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Bees In Dreamland – 30/11/14
November 30, 2014 November 30, 2014 Greville Waterman Brentford FC, Griffin Park, Match Reports, Season Review	Adam Forshaw, Alan Judge, Alex Pritchard, Andre Gray, BFC Talk, Bob Taylor, Brentford, Brentford Blog, Brentford FC, Clayton Donaldson, Griffin Park, Harlee Dean, Jake Bidwell, James Tarkowski, Jon Toral, Jota, Luke Norris, Marcos Tebar Ramiro, Mark Warburton, Matthew Benham, Moses Odubajo, Nick Proschwitz, Richard Lee, Sam Saunders, The Championship, The Last Word, Transfer fees, Transfers
So how was November for you?
Pretty amazing might well be the reply from every Brentford supporter.
In fact it would be impossible to overstate just how incredible this last month has been for the club and fans alike.
We ended October on a bit of a wobble after drawing twice against Wigan and Sheffield Wednesday and losing badly at a revitalised Bolton Wanderers, a defeat which saw us fall into the lower half of the league table and drifting into thirteenth place.
Let's just put my last sentence in context and attempt to impose a sense of reality as well as manage some inflated expectations before we move on to examine November.
We are talking about a newly promoted team, fresh from the third tier of English football, competing at this level for the first time in over twenty years against a series of massive clubs with recent Premier League experience, and yet there was some concern expressed in some quarters at our so called slump.
Some fans are really unrealistic and hard task masters.
At the start of the season any position outside the bottom three would have been deemed more than acceptable and most pundits felt that we would be a lower middle of the table team at best.
The reality is that once the team gained some self-belief and realised that they were easily good enough to survive and indeed, thrive in the Championship, it became obvious that Brentford would do far better than expected by everyone, except possibly by those within the club.
That being said, margins are so narrow, and several of our ten victories could have ended up in draws or defeats if things had gone slightly differently, and conversely, we could just as easily have won four of the five games that we have lost.
Let's just stop for a moment and simply savour the fact that by the end of November Brentford have already defeated ten, yes ten, Championship teams, with some really big names amongst our victims:
That is not a bad list to say the least and is an absolutely incredible achievement by a team that is taking the entire football world by storm.
Oh, and by the way this is a mere three victories less than the thirteen gained by Brentford throughout the entire season in 1992/93 when we last played at this level of the game.
November has turned into one of the most memorable and successful months in the club's history with five consecutive victories, the first time since 1934/35 that the club has achieved this feat in the second tier.
Victories, as I have said, over some impressive names, and we have proved that we have simply gone out and defeated the team that is put out against us on the pitch and not been overawed by their reputation, tradition and heritage.
Five victories that have propelled us into third place in the table, a mere one point behind the leaders, Derby County.
This is nosebleed territory in the extreme, and is an achievement that is totally beyond our experience and expectations, or let's be frank, our wildest dreams, and frankly one that I still find totally impossible to process.
I just hope that we can remain there long enough for the reality to sink in, and that we continue to simply enjoy our success for as long as it lasts without becoming arrogant and developing raised expectations and a sense of entitlement.
Yesterday's victory was never quite as convincing as the score suggests but our finishing was devastating and, as normal, we were fitter, better organised and totally outpassed and outworked the opposition.
Mark Warburton unsurprisingly started with an unchanged team, with Fulham match winners Dallas and Jota remaining on the bench, but they would have a similar impact yesterday when they were finally called upon to enter the fray.
Wolves sat back early on and allowed us to play in front of them and we kept possession easily and comfortably without ever managing to hurt our opponents.
The only one hurt was skipper Tony Craig who took an unseen and unpunished elbow from Sako in an aerial challenge which stained the Griffin Park pitch red with his blood.
It was Wolves in fact who came the closest to scoring.
Bakary Sako, who had taken his ridiculous celebratory Swarovski crystal-encrusted boots off after the warm-up, bent a long range free kick narrowly over Button's crossbar with his more prosaic un-bejewelled pair of Nike's and the tricky van La Parra got away from Bidwell's close attentions and his centre beyond the far post was brilliantly met by the straining Danny Graham and his header went – nobody really knows quite where.
It hit the underside of the bar and bounced down over the line according to Wolves, but the man who counted, the assistant referee, was unconvinced and play continued.
A narrow escape and maybe a let-off for Brentford and this was a massive turning point, as Wolves came into the game on a poor run of form and an early goal would surely have revitalised their flagging spirits.
George Saville returned to his old stamping ground, almost literally at times, and he thrashed around the midfield like a human combine harvester and received his customary early booking for an agricultural scythe into Alan Judge and his influence waned like that of the setting sun on what was a quite beautiful mild November afternoon.
For all their possession, Brentford created nothing until they scored.
Finally, on the half hour, Toral picked Evans's pocket after a Wolves throw in and his persistence was rewarded when his slide rule pass sent Judge in on goal and he sashayed between two defenders at pace before flicking the ball almost contemptuously with the outside of his right foot beyond the helpless Ikeme.
Incredibly it was the Irishman's first goal of a wonderful season where he has been a massive influence with his nonstop energy, vision and skill.
It was a goal of rapier-like deadliness which skewered the Wolves defence and took the wind totally out of their sails.
Button had one sharp save to make his with legs from Sako but Brentford were now in total command.
Wolves changed their approach in the second half and started pressing us high up the pitch, which resulted in them pinning us into our half for the first twenty minutes without creating much apart from an Edwards effort which went narrowly wide of the near post.
Brentford were playing well within themselves and the introduction of Dallas for Toral resulted in us regaining the initiative and simply changing up into a higher gear, and Wolves simply could not live with us.
Odebajo finally won his crucial battle with Sako and with Golbourne off injured he could finally find the opportunity and space to rampage forward, and as Kenny Jackett ruefully admitted after the match, the more Wolves attacked, the more it was Brentford who looked like scoring.
We sent men pouring forward into the space left behind the advanced Wolves players pressing for an equaliser, and we simply tore them apart with incisive close passing and our pace on the break.
Pritchard and Judge combined menacingly and a Hoddle-esque volleyed pass from Dallas sent Judge rushing into the area and his lobbed volley was acrobatically turned over the bar by the keeper.
The imperious Harlee Dean then won the ball deep in his own half, rampaged upfield, just as he had done against Fulham, and found Pritchard, who, with the ball seemingly tied to his foot, made space for himself, and played the ball across the area beyond the straining Dean, for the unmarked Dallas to score calmly and without fuss.
Harlee has rapidly become a massive influence both in defence and as an auxiliary attacker and, on current form, will take some shifting from the first team.
Wolves's heads went down and their challenge evaporated.
Brentford now went for the jugular and Judge picked out Gray with a perfectly weighted long pass and the former Wolves youngster took the ball across the edge of the area, shrugged off three defenders and buried a fearsome low strike beyond Ikeme into the far corner.
His was a goal of breathtaking quality which emphasised the gulf in confidence between the two teams. Wolves stood off and just watched and tried to react whilst Brentford ran rings around them and made things happen.
Gray retired to a hero's ovation, he now believes in his own ability, and with five goals in as many games is developing into both a massive threat and an immense prospect.
His recent progress just goes to show how well a player can perform when he is given the time and support to grow into an unfamiliar role.
Jota came on for the last few minutes and put the cherry on top with a typical party piece goal which simply emphasied the gulf between the two teams.
Judge it was who slipped him through, and Jota's angled finish from the edge of the six yard box was perfection personified as he threaded the ball through the eye of the needle into the goal.
So this incredible month is coming to an end and every Brentford supporter must wish that it could continue ad infinitum.
Mark Warburton must surely be named as Manager of the Month given his perfect and unblemished record although Ipswich's Mick McCarthy could run him close given their four wins and a draw over the same period.
Gray too and maybe Toumani Diagouraga, who was imperious yet again yesterday, might also come into contention for Player of the Month honours.
To receive either or both awards would be wonderful as this is New Brentford, and we no longer worry about tempting fate, but in our heart of hearts we know just how good we are and hopefully the run will continue.
We are certainly good enough to achieve great things this season.
How Others See Us – 29/11/14
November 29, 2014 November 29, 2014 Greville Waterman Brentford FC, Match Previews, Season Review, The Championship	Adam Forshaw, Alan Judge, Andre Gray, BFC Talk, Brentford, Brentford Blog, Brentford FC, David Button, Griffin Park, Harlee Dean, Jake Bidwell, James Tarkowski, Jon Toral, Jota, Marcos Tebar Ramiro, Matthew Benham, Moses Odubajo, Nick Proschwitz, Richard Lee, Sam Saunders, The Championship, The Last Word, Tony Craig, Uwe Rosler
We Brentford supporters all know exactly just how good our team is at the moment and, at the same time, really have no idea at all how much better it is going to get over the coming months and even years.
That is the beauty and excitement of the wonderful journey on which we currently find ourselves.
Nobody quite knows where our magical mystery tour is going to end – and we can but dream.
Slowly and surely the rest of the football world is catching up with us and finally grasping that there is something quite special, totally unexpected and unprecedented taking place under the radar at Griffin Park.
As we prepare to climb yet another mountain this afternoon and take on the challenge of Wolverhampton Wanderers at Griffin Park I thought that it might make us all feel a bit calmer to read what other people are saying about us at the moment.
Sky Sports Football League pundit Peter Beagrie was asked this week to explain our amazing start to the season and to come up with the secret for our success.
His comments should be nectar to our ears which will surely be burning with pride:
The secret of their success is continuity.
It's a squad that has grown together over the last few years with a few quality additions showing the same desire and work ethic and creating the consistency required to do well in any division.
Mark Warburton has carried on the great work and structure Uwe Rosler put in place, maintaining the principles and professionalism the German demanded.
He was a brilliant choice and it was not a gamble to put the former stockmarket man in charge having worked closely on the recruitment side studying players' character as well as their ability to maintain unity and harmony in the dressing room.
Plenty of pace and energy, and a mix of young and hungry players, with a couple of experienced heads, make Brentford a tough opponent for anybody, especially now mentally they all feel they belong among some of the more illustrious company in the Championship.
Bournemouth are their direct comparison in size and stature and showing what you can achieve when you build a team over a few seasons.
I fancied Brentford to do well and not only survive but possibly get a top-ten finish, and at the moment they are well ahead of schedule.
It's refreshing to see a club and staff embrace the division above, playing without fear and being allowed by their manager to express themselves, long may it continue.
Just how good does it make you feel to read an impartial viewpoint like that from an experienced former player who knows precisely what he is talking about and has become a well regarded, knowledgable and thoughtful commentator on the game?
Steve Claridge – eat your heart out!
Wolves midfielder and former Brentford loanee George Saville played a key role in last season's promotion team and has an in-depth knowledge of what makes us tick:
It's no surprise at all to see them doing well – they've got a good manager, a great set of players and good individuals.
The owner there is very ambitious from talks he gave us last year and they're on the up, so it's a good place to be at the moment.
Wolves manager Kenny Jacket also had some good things to say about us:
Brentford are in a great position in the league, they have a new stadium coming and they've built well.
Maybe they'd say they were in League One a year or two longer than they'd have liked because they were close to getting up, but perhaps that allowed them to build and to grow.
They've just won four on the trot, which shows you that it can be done.
They've brought in a new front four and have options off the bench as well – maybe Judge is the only one still around playing out of their front four.
