BillytheBee reflects on the weekend’s result … The trip down The Thames … And how much the win against Orient meant to long suffering Brentford fans
Having had time to reflect on the weekend’s results (and notice I use results in the plural), I now firmly believe the tables have finally turned in The Bees’ favour.
Brentford rarely deliver on the big day. OK, we’ve had a couple of promotions from the lower echelons of the football league. But when it rarely matters, Brentford have had a tendency to not quite get over the finish line. And that, coupled with a lot of bad luck, has made life being a Brentford fan fairly miserable on the pitch …
But that has made us fans even stronger off the pitch. A togetherness and camaraderie has been developed by the fans from years of trudging to places like Wrexham and Oldham on a cold Tuesday night for the cause. And now, it’s starting to really show.
The really embraces what Brentford is all about. And 2600 absolutely potty for it Brentford fans, including a 350 person flotilla sailing up the Thames (), made their way to Orient on Saturday despite the early kick off and the lure of watching the game in comfort on TV.
So on Saturday, when Trotta’s shot bulged in the back of the net just before half time, did we celebrate like we’d won the FA Cup? You’re damned right we did. Coz everyone in that stadium, including the petulant Russell Slade, knew how important that goal was to the outcome of this whole season for both teams. He tried to give Orient importance by insinuating how far they have come as a team that we celebrated so much against “little olde Orient”. With all due respect Mr Slade, we would have celebrated with the same vigour if it was Manchester United or Hartlepool – your comments making it just that little bit sweeter.
But the Orient result wasn’t the only big result of the weekend for Brentford. When on Friday morning the Secretary of State’s office announced that they had give the thumbs up to Brentford’s new stadium I thought to myself “That was impeccable timing”. If anything was going to happen on Friday to give the Orient game more relevance, it was this. If there was anything to give the players an extra boost for Saturday it was this. The Right Honourable Eric Pickles MP teed the ball up. It was up to the Brentford team to get it into the back of the net. And that’s exactly what they did.
And to top it up, on Sunday Brentford then go on to win the community club of the year award and Adam Forshaw picks up League 1 Player of the Year.
It’s not about today. It’s all about the future.
Good news comes not in ones and twos. But in fours for Brentford now. My my .. how things have changed.
We’ve been around long enough now to know that we have by no means finished the job. There is plenty more work to do. However, to coin a cliche, you don’t become a bad team overnight. And beating Orient was a HUGE step forward in our quest for promotion. We all know that.
We still have hard games to come against teams like Coventry, Rotherham, Franchise FC (aka MK Dons), Sheffield Utd and Preston. But to be fair to Brentford, we seem to play a lot better against teams who actually try and play football than your Shrewsbury’s and Carlisle and, dare I say it, Stevenages of the world.
So with any luck … By the time we come to play our bogey team Stevenage on the last day of the season, we will have things all wrapped up. Because surely this is … For christ’s sake …. The new Brentford ….?
Surely ….??
Come On You Bees
BillytheBee
@billythebee99
Funny how we see things differently. I didn’t think Orient were dirty, and thought there were two teams trying to play. It was a great game, atmosphere and credit to the division, two good sides going at each other.
Great video, but just to add, yes please. A special edition of our funniest fanzine (no disprespect Dave or Nick) Voice of the Beehive! Great idea!
Brilliant article.