Brentford v Ipswich Town
Friday 26th December 2014 – 13:00
Griffin Park
Opening Thought – Jamma
One game into our testing run of festive fixtures and things couldn’t be much better for the Blue Army! Saturday’s match against Middlesbrough had been billed as the team with the best home record in the division against the side with the best away record, in a clash that was too tight to call. As it turned out, the Superblues put in an imperious display to run out comfortable 2-0 winners and secure a top-two position heading into Christmas. Aitor Karanka may have said that it was ‘Boro’s worst performance of the season – and they certainly didn’t look like a side challenging for automatic promotion – but, not for the first time, credit has to be given to Town for not allowing the opposition to play. In the ultimate team performance, it was hard to single out just one player as, to a man, they closed Middlesbrough down and pressured them into making mistakes. As Mick McCarthy said, this industry provided a platform for the two moments of real quality which created the goals worthy of winning any game.
It is hard to remember the last time it felt this good to be an Ipswich Town supporter! Indeed, you probably have to go back ten years – and the last time we were in the automatic promotion zone at Christmas – when Joe Royle’s exciting team were brushing all comers aside. While the current set-up may not be as free-flowing as Ian Westlake, Darren Bent, Shefki Kuqi et al., the stats speak for themselves as far as the 2014/15 vintage is concerned. As already mentioned, we boast the Championship’s best home record but we have also now lost the fewest matches in the league, as well as possessing the second best defensive record. Given the decade of disappointment and false dawns that has followed our near miss in 2005, supporters would be forgiven for erring on the side of caution. But, as the Blues overcome each new challenge, the sense that this may finally be our year becomes more and more difficult to ignore. Next up is a trip to another of the surprise packages currently occupying the top 3, a Brentford side who have taken the step up to the Championship in their stride...
The Opposition - Brentford
Founded on 10 October 1889, at the Oxford and Cambridge Hotel in Brentford where a meeting was held, between the members of the Brentford Rowing Club, to decide between association football or rugby union, to serve as a winter pursuit for the rowing club and its members. As a result of a vote, by 8 votes to 5, taken 6 days later, association football was successful as the sport to partake in.
The football club started out playing its home matches at the Clifden House Ground in Brentford, from November 1889 to March 1892.
In October 1892, Benn's Field in Little Ealing, was the club's new home. The football club decided to move nearer to Brentford and in December 1894 they moved to Shotter's and stayed there until April 1898. Due to high rent increases, the club were once again forced to move on, so in September 1898 the club moved to the Cross Roads Ground, in Little Ealing and this was used until April 1900.
As the club grew, Boston Park Cricket Ground, in York Road, Brentford was then used from September 1900 to April 1904. Finally, in January 1904, the club agreed a 21-year lease on an orchard. The clearance of the orchard, over 200 trees, and the levelling of the land took several months. Griffin Park, as it became known was now ready for use as a football ground after banking was raised along three sides of the ground and an enclosure, moved from their previous ground, was erected.
In 1920, it was a founder member of the Third Division South. During the late 1920s and 1930s, the club began to make real progress. In the 1929–30 season, the side won all 21 of its home matches in the Third Division South, but still missed out on promotion. They are the last of six teams in English football to amass a perfect home record, and the only one to do so over a season of 42 matches or more. After several more near-misses, promotion to the Second Division was finally achieved in 1932–33.
Two years later, Brentford reached the First Division and finished 5th in its debut season which is still the club's highest ever league finish.
The club was relegated in the first season after the War, and a downward spiral set in, which culminated in relegation to the Third Division in 1953–54 and the Fourth Division in 1961–62. In the process Brentford became the first team to play the other ninety-one clubs in league football.
The survival of Brentford FC was threatened by a projected takeover by Queens Park Rangers in the late 1960s, a bid that was only narrowly averted with an emergency loan of £104,000.
The club continued to yo-yo between the third and fourth divisions during the next three decades. The club won promotion in 1962–63, 1971–72 and 1977–78 but only on the final occasion was it able to consolidate its place in English football's third tier.
After a 45-year absence, Brentford were promoted back to the Second Division (renamed the First Division with the advent of the Premier League in 1992) in the 1991–92 season as Third Division champions, though they were relegated again the following year.
There followed several seasons of the club narrowly missing out on promotion via the play-offs.