The options they have for that front four are good and they have kept it similar behind.
They've been settled and started very well and, looking at the Fulham game on Friday night on television, they looked a threat right the way through and looked like they can score goals.
It might be sensible for us to take some of his words with a pinch of salt as it is customary for a football manager to big up his opponents before he plays them as a possible face-saving exercise, but, reading between the lines, he obviously rates us and is worried about the threat we pose his team.
I next scanned some of the Wolverhampton Wanderers message boards and amongst the normal hyperbole, gibberish, ignorance and blinkered views I read the following comment from Young Wolf with great interest:
They are in a rich vein of form at the moment, and they do play some lovely football, but if we can sort ourselves out quickly (and I trust Kenny to do so) I think we do have a better midfield and are a better side.
That is what they call being damned with faint praise, as there was certainly a sting in the tail, but hopefully we can turn the tables on Wolves and ensure that it is payback time for the convincing defeat they inflicted upon us last season.
Greg Dyke, Chairman of the Football Association, can hardly be called impartial given that he is a long-suffering fan and a former Chairman of the club, but distance lends perspective and he recently had this to say about how the long suffering Brentford suppporters have finally and not before time changed their tune:
Yes, we are the absolute world champion club in snatching defeat from the jaws of victory, something we have been doing since about 1947 when I was born.
If we were 3-0 up with five minutes to play, ask any Brentford fan if we would win the game and ninety-nine percent would still be uncertain.
Having said that we are playing some great football now, the best I've seen in years.
Is it an impossible dream? No, it isn't, let's see where it leads us.
When self-doubt strikes, as it undoubtedly will, simply cloak yourself in the comments you have just read above and believe!
Much Ado About Nothing – 28/11/14
November 28, 2014 November 28, 2014 Greville Waterman Brentford FC, Griffin Park, Match Previews, The Championship	Adam Forshaw, Alan Judge, Andre Gray, BFC Talk, Brentford, Brentford Blog, Brentford FC, Clayton Donaldson, David Button, Griffin Park, Harlee Dean, Jake Bidwell, James Tarkowski, Jon Toral, Mark Warburton, Matthew Benham, Moses Odubajo, Sam Saunders, The Championship, The Last Word, Transfers
Well, that was a bit of a damp squib wasn't it?
The loan window closed last night at Griffin Park without anybody either jumping in or being defenestrated.
In truth, no real surprises there as Mark Warburton had already made it crystal clear that he was more than happy with both the quality and depth of his squad and was fully content to make do with what he has until the transfer window opens again in January.
When interviewed at the training ground yesterday he seemed blissfully unconcerned about the ticking clock and rapidly approaching deadline and, when asked if he expected any movements in or out, merely commented without an apparent care in the world that Frank McParland was dealing with all transfer matters back at the club today and would let him know if anything happened.
Not a major priority then!
Would I have liked a new loanee?
The answer is a qualified "yes".
We have cover in pretty much every position and there is now a plethora of talent unable to even claw a seat for themselves on the substitutes' bench.
Nico Yennaris, Sam Saunders and Marcos Tebar are now fully recovered from injury, add further depth to the squad and are all challenging for places.
Montell Moore is also performing exceptionally well in the Development Squad and is a real talent whose time might surely be coming fairly soon.
All that being said and agreed, I would still have been happier if a new striker had been brought in who could cover for our existing trio of Andre Gray, Nick Proschwitz and Betinho.
I do not intend to go over the why's and wherefore's of the quality of each of them, and what they bring to the party, as I have done it to death in previous articles, but I simply feel that we are going into a packed Christmas programme and another option up front would be extremely helpful as a contingency should injury or another misfortune befall one of our strikers, who we will need to wrap up in cotton wool.
The problem of course, is finding somebody who is available, affordable, fits in with and adds value to the squad and, in our current situation, with Gray excelling and our only playing one striker, is prepared to accept that he will be unlikely to start any, or many, games.
Those are hard boxes to tick and I suspect that we were unable to find someone who matched that exacting bill.
Danny Graham, for example, who is likely to play against us on Saturday, would have cost us top dollar and expected, quite naturally, to have come in as first choice.
That was not going to happen at Griffin Park given Andre's recent performances where he has excelled.
I yesterday suggested that the best option would be a young and unproven talent from the Premier League, but on reflection I can see what a risk that would have been, as, whilst there are certainly such players around, whether they would be able to step up to the plate in the Championship is highly open to doubt given the quality and physical demands of the competition.
Rhys Murphy anyone?
Saido Berahino certainly had the ability in front of goal and was a precocious talent, but he fell short in other areas, and, given the unity of the current squad, and how well things are going, we cannot afford to take any chances.
To be honest, I am delighted that Mark gave such a public show of confidence in his current squad and am also fully aware that last minute arrivals are never generally the best planned and can sometimes reek of being panic buys.
The squad is certainly talented enough, as has been shown by our wonderful November which has so far seen four straight wins, two over major promotion hopefuls, ten goals scored, a rise to an unprecedented fifth place in the table, the emergence of Andre Gray and Toumani Diagouraga as match winners and major influences, plus a growing awareness that there really is something incredible happening at Griffin Park under the noses of an unsuspecting football world.
Mark Warburton is certainly well in the running to be Manager of the Month for November, and the two aforementioned players will also have a good shout of being nominated as Player of the Month too.
I have no problem in mentioning both of these facts, as this is "New Brentford", a club that simply rises to every challenge and obstacle put in front of it, and I very much hope that we have to face the so-called curse of the Manager of the Month as I am certain that we will just ignore it and get on with our game.
We face a tough challenge tomorrow in Wolverhampton Wanderers, who will be smarting after three straight defeats and only gaining one point in four games.
We need to take care as they will be a wounded animal determined to prove that their recent poor results are merely a blip and not the start of a catastrophic plummet down the league table.
I am not going to write a match preview here, but simply remark that whilst there are merely another three valuable Championship points at stake, there is also a little matter of pride and revenge to consider
Wolves ended our long unbeaten run last season and both outthought and outplayed us at Griffin Park.
Three – nil was a harsh scoreline, but they were far better than us on the day and fully deserved their victory.
It has to be said, however that some of their players (are you listening Mr Henry) rather over celebrated at the time and went way beyond what are normally considered acceptable bounds of behaviour.
I am sure that Russell Slade might have something to say on this delicate subject at this point, given his complaints after our win at Brisbane Road, but there really is a massive difference between making your delight at achieving a crucial victory perfectly clear by celebrating amongst yourselves, and provoking the home fans by gesticulating and taunting.
I am pretty certain that something might well be said on this emotive subject before the game in the home dressing room.
Ins And Outs? – 27/11/14
November 27, 2014 November 27, 2014 Greville Waterman Brentford FC	Adam Forshaw, Alex Pritchard, Andre Gray, BFC Talk, Brentford, Brentford Blog, Brentford FC, Clayton Donaldson, David Button, Jake Bidwell, James Tarkowski, Mark Warburton, Matthew Benham, Moses Odubajo, Nick Proschwitz, Sam Saunders, The Championship, The Last Word, Transfer fees, Transfers
The Loan Window slams shut tonight and as always when such a milestone approaches there is a frisson of excitement and anticipation on the part of every football fan, and Brentford supporters are no different.
Will something happen today before the five o'clock deadline, will we make a surprise move and bring in a new face or two?
Will perhaps a couple of our unused squad players kicking their heels on the sidelines be sent out for some first team match practice?
Who knows, but what is certain is that social media and the Brentford FC website alike will be red hot as supporters nervously check every possible news outlet throughout the day waiting for the puff of white smoke.
As is normal these days, rumours and hot gossip emanating from the club itself are totally nonexistent.
They keep their business extremely close to their chest nowadays, and I suspect that very few people, if anybody, outside the magic circle of Matthew Benham, Frank McParland, Mark Warburton, David Weir, perhaps Club Secretary Lisa Hall and finally the director who has to sign any paperwork will have any inkling of what is planned for today and what may or may not transpire.
Whilst all fans thrive on gossip and speculation and avidly seize upon any snippet of information that they can unearth, it has to be said that the club's policy of omerta is simply good and sensible business practice, although it really does help spoil our fun.
So many transfer deals in the past have been compromised when somebody blabbed and spilled the beans.
I am reminded of those emotive Second World War posters carrying the message "Careless Talk Costs Lives".
One has to keep a sense of proportion, and I am not suggesting for one moment that anybody involved with Brentford FC ever pays the ultimate price when the cat is let out of the bag, but I am equally certain that several transfer targets in the recent past were hijacked by other clubs who might well have discovered confidential information through leaks that were then published prematurely.
The only name that has been mentioned in the local media is that of Tommie Hoban a promising twenty year-old centre half at Watford who would be well known to Mark Warburton from his time spent at the club.
Hoban has risen through Watford's youth ranks and made his debut in the final match of the 2010/11 campaign.
It was two seasons later, under Gianfranco Zola, that he established himself in Watford's first team and despite missing a year of football due to an ankle injury, he has made thirty-eight appearances to date for the Hornets.
Interestingly enough he has commented recently upon how difficult it is for a promising homegrown youngster to force his way into the first team at the club.
"When Malky and Dychey were managing here a lot of young players were given the opportunity to go out and play.
When the Pozzos took over there was still that chance to get in the side and I was given my opportunity.
Now we are a side that wants to get promoted to the Premier League.
So it may now be harder for younger players to break into the side.
We have got a lot of good quality players but I think if you are good enough you will still be given a chance."
The dramatic change in philosophy at Vicarage Road since the Pozzo takeover has seen the Hornets name starting lineups without a British or Irish player but Hoban has still managed to make eleven appearances so far this season.
It looks like Watford might well want to get him out on loan in order to play some first team football but I cannot for the life of me see how that can happen at Griffin Park at the moment.
Harlee Dean and Tony Craig are the pair rightly in possession of the first team shirts at present with James Tarkowski breathing down their necks and eagerly looking for an opportunity to win back the shirt he lost after his recent suspension.
Unless injury strikes there is surely no opportunity for a loanee to force his way into the first team reckoning at centre half in the immediate future.
That is not to say that the club might not be looking in the future to upgrade what is already one of the strongest positions in the squad but I would doubt if Hoban would be seen as an immediate replacement for one of the three players currently vying for recognition.
Watford would surely only send him out on loan if he was likely to play regularly in the first team and unless I am missing something then he would need to go elsewhere today.
That being said, if Brentford were to loan out Raphael Calvet today then there would be a space in and around the squad, as with Alfie Mawson remaining at Wycombe where he is really impressing, Daniel O'Shaugnessy would be the only other spare central defender at the club.
Maybe Brentford do have some plans for Hoban but I would be surprised if he is a viable and realistic target for today.
What else might happen?
Let's first look at potential exits.
With the Christmas programme fast approaching and pressure likely to be put on the squad by a never ending and relentless onslaught of matches and travelling I would be surprised if any squad players are allowed to leave the club today as they will all probably be required as cover over the next month or so as the pressure bites.
