Brentford

Who are Brentford?

Brentford are a professional football club from Brentford, West London, England.

The club currently play in the Premier League, the highest level of English hierarchy, having clinched promotion via the playoffs at the end of the 2020–21 EFL Championship campaign.

Nicknamed “the Bees”, the club were founded in 1889 and played home games at Griffin Park from 1904 before switching to Brentford Community Stadium in 2020.

The Bees’ main rivals are fellow West London outfits Fulham and Queens Park Rangers.

They initially played amateur football before the club entered the London League back in 1896 and finished as runners-up of the Second Division, later the First Division to win election into the Southern League two years later.

The team won the Southern League Second Division in the 1900–01 season and were elected into the Football League two decades later.

Brentford won the Third Division South title in the 1932–33 term and the Second Division title in the 1934–35 season.

The club enjoyed a successful stint in the top flight of English football, reaching a top of fifth in the First Division, in the 1935–36 campaign, their highest ever division finish, before three relegations left the Brentford Community Stadium outfit in the Fourth Division by 1962.

The team were crowned Fourth Division champions in 1962–63, but were relegated few years later and again in 1973 after clinching promotion in the 1971–72 term.

Brentford spent 14 campaigns in the Third Division after gaining promotion in the 1977–78 term and went on to lift the Third Division trophy in 1991–92, though were relegated again in 1993.

The Bees were relegated into the fourth league in 1998 and won promotion as winners in the 1998–99 season.

Brentford were relegated in 2007 and won promotion as champions of League Two in the 2008–09 season and then were promoted out of League One in the 2013–14 term. The side had unsuccessful EFL Championship play-off seasons in 2015 and 2020.

Brentford don’t have good record in finals, finishing as runners-up in three Football League Trophy / Associate Members’ Cup finals (1985, 2001 and 2011) and losing four play-off finals (Second Division final in 1997 and 2002, EFL League One final in 2013 and 2020 EFL Championship final).

However, Brentford won the 2021 EFL Championship final to be promoted to the highest level for the very first time since 1946-47.

What are the predictions for next season?

It is difficult to predict how Thomas Frank’s men will acclimatise to the top tier this term, but their defensive stats should stand them in good stead.

That is a great base to work from in a debut PL season. The fact that their roster has not been picked apart for the first time in years is another helpful.

Brentford – 2021/22 campaign (odds)

Premier League relegation: Brentford – 5/4