Sleeping Giants

[Ewok]

I just can't get over the reasons behind Fulham's success. It's not resentment or bitterness because as I said, I don't want what Fulham have had, but Fayed just picked a club in West London at random to use as his plaything. He held no affection for the club. Could have just as easily been us, QPR or Chelsea. And if it had been us, we'd be exactly where Fulham are now. It's not their success, it's his success. I'd still be a Bee but I'd feel so detached from BFC if the dirty old man had given us their recent history.

Benham is one of us. He's stood on the terraces with us, he's travelled all over the country to support the lads and now he's giving something back. He's doing it because he loves the club. His investment is for all the right reasons, unlike Fayed.

Well you may be right but I doubt Fulham fans care. You may not like it if the same happened to us but I would love it and so would the 20,000 that are turning up at wembley.

I fear you lack ambition - if we all had your attitude we'll always be little Brentford. The worse thing is that you seem to expect us to be grateful for that.

 

[LingfieldBee]

We're a club with potential, maybe not giants, but I would say a established Championship club. Reasons being we are nicely located despite being surrounded by Chelsea, Fulham, QPR and Reading down the M4. Are location is London, there is a lot of people located/living in a 10/15mile radius of GP, and if we were able to tap into it there is no reason why our hardcore fanbase couldnt turn into 8/10k. We just need a little bit of succes, 3rd April being the start and building on that next season, under Coppel we had 7k/9k at most of our games.
I think the most important thing is that we have the right people now in the boardroom who are ambitious and want success for this club.
Lionel Road seems a far off now, but with some redevelopment to GP wouldnt be so bad for now.

Im 21 now, and i'd like to think by the time im 31 we could have become a established Championship club, thats only 10 years sounds quite abit but really isnt. Ideally we'd need to get into the Championship next season or the one after. And have 7/8 seasons to establish ourselves.

 

[Sheerwater Bee]

I've been going to GP for the best part of 40 years. In all that time apart from one season we've been in the bottom two divisions. Potential, yes, but sleeeping giants I think not...........

 

[Kingston Bee]

I've been going to GP for the best part of 40 years. In all that time apart from one season we've been in the bottom two divisions. Potential, yes, but sleeeping giants I think not...........

Sleeping giants.....I think we are in a coma......

 

[Guildford Bee]

Im 21 now, and i'd like to think by the time im 31 we could have become a established Championship club, thats only 10 years sounds quite abit but really isnt. Ideally we'd need to get into the Championship next season or the one after. And have 7/8 seasons to establish ourselves.

I remember thinking the same thing at 21. I'm nearly 30 now.

 

[Ambrose_1889]

Well you may be right but I doubt Fulham fans care. You may not like it if the same happened to us but I would love it and so would the 20,000 that are turning up at wembley.

I fear you lack ambition - if we all had your attitude we'll always be little Brentford. The worse thing is that you seem to expect us to be grateful for that.

So we just accept all the things that are wrong with football if it means we benefit from it? Well I'm sorry if I don't see Premier League football as the be all and end all; in fact, I would say that what the Premier League stands for is so cynical and so far removed from what football's traditional values that I just have no desire to be a part of it. This is an organisation full of people happy to see clubs like us die. But we'll just forget the irreversible damage that Sky/Premier League have done to football if it means we get the chance to go to Old Trafford or White Hart Lane for £60... We ALL want success for Brentford but I don't want us to lose our identity within the PL/Sky money monopoly and for Brentford to stop being Brentford. I don't subscribe to the view of 'succeed at all costs'. You're happy to be priced out and for a Tarquin or Roland to be sitting in what was once your seat? This attitude saddens me. I really thought we were better than teams like Fulham/Man City/Notts County etc who moaned for years about their rivals buying success and contributing to the death of the game only to rejoice when they got (or thought they had got) a foreign sugar daddy of their own.

Don't tell me I lack ambition regarding BFC. I think I have more ambition about the club that a lot of posters on here. I understand just what a unique oppurtunity we have to finally progress under MB and reinvent ourselves as a forward thinking club rather than, as you say "little old Brentford". If we do a Blackpool and end up in the Premier League, then so be it. I want us to win every game so I can hardly argue with success. I'd enjoy the success. Just as I'm happy we're taking over 20k to Wembley, despite knowing half don't even support Brentford and won't be seen again for years. Yes, we ought to be grateful for what we have right now because if the club progresses and becomes similar to Wigan or Fulham, it will be a very very different experience supporting Brentford. We'll gain success but lose our identity to the PL franchise. It's just what happens and if you're comfortable with that, good for you.