Nico Yennaris has so far had a season to forget as he his progress has been set back by injury and he has never really been in a position to challenge for a first team place since his initial injury suffered at Dagenham in August.
He really needs games and at the moment is not being named on the substitutes' bench.
That situation could certainly change as injuries take their toll and players need a break, but he, or even perhaps Marcus Tebar, who is now recovered from his injury and needs some match action, could conceivably be given the opportunity to get back to match fitness elsewhere.
Tommie Smith has not featured as much as he might have liked but is far too valuable to be loaned out.
The example of Toumani Diagouraga is fresh on the mind as he is a player who was revitalised by his loan spell at Portsmouth and came back a seemingly different player, one who is now one of the first names on the team sheet.
We did however have the cover available to allow him to leave for a short spell, but I do not see that as being the situation now.
Possibly Josh Clarke and Calvet might be given the chance to play elsewhere today and some of the other Development Squad players might also be found local non-league clubs to play for over the Christmas period, but I do not see any shocks or surprises exiting through the out door.
In that regard, suggestions on message boards that James Tarkowski might be sent out on loan are surely nonsensical as he is one of our best players, and is one injury or a few mistakes away from regaining his first team place.
As for other arrivals today – who knows?
We remain short of cover upfront where Andre Gray ploughs a lone furrow supported by the ever-willing Nick Proschwitz who spells him for the latter part of most matches.
We are wafer thin in the striking department as Betinho does not appear to have kicked on and has not even been named in recent Development Squad teams.
He is obviously nowhere near the first team at present, which is a real shame given the anticipation and expectation, unreasonable though they were, on his arrival and the need to give Andre a rest from time to time.
Montell Moore is highly promising and his time will certainly come, but it is far too early for him to be expected to make an impact at Championship level.
So do we stick or twist?
Danny Graham was rumoured to be arriving a few weeks ago but he would have come at a very high cost and would also have expected to play every week, and that is where the dilemma lies.
Gray has developed far quicker than could ever have been expected and given the season-ending injury to Scott Hogan, is now the undisputed first choice striker.
Whoever comes in would surely be expected to support and spell him rather than replace him and, as I have said before, clubs want their loanees to play rather than languish on the bench.
For that reason I would not be surprised if we do bring in a young striker from a higher level, another Chuba Akpom type of raw, inexperienced but talented player who could add some value without needing or expecting to play every match.
All will be revealed by tonight and, as per normal I fully expect to have got everything completely wrong, but, like everyone else I will be agog with anticipation!
Hall Of Fame – 25/11/14
November 25, 2014 November 25, 2014 Greville Waterman Brentford FC, Former Players, Heroes, History of the Bees	Adam Forshaw, Alan Hawley, Alan Nelmes, Alex Pritchard, BFC Talk, Bob Booker, Bob Taylor, Brentford, Brentford Blog, Brentford FC, Clayton Donaldson, Danis Salman, Griffin Park, Harlee Dean, Jake Bidwell, James Tarkowski, John O'Mara, Keith Millen, leading goalscorers, Marcos Tebar Ramiro, Mark Warburton, Matthew Benham, Peter Gelson, Richard Poole, The Last Word, Tony Craig, Uwe Rosler
Brentford's 125th Anniversary Dinner last week saw another welcome milestone when five former players were inducted into the Brentford FC Hall of Fame.
Bob Booker, Peter Gelson, Keith Millen, Alan Nelmes and Danis Salman are all true Brentford legends and are worthy and deserving additions to an elite club.
With their arrival there are now fifteen members of the Hall of Fame and I would like you all now to try and see how many of the other ten inductees you can remember.
In order to give you sufficient time to allow you to search the recesses of your memory so that you can work out their identity, I will reminisce for a moment about the five new inductees.
Bob Booker simply epitomises everything that is good about Brentford and what the club represents.
Never the most gifted player in the world, he made the most of what he had, gave everything to the cause, never caused a moment's trouble – except to the opposition, and played in every position apart from goal.
He scored an unforgettable hat trick against Hull City and I also remember an accomplished display as an emergency centre half against Fulham.
His never say die approach endeared him to supporters and he overcame a career threatening knee injury to revitalise his career and earn a transfer to Sheffield United where he also became a club legend and First Division regular.
Who else can recall the excitement when the news was leaked in November 1991 that the Bees were on the verge of signing a First Division star – and after much speculation it was Bob who eventually materialised for a final spell at Griffin Park, but we forgave him everything!
Peter Gelson was a loyal one-club man who served the Bees with dignity and pride for more than a decade and played well over five hundred games, second only to Ken Coote, as a rugged and reliable centre half.
He was not the tallest of defenders but timed his leaps perfectly and won everything in the air and was a seemingly impassable barrier, except against his nemesis, Jack Howarth who always gave him the runaround and once scored an awesome hat trick of headers for Aldershot at Griffin Park.
Peter remarkably scored twice with punts from inside his own half of the field, and less memorably, hit a late and potentially match saving penalty kick against Aldershot onto the inside of the roof of the old Brook Road terrace and caused the occupants of the Royal Oak End to be showered with years of accumulated rust.
Then, just to add insult to injury, Aldershot broke away following the goal kick, and scored a match clinching fourth goal.
Peter remains a season ticket holder at the club and he can be seen at every match in Braemar Road where he is rightly treated with the affection, awe and respect accorded to a true Brentford icon.
Keith Millen played against Wigan at Wembley as an eighteen year old teenage prodigy and developed into a consistent and gifted centre half who formed outstanding defensive partnerships with both Terry Evans and Jamie Bates, and Brentford were so fortunate to have three such talented defenders to choose from.
He simply got on with his job calmly and efficiently and read the game so well that danger was generally snuffed out before any damage was done.
It was a disappointment to all supporters when he fell out with David Webb and, after flirting with a possible move to Spurs which never finally came to fruition, he was transferred, when still in his prime, to Watford where he also flourished.
Alan Nelmes took time to settle down to the rigours of league football after he joined Brentford in 1967 from Chelsea but he grew into the role and became a quick and underrated defender who proved to be the perfect foil to Peter Gelson.
He scored only two goals for Brentford, once when playing as an emergency centre forward at Notts County, the other, a last minute winner from a corner against Scunthorpe at Griffin Park after he lost his marker, Kevin Keegan, who was ball watching.
Unfortunately he was more deadly at the other end of the pitch and signed off with a trademark own goal, a real beauty, in his testimonial match against Chelsea in 1978.
Danis Salman made his Brentford debut against Watford at the age of fifteen years, eight months and three days and 248 days and still holds the record as the Club's youngest ever Football League player.
Danny was tall, quick and strong and played at right back or centre half and was an ever present danger when he overlapped down the right flank.
He also scored one of the softest and most bizarre goals I have ever seen when his weak thirty yarder somehow spun through keeper Nigel Batch's hands and legs and barely had the pace to cross the goal line, but it was enough to gift us a victory over Grimsby.
He spent eleven years at the club and made three hundred and seventy-one appearances before joining Millwall.
I always felt that Danny rather missed the boat and stayed with us a bit too long as, with his ability, he could and should have played at a far higher level.
All five were wonderful players and are also real gentlemen who remember their time at the club with pleasure and pride.
Anyway, it is now time to discover how many of the other ten members of the Brentford FC Hall of Fame you have managed to remember.
Malcolm MacDonald
Dai Hopkins
Joe James
Phil Holder
Dean Holdsworth
Jackie Graham
Alan Hawley
Bobby Ross
George Francis
Did any of you get all ten names correct?
I doubt it, I certainly didn't.
Worthy though they all are of their places in this august gathering.
I spoke yesterday to the club's Deputy Head of Media and Communications, Mark Chapman, about the Hall of Fame and remarked that there were some obvious omissions from the current list of former players and managers already honoured.
Mark stated that he was well aware of this but that it was the club's policy to first honour players who were still alive and, in that regard, it is likely that there will be another name announced very shortly who will be a very popular and deserving addition to the Hall of Fame.
Exciting news indeed!
That is not to say that the prewar giants and others who are sadly no longer with us, such as Jack Holliday, Jim Towers and of course, Harry Curtis, have been forgotten, and Mark assured me that their time will definitely come, once the most appropriate and fitting way to celebrate their memory has been decided upon.
Hopefully once Lionel Road is completed there will also be a space reserved in a club museum to pay suitable homage to the wonderful achievements of our former greats.
Thanks to Mark, who with his knowledge, passion and respect for the past is a totally appropriate custodian for the Hall of Fame.
So, in the meantime I can going to set all my readers an immediate task.
Please can you let me know who, in your opinion, out of our past heroes and inspirations do you think most deserves election into the Brentford FC Hall of Fame?
I await your nominations with bated breath and all suggestions will, of course, be passed onto Mark for consideration.
Day Off! – 23/11/14
November 23, 2014 November 23, 2014 Greville Waterman Brentford FC, Swindon Town FC, The Championship	Alan Judge, Andre Gray, BFC Talk, Brentford, Brentford Blog, Brentford FC, Griffin Park, Harlee Dean, Jake Bidwell, James Tarkowski, Jota, Mark Warburton, Matthew Benham, Paul Shrubb, Sam Saunders, Steve Claridge, The Championship, The Last Word, Transfer fees
What a lovely, peaceful and satisfying day I had yesterday.
After long lie in to sleep off the excess celebrations from the night before, I woke up with a smile on my face as I realised that the incredible and momentous events of Friday night had really happened and weren't merely a dream.
In fact the reality was far better and more satisfying than anything I could have ever dared hope for.
Brentford had beaten their old enemy in the most satisfying of circumstances and sent them scurrying back to SW6 whining and moaning with their tail firmly between their legs.
Even more than that, Brentford had risen to the challenge and massive expectations of their fans and put on a performance that will live long in the memory, one that must also have thrilled, surprised and amazed everyone watching the live broadcast of the local derby on Sky Sports.
The days of us crumbling and choking on the big occasion seem firmly behind us and the team seemed to relish the challenge and enjoy the opportunity to strut their stuff before a national audience.
I have to confess that I watched the entire programme twice, once when I came in late on Friday night, and again, just to check that it wasn't a figment of my imagination, on Saturday morning.
I was right the first time, we really had put on a notable performance that had even the hardened Sky pundits waking up and taking notice and appreciating our style, approach and quality.
Griffin Park, too, looked at its best, resplendent and sparkling in the glare of the floodlights and the scene was set for a magnificent game of football where the presumed underdogs and no-hopers seized the initiative from the off and blooded the nose of their illustrious and wealthy opponents.
I am not going to rehash my match report as I wrote that yesterday, but suffice to say that I was suffused with pride watching the events unroll on-screen yet again.
How Ross McCormack, danger that he was, could have been named as Man of the Match was a decision so ludicrous that I simply laughed in disbelief.
Was I being paranoid or was this simply more evidence of media bias against Brentford?
The fact that the studio pundit, Billy McKinlay, was a former Fulham coach might have had something to do with it, but if a Fulham player had to be chosen, then the blindingly obvious candidate was their goalkeeper Marcus Bettinelli, the elastic man, whose series of wonderful saves kept the Cottagers in the game and almost led to them pulling off a totally unmerited victory against the odds.
Perhaps they had simply been unable to pick out one Brentford player when in truth all fourteen shone equally on the night?
Whatever the circumstances, the choice of McCormack highlighted the danger of making such a decision well before the end of the game, as I firmly believe that the Man of the Match had been selected at a time when Fulham were still winning the game.
I take my hat off to Ross who was magnanimous when interviewed after the game, looked fairly sheepish and embarrassed when accepting his award and conceded that Brentford had been by far the better team and fully deserved their victory.
