Aldershot Town Programme, 27th January 2009
Would you believe that tomorrow is the third anniversary of our FA Cup victory over Premiership club Sunderland? For those of us who were there on that cold Saturday afternoon in January it was a day that will remain a very special memory. Just writing about it now brings a smile to my face. It was not just the victory and DJ Campbell’s two superbly taken goals that made that day special. Neither was it the fact that, despite DJ grabbing the headlines, it was a fantastic team performance. Nor was it even the very special atmosphere at Griffin Park, which can be generated on days like that. For me it was about the pure joy on the faces of everyone connected with the Club and the true optimism all of us had about our footballing future.
We had every right to be optimistic. The team were sitting in fourth place in the League and had just began a good run of form and, after an uncertain future off the field, the Supporters’ Trust had taken ownership of the Club a week earlier. Yes, 2006 was going to be our year!
Sadly after getting ourselves into the automatic promotion places, 12 points from the last 11 games saw us miss out on promotion by 3 points and then lose in the play-offs. After Martin Allen’s departure we suffered the worst Football League season in the Club’s history finishing bottom of a division for the first time. Then, following our relegation, we suffered a miserable start to life in the basement division culminating in the sacking of Terry Butcher. Then things started to change….
Andy Scott was appointed initially as caretaker manager and then given the position full-time not only on the basis of the results he achieved but in the manner in which he got them. At last we saw the return of the Brentford “spirit” in the team. This spirit is one of the key things that define this Football Club. We supporters expect our team to wear their shirt with pride and battle through to the end of the game and in return we supporters will ‘stand shoulder-to-shoulder’ with the team and battle with them. (Just witness what happened at the last home game with Notts County to see the latest evidence of this.)
As last season played out we saw Andy develop the team, his backroom staff and himself and, in the close season, building on these foundations with the full backing of the Club’s Board of Directors. As a result of this hard work we now have an excellent squad of players and backroom staff, challenging for promotion.
Whilst the togetherness between the playing and management staff and the supporters is plain to see, there also needs to be the same togetherness between all the other parts of Brentford Football Club. The One Brentford initiative, bringing together the diverse parts of the Club, has a key role to play in delivering this and is something we can all play a part in.
In the coming months both on and off the pitch there will no doubt be some real tests of our strength and resolve to deliver a successful Club. If however, we all pull in the same direction do you know what? This year really could be our year....
Let's work together!
Jon Gosling
PS Please give more of the support today that you gave at Barnet last week it was fantastic!
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2nd Febuary 2009