Aspirations for next season....

[Cheeky Monkey]

Every club has it's idiots, but in the main our fans are 'proper' as you say, unlike the majority at Fulham, Chelsea and QPR.

Absolutely. Your fans are about as genuine as they get (see also Tranmere Rovers), eschewing the glory road for their true local team. Let's hope the new stadium will drag some of the plastics in and away from the likes of Chelsea, QPR etc.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Hi Brentford.

Glad you have a new stadium. Numerous of us had to relieve ourselves against the fencing at Griffin a few years ago owing to inadequatre facilities. Hope that will be a thing of the past in the new.

Yes, nice club. Annoyingly victorious over us too many times in the last 15 years . . . Lol.

As for predictions, no idea. My gut says we will finish top, and you mid table. Usually I don't let my gut do my thinking for me . . .

 

[West Hoathly Seagull]

Absolutely. Your fans are about as genuine as they get (see also Tranmere Rovers), eschewing the glory road for their true local team. Let's hope the new stadium will drag some of the plastics in and away from the likes of Chelsea, QPR etc.

Having spent part of my life in Kew, I have quite a bit of affection for Brentford. I like to think that if we had stayed there rather than coming back to Sussex, I would have passed over the delights of Chelsea and supported my local team.

 

[BrentfordFanInPeace]

I would hope for top ten as a minimum, though we have a large rebuilding job to do and if we do sign the number of new players most of us think we need to, it will take a while for the team to settle. To reach the Play Offs will be a big task this time. Our rise has been exceptional since we've been at the Amex (and in our last season at Withdean as well). In some ways our progress has been too fast, so expectations are now very high. Fourth in 2012-2013, whatever the disappointment against Palace, was way beyond my expectations, and Oscar did well to get us to sixth with our injuries last season, though the football was as dull as dishwater at times.

For yourselves, it depends on how good a start you get I think. I thought Bournemouth would struggle, yet they clearly had a good squad, along with one of the brightest young managers in the game, even though I find him rather annoying. Yeovil started reasonably, getting one or two notable results, such as beating Forest at home and getting a 0-0 draw against us (though we were utterly dire that day), then predictably faded and struggled, eventually getting relegated. I didn't think you would get promoted after losing Rosler - I had hoped we might poach him off you (though TB tends not to go for managers in work), but this Warburton chap seems to be a real find. What was he before? Youth team coach? Academy? Your problem could be losing him if you start well. I don't know anything about Will Grigg, but I remember when we last played you in 2011 wishing we could sign Richard Lee off you. He had a stormer of a night, saving a certain goal from Glenn Murray, who was on red hot form for us that season and a Barnes penalty which was by no means a poor one. What happened to him? I also wish you well with the new stadium - the entrance and exit from Griffin Park's away end seems to have potential for a serious crush.

Warburton was an average non-league footballer, and his son plays in the Canadian second division I believe, so he's not a natural. He actually took a 90% pay cut from working in the city, and began a career in football as a youth coach. He used to travel abroad a lot and watch foreign clubs train such as Ajax, Inter Milan and Valencia, trying to figure out what things English coaching was missing. He made a lot of friends doing this and as a result our youth teams have played and beaten Inter Milan, Feyenoord and AZ Alkmaar as well as CSKA Moscow in the Milk Cup hosted in Ireland. He spent time with some of the best football minds in the world along with out now academy director Ose Aibangee. He spent time in America also before becoming head of the academy at the very successful youth academy of Watford. He then became became part of the set up at Brentford and when we sacked the dire Andy Scott, he applied for the job but instead we opted for Uwe Rosler, with Warburton the Sporting Director. So he would source most of our signings and take some training sessions, but wasn't really 'hands-on' as we also had an assistant manager. When Rosler left for Wigan with his assistant, the simple choice was Warburton, didn't change much, knew the players, but tweaked things here and there, has utilised his links to get Liverpool's former Academy chief as our sporting director and the very respected David Weir as assistant manager.

Richard Lee was brilliant in 10/11, stopped everton single handedly in the CC and saved three pens in a row vs Charlton in the JPT but lost his place to the very good Simon Moore, who unfortunately took a big money move to Cardiff that hasn't really worked out, and with the money we got for him we signed David Button, former spurs keeper, who - after a shaky start has been very good for us, whilst Lee has struggled with injury, but he's still a very good keeper whom we are lucky to have as he's walk in to any bottom half championship team no problem.

 

[BrentfordFanInPeace]

Absolutely. Your fans are about as genuine as they get (see also Tranmere Rovers), eschewing the glory road for their true local team. Let's hope the new stadium will drag some of the plastics in and away from the likes of Chelsea, QPR etc.