The Daily Mail published a full and effusive report on their website but otherwise our achievement went largely unnoticed in yesterday's media.
Good, let's stay under the radar for as long as we can!
A long day now stretched in front of me without the normal stresses and concerns of a Saturday in the football season.
The Bees had more than done their stuff, the pressure was off and I could simply relax, smug in the knowledge that whatever happened we were certain to end the day still firmly ensconced in the Playoff zone.
I watched the Huddersfield versus Sheffield Wednesday no-score bore draw at lunchtime and whilst you have to make allowance for the passion of a local derby, there was so little quality on display from either team, and the Bees looked light years ahead of both of them on the evidence of that game.
I awaited the other results with keen interest but felt totally confused and conflicted.
Should I be looking at the teams at the top or bottom of the league?
Did I want Derby or Blackpool to lose?
With the innate caution and pessimism ingrained in a Brentford supporter of long standing, I was first drawn to the relegation zone and noticed with relief and satisfaction that we are now thirteen points above Rotherham who sit uneasily in twenty-second place.
Can they make up the gap on us, are we going to be OK and avoid the dog fight at the bottom of the league?
Panicky thoughts such as these flashed through my mind until I took a deep breath and began to analyse the situation more objectively.
We have now played eighteen of our twenty-three opponents, and yes, we are likely to find it harder when we play everybody for the second time, as forewarned is forearmed but a cataclysmic collapse like the one we experienced back in 1993 just isn't going to happen again.
We really do have so much more quality and are so much better equipped for the gruelling demands of the Championship both on the pitch and behind the scenes.
That is not to say that we will not experience some good hidings between now and the end of the season given the calibre of some of the opposition and players who will be facing us.
I finally accepted that in reality there really isn't too much for us to worry about and allowed my eyes to rise and examine the top of the Championship table.
There we were, sitting proudly in fifth place, and long may that situation remain.
Who knows where we will end up as we are on a magical and momentous journey which will end, we know not where, but it is great fun to be part of it.
And given what most of us have been through over the years supporting our beloved Brentford, the disappointments, the raised hopes and shattered dreams, I really do not think many people would deny that it is about time that we had our time in the sun.
It is OUR turn now.
Mark Warburton turned up as a guest on the Football League Show last night.
In his calm, understated manner he talked total sense, gave credit where it was due and his sharp analysis contrasted with the bumbling inanities and cliches spouted by the ineffable Steve Claridge who he totally outshone.
Mark advised caution and hoped that we would remain out of the spotlight for as long as possible.
Most of me hopes that he is right but I really feel that the cat is out of the bag as is evidenced by this comment from Sam Lewis's match report in today's Football League Paper:
While rivals Fulham were parading themselves in the Premier League and playing in a European final, envious Brentford were pottering around in the bowels of the Football League in a half-empty stadium.
How the tide of the Thames has turned in West London.
It's taken sixteen years for the clubs to collide in the league, but what is it they say about good things coming to those who wait?
Brentford are flying high in the play-off places.
Their new stadium is coming and if they keep this up, so are United, City, Liverpool and Chelsea.
How I wish I had written those wonderful words.
Just to cap a perfect day, the phone rang at about seven o'clock and it was Paul Shrubb ringing to say what a fantastic time he had had at the match, how welcome he had been made to feel and how incredible it was to walk onto the Griffin Park pitch once more to receive the acclaim of the Brentford supporters.
Days don't really come much better than this.
Bees Up! – Fulham Down! – 22/11/14
November 22, 2014 November 22, 2014 Greville Waterman Brentford FC, Fulham FC, Griffin Park, Match Reports, The Championship	Adam Forshaw, Alan Judge, Alex Pritchard, Andre Gray, BFC Talk, Brentford, Brentford Blog, Brentford FC, David Button, Fulham FC, Griffin Park, Harlee Dean, Jake Bidwell, James Tarkowski, Jon Toral, Jota, leading goalscorers, Marcos Tebar Ramiro, Mark Warburton, Matthew Benham, Moses Odubajo, Nick Proschwitz, Richard Lee, Sam Saunders, Stuart Dallas, The Championship, The Last Word
I have finally woken up this morning but feel as if I am still in dreamland.
Did we really win our fourth consecutive Championship match last night, the first time we have achieved that feat almost since there was a King on the throne over sixty years ago?
Is that us, little Brentford, sitting comfortably in fourth place in the league, a mere point off the top?
Was that really Brentford who came back seemingly from the dead, with two goals in the final ten minutes of a pulsating match, to win a game that we looked like losing despite totally dominating from start to finish?
Was that Griffin Park, ram packed to the gills with the roof seemingly coming off as the stadium erupted at the final whistle?
The answer to all four questions is an emphatic yes.
This has been a seriously good few days for the club as we begin to come of age.
The landmark 125th anniversary was celebrated by over six hundred guests at a glittering dinner held on Thursday at the Hurlingham Club in SW6 where Brentford took over Fulham.
The team repeated the feat last night, playing their illustrious visitors off the park and their sumptuous football provided yet another feast this time for the spectators at a sold out Griffin Park as well as the viewers of the live broadcast on Sky Sports.
I wrote recently about our dilemma.
Do we try and remain under the radar or shout from the rooftops about the incredible recent happenings at the club?
I am afraid that given what occurred last night the decision is going to be taken out of our hands.
The football world is finally waking up to the fact that there is a new power emerging in West London.
It is of course early days yet, and we must try and avoid getting carried away as in the greater scheme of things we have achieved very little, but we are certainly on a journey.
The force and momentum are with us, and on the evidence of what experienced Bees watchers have seen so far this season, who knows just how far we can go and where we will eventually end up.
Last night it was the turn of Fulham to challenge our new found self-belief.
The two teams were renewing a rivalry that flourished and grew in the 80s and came to a head on that glorious Sunday morning in April 1992 when the visitors were demolished by a four goal first half onslaught by the Bees.
Since that unforgettable day Fulham, buttressed by Mohamed Al-Fayed's millions roared ahead and left Brentford trailing far behind in their wake, and seemed to have firmly established themselves in the Premier League until they imploded last season and were relegated with ignominy after a thirteen year stay at the top level.
Under Kit Symons they have been recovering from an appalling start to the season and fielded a team packed full of top level international stars, but there still seemed to be a sense of entitlement surrounding them and they gave the firm impression that they felt it it was all a bit beneath them to spend a Friday night slumming it against their poor relations at their dilapidated shack of a stadium.
Back in the day, one of my clients, Ericsson, sponsored Queens Park Rangers, and by virtue of my job I was sentenced to five years' hard labour where I was expected to attend some matches at Loftus Road.
At that time, just like Fulham, QPR had been relegated from the Premier League and mistakenly pulled out all the stops to retain most of the overpriced so-called superstars who had totally under performed and got them into the mess in the first place.
Excellent players, like Trevor Sinclair, slept-walked their way through the season, making it patently obvious by their inertia and reluctance to sweat that they had no real interest in playing at a level they felt totally beneath them and only gave their all on the big occasion in an effort to attract a new club.
For Trevor Sinclair read Brian Ruiz last night.
Fulham were a mirror image of that lamentable QPR team – all fur coat and no knickers as the old expression goes.
Brentford took the game by the throat and totally outplayed their visitors in a first half of total domination.
Brentford's incisive and pleasing to the eye short passing style contrasting with Fulham's prehistoric long ball assault.
The Brentford midfielders interchanged with alacrity.
Pritchard's magic feet opened gaps in the Fulham defence, the rampaging Jonathan Douglas and the revitalised Toumani Diagouraga won every loose ball and passed it impeccably, the live-wire Alan Judge was at the centre of everything good we did and Toral showed further evidence that he is coming of age as a first team footballer.
All that was missing was a goal, but thanks to an inspired display from the marvellous Marcus Bettinelli in the Fulham goal we were somehow denied the two goal cushion which was the least that our first half display merited.
He stretched like a languid cat to foil Toral's low header aimed into the corner, tipped over Craig's header, acrobatically pushed Judge's curling free kick over the bar and best of all, made a save from Toumani's carefully sidefooted volley that defied gravity and belief.
It was a goal all the way until the keeper somehow stuck out a strong left hand to save his team.
David Button was a virtual spectator, but showed his sharpness when he plunged to his left to deny the dangerous Rodallega, who should have buried a close range header when set up by his partner Ross McCormack.
Games at this level are settled by such narrow margins, as for all their domination and effervescent, mesmerising football, Brentford could actually have come in at the break trailing, despite having played perhaps their best forty-five minutes of the season.
Football is such a strange game sometimes!
Andre Gray had led the lumbering giant Dan Burn a merry dance and he escaped his attentions yet again before being foiled by the keeper who smothered his close range poke.
Button too was called into action as Fulham finally roused themselves from their apparent deep slumber and made a sharp save to deny Rodallega.
But the Colombian would not be denied, and just before the hour, Brentford's well oiled machine developed a kink in the engine as Dean's short pass was intercepted by Williams, and ten seconds later the ball was in the Brentford net as McCormack easily set up Rodallega, the man over, who finished calmly and effectively.
Their were many similarities to Norwich City's first goal at Griffin Park in September, also donated by a generous home defence guilty of overplaying.
Tarkowski was the culprit on that occasion, Dean on this, but he simply rolled his sleeves up and determined to make amends, which he did in quite spectacular style.
As is normally the case, Mark Warburton's substitutions revitalised us.
Jota and Dallas gave us fresh legs and renewed impetus, and Proschwitz finally looked the part when he replaced the exhausted Gray.
We survived a difficult fifteen minute spell when we dropped too deep as Fulham gained in belief, and surely thought that they were on the way to a smash and grab victory that would have been totally against the run of play.
We recovered, found a second wind and started to play our football again.
There was space on the flanks where Pritchard, Jota and Dallas tormented their defenders and Odubajo and Bidwell were tireless in their overlapping support.
The Fulham defence creaked but the door remained firmly shut until Dean took charge.
He picked the ball up near halfway, saw no obvious pass, and, like a modern day Beckenbauer, strode majestically into the Fulham half.
He found Dallas on the left wing who performed miracles to hold off three straining defenders and conjure up a low cross from the touchline when the ball seemed destined to go out of play.
Parker stretched to clear, but the ball fell to Dean near the edge of the area, who leaned back and struck a glorious right foot volley beyond Bettinelli and the helpless defender covering on the line.
The net bulged and Griffin Park erupted.
Game on, and a shell shocked Fulham did not know whether to stick or twist and got caught between two stools as they did neither.
They forced another sharp save from the excellent Button but were caught upfield in injury time when Judge bounced the ball off his head like a performing seal, shook off a tired challenge, turned and pinged yet another perfect fifty yard pass straight out to Jota stationed on the right wing.
His control was instantaneous and perfect, he cut inside his defender and there was only one thing on his mind.
His shot from just outside the penalty area was hard and well directed and kissed the outstretched and seemingly beseeching arm of Burn diving in a vain effort to block the shot, and the deflection took the ball into the corner of the net.
Cue disbelief and wild celebrations as the roof came off Griffin Park.
Fulham had a muted penalty shout ignored by the excellent David Coote, who officiated calmly and without fuss, and Proschwitz and Jota both forced sharp saves from Bettinelli as the Bees comfortably played out the remaining minutes of added time.
The whistle went to roars of appreciation as the players, management and fans were united as one in celebration of a famous and merited victory.
It is now time for everyone to believe and accept that we are quickly developing into an excellent team, with players who possess skill, pace, verve and confidence.
The balance of power is shifting in West London.
The Bees are on the rise!