But it's all irrelvant anyway because as a Brentford fan, I naturally want us to win everything so I'm hardly going to be willing that we don't get promoted. Onwards and upwards...

 

[LingfieldBee]

I remember thinking the same thing at 21. I'm nearly 30 now.

Lol, same with my old man, been thinking the same for years. We're all allowed a dream!

 

[vcmazz]

We're a club with potential, maybe not giants, but I would say a established Championship club. Reasons being we are nicely located despite being surrounded by Chelsea, Fulham, QPR and Reading down the M4.

On the contrary. I would say that our location is our biggest drawback. As well as being hemmed in by the clubs you mention, we are also hemmed in by large and small buildings. We've never been able, and never will be able to move to a new stadium, and this is all down to our location which as far as trying to develop a football club goes, is crap :yes:.

 

[Ewok]

So we just accept all the things that are wrong with football if it means we benefit from it? Well I'm sorry if I don't see Premier League football as the be all and end all; in fact, I would say that what the Premier League stands for is so cynical and so far removed from what football's traditional values that I just have no desire to be a part of it. This is an organisation full of people happy to see clubs like us die. But we'll just forget the irreversible damage that Sky/Premier League have done to football if it means we get the chance to go to Old Trafford or White Hart Lane for £60... We ALL want success for Brentford but I don't want us to lose our identity within the PL/Sky money monopoly and for Brentford to stop being Brentford. I don't subscribe to the view of 'succeed at all costs'. You're happy to be priced out and for a Tarquin or Roland to be sitting in what was once your seat? This attitude saddens me. I really thought we were better than teams like Fulham/Man City/Notts County etc who moaned for years about their rivals buying success and contributing to the death of the game only to rejoice when they got (or thought they had got) a foreign sugar daddy of their own.

Don't tell me I lack ambition regarding BFC. I think I have more ambition about the club that a lot of posters on here. I understand just what a unique oppurtunity we have to finally progress under MB and reinvent ourselves as a forward thinking club rather than, as you say "little old Brentford". If we do a Blackpool and end up in the Premier League, then so be it. I want us to win every game so I can hardly argue with success. I'd enjoy the success. Just as I'm happy we're taking over 20k to Wembley, despite knowing half don't even support Brentford and won't be seen again for years. Yes, we ought to be grateful for what we have right now because if the club progresses and becomes similar to Wigan or Fulham, it will be a very very different experience supporting Brentford. We'll gain success but lose our identity to the PL franchise. It's just what happens and if you're comfortable with that, good for you.

But it's all irrelvant anyway because as a Brentford fan, I naturally want us to win everything so I'm hardly going to be willing that we don't get promoted. Onwards and upwards...

Well I see your point even if I dont agree with it. If you dont aim for the top then whats the point? Yes I'd much rather see us playing in front of 25k people week in week out even if it means that I'm sat next a Johnny Come Lately. Yes I want the chance to see us play at Old Trafford, White hart Lane and the Emirates. Do Blackpool fans look like they are enjoying themselves? hell yeah!

You just seem to be tying yourself up in knots by saying that you have the ambition to see us go all the way then in the next breath you say you'd hate it if we got there. Well we aint gonna get there without serious investment. Even if we got to the Championship, to remain there would cost millions. You either accept we have to sell out to acheive our dreams or stay as a small club for ever which I cant bear the thought of, but you seem to be Ok with it. Fair enough.

I just hope that some of the 20k that are going to wembley come to GP for the next league game - that would demonstrate the true depth of support for our club. I suspect it will be the usual 4k though.

 

[sonofabee]

We're a club with potential, maybe not giants, but I would say a established Championship club. Reasons being we are nicely located despite being surrounded by Chelsea, Fulham, QPR and Reading down the M4. Are location is London, there is a lot of people located/living in a 10/15mile radius of GP, and if we were able to tap into it there is no reason why our hardcore fanbase couldnt turn into 8/10k. We just need a
little bit of succes, 3rd April being the start and building on that next season, under Coppel we had 7k/9k at most of our games.
I think the most important thing is that we have the right people now in the boardroom who are ambitious and want success for this club.
Lionel Road seems a far off now, but with some redevelopment to GP wouldnt be so bad for now.
Im 21 now, and i'd like to think by the time im 31 we could have become a established Championship club, thats only 10 years sounds quite abit but really isnt. Ideally we'd need to get into the Championship next season or the one after. And have 7/8 seasons to establish ourselves.

