempting to secure it’s loan.

Finally, well for now actually and probably not finally at all, brought down from the North of England, for a cost of around £750K according to Sky Theme Parks News, is the ‘Hogan’. Surprisingly nothing to do with wrestling or even crocodiles, I’ll be honest I knew little about this ‘Bob Dylan Wig-Wam’ themed attraction until recently. Having now also caught up on videos of this one, I’m pretty much in awe of just how good it could become. Our buying team apparently went up to witness it on several occasions over the last year and were all so impressed every time.

So, excited for the months, well actually years, ahead?

You should be.

Meanwhile, over in Yorkshire, ‘The New York, no not that New York, Stadium Steam Fair’ has decided to buy any old attraction it can lay its hands on.

While what we’ve invested in will have the kids Instagraming and Snap Chatting all season, spare a thought for those boys and girls Up North who now have the equivalent of a 1970s Ghost Train, a washed up waltzer and, currently, ten more shit fairground rides that have been brought in. There will probably be even more squeezed in, and ruining the ones which actually thrilled their visitors over the last year, by the time they open for business.

Are we nearly there yet?

Yes.

Are we there yet?

Sort of.

The cab is getting ever closer to the hotel and if you look closely enough, you may have seen some more of what’s to come by 10pm on Tuesday.

It’s bees versus BEES at Underhill with what will actually be a perfect opportunity to take a moment to forget any analogies and consider just how far we’ve come.

It doesn’t seem that long ago to me that we were in the same division as Barnet. Promotion next season will see us in the Premier League. The tough ask meanwhile for Martin Allen’s group is to return to the Football League.

The ‘Hogan’ I referred to earlier, yes Scott who joined from Rochdale, was saying all the right things in his welcome video. He clearly does believe we could be in the top division in the next couple of years. So do I now.
Last time we went up to this level, we sold Dean Holdsworth. This time it feels like we have gone up and bought Dean Holdsworth. In addition we’ve added others on a different planet to the likes of Detszi Kruszynski, Mickey Bennett and Gerry Peyton.

The Beesotted Twitter feed posted two great links on the day Hogan was revealed as a Bee. Firstly, the manager who sold him to Brentford, Keith Hill, saying some great things about the player and the club he was joining. I don’t know if Mr. Hill is eyeing a job here himself but you sense he can also see where we’re going. He also clearly hints that Leeds did at least bid for our new man although they tried to say they hadn’t.

Yes, it is now the case that sensible and clever footballers will choose Brentford FC over Leeds United.

Hear that Ghost of Revie, Norman Bite Yer Legs, Billy Bremner, Ken Bates, Jonathan Woodgate, Harry Kewell, Emmerdale Farm and Billy F***ing Paynter?

Players are choosing little ole Brentford’s Bees Bees Bees over your nasty big old Leeds Leeds Leeds.

The second link it posted was a Tweet from Peterborough’s high profile owner Darragh McAntony (@DMAC102) professing, “Brentfords recruitment process this summer has me enviously impressed(in good way) with their signings for champ campaign.Poss dark horses!”.

Now you might ask how valuable is the view of someone who continues to employ Darren Ferguson as his first team manager, but he does have experience of owning a Championship football club and but for a late, late, late goal at Selhurst Park at the end of 12/13, they could possibly still be there.

At this moment in time, maybe we should be keeping it all schtum, but more and more people are starting to take notice of what is happening at OUR club. It will be interesting to keep an eye on the odds on us being promoted and relegated and see how they change as the season progresses.

I’ll use SkyBet as it’s their Championship we’re about to take by storm.

Currently, they have us as:
18th Favourites to win the division (40/1) – Cardiff City are Favourites (9/4)
17th Favourites to be promoted (11/1) – Cardiff City are Favourites (7/1)
9th Favourites to be relegated (9/2) – Blackpool are Odds On Favourites (8/11)

Andre Gray is 40/1 to be the leading scorer – Jordan Rhodes is the Favourite (7/1) and Fulham’s Marcello Trotta is out at 66/1. One of the other notable strikers at this level last season, Patrick Bamford, is not currently listed seeing as though he is currently a Premier League player with Chelsea.

There may be some change in those numbers before 9th August due to transfers coming in and out. However it is only when the first balls are kicked in anger in three weekend’s time that there will be much movement in those odds. Some will lengthen and some will shorten. I’m not usually a betting man but I’m pretty sure what way those above will be changing.

It’s when I look at those teams we’re now up against, and many of which we will finish above, that I get more and more excited. I’m as confident as Muhammed Ali stepping into the boxing ring we’ll finish higher than the 17th or 18th place SkyBet have us in. Stuff the floating like a butterfly, let’s just sting like a BEE.

I have to be honest, I actually usually hate numbers. I’m more of a words man but strangely, some of those digits are starting to excite me and I feel the adrenaline rushing around my body just like a teenager as they strap themselves into a rollercoaster.

11/1 for promotion you say?

11 to 1.

I love that.

Steve Phillips to Len Bond.
11 to 1 from my early days.

Hold on, did I just say some of those numbers are starting to excite me?

This is where I know I need to calm down again.

I just need to be there.

I need to be at Griffin Park World of Adventures for the grand opening of their 2014/15 Championship season.

We must be there now?

Are we there yet?

Nearly.

Luis Adriano
@LuisAdrianoUK