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6 the port's
Issue 7 2020 - FBJNA
The Port of Virginia's® cargo volumes are continuing their rebound and in August grew by more than 26,000 units when compared with July. The amount of cargo moving across
in August was 247,349 TEUs and is an increase of 26,301 TEUs, or nearly 12%, when compared with July. Loaded imports showed
the biggest area of growth: 121,914 TEUs in August vs 105,692 TEUs in July. In a year-on-year
comparison, August volume was off by more than 10,327 TEUs when compared with August 2019. "We are seeing some green
shoots and trending in the right direction and we must temper that with the fact that the trade environment is very fluid and unpredictable," said John F. Reinhart CEO and executive director of the Virginia Port Authority. "This month-on-month growth should continue through September, but it is hard to predict what volumes will look like in late fall. What
is important is that there are fewer blank sailings, we have new services coming online and some extra loaders
(vessels) to handle
the increasing cargo will be announced. The number of loaded import containers is also growing, and these are all good signs."
saving measure. On Sept. 12, the port began offering a five- hour gate at VIG and access to the Portsmouth Chassis Yard on Saturdays from 7 am until noon; the Saturday gate program concludes Nov. 21. "The added operating time
allows for more reservations under TRS (Truck Reservation
set a new monthly volume mark having handled 6,076 containers, which is an increase of 17.5 percent when compared with last August. A large part of that growth is attributable to the ongoing success of the thrice-weekly barge service connecting Richmond Marine Terminal (RMT) and the Norfolk Harbor. The RMT barge service
moved 3,799 containers, which is an increase of more than 9 percent over August 2019. "The investments we are
making at RMT are yielding returns," Reinhart said. "This is a unique operation that pushes our reach inland by nearly two hours and brings the cargo closer to its owners. It also provides real value to commuters and the environment because it helps to reduce overall truck volume on I-64, carbon emissions, and wear-and-tear on the roads." The port continues to focus
As a result of the growth, the
port on Aug. 17 began opening gates at Norfolk International Terminals (NIT) and Virginia International Gateway (VIG) at 6 am: during the height of the pandemic the port moved its gate-opening at NIT and VIG to 7 am (from 5 am) as a cost-
Luſthansa Cargo welcomes ninth B777F in Frankfurt
Lufthansa Cargo recently welcomed its 9th B777F at Frankfurt Airport (FRA). On Tuesday, September 29, at 11:19 a.m. local time, the aircraft landed for the first time at FRA. The freighter with the registration D-ALFI was in flight as LH8145 for 10 hours and 10 minutes after take-off from Everett Airport (PAE) in Washington State. The new aircraft bears the name "¡Buenos días México!", which it took over from an aircraft with the registration D-ALCH that had already been taken out of service. Lufthansa Cargo now
operates nine modern Triple Seven at its home hub in Frankfurt. In addition, the company is marketing the cargo capacity of four more
aircraft of this type, which are operated by the AeroLogic joint venture based at Leipzig Airport. In August, the carrier
welcomed its eighth B777F in Frankfurt with a registration number
System), and the gate provides more
Saturday access
to the terminals to motor carriers and cargo owners," Reinhart said. "These moves help to keep our cargo flow fluid and efficient." Also, in August, the port's growing barge operation
D-ALFH. The new
arrivals are part of a fleet modernization program that began in 2014 and will be completed next year. "Especially in acute crises,
air cargo secures important supply routes and thus makes a fundamental contribution to the global economy," said Peter Gerber, CEO and Chairman of the Executive Board of Lufthansa Cargo. "Mastering short-term global challenges is one of our core competencies, countering
on the health and safety of its team and its labor partners by emphasizing mask use, social distancing, and workplace cleaning.
screenings for those entering the terminals and working from home, when possible, continue as well.
long-term global challenges is our responsibility. With our new fleet we are underlining our claim to combine economic and ecological efficiency actively and sustainably," The twin-engine B 777F is
around 20% more efficient and emits less carbon dioxide than the preceding MD-11F. In addition, the new model meets the strict noise protection requirements of ICAO Annex 16, Volume I, Chapter 14. Due to the higher cargo capacity and range, the same freight performance can be achieved in the future with noticeably fewer aircraft movements. The six MD-11 freighters
Lufthansa's ninth B777F lands in Frankfurt. (Photo by Oliver Rösler/Lufthansa Cargo.)
yet in service will be phased out over the coming months, with the first half to be phased out within this year. Lufthansa Cargo first put the eye-catching MD-11F tri-jet into service in 1998 because of its efficiency advantages. It replaced the four-engine jumbo freighters until 2005.
Saudi Arabian Logistics (SAL), a member of the Saudi Arabian Airlines Corp., has begun running the operations of customs security areas across most Kingdom's airports, as part of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed previously by the Saudi Customs and the National Industrial Development and Logistics Program (NDLP), under the patronage of Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman.
Worldwide Flight Services (WFS) has won two major contracts to handle AirBridgeCargo Airlines' (ABC) and Air China Cargo's new freighter operations at Madrid Airport. ABC has appointed WFS to provide ramp handling for its three Boeing 747F flights a week to Madrid, while Air China Cargo has chosen WFS for ramp and cargo handling services for the airline's three B777 and B747 all-cargo flights per week to the Spanish capital.
Emirates SkyCargo crossed a historic milestone on Sept. 15 with its freighter flight touching down at Shanghai, which was the cargo carrier's first scheduled cargo destination in the country and marked Emirates' entry into the Chinese mainland. Since 2002, Emirates SkyCargo has built its reputation in China by fostering a sense of reliability and by deploying capacity to cater to the growth in Chinese exports over the years.
Virgin Atlantic Cargo will be launching flights between the UK and Pakistan in December 2020, supporting growing trade volumes between exporters and importers in both countries. Trade in goods and services between the UK and Pakistan is worth some £3.3 billion a year, rising 4.7% year-on-year in 2019, with high volumes of goods such as textiles, apparel, and machinery. The UK is the third biggest global market for Pakistani exporters after the US and China and their main trade lane in Europe. Virgin Atlantic will operate three new routes; London Heathrow to Lahore; London Heathrow to Islamabad as well as Manchester to Islamabad.
CHAMP Cargosystems and Air Cargo Belgium have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the development of an innovation roadmap of the air cargo industry. The agreement is for an indefinite period. The MoU outlines that CHAMP will be the preferred partner in the roll-out and testing of any new technologies and innovation created in the roadmap – furthering an already close relationship with the organization. In 2018, CHAMP joined Air Cargo Belgium, sharing its global air cargo IT insights as well as collaborating more closely with the members of the community.
Cargologic, the leading ground handling service provider in Switzerland, has extended its long-term partnership with CHAMP through a new ten-year agreement. Cargologic has been operating CHAMP's Cargospot Handling solution on an in-house licensed basis for over 13 years. Through the new agreement, the company will adopt CHAMP's Software-as- a-Service (SaaS) model, transitioning its current system to a fully managed service, hosted from CHAMP's state-of-the- art data centers.
CHAMP Cargosystems, the integrated IT solutions and distribution services provider for the air cargo transport chain, announces the appointment of Chris McDermott as CEO, effective Oct. 1, 2020. Chris McDermott, currently Vice President Passenger Solution Lines at SITA, is appointed CEO of CHAMP Cargosystems, a joint venture between SITA (51%) and Cargolux (49%). CHAMP has 500 employees, revenues of approximately $55 million, and is a leading provider of IT solutions to the global air logistics transport industry including airlines, forwarders, and ground handlers.
///NEWS Air

