After the Walsall game I thought I would have a look at the Griffin Park Grapevine, for the first time this season. So I asked Peter G. to print me off the previous couple of weeks, which he did. Having read it I think there are some things to be said even if it`s only to clarify one or two misconceptions.
First of all I went to Spain after the victory against Bournemouth. You all know my young son was going to school in Spain this year because I told all of you a number of times last season and even thought I might live there this year. Depending on what is happening with him at his school I may have to go a number of times this season or at least my wife will have to. It`s a simple choice, travel backwards and forwards during the season a few times or stay there permanently. I chose the former but if the Brentford fans preferred I stay there it can be arranged. I don`t want to be anywhere I`m not welcome.
As for Ray Lewington, he does a superb job as First Team Coach and/or Assistant Manager - call him what you like. Ray has managed in almost every division and I have no hesitation in him being in charge of the team, in fact he likes it. What he doesn`t want to be is Manager, he doesn`t want the stress of being in charge or the responsibility and tells me he likes it the way it is. As two matches were won whilst I was away, even though we didn`t play well, it could be said that the change was successful.
I returned late Tuesday, we had just beaten Colchester, and the next day Wednesday was a day off for the players. I was at training on Thursday but away on business on Friday and I didn`t think it right to come back for one day and take over the team particularly as we had just won two games with Ray in charge. As it happened we played badly at Luton, but if we had won or drawn I might well have told Ray to continue the run at Port Vale. It`s not about who is in charge, it`s what`s in the best interest of BFC at the time. I took the decision to leave Ray in charge at Luton and I would do the same again. I also think he needs to be in charge for some matches as he enjoys his job more, so it suits everyone. If the fans don`t agree with that it`s unfortunate, but I manage the Club and it`s a management decision I make in the interest of BFC. In my view Brentford is lucky to have Ray Lewington and anyone who doubts his ability doesn`t know what they are tallking about (SB?).
I, after making the decision to leave Ray in charge, looked to see where I could go and I took my wife to see Sam and his wife at Cardiff. We had dined with them on returning from Spain and he had enquired about a number of our players and it suited me to have a look at what he had as well as looking at Mansfield. He had previously also made an enquiry for Lloyd which we had turned down with his agreement.
We watched the game, I liked Legg and Bowen, and drove home. I sat next to Ian Butterworth during the second half who was being interviewed for the Assistant`s job and discussed most of the Cardiff`s players with himm during the game.
I`m not really interested in what Scouse Bee thinks, he doesn`t like the manager, or the coaches and thinks the players are overrated. His language is foul and I`m glad he was given the ultimatum.
I`m not standing down and continuing to fund, as I have no confidence in anyone else spending the Club`s money. If you want someone else to take over that`s fine, they can have the Club for the £850,000 it cost providing they are prepared to secure the overdraft of £2.5 million. This will include the Stadium which perhaps will dispel the notion that someone wants to buy it, or that I`m interested in building on it. I`m not interested in trying to make a profit out of BFC and the Stadium and players are worth considerably more than the liabilities. However I`m also not interested in funding the trading losses at £1.5 million per year and at the same time be slagged off by the so called fans who now do not turn up in sufficient numbers to justify a non league wage bill, never mind ours.
What really bugs me is that at the start of the season I was convinced I had put a squad together that could challenge to get into Division One. This, after a season of consolidation in Division Two when two of the promoted clubs got relegated and the third one struggled the whole year and survived on virtually the last day. Our injuries were abnormal - at one time a complete first eleven plus a number of younger players - yet the fans moan that the squad is too large, that we are not playing attractive football, the players aren`t good enough or the coaching staff aren`t, and I`ve reached the limit of my ability. Nobody seems to understand that the squad is large because half of them are unavailable, we cannot play attractive football when half our best players are injured, and because Boxall, Anderson and Powell are players with pace who are injured we are supposed to do something about it.How many more players are we supposed to sign, and bearing in mind everyone knows we were losing £1.5 million before the injuries, which I was funding, where are we supposed to find the money for more?
On top of all this of course, because we aren`t winning every week and playing attractive football the gates go down to 4,000 even when we are at home to the League leaders, which means another £20,000 per game in our forecasted gate receipts is lost. I thought when I came to the Club that it was a two way deal...I`ll put the money up and you support the team - but you haven`t done that, you`ve criticised everyone and everything whilst half the squad have been unavailable.
Even without them we have still picked up points, stayed in touch, and only lost three League games - the reserves only one. I`m extremely grateful for the 4,000 who still come but the knockers I think are blind to reality. Last Saturday`s performance showed that we have a good and capable squad. It`s such a pity that so few of the fans have so little faith, they don`t deserve good staff or good players.
There is also another reason why we don`t get crowds...our fans are dying according to an old director. Let`s face it this club hasn`t attracted any kids for twenty years and gates have always been going down.
Also I have no problem with the Board, we meet twice a year, without an argument that I can recall, which is another accusation on the web, and Ray and I are in complete agreement on almost everything - not seriously at odds with each other as you say.
If Evo leaves the pitch, Oli is skipper by the way.
We do not tell our midfield to play deep, in fact we change personnel if they are too deep because we tell everyone to push forward if we are in possession and we have spoken to them at length about the problems it creates for the rest of the team.
Javary incidentally was given time off to go home for the birth of his first child, a son - he was away for ten days and needed extra training to get back in contention. He did two training sessions with Geoff Taylor and the Juniors on the day we went to Port Vale. He wanted to and I okayed it.
I cannot believe anyone prefers Simon Marsh to Gibbo.
Crowe was injured and unavailable for the Port Vale game where we gave two players their first start, yet still got a point. Marshall wasn`t injured but came off so we could change the formation.
I think I`ve answered all the points that were worth answering in the period that I read. If I`ve missed anything it`s because I didn`t consider it worth replying to. You wanted me to be honest with you, well I have been - you may not agree with me but that is just your opinion instead of mine which is what football is all about.
I`m not fed up and losing interest. If I had to say what I feel at present, which I don`t, it would be that I`m disappointed. I`m disappointed because I thought I could do great things at Brentford, better perhaps than many of these so called other Managers, but the gates are appalling. The only future is in a new ground unless another three thousand people turn up each week. I`ve spent money on players and when they are all fit you will see that we have a great squad and good enough to go up. But they may not come back in time for this season`s promotion race.
I don`t believe we`ve had the support promised and I feel sorry for the true Brentford supporter who deserves to see the job done and the Club in Division One.
We have got the staff and the players to do it, but we will not be able to keep them unless the gates improve.
Ron Noades
