April 3rd, 1953

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RodBee

RodBee
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April 3rd, 1953

On this date in 1953 my parents took me to my first Brentford game at seven years old!

It was on Good Friday and a 0-0 draw with Swansea Town (as they then were) in front of a crowd of 18,000.

A dull draw for most but for me a day of great excitement without realising that it was to be followed by years of bad times and worse until Matthew Benham took the reins and we are now deservedly in the Premier League and not being disgraced.

During my 70 years of home and away support I have seen us play first team games against 129 different teams and away to 118 clubs!

I am fortunate to have met some great friends through this great club and am immensely proud to be a memberof the 'Brentford Family' with my son and three of my grandsons and one grand-daughter (the other supports Millwall!!).

Thanks to the Club and fans for giving me so many memories over these years.
 

April 3rd, 1953

Your memory is impressive. My father took me to my 1st game at GP a year later as a 4 year old in 1954. Can't recall who we played against but do recall how crowded it seemed to be.
I returned the favour to both my daughter and nephew, taking them to GP when they were 4 years old too.
Daughter became a ST holder , nephew a total failure and supports some team in London whom we beat 2 - 0 on the opening day last season.
 

April 3rd, 1953

RodBee said:
On this date in 1953 my parents took me to my first Brentford game at seven years old!

It was on Good Friday and a 0-0 draw with Swansea Town (as they then were) in front of a crowd of 18,000.

A dull draw for most but for me a day of great excitement without realising that it was to be followed by years of bad times and worse until Matthew Benham took the reins and we are now deservedly in the Premier League and not being disgraced.

During my 70 years of home and away support I have seen us play first team games against 129 different teams and away to 118 clubs!

I am fortunate to have met some great friends through this great club and am immensely proud to be a memberof the 'Brentford Family' with my son and three of my grandsons and one grand-daughter (the other supports Millwall!!).

Thanks to the Club and fans for giving me so many memories over these years.
Click to expand...
Lovely words and thanks for making me feel young.?
 

April 3rd, 1953

My uncle took me to my first game, 58/9 season, I think. Gran lived in Kew and you could hear the crowd from her house.My uncle was a Chelsea supporter having been friends with their goals at the time. I was 6 or 7 and also remember what seemed to be a huge crowd and he lifted me up onto the concrete base of one of the floodlight pylons. The other team were blue and white and I think it must have been Colchester Utd. We won 2-1 or 2-0, and I was hooked and have supported the Bees through thick and thin ever since and really enjoying the thick right now other than the difficulty in bringing my family to games. My 6 year old granddaughter who lives in West Yorkshire is pleading to come along, but will have to be an away game first, possibly Leeds if they don't go down next season. My three grandkids in Dunedin N.Z. are also Bees supporters, although rugby more dominant out there.
 

April 3rd, 1953

grepo said:
My uncle took me to my first game, 58/9 season, I think. Gran lived in Kew and you could hear the crowd from her house.My uncle was a Chelsea supporter having been friends with their goals at the time. I was 6 or 7 and also remember what seemed to be a huge crowd and he lifted me up onto the concrete base of one of the floodlight pylons. The other team were blue and white and I think it must have been Colchester Utd. We won 2-1 or 2-0, and I was hooked and have supported the Bees through thick and thin ever since and really enjoying the thick right now other than the difficulty in bringing my family to games. My 6 year old granddaughter who lives in West Yorkshire is pleading to come along, but will have to be an away game first, possibly Leeds if they don't go down next season. My three grandkids in Dunedin N.Z. are also Bees supporters, although rugby more dominant out there.
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Sorry Grepo. The floodlight pylons and their bases were not there then. The lights were on the Breamar and New Road roofs. He must have lifted you onto something else!
 

April 3rd, 1953

RodBee said:
A dull draw for most but for me a day of great excitement without realising that it was to be followed by years of bad times and worse until Matthew Benham took the reins and we are now deservedly in the Premier League and not being disgraced.
Click to expand...
I know there have been some low points during that time but that’s over 50 years worth of ‘bad times and worse’! ?
 

April 3rd, 1953

BEEcool said:
I know there have been some low points during that time but that’s over 50 years worth of ‘bad times and worse’! ?
Click to expand...
I suppose we can dress it up how we like but I've done about 57 seasons with 12 in the 4th tier and a lot of nondescript seasons at the 3rd level. There have been few cup runs, and significant failures to turn up on big days. The last ten years more than make up for the rest though. I have enjoyed it all but, until MB took over we were serial non-achievers.
 