That's the idea, although if QPR get their new stadium and play in the prem when it happens, I think our hoopy neighbours may (sadly) enjoy the plastic's custom for many years to come

 

[BrentfordFanInPeace]

Having spent part of my life in Kew, I have quite a bit of affection for Brentford. I like to think that if we had stayed there rather than coming back to Sussex, I would have passed over the delights of Chelsea and supported my local team.

It's been hard for even the most die-hard Brentford fans to keep the faith over the years in all honesty, I'm so grateful that my generation barely saw any of the hard times, and we're getting to see the end product of so much loyalty, hard work and dedication.

 

[BrentfordFanInPeace]

Hi Brentford.

Glad you have a new stadium. Numerous of us had to relieve ourselves against the fencing at Griffin a few years ago owing to inadequatre facilities. Hope that will be a thing of the past in the new.

Yes, nice club. Annoyingly victorious over us too many times in the last 15 years . . . Lol.

As for predictions, no idea. My gut says we will finish top, and you mid table. Usually I don't let my gut do my thinking for me . . .

Griffin Park may be falling apart but it's one of the last of it's kind, with proper terracing, right in the town, surrounded by boozers and close to the pitch, proper atmoshpere. Take the opportunity to visit the away while you still can!

 

[GoldWithFalmer]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/20980190 there's the link I was referring to.

Obviously, the club seems in good shape, I was just interested to see whether this meteoric rise with the promotion in 10/11 was without it's bumps along the way.
Don't get me started on Parachute payments and FFP!

That £8m swelled to £14m the following year!!!

The thing is Brighton have been re born 3 times since we left the Goldstone,we have been insulated from modern footballuntil we got Falmer somewhat,then bang it was upon us,we will still have a few bumps,twists and turns yet,and if we slacken our attitude and think we are ok and every thing is roses,we will be at risk,just as to be honest the whole of football is right now,of collapsing like a stack of cards.

 

[BrentfordFanInPeace]

For those interested, our manager also founded the Next-gen series, which is like an u-19 Champions League, with Europe's top clubs competing. It is said that when he won Manager of the month, he received congratulations from people at clubs all over the world from Boca Juniors to Barcelona.

 

[BrentfordFanInPeace]

That £8m swelled to £14m the following year!!!

The thing is Brighton have been re born 3 times since we left the Goldstone,we have been insulated from modern footballuntil we got Falmer somewhat,then bang it was upon us,we will still have a few bumps,twists and turns yet,and if we slacken our attitude and think we are ok and every thing is roses,we will be at risk,just as to be honest the whole of football is right now,of collapsing like a stack of cards.

That's true. Out of curiosity, who has bank rolled the current success?

 

[West Hoathly Seagull]

Annoyingly victorious over us too many times in the last 15 years . . . Lol.

Ah yes, the two dreadful 4-0s. At the time of the second one, in October 2003, I was going down with a flu bug, but I was determined to go, as I had bought a ticket. I crawled back to my flat, having left at 65 minutes (okay, bad fan, but I felt absolutely ghastly, and it was obvious we weren't getting back into the game). I crawled back to my flat, made it into work the next day, but only made it to midday, and then took 3 days off sick. Needless to say, I didn't tell my boss what I had been doing the night before.

 

[Cheeky Monkey]

For those interested, our manager also founded the Next-gen series, which is like an u-19 Champions League, with Europe's top clubs competing. It is said that when he won Manager of the month, he received congratulations from people at clubs all over the world from Boca Juniors to Barcelona.

Your manager is an amazing bloke. Had total preconceptions of him just being some thicko wide boy in the Steve Evans mould based purely on seeing him interviewed post match on TFLS....and then I heard him talking about his successful career in the city and giving it all up to take a punt on football management etc. on Talkshite a few months back - how wrong can you be! Very inspirational for anyone who has a dream. If he ever gets tired of football he can always front a Frankie Goes To Hollywood tribute band.

 

[GoldWithFalmer]

That's true. Out of curiosity, who has bank rolled the current success?

Well,the fans play their part of course,the real finance from the wealthy Tony Bloom (a fan) and his family,been Brighton since the 1930's,they are fans,Dick Knight chairman from 1997 to 2011 yet another fan....

 

[BrentfordFanInPeace]

Your manager is an amazing bloke. Had total preconceptions of him just being some thicko wide boy in the Steve Evans mould based purely on seeing him interviewed post match on TFLS....and then I heard him talking about his successful career in the city and giving it all up to take a punt on football management etc. on Talkshite a few months back - how wrong can you be! Very inspirational for anyone who has a dream. If he ever gets tired of football he can always front a Frankie Goes To Hollywood tribute band.