The club were then relegated to the Third Division (by then the bottom division of the Football League) the following year. Brentford won promotion as champions again in 1998–99.
Former BBC Director-General and Bees fan Greg Dyke was announced as chairman of Brentford on 20 January 2006 as part of the takeover by Bees United, the Brentford Supporters Trust.
Brentford were relegated to Football League Two in April 2007.
On 25 April 2009 Brentford sealed the League Two championship under Management of former player Andy Scott.
Scott's excellent first calendar year in charge was recognised with an award, the BBC London 'Manager of the Year 2008'. Scott was also awarded the League Two Manager of the Month award for April/May 2009.
At the end of the 2011/12 season, in which the Club finished 9th in League One missing out on the play-offs by 6 points, the club's supporters voted to sell the entire club's shareholding to supporter-investor Matthew Benham.
The 2012–13 season saw Brentford go on an FA Cup run, taking holders Chelsea to a fourth round replay, and mount a promotion challenge, missing out on automatic promotion on the final day of the season before losing the playoff final to Yeovil Town.
On the 25 June 2013, Cliff Crown was elected Chairman of Brentford Football Club.
18 April 2014 Brentford were promoted to the Championship after they beat Preston 1–0 at Griffin Park in front of 10,774 people sparking a pitch invasion. This meant The Bees' return to the second tier after a 21 year absence.
One To Watch – Ramallo Jota
Brentford’s success this season has to a large degree been down to the continuity in their squad from their League One promotion challenges. This experience has been complemented by a handful of astute signings who have added further quality to the Bees’ ranks.
One of the new arrivals at Griffin Park is talented Spanish talisman Ramallo Jota, who is enjoying a particularly prolific spell in front of goal at the moment, with four of his six strikes coming in the last five games. Jota – or José Ignacio Peleteiro Ramallo, to give him his full name – has an impressive pedigree, having come through the youth ranks at Celta Vigo and taken in a loan spell with Real Madrid’s B team. It was while with fellow Spanish side Eibar last season that the attacking midfielder really started to fulfil his potential, though, as he scored 11 goals to help the Basque club to promotion to La Liga. Jota netted the strike which clinched promotion, scoring the only goal of the game against Alavés in May. His value to the team was reflected in his nomination for the league’s ‘Best Attacking Midfielder’ in the 2014 LFP Awards. It was therefore something of a coup when Brentford secured the 23-year-old’s signature ahead of their return to the second tier in a £1 million deal. Having admitted to initially struggling to adapt to the intensity of the Championship, Jota’s confidence seems to have grown in line with the team’s surge up the table, leading to his recent scoring streak.
The Gaffer – Mark Warburton
A defender, Warburton began his playing career as an apprentice at Leicester City and later dropped into non-league football with Enfield. Warburton had a successful four years at Enfield, winning the 1981/82 FA Trophy and the 1982/83 Alliance Premier League title. After leaving Enfield in 1985, Warburton spent time playing in the United States, while living in Charlotte and Chicago. Cruciate injuries ended Warburton's playing career.
Warburton began his coaching career in a part-time role at St. Clement Danes School in Watford while working as a trader. He later said to his wife: "We have the money in the bank, the house is paid for, our lifestyle won’t change. I want to do this: 10 years to achieve something in the game. It’s now or never.” After leaving his trading job in the early 2000s, he spent his own money travelling around Europe, watching coaching sessions at Sporting Lisbon, Ajax, Valencia, Barcelona and Willem II. Warburton was offered a permanent coaching job with Watford, at U9 through to U16 level and was appointed manager of the academy in 2006. After a reshuffle in 2009, he became assistant academy manager for U17 to U19 age groups. While at Watford, he established links with Harefield Academy. Warburton left Watford in February 2010 to "pursue other sporting interests”.
Nicky Forster was appointed caretaker manager of League One side Brentford in February 2011 and named Warburton as first team coach. Following a successful interim period, Forster was given the role on a permanent basis until the end of the 2010–11 season. Forster and Warburton applied unsuccessfully for the manager's job in the summer of 2011 and the position went to Uwe Rösler. Warburton commented that he was "disappointed and annoyed" about failing to secure the manager's job.
