Gtech Stadium

Brentford 0-0 Lille

5th August 2023

In the four and a bit years since I visited Brentford FC’s old ground Griffin Park, it is fairly safe to say a lot has happened in the interim. Good ole Bobo “got BREXIT done”, then (finally) got found out; one of his successors trashed the economy in a matter of days; Putin finally succumbed to his Little Man syndrome; Bastard COVID came and reminded us it is microorganisms who really run this planet...and Brentford FC moved a few miles east to their dinky little new stadium.  

And perhaps even more startling than any of the above, the club in 2021 made it into the English League top tier for the first time since the 1940s, where they have since enjoyed two rather successful seasons: finishing in 13th position, and then 9th.  Darned impressive for a club who, for the pretty much all of my life have been a third tier bumblers.

So, faced with that difficult third album in season 2023/24, it has to be said things were not going along swimmingly for The Bees.  

Brentford went into this pre-season friendly with French club Lille on the back of a slightly underwhelming US tour wherein they lost to both Fulham and Brighton before eking out a 3-3 draw with Aston Villa.  That last season’s top scorer Ivan Toney’s was given a lengthy ban for betting naughtiness (ironic given how the club’s owner made his fortune), hardly helped the cause.

Gtech Stadium - Brentford FC

Heavy, heavy rain prevented much in the way of creative football during the first-half.  Both sides attempted to do that pass the ball out from the back thing which is so popular these days.  The Lille lads looked marginally more comfortable doing so, and there was a two minute spell where the pressing visitors twice nicked the ball from their hesitant hosts, and should have opened the scoring.  

But the Lille No10's dithering saw him fail to take advantage of the first opportunity whilst, moments later Hákon Arnar Haraldsson, after stealing possession from Ethan Pinnock in the Brentford box, opted for a weak shot at goal with a couple of mates screaming at him for a square ball.

But the best chance, indeed the best move of the first-half came in the dying seconds down the French club's right, but a fine block by Pinnock from Haraldson's shot kept the scoreline level.

The monsoon relented during the break, and the sun even dared to poke it's nose out in west London, and things improved a touch on the pitch.  We saw a flurry of half-chances at both ends (but none really clear cut).  

But, as the clock drifted past 70 minutes towards 80 and 90 minutes, it incrementally became clear neither set of players really gave a shit about winning, and the match just sort of dribbled to a neat and tidy scoreless draw.  At least the rain had completely gone by this point, and I could enjoy my walk back to Acton Town tube station in pleasant evening sunshine.

Yeah, those collection of seat colours can (kinda) make the place look full when not.

A first-half corner for Lille.

Mathias Jensen, I think this is.

So, does that make this Ben Mee?

...and Aaron Hickey (centre)?

The match truly was this dull; as this poor chap (clearly dragged along by his son)
slept through much of the second half.
Mind You, Proclaimer Charlie Reid, looks as if he is
having difficulty keeping his eyes open too. 

The Gtech Stadium is an odd construction indeed – clearly it having been forced (with the aid of a big shoehorn and copious amounts of KY Jelly) into whatever polygonal footprint was left after the various flats and business premises had been planned out. 

As a consequence the stands are all at odd angles, with jarringly sharp corners.  Those seats look really peculiar too.  I get that the (seemingly) random colour scheme can (if one screws up one’s eyes) make the place appear totally full (sorta).  But it does make for a headache-inducing assault upon the eyeballs upon first entering the ground. 

The place was barely a third full this afternoon, and the atmosphere funereally sedate, but I am sure when Spurs pitch up next weekend for the opening match of the new season the place will be rockin'.

Gtech Stadium - Brentford FC

Before making my way to the ground, I had first spent half-an hour or so wandering around the site of the club’s old ground Griffin Park, attempting to recreate a few of my pix from 2019.  If you are remotely interested in these sort of Then and Now shots, they may be found at:

Caledonia Dreaming or Ian38018 Sporting Travels: Griffin Park