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After a difficult few days, Brentford’s week looks unlikely to get any easier with Burnley the third visitors to Griffin Park in six days on Friday.

The Bees’ improved performance against Middlesbrough on Tuesday provides some hope, but we come up against a Clarets side fresh from a thumping 5-0 win at MK Dons – and containing one Andre Gray up front.

Andre – who we sold to Burnley for a reported £9m in August – has continued to enhance his reputation at Turf Moor with 14 goals in 21 Championship matches, including his first hat-trick at this level against Bristol City at the end of December.

The 24-year-old was our top scorer last season with 16 league goals in 43 starts and two substitute appearances and two more in the cups.

And he was on target again at stadium:mk on Tuesday despite suffering a broken finger in training last Friday.

That victory took the Clarets up to fourth in the table – four points behind second-placed Derby and three clear of seventh-placed Sheffield Wednesday.

It was also their second successive win, following last Saturday’s 2-1 FA Cup triumph at Middlesbrough, and took their unbeaten league run to three matches.

The Clarets have won four of their 13 away Championship games this season, and drawn six, with their other successes coming at Bristol City (2-1) in August and Rotherham (2-1) and local rivals Blackburn (1-0) in October.

Sean Dyche’s side is bidding to return to the Premier League at the first time of asking to continue their yo-yo existence between the top two divisions.

Promoted as Championship runners-up in 2014, they suffered immediate relegation last season which is what happened last time they went up to the Premier League, via the play-offs, in 2009.

That 2009/10 campaign was Burnley’s 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!

WE’VE MET BEFORE

Burnley have not been regular visitors to Griffin Park in recent years and tonight is their first league visit since Easter Monday 2000.

On that day, Lloyd Owusu put us ahead just before the interval but John Mullin equalised on the hour mark and then Ian Wright, yes that Ian Wright, put them ahead.

Mullin hit his second in the 76th minute before Scott Marshall grabbed a last-minute consolation for us.

Their last visit in any competition was in a rare FA Cup fourth round appearance for us in January 2003. Our run was comprehensively ended as second half goals from Robbie Blake, Paul Cook and Glen Little took Burnley through to a fifth round tie with Fulham.

The Clarets won that in a replay before losing to Watford in the quarter-finals.

Our last win over Burnley at Griffin Park came in their previous visit 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.

One of our most memorable moments against Burnley came in October 1999 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.

In our first meeting this season back in August, Michael Keane’s 26th minute goal was enough to give the Clarets their first victory of the season in their fourth league match.

IN CHARGE

Sean Dyche is the 11th longest-serving manager in the Premier and Football Leagues, and third longest-serving in the Championship, having been appointed by Burnley to replace Eddie Howe in October 2012.

Dyche 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 – 11th in the Championship.

During an 18-year playing career, Dyche 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 with who Dyche won promotion – the others being Bristol City, Millwall and Northampton while he also played for Luton and Watford.

OPPOSITION VIEW

Burnley manager Sean Dyche told Burnley PlayerHD that he felt Brentford were unfortunate not to get some sort of result against Middlesbrough on Tuesday.

Looking at that and the Bees’ season so far, he said: “A change of manager usually brings a stimulus and it was a close affair against Middlesbrough.

“Brentford were on the front foot and tried very hard to get something from that game and were probably a bit unlucky if the truth be known.

“They’re a team that have learned from last year and have settled down after a tough beginning to the season. This seems to be a more settled period for them another challenge.”

Looking at Andre Gray’s return to Griffin Park, Dyche added: “Brentford was an important part of his past, but it is his past. He knows where his future is, he knows where the now is and it’s here at Burnley and he’s enjoying that.”

Dyche added on the Burnley website: “He has been accepted here with open arms, which is important. I don’t just mean in the camp, but also the people of Burnley, who have taken to him.”

Full-back Stephen Ward also spoke to the Clarets website ahead of the match and said: “We’ve done our homework on Brentford and we’re expecting a tough test, but we go with confidence and looking to get another win on the board.”

SQUAD NEWS

Burnley have had a fairly settled side in the Championship this season with four ever-presents in their 26 games and seven other players who have been involved in at least 20 matches.

Goalkeeper Tom Heaton, central defenders Michael Keane and Ben Mee and midfielder Scott Arfield are the men who have played in every match.

The other regulars have been versatile defender Michael Duff, back in the squad after injury, right-back Tendayi Darikwa, who has recently lost his place to Matthew Lowton, midfielders George Boyd and David Jones and strikers Sam Vokes and ex-Bee Andre Gray.

The final one is midfielder Matthew Taylor – although 19 of his 20 appearances have come from the bench.

Experienced midfielder Joey Barton has also only missed a handful of matches, and scored his first goal for the club at MK Dons in midweek, while striker Rouwen Hemmings has often been used as a substitute.

The club have two long-term absentees who are recovering from cruciate ligament injuries in strikers Ashley Barnes and Lukas Jutkiewicz.

IAN WESTBROOK

@ianwestbrook

Drinking in Brentford

For Burnley fans coming down, you are probably aware there are 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 until a few weeks ago – unfortunately one closed down to leave only three now. 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).

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 Beesotted fanzine main pub – a very friendly pub indeed. The other boozer is The Lord Nelson (Enfield Rd)  – both incredibly friendly and cosy away-friendly 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 last season’s league 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 Piccadilly Line from King’s Cross 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 five-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 minutes for a train and the train takes 26 mins to Brentford. Including your connection from King’s 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 minutes 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 Road (ie. North) via Ealing Road or Windmill Road.