Warburton was retained by the club and moved into the role of Sporting Director in the summer of 2011, a new position created by an internal restructuring of the club. Warburton stated that the much-maligned Sporting Director/Director of Football position can work in English football, saying though he "would row every other day" with manager Uwe Rösler, the pair never fell out and Rösler had the final say on team selection and signings.
Following the departure of Rösler to Championship side Wigan Athletic on 7 December 2013, Warburton was included as part of the management team, alongside first team coach Peter Farrell. Warburton subsequently turned down an offer from Rösler to join him at Wigan.
Warburton was announced as the new Brentford manager on 10 December 2013, on a deal running until the end of the 2013–14 season.
Warburton became the first Brentford manager to win his first five games. His winning start garnered him the League One Manager Of The Month award for December 2013. Four wins and a draw in January 2014 saw Warburton nominated for the League One Manager Of The Month award for the second month in succession.
Five wins and two draws in March meant Warburton received his third League One Manager Of The Month nomination in four months. A win over Preston North End at Griffin Park on 18 April saw Brentford promoted to the Championship with three games to spare.
On May 5, it was reported that Warburton was keen to sit down and discuss his future, with a view to extending his contract. On 26 June, he pledged his future to the Bees by signing a one-year rolling contract.
Past Match - Video Highlights - Trev
I couldn't find any previous meetings between Town and Brentford so picked out some classic footage from yesteryear.
Trev's Trivia
Players to play for both Clubs
Jay Tabb ITFC 2013-present Brentford 2000-2006
Media Watch - K L Blue
I found this on EADT by Mick on rising Town star Teddy Bishop ... exciting times!
Ipswich Town v Middlesbrough: Ipswich Town manager Mick McCarthy says starlet Teddy Bishop is at the very best place to progress his career, the teenage midfielder playing a starring role in this afternoon’s 2-0 home win over fellow Championship high-fliers Middlesbrough.
The 18-year-old academy graduate produced a fine reverse ball in the lead up to Daryl Murphy’s 25th opener and delivered a pin-point cross for Jay Tabb’s headed second just before half-time.
Boro boss Aitor Karanka called him ‘the best player on the pitch’ and said the youngster, who brilliantly danced his way out of a tight spot at one stage, had ‘joked’ with his players.
McCarthy hailed the Cambridge-born youngster as ‘Premier League quality’ last week, but says it’s too early for him to be making a move to the top-flight.
With his side back up to second in the Championship table, the Blues boss said: “Of course (clubs are looking at him), but I think he’s on about a four year contract (deal runs out in 2017).
“He should play his football here. When they start doing well everyone wants to get them out the door; ‘let’s sell them off to a big Premier League club’. They can do that and end up not playing though.
“He’s here thriving in a team that’s doing well and getting all the rave reviews. We had a young lad called Mark Kennedy at Millwall (now Town’s Under-21 coach), we had to sell him to Liverpool and he barely ever played for them. He started the first game, hit the crossbar and was then left out.
“Bish doesn’t want that and I don’t want it for him because he’s a really talented lad. Let’s see if he can get to the Premier League with us. I don’t know if it will happen, but we’ve got a chance where we are now.”
On the game, McCarthy reflected: “It was a hard game against a very good team of good players. Two little bits of quality came from us that ended up being goals.”
With several opposition bosses calling Town ‘physical and direct’ this season, the Blues boss continued: “People like putting labels on things don’t they? Especially when they’ve been beat.
“The two little bit bits of quality in the game was the football leading up to the two goals. Tabby’s was just awesome; the bit before it and his finish. Put it in the box for the big man hey? The long ball game!
“We had a discussion about Tabby last week when I was waxing lyrical about him. He just seems to flourish and keep getting better and better. I’ve made them all back themselves in a little sweepstake – within the club, not in the betting agencies before you all start – and if they don’t hit their goal target then 100 quid goes to charity. He only needs another seven!
“I thought the build-up play prior to that goal was excellent. The interchange between Didz (McGoldrick), Bish and Chambo (Chambers).”
Asked how tall Tabb was, the diminutive midfielder outjumping two players for his headed goal, McCarthy joked: “Well he’s just walked under here (the table) with a top hat on! He gets stick for it every day. He is excellent in the air though. I’ll say he’s 5ft 7in. I’m sure he’ll be delighted with that!”
