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What a way to end the year – a match with a lot riding on it but which a lot of fans will miss.

Saturday’s visit of Norwich – the first time in recent memory that Brentford have played the same team twice in a month in scheduled league fixtures – sees under-pressure Canaries manager Alex Neil try to do the double over the Bees.

We have been crying out for a dominant win in recent weeks and in theory the visit of an out-of-form team should provide an opportunity – but we said the same thing when we went to Carrow Road four weeks ago and look what happened.

However the match pans out, lots of Bees fans have been denied the chance to be at Griffin Park to witness it because of the kick-off time imposed on the club by Sky.

The original 1.00 start time, or even one at 3.00, was perfect for New Year’s Eve, but 5.30 is a time that doesn’t suit anybody and lots of regulars will be foregoing the trip to TW8 because of long-planned celebrations.

The match could in fact potentially be played in front of our lowest attendance of the season through no fault of the club.

Back to on-field matters and Norwich have imploded spectacularly in recent weeks.

When they beat Rotherham 2-0 on 15 October, they topped the Championship table with 26 points from 12 games.

Since then however, they have won two, drawn one and lost nine of their subsequent league games and after Thursday’s Villa-Leeds game were 12th in the table with 33 points from 23 matches.

They have lost their last five away games in a run of seven defeats in nine matches and there have been plenty of calls for Neil to go.

Their only wins in this sequence were our 5-0 defeat and a 1-0 victory over Aston Villa, also at Carrow Road, in their next home game.

The Canaries are hoping to bounce back to the Premier League at the first time of asking following last season’s relegation in the way that they did in 2015.

They were in the top flight for three seasons from 2011 – their longest spell in the Premier League since playing in its first three campaigns from 1992, when they finished third in its inaugural competition.

WHO’S IN CHARGE

Alex Neil is close to his second anniversary as Norwich manager, after leaving Hamilton to take charge in January 2015.

He lost his third game in charge 2-1 to Brentford at Carrow Road – one of only three defeats he suffered in the 22 matches in his reign to the end of the regular season.

Neil guided City past local rivals Ipswich in the play-off semi-finals and then Middlesbrough in the final to return to the Premier League – but suffered immediate relegation last season.

While at Hamilton, he led them back into the Scottish Premier League after helping them to a similar feat as a player in 2008.

He also represented Airdrie, Barnsley and Mansfield in a playing career in which he made more than 400 senior appearances.

WE’VE MET BEFORE

The least said about our meeting with Norwich at the start of December the better – we lost 5-0 and below is the fans’ reaction to the hammering.

We had mixed fortunes when we played Norwich in the 2014/15 season. We lost the home game 3-0 to three late goals after dominating the first 70 minutes of the contest. City manager Neil Adams said: “It’s a bit unfair on Brentford. It looks like they have been battered but it was a lot closer than that.”

The away match was rather different though as we earned our first-ever win at Carrow Road. Jota put us ahead and although Nathan Redmond equalised before half-time, Alex Pritchard, now of course wearing Canary yellow, hit the winner from the penalty spot to give us a 2-1 victory.

WHAT THEY SAY ABOUT US

BBC Radio Norfolk Sports Editor and commentator Chris Goreham talks about the pressure Alex Neil is under and explains why a defeat at Griffin Park was the springboard for a recent period of Norwich success.

Q – How would you assess Norwich’s season so far as we reach the halfway mark and how do you see it ending up and why?

A – Where do you start?? I feared that Norwich City would suffer the sort of relegation hangover that many teams endure when they drop out of the Premier League. I was pleasantly surprised when The Canaries thumped Blackburn 4-1 away from home on the opening day and were top of the Championship in the middle of October.

However, it turned out that this was to be one of those delayed hangovers that kicks in mid-morning after the night before. Losing seven out of nine league matches up to Boxing Day has left Norwich looking like one of those teams that this division is full of – clubs who feel like they should be in the Premier League but have lost the wherewithal to make that a reality.

Q – How much pressure is Alex Neil under – is only automatic promotion good enough for the club or would play-offs or even nothing be acceptable?

A – The pressure is growing and it’s not a kneejerk reaction. Norwich were 14th in the Premier League, eight points ahead of Sunderland at the start of 2016. From that position, being caught by Sunderland and relegated with a game to spare was a crushing blow and yet Alex Neil was applauded around the pitch at Carrow Road on the night their demotion was confirmed.

The way he took the team up at Wembley in May 2015 built up an enormous amount of goodwill but that credit has now expired. He has maintained the backing of the board but hearing large sections of the home crowd turn against Neil after the recent home defeat by Huddersfield might have concentrated a few minds.

Q – What memories do you have – good or bad – of previous trips to Brentford to see Norwich either for work or as a fan?