April 3rd, 1953

ruislip bee said:
Sorry Grepo. The floodlight pylons and their bases were not there then. The lights were on the Breamar and New Road roofs. He must have lifted you onto something else!
Click to expand...
It was definitely a concrete block of some sorts and in one of the corners but no idea which end. I always imagined that it was supporting a floodlight but my memory from 64 years ago, and at an impressionable age, is not so clear. Pretty sure it was Colchester and that we won scoring two goals.
 

April 3rd, 1953

RodBee said:
On this date in 1953 my parents took me to my first Brentford game at seven years old!

It was on Good Friday and a 0-0 draw with Swansea Town (as they then were) in front of a crowd of 18,000.

A dull draw for most but for me a day of great excitement without realising that it was to be followed by years of bad times and worse until Matthew Benham took the reins and we are now deservedly in the Premier League and not being disgraced.

During my 70 years of home and away support I have seen us play first team games against 129 different teams and away to 118 clubs!

I am fortunate to have met some great friends through this great club and am immensely proud to be a memberof the 'Brentford Family' with my son and three of my grandsons and one grand-daughter (the other supports Millwall!!).

Thanks to the Club and fans for giving me so many memories over these years.
Click to expand...
 

April 3rd, 1953

ruislip bee said:
Sorry Grepo. The floodlight pylons and their bases were not there then. The lights were on the Breamar and New Road roofs. He must have lifted you onto something else!
Click to expand...
Think it may have been around 1962/3 when the pylon floodlights
were erected, remember seeing a picture in Richmond & Twickenham times,
and being surprised when I realised we had one on each corner ?.
I was only ten ?
 

April 3rd, 1953

I was about the same year.but probably a reserve game,in those days there were decent attendances,especially when they played Arsenal,Spurs etc and when the game finished most stayed to hear over the tannoy what the score was in the away first team fixture,then wait at Twickenham station for the train to come from London at about 6pm with the evening newspapers which had the other results.
 

April 3rd, 1953

kenbee said:
I was about the same year.but probably a reserve game,in those days there were decent attendances,especially when they played Arsenal,Spurs etc and when the game finished most stayed to hear over the tannoy what the score was in the away first team fixture,then wait at Twickenham station for the train to come from London at about 6pm with the evening newspapers which had the other results.
Click to expand...
I used to go to reserve games in the mid-60s until the reserves were dispensed with. I also used to go to Midweek League games in the early 80s which involved clearing out of my office early afternoon and meeting fellow Bee Nigel Brooks in one of the four pubs. Being suited and booted meant we were often thought to be scouts or representatives of other clubs and we perpetuated this fallacy in conversations at the games.
 

April 3rd, 1953

Wise old Bee said:
I used to go to reserve games in the mid-60s until the reserves were dispensed with. I also used to go to Midweek League games in the early 80s which involved clearing out of my office early afternoon and meeting fellow Bee Nigel Brooks in one of the four pubs. Being suited and booted meant we were often thought to be scouts or representatives of other clubs and we perpetuated this fallacy in conversations at the games.
Click to expand...
If B team games were played at the Gtech I would go to quite a few of them. When they played at GP there was always a good crowd. Even using local non-league grounds would probably be better.
 

April 3rd, 1953

Wise old Bee said:
I used to go to reserve games in the mid-60s until the reserves were dispensed with. I also used to go to Midweek League games in the early 80s which involved clearing out of my office early afternoon and meeting fellow Bee Nigel Brooks in one of the four pubs. Being suited and booted meant we were often thought to be scouts or representatives of other clubs and we perpetuated this fallacy in conversations at the games.
Click to expand...
I used to see Nigel at various pubs (Castle, Red Lion, Rose and Crown) as well as at GP. Not seen him in years though. Wonder what happened to him.
 

April 3rd, 1953

ruislip bee said:
I used to see Nigel at various pubs (Castle, Red Lion, Rose and Crown) as well as at GP. Not seen him in years though. Wonder what happened to him.
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Still about, still a Bee but no longer attends. He has had some mobility issues in recent years requiring surgeries. His son is still at games. I hope to get him to LR one day!
 

April 3rd, 1953

Those were the days.....when I was fitter and younger.....Torquay on friday night....Argyll on saturday....Easter time as well....You Reds...
 
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