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Teen Wolf heartthrob Tyler Posey and Scream star Bella Thorne have been revealed as the hosts of the second annual MTV Fandom Awards, which will be preceded by the MTV Fandom Fest, both of which are taking place during this year's San Diego Comic Con.
The Fandom Awards were established to honor diehard fans, whose excitement has pushed movies, TV shows, books and comics from subculture to mainstream worldwide success over the past year. Before the award show, however, fans (with Comic Con badges) are invited to come party at the MTV Fandom Fest, which will be held at Petco Park. The day-long fan event will feature food, drinks, games and giveaways, and lead into the taping of the "MTV Fandom Awards Special.
You can check out who was nominated and vote for your Fandom Awards faves here!
If you aren't lucky enough to be able to attend, don't worry! The second annual MTV Fandom Awards will premiere Sunday, July 12 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on MTV.


text:
SUICIDE SILENCE Tease Upcoming Self-Titled Album
By Prog Sphere on January 3, 2017
California deathcore masters Suicide Silence will release their new, self-titled album on February 24 via Nuclear Blast Entertainment. The CD was produced by Ross Robinson, who has previously worked with Korn, Slipknot, Limp Bizkit and Sepultura, among others, and was mixed by Joe Barresi (Kyuss, Melvins, Tool, Queens Of The Stone Age).
A short teaser clip for Suicide Silence is available below.
The track listing for the disc is as follows:
01. Doris
02. Silence
03. Listen
04. Dying In A Red Room
05. Hold Me Up, Hold Me Down
06. Run
07. The Zero
08. Conformity
09. Don't Be Careful, You Might Hurt Yourself
Speaking about the recording process for Suicide Silence's new CD, vocalist Hernan "Eddie" Hermida told Revolver magazine: "Well, working with Ross was a delight. As many people like to talk on the Internet that he's not a delight, I will tell you firsthand, a coffee in the morning and a little bit of soul searching in the afternoon is never a bad cup of tea."
Added guitarist Mark Heylmun: "But, on the other end, Dan Kenny, our bass player, was just talking about recording with Ross with Dino [Cazares] from FEAR FACTORY, who… they've been around together forever. And Dan was, like, 'I'm not gonna lie. If we record another record with Ross, I'm scared, because I know what he'll get out of me.' 'Cause he'll get everything… Whatever it is that is inside you he'll get out, and it's always for the better. And the best pieces of art and the best creations come from pain and from honest things that you need to fucking get out. But it was fucking amazing… [And] Joe Barresi mixed it, so that's fucking awesome. [He was] sick to work with. [he] fucking dealt with us while were on tour, sending us mixes, and we were listening to all of it."
On the topic of the musical direction of Suicide Silence's new album, Heylmun said: "It's going to completely change everything you probably ever will think, and have thought, or ever will fucking feel about Suicide Silence."
Added Hermida: "The best way I've described it is, take a bullet train — one of those Japanese bullet trains — that goes, like, three hundred miles an hour, and then turn the steering wheel as fast you can, and there we are. And whatever comes up is whatever comes up; we're not worried about it. We're just here to have you guys listen to what we believe is good music for ourselves, for our lives, for our souls."
Heylmun previously told Wall Of Sound that Suicide Silence's intention was "to try everything" while making the new album. He explained: "If there is an idea, try it. Don't be afraid, you know? Don't let the fear of trying something different stop you from opening up a can that might be the… exact soup you wanna taste, I don't know. [Laughs]"
He continued: "There's lots of food metaphors when it comes to music: we're making a sandwich and one person has to show up with the vegetables and another person has to show up with the meat, but some people don't eat meat, so you gotta show up with the right cheese. And some people don't like cheese… [Laughs] I don't know.
"We always want to work together to encourage everyone to be the best that they can be. So that's especially where we're at, having gone through a lot, and having a new member come in and having to rebuild that whole camaraderie of being creative. We're all just trying to give to the music, and give to each other and give, give, give, give, give. Because we gotta get shit out and give this fucking music, this fiery piece of nothing, this magical thing that doesn't even exist until we create it. Just throw down and give it all you can and encourage each other to give all you can and encourage each other to give it everything you possibly can. So that's what the new record is going to be like."
#FBF When you're in that moment, it feels like it'll last forever… pic.twitter.com/uUfLrPjmtX
— Suicide Silence (@suicidesilence) December 30, 2016
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An evil empire is a speculative fiction trope.

