FanZone Moments – Brentford

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Cup triumph has Bees in tears

My moment of the decade has got to be the 2-1 win against Sunderland in the 4th round of the FA cup on Saturday 28th January 2006.

Those Brentford’s fans who were there know what I mean, it’s the first time I looked beside me as I sat in ‘New Road’ and saw grown men cry, I saw stampede’s of fans running onto the pitch to lift Sam Sodje and DJ Campbell, I saw kids screaming and doing cartwheels as their mothers struggled to hold them back.

It was amazing, Griffin Park erupted, and from that moment on Martin Allen was a hero as the entire community of Brentford ‘united’….for once.

 

If you weren’t there, I shall illustrate the moment where Brentford upset and ruffled Sunderland’s feathers, well so said Mick McCarthy.

Both teams walked out onto what you’ll probably call today a typical mud bath, slight exaggeration there but you can imagine what I mean…it weren’t perfect but playable, the stadium was jam packed, the first sell out I had ever witnessed as a Brentford fan.

Shock

 

As the teams were being read out by our PA, I looked at my mates in confusion as the name DJ Campbell was read out. Not because we never thought he was good enough of course not, but simply because he didn’t feature enough in the squad as much as we expected him to.

We all knew there was potential but whether this potential was going to blossom to quality we were all yet to find out.

 

Jay Tabb latched on to the ball from the half way line as he strolled forward, he played an inch perfect pass to Campbell, nobody thought he could ever escape past the Sunderland defence however his pace sold Gary Breen as he left him for dead, he carried on running past Green, sold Kelvin Davis a dummy and then slotted the ball home. I remember Martin Allen trying to stop the players from celebrating but be serious Martin, this was the FA Cup.

 

Julio Arca equalised with a total fluke as his cross-come-shot lobbed Stuart Nelson, but that didn’t matter.

 

Campbell’s pace had been a constant threat to Sunderland all afternoon, no one could handle him and the best was yet to come from him.

Spirit

Two minutes was left on the clock and the draw looked inevitable, Nelson lofted the ball from defence as Brentford pushed for one last time; Lloyd Owusu rose high to flick on the header and from nowhere sprang Campbell again as he got past Danny Collins and smashed the ball into the back of the net.

 

It was a spirited performance from the entire Brentford team as we walked into the fifth round of the FA Cup but it was DJ Campbell’s goals that stole the headlines.

What more can i say than you had to have been there, but for the first time in a long time, Griffin Park erupted, it was amazing, the feeling was beautiful.

We took the game Sunderland from the moment the whistle blew to the end of the game, The midfield was as energetic as ever with Jay Tabb in there, the defence stayed strong as always with Sam Sodje back there.

It was a moment i shall cherish for the rest of my life, I could walk back home and say……Mum…… Brentford done me proud.

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