Brentford 3-2 Fulham
by Layth Yousif
at the Brentford Community Stadium

A LITTLE over 36 years ago, this derby, then a Division Three clash, played out on a frozen Sunday morning at grand old Griffin Park. Such were the freezing conditions, kick-off was improbably moved back an hour in a bid to let the pitch thaw out somewhat. The conditions relented and an entertaining 3-3 draw ensued.

The season for both sides was the archetypal essence of mid table mediocrity - Brentford finished 12th and Fulham finished ninth - albeit with the six goals shared in that long-lost derby in February 1988, featuring a lively young tyro called Paul Merson, on loan to the Bees of West London from the Gunners of North London.

If you were to insist that three and a half decades on this clash would be the biggest West London derby clash of the top-flight season, with both sides above currently misfiring two-time Champions League winners Chelsea, there surely wouldn't have been many takers on the atmospheric but crumbling New Road terraces, that would have been scarcely able to imagine such a scenario, let along manifest it.

Yet, here we are in 2023, with Thomas Frank's bustling Bees and Marco Silva's fabulous Fulham vying for top dogs in the west of the capital, and with the distinct possibility of European qualification to boot.

This fixture has always provided interest and no little passion. From the Bees never-to-be-forgotten 4-0 rout of sorry Fulham on another Sunday morning, this time in late April 1992, en route to a memorable title-winning promotion from the third tier a week later.

Or the Bees improbable 4-1 victory at Craven Cottage in April 2015, a triumph that really set the modern-day tone for this fixture, in establishing that Brentford were to be a force to be reckoned with.

A precursor to Brentford's second attempt at the Championship play-offs - their first try saw them eclipsed by Middlesbrough a month after that 4-1 triumph at the Cottage, in May 2015 – was when Fulham beat them in front of an empty Wembley Stadium, at the end of a tortuous and wretched end to the 2019-2020 season, scarred by that first miserable lockdown.

It was Brentford's bad luck that the campaign was to provide a jarring an anti-climax, as Griffin Park's last ever match was played weeks before the country was forced into a Covid shutdown - meaning loyal fans had no real chance to say goodbye to such an iconic and evocative ground.

Yet, the season after was to prove the Bees annus mirabilis when they beat Swansea City in the play-offs - this time in front of legions of their long-suffering fans at the national stadium - to return to the promised land 74 long years after they were cast out.

Frank's energetic side have illuminated the top-flight in the two seasons since, notching eye-catching wins over Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea, underlining their emergence as a worthy member of the elite.

It was no wonder they faced their West London rivals Fulham with genuine expectation on a bitterly cold evening near the A4 flyover and the former industrious stretch called the Golden Triangle, back when this particular part of London made things.

They weren't to be disappointed with the Bees' buoyant start, that saw Bernd Leno save from Bryan Mbeumo on five minutes. Sixty seconds later the home side were ahead when Pinnock's deflected strike off Ream flew into the net, giving the former Bayer Leverkusen netminder no chance.

As the Bees fans celebrated, kick-off was delayed after plenty of the pitch was enveloped in red smoke, emanating from a flare lobbed onto the pitch in jubilation rather than any malice.

The lead was nearly doubled on 36 minutes when Ivan Toney's fierce free-kick struck the apex of Leno's woodwork.

However, 180 seconds later Silva's side were level, when Andreas Pereira's free-kick also thudded the apex, with Bees keeper Raya well-beaten, Manny Solomon being fastest to react, nodding home into an empty net to make the score 1-1.

Five minutes after the interval Toney gave Brentford the lead by slotting home his penalty. The award came after Issa Diop was penalised for catching Norgaard in the box, with Toney's low strike evading Leno's dive to the left for 2-1.

Frank's side sealed the points five minutes from time, when Matt Jensen steered the ball past Leno for 3-1 as the home crowd erupted in joy.

Such was the joyous commotion, the Bees man on the mic, a long-suffering supporter who can recall the days when Brentford played in the third tier, a dear man named Peter Gilham, got slightly carried away during his usual ear-splitting proclamations when he shouted slightly incongruously: "Brentford: The Pride of...everywhere..."

You could understand his fervour, with his heroes easing to within a single point of the European qualification places, currently occupied by the Cottagers in seventh on 39 points.

No wonder gleeful Bees fans chanted: "We're all going on a European tour," with their joy failing to be diminished by Alves Morais 97th minute goal, that couldn't even be classed as a consolation, given that the majority of the Fulham fans had already departed.

As for Frank's vibrant Brentford side, only a curmudgeon could begrudge them their jubilant celebrations in tandem with their ecstatic fans at the final whistle, as the song 'Celebration' boomed out.

 "For me it is very important that we are allowed to dream. I always want to aim as high as possible, but it is important to not get too carried away,” said Frank after the match.

"We are in a good place and it is all about continuing."

For a marvellous community-minded club that has spent most of its history trundling along in the lower divisions, why shouldn't everyone in TW8 celebrate being in such a Premier League dreamland.

Who knows, on this performance they could also be celebrating European trips next season.