The passage of time in Wellington and elsewhere
From the BBC:
“Brentford finished third in the table, one place above Fulham on goal difference, and won both league meetings during the regular campaign.
If they fail to win, the Bees will have taken part in more unsuccessful play-off campaigns in the English Football League than any other club, with this their ninth attempt.”
The Bees struggled early on in the Dane’s reign but this modest club now stand one game away from the Premier League
Mon 3 Aug 2020 08.00 BSTLast modified on Tue 4 Aug 2020 04.37 BST
It was long after the final whistle at Griffin Park last Wednesday, and a little before David Raya and Sergi Canós carved up the goal net to take a patch as a souvenir from the stadium’s last competitive game. The Brentford owner, Matthew Benham, was taking penalties at the Ealing Road end, trying to replicate Marcello Trotta’s infamous stoppage-time miss against Doncaster in 2013, when the striker smacked the crossbar before James Coppinger tapped in at the other end to extinguish any hope of automatic promotion from League One. Seven years on, the magnitude of the prize at stake is incomparable.
A day of history? One way or another- yes.
It seems almost ridiculous to be thinking of Brentford playing in the top flight- the Premier League as it is now. For all those years of 3rd and 4th tier football, remembering gong to GF as a kid when the style was limited and understanding the risk to the club’s survival: it seems unreal that they are in such a position.
At the beginning of the season to be in the play-offs was considered a good result. That they had the chance to take automatic promotion was amazing- though clearly did not work out. However, you cannot complain as the level of achievement is above what was expected.
I can remembering asking my dad many years ago if he could see Brentford reaching the FA Cup final. I think he laughed at the thought. This is clearly bigger than that. Dreamlike. The lads talked in the pub on the last Saturday of the season game when a win against Stoke could have gone a long way to achieving promotion. We laughed at the ridiculous thought of the Bees entertaining the likes of Liverpool and Man U. at home. Something previously considered mad but now not so far away.
90 minutes against west London rivals Fulham. A great way to go about it.
At the same time as saying ‘COYB’- there is still the nagging fear of what happens to smaller clubs who are promoted and whether they manage to survive intact in the future. I have that fear though think they re more likely to enjoy their time in the sun, lose, but take the money.