You poor young fool, I was that optimistic man when I was your age and I've seen one season in the old div 2 (championship) in my 48 years

 

[horshambees]

I've been going to GP for the best part of 40 years. In all that time apart from one season we've been in the bottom two divisions. Potential, yes, but sleeeping giants I think not...........

And ive seen a lot of them with you as well.

 

[westwing]

What was the biggest attendance at GP ?

 

[Ewok]

39,626 v Preston North End 1938

 

[vcmazz]

39,626 v Preston North End 1938

Yeah but that doesn't really count because it was 'kid a quid' day and a load of free tickets had been dished out to the asian community. What is the highest attendance for 'no gimmick' match?

 

[BURFORD BEE]

You poor young fool, I was that optimistic man when I was your age and I've seen one season in the old div 2 (championship) in my 48 years

Went to my first match aged 7. Reserve game 1955. Attendance not far off what we get some Saturdays now!. I've been in 20,000plus old division 3 games at Griffin Park. There is no good reason IF and its a very big IF we were in the Championship and doing reasonably well that we would not regularly fill the ground and would need to increase the capacity. However, like you my optimism has been somewhat diminished over the years, I've seen so many false dawns I've lost count.

 

[vcmazz]

I've been in 20,000plus old division 3 games at Griffin Park.

Which means you have been following the Bees for at least 870 years . Proper support .

 

[wanderer paul]

What was the biggest attendance at GP ?

39,626 v Preston North End 1938

this is not correct.

This is correct though 38,678 v Leicester City, 26 February 1949

 

[SQUELCH]

this is not correct.

This is correct though 38,678 v Leicester City, 26 February 1949

why did i think it was against Norwich???

 

[northyorksbee]

I remember when we got promoted in '92 thinking how I was going to miss lower league football . . .
Nuff said.

 

[Bigbee]

Some one the other day used the word organic growth for the progress required,I like that word.It means a steady natural rise .Fulham,for example with Alfreds money have not had such an organic growth.His money has risen them to the Premiership in just ? ( a few) years. Their fan base was 3k ? So where have the extra 15k or so come from ? Tarquins or what ever you want to call them . An easy access to other wise empty seats to watch Man U etc on the their door steps. They may eventually turn into real fans, but I'd like ( and would really like ) to see how many are buying season tickets if they were relegated once or twice .Reading had a huge waiting list for season tickets when they were about to get into the Prem ,some local dads to me bought them and they had full houses of 23/24k per home game .Guess who doesnt go now ? Our board knows what its doing ,when was the last time we could say that ? The progress to the Never Never Land may not be over night but in good hands we will reach the Championship and who knows we may have 12k every week at GP in the Premiership before I pop my clogs

 

[Bigbee]

Yeah but that doesn't really count because it was 'kid a quid' day and a load of free tickets had been dished out to the asian community. What is the highest attendance for 'no gimmick' match?

You do tickle me Dave some times ,you are quite funny unlike ISB ,there were no kids or Asian then though , quid a Paddy maybe though .

 

[vcmazz]

You do tickle me Dave some times ,you are quite funny unlike ISB ,there were no kids or Asian then though , quid a Paddy maybe though .

Really? When were kids and Asians invented then? I thought they were out by then. Perhaps you're right. I must be thinking of the Irish :shrug:. It's Rodney by the way .

 

[Sweepy]

Yeah but that doesn't really count because it was 'kid a quid' day and a load of free tickets had been dished out to the asian community. What is the highest attendance for 'no gimmick' match?

I would suggest in 1938 that those kids being charged a quid were ripped off

 

[vcmazz]

I would suggest in 1938 that those kids being charged a quid were ripped off

No more so than those who paid a quid to watch us play Oldham this season :shrug:.

 

[grepo]

They all 'Bradford City' eventually" . (quote)

Don't insult this once great city. The City spirit in the two premiership years was terrific, the ground and the support even in the depths of current despair (disastrous management) are magnificent and hopefully a sleeping Giant yet to rise again. We don't have the support or ground to compare but we do have good management, developing infrastructure and backing and I believe the potential to be a least a good Championship side.

 

[vcmazz]

They all 'Bradford City' eventually" . (quote)

Don't insult this once great city. The City spirit in the two premiership years was terrific, the ground and the support even in the depths of current despair (disastrous management) are magnificent and hopefully a sleeping Giant yet to rise again. We don't have the support or ground to compare but we do have good management, developing infrastructure and backing and I believe the potential to be a least a good Championship side.