With Aitor Karanka slamming his players’ attitude, McCarthy said: “I would hope that he wouldn’t be so disingenuous and say that it was just because his side didn’t play well. When I come in here after we lose or draw I’ll say the opposition played well.
“Maybe they didn’t play as well as they have been, but you can only play as well as the opposition will allow you.
“We’ve certainly played well. We defended well against a really good team with good players. They’ll be in the top six all season long.
“They work as a unit and a team, but we managed to breach them a couple of times and they’ve not done it against us.”
With this Town’s eighth home win of the season, the Blues boss added: “I keep saying we’re geographically challenged. It’s a long trip everywhere we have to go. It took us six hours up to Bolton. They all have to come here though. It’s not the easiest place to get to, it’s a long time on the bus, and then they face a half decent team when they get here – which is nice.”
Boro boss Karanka said: “It was our worst performance of the season. Today is difficult for me to understand. There was one team who wanted to win the game.
“One week ago we were flying – on the pitch and off the pitch – but we were thinking we were a Premier League team or a Champions League team. This is the Championship.
“I think we needed a game like today. We needed an alarm to wake up. We have to keep our feet on the ground.
“The first ball Murphy touched was a goal, because we weren’t concentrating. Bishop was the best on the pitch, he was joking with our players. Tabb is 5ft 5in and he scores with his head because he wanted it more than us.
“Today is the first day I have been angry with my players’ attitude. It’s impossible to take anything good from today.”
Stat Time
Head To Head
Brentford Wins......................1 (14.29%)
Ipswich Town Wins.................4 (57.14%)
Draws.................................2 (28.57%)
Brentford Goals....................5 (ave. 0.71 per match)
Ipswich Town Goals...............14 (ave. 2.00 per match)
Head To Head at Brentford
Brentford Wins......................1 (33.33%)
Ipswich Town Wins.................1 (33.33%)
Draws.................................1 (33.33%)
Brentford Goals.....................4 (ave. 1.33 per match)
Ipswich Town Goals.................5 (ave. 1.67 per match)
The Predicted Teams
Brentford
27 Button
10 Odubajo
05 Craig
06 Dean
03 Bidwell
8 Douglas
23 Peleteiro Ramallo
21 Pritchard
20 Diagouraga
18 Judge
19 Gray
Ipswich Town
33 Bialkowski
04 Chambers
05 Smith
06 Berra
02 Parr
11 Anderson
27 Bishop
08 Skuse
18 Tabb
10 McGoldrick
09 Murphy
Match Referee – Fred Graham
Final Thought - Frosty
Compliments of the season everyone, my Christmas Day will be 13 hours before yours and a hot and humid 25 degrees Celsius … how’s your 25th shaping up? (I guess you may still have the humidity bit
)This week’s opposition is the ‘Bees’, I wonder if even in their wildest dreams they would have believed they would be in 3rd place with basically half the season gone? Then again, I wonder if we would have believed we would go into this fixture in 2nd place on the table at this point of the season. This will be no easy fixture, and in my opinion a far tougher test than ‘Boro’ was at home last week. Let me put this into perspective, in their last 4 fixtures they have banged in 3 goals against Cardiff and Blackburn, 4 against Wolves and then their only recent blemish being a loss to Huddersfield by a goal.
Looking at our Promotion challenging rivals, Bournemouth host the revitalised Fulham, Boro face Forest at home, Derby are away to resurgent Birmingham whilst Watford receive a visit from the Wolves. The Budgies look to have the only ‘easier’ fixture as they look to protect their stadium from visiting Millwall fans. With only four points still only separating 1st from 6th on the table there is every chance of changes on the leader board after this round of matches.
For those of you invading London on Boxing Day (much like the Romans & Vikings have done before you), have a safe and enjoyable trip.
BRENTFORD 1 IPSWICH TOWN 2
I asked 'The Don' to put in a little 'Cameo' in place of 'Marko's Caption Contest' this week.
I wanted him to give his thoughts on the following:-
- His view of Towns Progress this season?
- His thoughts for the second half of the season?
- How much he is enjoying being a Town supporter this season?
- His players of the season to date?
The following are his response’s.................. I tried ok??????
totti of a high order thanks, never really read much else 
only kidding once aga thanks for another detailed and informative preview. 
