Nick Bruzon looks back at his five favourite Brentford goals.
It has been a week dominated as much by off-field events as what happened on the pitch. The passing of both Bill Kenwright at Everton and Manchester United legend Bobby Charlton is something that has impacted us all. It was news that transcended the usual club divides, such was the impact that both had on this beautiful game, with few amongst us failing to be saddened by the news.
There has been much said in the last few days. Rightly so. Bill Kenwright had been chairman at Goodison Park since 2004 and on the board for five years prior to that. A popular figure not just at his own club, but in the broader world of football over that period. Somebody that everybody recognised – for good reasons – regardless of who they supported. Everton described him as, “A leader, a friend, and an inspiration.”
As for Bobby Charlton, where does one even begin? World Cup winner. European Cup winner. Three league titles. The FA Cup. The third highest goalscorer for England (only Wayne Rooney and Harry Kane have more) as well as the second-highest leading scorer for a Manchester United team that he played for from 1956-1973 until Rooney eventually overtook the record in 2017. All this before even contemplating the horror of the Munich air disaster.
There truly aren’t the words to fully describe his impact on English football. Whether for country or the club where he eventually joined the board of directors and had a stand named in his honour seven years ago.
The tributes paid at Old Trafford on Tuesday night, ahead of the club’s 1-0 Champions’ league victory over FC Copenhagen showing just what he meant to everybody at the club. Even the visiting supporters joined in with the chant of “There’s only one Bobby Charlton” prior to kick off.
Truly, one of the greatest of all time. Rest In Peace.
On field, there has plenty happening this week. We spoke last week about how the aforementioned Wayne Rooney may fare as manager of Birmingham City. A work in progress, would seem to be the answer.
Wednesday night’s 2-0 home defeat to Hull City followed on from 88th minute heartbreak at Middlesbrough in his opener. With Blues still only two points off the play-off places despite these recent results, the race to decide who goes up to the Premier League is likely to be a marathon rather than a sprint. Albeit the top two, Leicester City and Ipswich Town, are already miles ahead of the chasing pack.
One team more likely to be troubling League One than the top-flight next season are QPR. The Loftus Road outfit are currently one place off the bottom and already six points from safety. They’ve lost five on the bounce and it has been eight games since their last win.
It’s amazing to think that early last season, they looked like making a valid stab for the top flight. The prospect of having all four West London clubs in the Premier League looking like it might, actually, happen. On current form that prospect now looks like it will be a very long way away.
Talking of West London clubs – nurse, the crowbar – goal of the weekend was undoubtedly scored by Brentford. Or should that be goals, plural, of the weekend?
Firstly, Bryan Mbeumo to give the Bees a 2-0 lead at home to Burnley with a stunning effort into the top corner. That was then surpassed by Saman Ghoddos whose control and finish to lash a header clear straight back in the direction from which it had come needs to be seen to be truly appreciated.
Saman’s strike is up there with the greatest Brentford goals ever scored. Certainly, it was the inspiration for today’s top five which, whilst slightly self-indulgent, is one that can hopefully be appreciated by most fans. Perhaps those in Putney or Shepherds Bush aside. After all, who doesn’t love a well-taken goal?
Our top five is dominated by the modern era and the availability of cameras – as much a by-product of the Bees’ long sojourns in the lower leagues – yet these are all pretty special.
5: Emiliano Marcondes May 29th 2021 Swansea City
The play-offs had for so long Brentford’s Achilles’ heel. With the Bees falling over in the promotional home straight more often than Devon Loch, there were more than a few nerves as a covid -estricted crowd prepared for yet another attempt at ending our Wembley hoodoo.
In the end, it was as dominant a performance as Bees’ fans had any right to ever imagine with two early goals giving a lead that rarely looked in doubt. The second of those an absolutely stunning team effort, with the lung-busting run from young Mads Roerslev to overtake ball carrier Bryan Mbeumo, something that was appreciated even more from the wide angle in the replay. It wasn’t a bad finish from Emiliano, either, for one of the most significant strikes in our history.
4: Sergi Canos Brentford 28 December 2015. Reading away
It would be fair to say that Sergi has been there and done it all for Brentford. He scored that stunner against Blackburn – our first game at Lionel Road with supporters allowed in following the relaxing of lockdown rules.
He scored our first-ever Premier League goal – that night The Bees beat Arsenal to go top of the Premier League in August 2021.
He almost relegated Leeds United in the final game of that season until, well, that’s another story.
Yet the goal that made his name, and inspired a song, came back in December 2015 at Reading. The then 17-year-old, on loan from Liverpool, announced himself in some style…
3: Paul Evans 1999. Twice Burnley and Preston
If Sergi’s strike inspired a song then the same could be said for Paul Evans. Back in 1999 he stunned Brentford fans by scoring from the halfway line not once but twice in the space of as many weeks.
The pick of the bunch coming from inside his own half in a game with Preston. A restart from The Bees ended a few seconds letter with the net rippling and the crowd going nuts. “Evans, from the halfway line” sung for years after. Some nice grainy footage of the strike below!
2: Jota 17 March 2015
Dubbed Brentford’s goal of the century after it went in, the mercurial Spaniard scored this stunner at Ewood Park as Brentford put on an improbable run for the play-offs in our first Championship season.
King Jota picked up the ball and ran. And ran. And ran. Come for the finish. Stay for the commentary from Beesplayer’s Mark Burridge. Fair to say he enjoyed it as much as we did!
1: Stuart Dallas 3 April 2015
The king wore his crown for little over a fortnight. Brentford’s first game at Fulham in years ended in the Bees obliterating the home side. Any one of the four goals scored were worthy of inclusion but the absolute pick of the bunch came from Stuart Dallas in front of over 6 000 travelling fans (as well as a few more packed into the neutral stand).
Come for the move, stay for the holdup and pass back. Rewind and watch the blistering finish again. And again. And again….