A – Brentford was where it all started for Paul Lambert.  He was appointed as Norwich City manager on the morning of our League One visit in August 2009. Lambert watched from a few rows in front of our commentary position as Brentford won 2-1 and he got hold of that City squad and took them up to the Premier League with successive promotions. It was an incredible spell to be supporting and covering The Canaries and it all started by losing to Brentford. 

Q – Have you had any amusing or unusual experiences at previous Bees-Norwich games – and if so, what happened?

A – Norwich City midfielder Alex Tettey gave a particularly entertaining interview after our last visit two seasons ago. Norwich won the game 3-0 but had to withstand a combative and impressive first half display from Mark Warburton’s Brentford. Tettey had a running battle with Alan McCormack during the game and limped over to our microphone afterwards. His comment, with a smile, that he “wanted to hit that McCormack” was a refreshing burst of honesty from a footballer in a post-match interview.

For the record he didn’t hit McCormack and Norwich found a way of dealing with the in-your-face approach of Brentford that night. Recent performances have seen them struggle in those sort of circumstances.

Q – Which Bees players will you be most wary of?

A – Without wishing to sound arrogant, I think Norwich City’s biggest danger comes from their own players. When they are really on it they have what it takes to cope with pretty much anything the Championship can throw at them, as Brentford found out at Carrow Road at the start of the month.  But City are agonisingly inconsistent. They have shot themselves in the foot enough times this season to suggest that they could lose to pretty much anyone too.

Q – Assuming everyone is fit, do you foresee many changes to the City side that played us four weeks ago and if so where would alterations come?

Q – Norwich City have a squad big enough to have had seven full internationals on the bench for the recent win over Aston Villa. They have players like Alex Pritchard, Sergi Canos and Kyle Lafferty who would get into most Championship teams but have struggled to get a game this season. It’s a fact that makes their recent struggles more difficult to understand.

SQUAD NEWS

Norwich midfielder Jonny Howson misses the trip to TW8 after being sent off for handball on the line in the Boxing Day defeat at Reading.

Ex-Bee Alex Pritchard, so dominant in the win over us, was again on the bench while another former Brentford player on the books – Sergi Canos  – again failed to make the matchday 18.

Pritchard only one missed one league game during his season-long loan move from Spurs in our Championship debut in 2014/15 and was our second top scorer with 12 league goals.

Canos made 18 starts and 20 substitute appearances in the Championship during his loan stay from Liverpool last season, scoring seven league goals.

Our former centre-half Michael Turner is also still at Carrow Road, but has only featured in the Checkatrade Trophy this season.

City played a 4-5-1 line-up at the Madejski Stadium on Monday.

Former England international John Ruddy continued in goal, having won his place back last month following an injury to Northern Ireland international Michael McGovern, who was on the bench.

Ivo Pinto and Republic of Ireland international Robbie Brady were the full-backs with Sebastien Bassong and Ryan Bennett in central defence.

The midfield five featured Howson on the right and Jacob Murphy on the left – covering Scotland internationals Steven Naismith and Graham Dorrans along with Norway international Alex Tettey in the middle.

Portugal international Nelson Oliveira played the lone front man role.

Among the subs were Sweden international defender Martin Olsson, Republic of Ireland midfielder Wes Hoolahan, captain and Scotland defender Russell Martin and striker Cameron Jerome but Jacob Murphy’s twin brother Josh was not included.

IAN WESTBROOK

@ianwestbrook

PUBS IN BRENTFORD

For Norwich fans coming down, you are probably aware there plenty of pub options pre-match and all are most welcoming.

There are now only three pubs around the ground, following the closure of the Royal Oak.

The Griffin is closest to the away end (like 30 secs walk) and is very popular with away fans – but also very, very busy. The New Inn is on the other side and is also popular with away fans. The Princess Royal is the other option.

Other pubs slightly further afield for the more creative amongst you include (and this is by no means a definitive list) …. The Globe (Windmill Rd) is the Beesotted pre-match pub. This boozer & The Lord Nelson (Enfield Rd) are both incredibly friendly and cosy away-friendly pubs and about 1 min walk from each other .. frequented by ‘away fans in the know’.

The Plough (Northfields Ave) in Northfields is a decent stop-off if you are coming by tube to Northfields (it’s a much better pub crawl route getting off at Northfields than South Ealing) before making your way down to the ground (normally stopping off at The Globe and Lord Nelson en route).

There is also a pub right by Brentford station always referred to as … the Pub by Brentford station.

For ale head to the Magpie and Crown pub on Brentford High Street. The Royal Horseguardsman can probably hold 15 of you at a push. The Brewery Tap is a cosy boozer by the river. And if you are super adventurous, get off at Kew Bridge and visit the brand new boozer One Over the Ait right on the river – beside the bridge. There are loads more too.

A quick Google search and you’ll find them all. There are many many more too if you have a look around.

Parking is pretty easy away from the ground going up towards and over the A4 Great West Rd (ie. North) via Ealing Road or Windmill Road.

You can check out Transport for London’s guide to travel on New Year’s Eve on the tube and Overground.