He really is, although he's not proven at this level or any professional level as manager over a long period of time - and if it does go to plan, someone else may want to poach him off of us with lots of money.

As for the whole preconception thing, many of our own fans had similar ones - he had no managerial experience, and didn't even have a wikipedia page - and he was the man to get us up to the second tier for the first time in 21 years! However, the infrastructure we have here is top end Championship level, some premiership qualities, so we always had faith. What I'm worried about, is that for a lot of people at the club, getting over the line was supposed to be the hardest part, and success would follow without doubt, but looking at some of the clubs in the championship, I know we have a battle on our hands to maintain our status, hopefully the management don't underestimate the task ahead. Although it seemed easy enough for you lot!

 

[BrentfordFanInPeace]

Well,the fans play their part of course,the real finance from the wealthy Tony Bloom (a fan) and his family,been Brighton since the 1930's,they are fans,Dick Knight chairman from 1997 to 2011 yet another fan....

That's interesting, likewise we have a wealthy fan owner, which I like because they won't **** the club over for cash. I also like that our owner doesn't let his passion of the club get in the way, and whilst he has his visions for the club, he leaves the running of it to professionals and stays out of the limelight. Is your Mr Bloom the same? We also had Greg Dyke as chairman until recently who has been a fan since he was a boy.

The similarities between our clubs frighten me, hopefully we can be as successful at this level as you have been...

 

[GoldWithFalmer]

That's interesting, likewise we have a wealthy fan owner, which I like because they won't **** the club over for cash. I also like that our owner doesn't let his passion of the club get in the way, and whilst he has his visions for the club, he leaves the running of it to professionals and stays out of the limelight. Is your Mr Bloom the same? We also had Greg Dyke as chairman until recently who has been a fan since he was a boy.

The similarities between our clubs frighten me, hopefully we can be as successful at this level as you have been...

Pretty much,but when required he will go public,he does travel with the fans to games away on occasion...

Thing is nobody really knew we had the investment within our own so to speak....

We had gained planning permission,that was Dick Knight's doing,and a financial plan was in place and then...a recession kicked in and well Bloom bailed us out-amazing..

My old man said in the mid 90s.....nobody has come in for Brighton and nobody will...

I said they would,but like anything,why throw good money after bad? when the time is right,the 2nd richest county in England will produce something,surly.

Anyway lastly,you will hear a lot about attendances on here.

well Brentfords all time best is 38,678 Brightons 36,747 anyway.......so there you have it..Brenford are the bigger club folks

 

[algie]

My honest opinion is that you will do very well to stay up. Rotherham on the other hand i believe will be more likely to finish in the top 10 under Evans. Horrible manager but a very good one.

Good luck anyway can't wait to visit Griffin park again.

 

[RexCathedra]

Brentford will stay up, because eventually every team with a B will wind up in the Championship, just to generate maximum confusion. (There are 13 of them, IIRC).

 

[BrentfordFanInPeace]

Pretty much,but when required he will go public,he does travel with the fans to games away on occasion...

Thing is nobody really knew we had the investment within our own so to speak....

We had gained planning permission,that was Dick Knight's doing,and a financial plan was in place and then...a recession kicked in and well Bloom bailed us out-amazing..

My old man said in the mid 90s.....nobody has come in for Brighton and nobody will...

I said they would,but like anything,why throw good money after bad? when the time is right,the 2nd richest county in England will produce something,surly.

Anyway lastly,you will hear a lot about attendances on here.

well Brentfords all time best is 38,678 Brightons 36,747 anyway.......so there you have it..Brenford are the bigger club folks

Recession hit us similarly, our development partner Barrats originally owned the land and bailed when the recession hit, but our owner Matthew Benham sorted it.

As for Attendances, we'll probably average about 9,000 next season. That's a good 17,000 less than you! Amazing figures.

 

[BrentfordFanInPeace]

My honest opinion is that you will do very well to stay up. Rotherham on the other hand i believe will be more likely to finish in the top 10 under Evans. Horrible manager but a very good one.

Good luck anyway can't wait to visit Griffin park again.

We were a level above Rotherham last year (although we lost to them twice with awful performances) and Evans has never had a team that didn't have a relatively big budget. We'll see, I agree we'll do well to stay up.

And yes, relish your last (hopefully last two unless you go up) visit(s) to GP. Great ground.