Evil Empire may also refer to:

 Evil Empire speech, given by U.S. President Ronald Reagan referring to the Soviet Union in 1983

Arts and entertainment
 Evil Empire (album), by Rage Against the Machine, 1996
 Evil Empire: A Talk by Chalmers Johnson, a 2007 American documentary film
 The Evil Empire: 101 Ways That England Ruined the World, a 2007 book by Steven Grasse
 "Evil Empire", a 1989 song by Joe Jackson from Blaze of Glory
 Evil Empire, a French video game development studio spun off from Motion Twin

Sports teams with the nickname
 Edmonton Eskimos, Canadian Football League
 New England Patriots, National Football League
 New York Yankees, Major League Baseball

See also
Evil Emperor (disambiguation)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Oh geez. It's been awhile so I'm going to ease into it with a small list.
This may be making a comeback.
Weight // I did something I had vowed to not do often anymore this week and that was step on the scale. The number staring back at me just about sent me over the edge. Because when you eat healthy and run that sumer is supposed to go DOWN not up. At least that is what all the "experts" and anyone who has never struggled with his or her weight will tell you.
Hide Away // I still can't bring myself to run when other people are around. I cannot get the voice in the back of my head to shut off. All I hear is its constant mocking and judgement that if someone sees me it's an open invitation for their comments and laughter. I know it's ridiculous, but until I figure out how to tune it out or even get rid of it, it's a daily struggle and it's really frustrating.
Art // I decided to splurge and buy myself a Moleskine watercolor book. Normally when I get a new sketchbook (or even journal for writing) I have a heck of a time starting the damn thing because I don't want to "ruin it". But not this time! I love this thing and have been filling the pages with doodles, drawings and paintings. It has been amazing and extremely therapeutic.


In the small town where I grew up, "turning out" was a big deal. A person turned out right when they got a steady job, got married, had a family, and stayed in the same church in which they were raised. It was the formula hovering over each parent, judging their success or failure. Nothing fueled gossip or categorized social strata as much as how offspring turned out.
"Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it," (Proverbs 22:6; NASB).
On four Sundays, my husband and I dedicated four different children. I remember each occasion. I also remember feeling uncomfortable with my parenthood visible for all to see and sensing that I was inept at the task.
Our first child, a baby girl, cried (aka screamed) all the time, every day. Not knowing how to calm her was all too obvious from the podium.
The second slept through it all like an angel, but our two-year-old with us on stage was, well… two.
The third struggled in my arms and pulled at my hair while the other two danced around us.
The fourth, let's say we invented a new type of dedication. I watched while my husband showed off our son like the Lion King.
Proverbs 22:6, sometimes misinterpreted in my well-meaning small-town upbringing, is a principle rather than a formula of child-rearing. Authored by a man distinguished as wise, even his parenting resulted in disappointment. Solomon's son, Rehoboam began his reign foolishly and continued it in disobedience.
The word "train," in the original Hebrew language of the Old Testament, is the same word sometimes referring to dedication. It suggests active commitment and intentional action. The verse implies the importance of nurturing even the smallest of children toward a trajectory, the path of knowing God.
Sometimes Christians fear forcing or brain-washing faith, but the world has no such qualms about inculcating its philosophies. Never fear the intentionality of Proverbs 22:6. It is a poignant plea for the saving power of God in the lives of our children.
While parents want guarantees, God gives guidelines.
"Train up a child," encourages parental obedience to God. It prods moms and dads to faithfulness and perseverance. Scripture is our children's best instruction guide for "turning out" to love and follow the Savior. God's words are true. His Spirit speaks to a child's heart softening it for obedience.
Our babies are never too tiny to hear it. Whisper it while they sleep in your arms, read it before bedtime, laugh as you act out the stories, and let them know how you delight in the words of God.
Love the Bible, obey it, and trust God to speak through it.
From the Old Testament to the New Testament, parents are instructed to be intentional about passing on God's Word, to speak it and to live it. The Israelites were told, "Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up." Deut. 11:19; NIV.
Why? Because God's desire is for training to have permanent rewards.


text:
Claire Briant
EM in Ireland's involvement in CRASH 3
The Emergency Medicine community in Ireland has collaborated in a major international trial, showing that a simple and cheap intervention in head injury can save hundreds of thousands of lives globally.
Medical staff at Cork University Hospital, working with the HRB Clinical Research Facility at University College Cork, have helped prove the role of a low cost widely available drug in reducing deaths in certain groups of traumatic brain injury patients by as much as 20% as reported in The Lancet. The research shows that tranexamic acid (TXA), can save hundreds of thousands of lives by reducing post-traumatic bleeding into the brain.
Led by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, the global trial examined 12,000 head injury patients. It found that administration of TXA within three hours of injury reduced the number of deaths, mostly in in patients with mild and moderate traumatic brain injury, by up to 20%. Importantly, the study found no evidence of adverse effects nor increase in disability in survivors who were given TXA.
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a leading cause of death and disability, with an estimated 69 million new cases each year worldwide. The CRASH-3 trial is one of the largest clinical trials ever conducted into head injury. Dr Conor Deasy, Principal Investigator at Cork University Hospital, states "Traumatic head injury can happen to anyone with a risk of devastating consequences. Administration of tranexamic acid is known to save lives in patients with bleeding in the chest or abdomen. This paper shows that early treatment with TXA also reduces deaths from head injury. The study showed a 10% reduction in treatment effectiveness for every 20-minute delay, meaning that patients should be treated with TXA as soon as possible after head injury''.
Dr Emily O' Conor, President of the Irish Association for Emergency Medicine, especially acknowledged the patients and their families who were recruited to this trial and the work of staff, particularly those in Emergency, Intensive Care and Neurosurgery Departments at Cork University Hospital. She notes: 'trials such as these are difficult to plan and perform, to ensure the conclusion is accurate. On arrival to the Emergency Department very sick or injured and in distress, being asked if you or your loved one would be willing to be recruited to a trial could be challenging, confusing and upsetting, but the outcomes of such trials are vital in identifying lifesaving interventions'.
This was a trial jointly funded by the Department for International Development (DFID), the Medical Research Council (MRC), the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), (through the Department of Health and Social Care), and Wellcome. The early phase of the trial was funded by The JP Moulton Charitable Foundation. Hospitals including Cork University Hospital or UCC staff or patients did not receive funding to take part.
The CRASH-3 trial collaborators, Effects of tranexamic acid on death, disability, vascular occlusive events and other morbidities in patients with acute traumatic brain injury (CRASH-3): a randomised, placebo-controlled trial. The Lancet. DOI: 10.1016/ S0140-6736(19)32233-0
Download: EM in Ireland's involvement in CRASH-3
IAEM celebrates 30 Years of the Association and begins development of a strategy for its next decade
IAEM Looks Forward to 2019 Annual Scientific Meeting
IAEM 2020 – Virtual Meeting
IAEM welcomes Irish EM input into the important HALT-IT international medical trial


Without even realizing it, you could already be on track to raising a vegan baby whether you as a parent are vegan or not. If you are raising your baby vegan, congratulations because we are living in a time where there is an endless plethora of resources and support at your fingertips. If you're not necessarily trying to raise your child vegan but it has become a point of interest for you, you may already be further down this path then you may think. Here are three things that you may be doing as a parent that already coincide with raising a vegan baby.
Nutrition is one of the most important things to keep an eye on with your baby, even if your baby is not vegan. If you already include fruits, vegetables, and plant-based protein sources you are including a vegan diet into your baby's life. You may be making your baby food at home, but if not Earth's Best and Beech-Nut are choices you may have seen during your last grocery trip.
Whether you use cruelty-free and non-animal derived products yourself, odds are that many of the baby care products which you have in your nursery are already free of animal testing and are organically derived. Vegan baby or not, using the safest products for your baby is essential. For diapers, Honest Company, Whole Foods 365, and Parasol brands are delicate enough for both your baby and the planet. Baby wipes? Honest brand. Bath time wash? Nature's Baby Organics, Naturawl, and Tom's of Maine are just a few of the many options available.
Research has shown that having a family pet has a positive effect on a child according to a study carried out by The Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology about the relationship between children, siblings, and family pets. It was found that a majority of children admitted to having a better relationship with their pets than their siblings (totally relatable) Having a family pet teaches compassion and shows children that animals are loving, feeling, and humane beings. Having a pet can open up the conversation between how a traditionally domesticated animal is perceived versus what animals they may see on their classmate's plates.
Which of these vegan habits do you notice your non-vegan friends and family doing? Do you have any more to add to the list? Let me know in the comments below.