Insult? Hardly . I agree entirely that Bradford City's affair with the top couple of tiers was a breath of fresh air, as was Burnley's, Blackpool's etc. It's just that reading a bit of Einstein will explain to anyone why they are in the fourth division again, why we are in the third and why we will be beating Blackpool 3-0 again on a regular basis before you know it .

 

[A_BEE_SINCE_63]

My old man started taking me to GP regualarly in 1963. He'd watched the Bees go from Div 3 South to the old Division One, and back down to Div 4. But he was happy that his club was still the biggest and best in West London (forget Fulham and Chelsea).

Despite the farical decision by the Bees board in the summer of 1961 to rid the club of many of its most experienced and best players (Francis, Towers et al), the club had recovered under Jack Dunnett. We were bigger attendance-wise than QPR, bigger than Watford and bigger than Reading of the club'd in Div 3 in 1963/64. So, from my early beginnings, I always knew that sooner or later Brentford FC would regain at least their Div 2 status and, with a liitle luck, Div 1.

So, 48 seasons later, I've seen just 1 season of football in the 2nd division of English football, 33 in the 3rd division and 14 season in the fourth. As supporters at those 'little clubs' at Shepherd's Bush, Watford and Reading have watched chairman such as Jim Gregory, Elton John and John Madjeski taking their clubs on exciting journies up the league structure, Brentford FC has stagnated and, on more than on occasion, have faced oblivion.

A sleeping giant? No, more like lumbering dynasour.

There remains only one club for me, but I no longer hold dreams of them competing at the top table of English football. Survive in the 3rd tier, have a good cup run every 4 or 5 years and play some good entertaining football over a league season, that's all I ask.

 

[westwing]

this is not correct.

This is correct though 38,678 v Leicester City, 26 February 1949

My point has been answered.
38,678 at Brentford Football Club.
We are not a small club !!

 

[Brentford 4 Life]

My point has been answered.
38,678 at Brentford Football Club.
We are not a small club !!

I love and respect your optimism but that was over 60 years ago. The amount of the fans at GP for that game in 49 that would have sadly passed away since would be staggering and years of failure on and sadly off the pitch has meant that they havent been replaced.

 

[Chopper]

At the moment we are a small club that seem to have big support for the big games because alot of people have a soft spot for the Bees. Get in the Championship sustain it and a new ground and we could increase the core support to around 7k and average 12-13k each week but this new ground is key if we want continued championship football.

 

[westwing]

I love and respect your optimism but that was over 60 years ago. The amount of the fans at GP for that game in 49 that would have sadly passed away since would be staggering and years of failure on and sadly off the pitch has meant that they havent been replaced.

My dad and my father in law are both still alive and regularly had to sit on the touchline as the ground was so packed. I agree that the failures of the club on and off the field have been bad but the potential is huge.
Look at Charlton, nearly 15K yesterday and the area isn't exactly rammed with an over populated community.
I remember Charlton struggling to get 5K at The Valley in the 80's.
I personally think that BFC need to advertise more in the local areas and not just Hounslow !

 

[Easter 1959]

My old man started taking me to GP regualarly in 1963. He'd watched the Bees go from Div 3 South to the old Division One, and back down to Div 4. But he was happy that his club was still the biggest and best in West London (forget Fulham and Chelsea).

Despite the farical decision by the Bees board in the summer of 1961 to rid the club of many of its most experienced and best players (Francis, Towers et al), the club had recovered under Jack Dunnett. We were bigger attendance-wise than QPR, bigger than Watford and bigger than Reading of the club'd in Div 3 in 1963/64. So, from my early beginnings, I always knew that sooner or later Brentford FC would regain at least their Div 2 status and, with a liitle luck, Div 1.

So, 48 seasons later, I've seen just 1 season of football in the 2nd division of English football, 33 in the 3rd division and 14 season in the fourth. As supporters at those 'little clubs' at Shepherd's Bush, Watford and Reading have watched chairman such as Jim Gregory, Elton John and John Madjeski taking their clubs on exciting journies up the league structure, Brentford FC has stagnated and, on more than on occasion, have faced oblivion.

A sleeping giant? No, more like lumbering dynasour.

