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INTRODUCTION

It is highly unlikely that Preston’s visit on Saturday will be anywhere near as memorable as their last trip to Griffin Park in April 2014.

That was the day that the Preston Gentry descended on Griffin Park in good spirits and in their droves (see video below) … and when Alan Judge’s penalty was enough to give us a 1-0 win to confirm our promotion to the Championship and make it a very Good Friday indeed!

Preston have now joined us in the second tier following a comprehensive 4-0 play-off final win over Swindon – making this weekend’s encounter the first at this level since February 1951.

The Lilywhites are level on points with us in the table, having played a game more, after opening their campaign with one win, three draws and three defeats.

Their only league victory so far came at fellow promoted side MK Dons in their second match and their only other point on the road came at Rotherham (0-0) while they lost 2-0 at Hull.

Preston have made good progress in the Capital One Cup however with a 3-1 win at Crewe and shock 1-0 success over Premier League new boys Watford setting up a visit from another top flight side in Bournemouth next Tuesday.

This is North End’s first season in the Championship since 2011 when relegation ended an 11-year stay in the second tier.

The Football League’s first-ever champions are hoping to return to the top flight for the first time since 1961.

EVO FROM THE HALFWAY LINE

As mentioned earlier, this is Preston’s first visit since promotion day – a match the visiting fans turned into their annual Gentry Day, dressing up in smart clothes and bowler hats.

While that game will go down in Brentford folklore, another game against North End is one which is also always talked about – the September day in 1999 when Paul Evans scored his amazing goal from the halfway line!

Jon Macken had just equalised the Bees’ first half opener from Scott Partridge, who took the resultant kick-off and knocked the ball back to our captain. Evans took a touch, looked up and launched a deliberate shot from just inside our half which flew through the air, over helpless goalkeeper Teuvo Moilanen and into the net.

IN CHARGE

Simon Grayson is the 21st longest-serving manager in all four divisions and sixth longest in the Championship after becoming Preston’s fifth boss in four seasons in February 2013.

He has an amazing track record in League One having guided Blackpool, Leeds, Huddersfield and now Preston to promotion.

Grayson made more than 400 appearances in his playing career as a midfielder or full-back for Leeds, Leicester, Aston Villa, who paid £1.3m for his services, Blackburn, Sheffield Wednesday, Stockport, Notts County, Bradford City and Blackpool.

While at Leicester he collected a Coca-Cola Cup winners medal during the 1996/97 campaign in which he was also voted as the Foxes’ player of the season.

He retired from playing at the end of the 2005/06 campaign to focus fully on management at Bloomfield Road and took full charge the following season.

OPPOSITION VIEW

Simon Grayson is looking forward to this Saturday’s clash at Griffin Park.

He told his club’s official website: “We go to Griffin Park trying to build on our away performances so far this season, because we’ve played well.

“We got clean sheets against Rotherham and MK Dons, and we played well at Hull and just didn’t get the breaks that we could have done on another day.

“We will make it hard for them, but we need to make sure that we’re expressive and clinical at the other end of the pitch as well.

“We will be respectful of them, and how they are going to play. No matter what personnel they play, we understand how they are going to play, and we are going to go down there and try and get three points.”  

Midfielder Neil Kilkenny told the Lancashire Evening Post:  “Now we will see what Brentford have for us this weekend and we’ve been getting ready for that.

“From what we saw of them in the last couple of years, Brentford are a very good footballing side.

“I haven’t seen them this season yet but we have been doing some work on them in training.” 

SQUAD NEWS

Prolific striker Joe Garner will be hoping to end his scoring drought against us on Saturday.

Garner, top scorer in the regular League One season in 2014/15 with 25 goals, has failed to find the net so far in his nine Championship and Capital One Cup appearances – and we know that often means against us – although he has hit the woodwork in each of his last two games.

Manager Grayson told the Lancashire Evening Post: : “Things keep going against Joe but you know with him that he is going to keep working and will get there in the end.

“He has not had a barren run like this for a long time but he’ll be fine. When you look back at all the games, it is not a case of him not getting into the right areas.

“Every defender who has played against Joe this season will have known they have been in a game, regardless of him not having scored.”

Midfielder Paul Gallagher will be given as long as possible to recover from a calf injury which kept him out of North End’s two home games this week while striker Jordan Hugill and winger Kyel Reid will be included in the squad after injury lay-offs.

IAN WESTBROOK

@ianwestbrook

Post Boro Podcast

Drinking in Brentford

For Preston fans coming down, you are probably aware there plenty of pub options pre-match and all are most welcoming. Colours are fine and there is no ‘bouncer culture’ on the doors of our boozers – not yet anyway. All fans are welcome and most fans usually cite Brentford as their favourite away-day which we’re quite proud of.

As is etched in common folklore , there were four pubs around the ground – unfortunately one closed down last season but rumours has it, it has opened up again in the last couple of weeks or so. 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 is also popular with away fans. The Princess Royal is the other option. The Royal Oak was the one that closed down … it may be re-opened.

Other pubs slightly further afield for the more creative amongst you include (and this is by no means a definitive list) the  … The Globe (Windmill Rd) is the pub where the Preston Gentry convened last season – a very friendly pub indeed. The other boozer is The Lord Nelson (Enfield Rd)  – both incredibly friendly and cozy away-frienly pubs and 30 seconds walk from each other .. frequented by ‘away fans in the know’. Boro fans and Bees fans had one hell of a party before and after the match in both these boozers (despite us losing)- and The Plough (Northfields Ave – 1 minute walk from the tube) in Northfields is a decent stop-off if you are coming by tube to Northfields before making your way down to the ground (normally stopping off at The Globe and Lord Nelson en route on the Northfields pub crawl).

Easily the best way to Brentford is to get the Victoria line from Euston to Green Park and the Piccadilly line from Green Park to either Northfields or South Ealing (35 mins). Northfields is preferred by fans in the know as it has a decent pub crawl run on the way to the ground (Plough, Lord Nelson, Globe). South Ealing has one posh pub en route that doesn’t really like football fans so we won’t even give it a mention here. It’s 20 mins walk from either South Ealing OR Northfields to the ground or you can get the E2 bus from Northfields or 65 bus from South Ealing for the short 5 minute journey.

Some fans prefer to take the tube to Vauxhall then get the overground to Brentford mainline station. Depending on your connection time, this could be a slightly longer route as you could be waiting for up to 15 mins for a train and the train takes 26 mins to Brentford. Including your connection from Kings Cross this journey could take you the best part of an hour as opposed to under 40 minutes (plus the journey to the ground).

If you do take this route, there is also a pub right by Brentford station always referred to as … er …  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. Great views over The Thames. It’s around 15 mins walk to the ground from here.

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 Rd or Windmill Rd.