62 here right now. Supposed to be winds of 40mph with gusts up to 55mph tomorrow with "freezing wintery mix" However our forecast looks pleasant compared to some of the forecast area which is anticipating 4"-9" of snow with this wind.
I think I might be safe to change my tires out now.
Twincharged is the only way to go, or compound turbo. Or twin charged compound turbo Plus nitrous and meth.
I wanted too but decided being unique doesnt really get you anywhere except for internet scene points. Compound turbo with a supercharger would be no problem.
As a side note whoever locked to forever workchat thread is a sad individual.
Last edited by Kolt; 04-16-2019 at 01:59 PM.
Calling out Va. Cobalts for a track day.


In 1990, Clayton C. Carothers III became a dean's list graduate from Eastern Bible Institute in New Brunswick, NJ. Upon graduating, he served under Bishop James Gandy Sr. of Jerusalem Pentecostal, Inc. in Pleasantville, New Jersey for a year becoming the first Sunday School Superintendent.
Elder Carothers was later under the trilogy of Bishop Jenkins of Iselin Community Church of Christ (1991 - 2003), where became involved in teaching Adult Sunday School, singing in the Men's Choir, and overseeing brotherhood gatherings in addition to being an active member in cabinet meetings.
In 2003, Elder Carothers became the pastor of Community Church of Christ, Inc. in Cliffwood, NJ. Since this time, the church has had a new birth and is doing great things in the Lord.


IRVINE, Calif., Nov. 15, 2018 — Mavenlink, the leading provider of cloud-based software for the modern services organization, today announced it ranked 180 on Deloitte's Technology Fast 500, a ranking of the 500 fastest growing technology, media, telecommunications, life sciences and energy tech companies in North America. Mavenlink grew 541 percent during the period measured.
This latest honor continues what has been a strong year for Mavenlink. The company was recently recognized with four different customer-influenced awards, including recognition as a Leader in G2 Crowd's Best Project Management Software grid and Best Professional Services Automation Software (PSA) grid for Fall 2018. In addition, Mavenlink was named a FrontRunner for Project Management software by Software Advice for September 2018 and a 2018 Customer Experience award winner by Software Reviews.
Overall, 2018 Technology Fast 500 companies achieved revenue growth ranging from 143 percent to 77,260 percent from 2014 to 2017, with median growth of 412 percent.
Mavenlink is the modern software platform for professional and marketing services organizations. It is the only solution that helps services firms establish an operational system of record that facilitates their business lifecycle, including key capabilities like resource management, project management, collaboration, project accounting, and Business Intelligence. Services organizations in more than 100 countries are improving operational execution, increasing agility, and driving improved financial performance with Mavenlink. Mavenlink was recently named one of the fastest growing companies in North America by Deloitte, is the only solution to be listed as a Leader in both G2 Crowd's Best Professional Services Automation and Best Project Management Software grids, and has been recognized as a Glassdoor Best Place to Work. Learn more at www.mavenlink.com.


Fresh baked, low carb hearty white bread - just 1 net carb per slice. Amazing taste and perfect fluffy texture with no preparation. This is truly great low carb bread ! This small loaf offers 8 pre-sliced ½" slices for your convenience. Also try our jumbo loaf at a cost saving yielding you 25 slices that you slice yourself to your desired thickness.
With only 1 net carb, we guarantee that our fresh baked low carb hearty white bread is the best tasting and most affordable on the market! Each of the 8 slices measures approximately 3¾" wide x 5" tall x ½" thick. This fresh baked low carb hearty white bread loaf has 8g of dietary fiber and 12g of protein per slice. This means it will keep you fuller for longer and has the fiber built in to regulate and assist with protein digestion to keep you healthier. Naturally, the bread is also totally sugar free (and did we mention only 1 net carb per slice?).
The fresh baked low carb hearty bread loaf is delivered to you fresh from our ovens on the day it is baked. It is never frozen. It is never old. And you don't have to mix it, knead it, bake it. You just get fresh - open the bag, slice and serve. So easy and delicious! Our low carb fresh baked breads are known to be as good as it gets for low carb breads.
Our breads all feature premium wheat proteins, natural ingredients with no artificial sweeteners or "junk" that you see in many breads. We never use soy proteins or lecithin either! There is never any protein texture or flavor to our bread (or anything else we make!) - it just tastes like regular bread, but super low carb with a great protein serving to boot! Amazing great low carb bread !
As soon as I opened the package I smelled it and it really smelled like bread. Next I toasted a slice. It's not exactly the same, but really close in taste and texture. I had purchased from another website and it was so terrible, there was no way to eat it. This bread is a keeper. It's very expensive, but it's worth it to have a few slices on hand.
I really like this bread. It is pretty thick-cut, though, so I usually just cut it in half and then it's perfect.
This bread has given me sandwiches again! How much is that worth for really good bread? Every cent! And French toast? Oh my gosh, this is low carb heaven!
I have just recently started a low carb lifestyle. I am not a good baker but I tried a few online recipes for LC bread. These online recipes were a lot of work with barely "tolerable" taste. When I saw this website, I decided that I would see if all LC breads were like my creations. Well, I am glad I tried it. This bread is delicious! The texture of course is not mushy soft like junk white bread. It is more hearty and slightly chewy, but still very bread like! I made a PB and sugar-free honey sandwich! I also will be trying their strawberry preserves with it soon. I am very pleased with this bread and will have to try the other kinds. I think it is amazing!
This bread is really tasty and is very much as the regular bread in size and texture. This is the best low-carb bread I have tried. It arrives fresh and remains good to the last slice. Everyone... you can finally eat good low-carb bread again!
YES YES YES....I'm very picky...I can eat a sandwich again! I'm so tired of wraps. This was the first time I ordered this bread. I like it slightly toasted with alot of butter on it. Yum! I've made a few of my favorite sandwiches...egg salad, tuna, pb&j, etc. Unfortunately, I'm not the only low carber in my household. So I need to order more.
WVDMJ Delicious! taste like a light italian bread love it.
I just received my order today and I couldn't wait to make a sandwich :) I love this product!! Thank you LC Foods. I cant wait to try the rest of my order.
I love that you can now get the bread in a smaller pack. The flavor and texture is fantastic. It kind of tastes like sourdough and it is not spongy. I love this product and it is well worth the money.


Decipher the differences between surety and insurance. Explore insurance deductible plans, workers' compensation state guarantees, subdivision bonds and site improvement bonds. Find the benefits of examining surety needs independently and the potential savings with bonds.


/// Return the expression without attempting to cast/convert to the requested type.
/// that extracts the raw entity from the wrapper.
/// Asserts MemberAccess to skip visbility check.
/// by the user to ensure the compilation doesn't violate them.
/// require the assert so we need to check the user expressions separately).
/// the user expressions can be compiled in the current security context.
// we know the compile would succeed and don't need to make the effort.
// might be satisfied by RestrictedMemberAccess.
/// Emits an expression that represnts a NullEntityWrapper instance.
/// type; no Convert is added if the expression is already of the same type.
/// Uses Emit_EnsureType and then wraps the result in an IEntityWrapper instance.
/// Returns an expression that creates an IEntityWrapper approprioate for the type of entity being materialized.
// This is the case where all our interfaces are implemented by the entity and we are not creating a proxy.
// This is the case that absolutely must be kept fast.  It is a simple call to the wrapper constructor.
// whether or not we are creating a proxy.
// a parameter while still being set in the wrapper constructor.
Expression propertyAccessorStrategy = !isIEntityWithRelationships || isProxy ?
Expression keyStrategy = isIEntityWithKey ?
Expression changeTrackingStrategy = isIEntityWithChangeTracker ?
Type genericType = isIEntityWithRelationships ?
/// expression that extracts the raw entity from this.
// exception message because the user has no reason to know what the type represents.
// 'Free-floating' entities do not have entity keys.
// If no proxy type exists for the entity, construct the regular entity object.
// to determine whether to create a regular or proxy entity object.
// After calling the constructor, immediately create an IEntityWrapper instance for the entity.
// Since we created a proxy, we now need to give it a reference to the wrapper that we just created.
/// Gets the PropertyInfo representing the property with which the given setter method is associated.
/// declaringType can be null, in which case the setterMethod.DeclaringType is used.
// we need to translate to a POCO collection later in the process.
// Perform the type check that was previously deferred so we could process POCO collections.
// to transfer the results from the Enumerable to the requested collection.
// collection type to instantiate--See EntityUtil.DetermineCollectionType for details.