There remains only one club for me, but I no longer hold dreams of them competing at the top table of English football. Survive in the 3rd tier, have a good cup run every 4 or 5 years and play some good entertaining football over a league season, that's all I ask.

The first three paragraphs are all sadly true IMO; everyone can remember a succession of occasions when the Club was beginning to make progress before the key members of a potentially classy team were sold on to play at a higher level; for me the way the obvious potential of the 1971/1972 promotion squad was squandered, particuarly given what Frank B had achieved with nothing, remains vividly in the memory.

But, for the first time in more than half a century, things are now different; the Benham arrangement has stabilised the Club in the fiscal sense and provides the Club's Ownership Structure with a soundly constructed platform which can wake this Sleeping Giant and move it forward to where it properly belongs.

Despite the travails of this Season (the travils of which ended at Dagenham six weeks ago) the future hasn't looked brighter for generations.

 

[bostonhanwell]

The plan for the future as it stands is to move to a new stadium of about 20 000 capacity. We currently and for many years have averaged around 5000. Being realistic the best we can hope for is to become an established championship club and to push the average to around 15 000. That would be a massive achievement. Once (if) we get there it only takes one good season to scrape into the playoffs and have a chance to reach the premiere league but a 20 000 capacity ground is very unlikely to sustain that position.
So in short we are not a sleeping giant at all but with continued investment, good management and a big slice of luck we could be in a far better position than any of us could have hoped for a few years back. I'm looking forward to the next few seasons.

 

[SQUELCH]

Wembley 2011- last chance saloon??? boy is that a lot of pressure on NF or what??? 21k.............apparently is the amount of tickets sold yet we average 4,500 home fans???? Tells you something.

if we win this game you imagine a lot of family, friends, hangers on, etc etc will be involved again, if we lose you kind of get the feeling that is it end of? game over, no more, cant be doing with brentford killing my life etc.

I do sometimes wonder what BFC do in terms of getting more bums on seats? Maybe its me, maybe i don't see it? i don't view the BFC website as much as i should so - i wonder why. Football in the community, Tickets for primary and secondary schools? does it happen? i dont know? incentives for the fans that are out of the catchment area??? doing a Bradford? Doing a Notts County with the 75miler tickets? who knows?

Society changes so quickly - do we adapt??? bof- i dunno - do we realise we are actually competing with QPR, Fulham, Chelsea??? to name a few - competing with Chelsea /Fulham??? yeah right! (some may say) they are on our ****ing doorstep BFC!!! Football no matter how you see it is fashionable! all the cool kids - get BFC involved - tap into the youngsters.

Luckily the support we do have is one of the best- but for me its make or break on April 3rd in the sol called Mickey Mouse JPT trophy

 

[Jonny Stokes]

We're looking over our shoulder for Orient at the minute.

Good luck finding us there...

 

[westwing]

Still some regulars aint bought tickets for JPT final ???

I stick by my 30K !

 

[vcmazz]

Still some regulars aint bought tickets for JPT final ???

I stick by my 30K !

Official site seems to have been stuck on 'almost' 20k for about two weeks mate. I reckon 21-22k will be about our lot :shrug:.

 

[westwing]

Official site seems to have been stuck on 'almost' 20k for about two weeks mate. I reckon 21-22k will be about our lot :shrug:.

That's because abee and Rebus have refuse to give details because they think GPGers are stoopid!

 

[Sweepy]

Official site seems to have been stuck on 'almost' 20k for about two weeks mate. I reckon 21-22k will be about our lot :shrug:.

There might be a spike in the days leading up to the match but I thought 20k was about par for the Bees extended fanbase in 2011 and that would seem to be the case. I have my fingers crossed for 23 to 25k but I am sure our turnout will be at the lower end of that estimate.

 

[badgerbee]

but for me its make or break on April 3rd in the sol called Mickey Mouse JPT trophy

Sorry, but I don't believe the result on 3rd April will have the slightest bearing on anyone's decision about whether the decide to start going regularly to GP. Those that go to see us regularly will continue to do so, win or lose; and those that are at the JPT for a "Wembley day out", will have exactly that.

 

[vcmazz]

Sorry, but I don't believe the result on 3rd April will have the slightest bearing on anyone's decision about whether the decide to start going regularly to GP. Those that go to see us regularly will continue to do so, win or lose; and those that are at the JPT for a "Wembley day out", will have exactly that.

Not necessarily. If we don't win by a clear three goals then I'm going to support Chelsea. I'm sure there are hundreds that feel the same :shrug:.