From the fourth tier to the Premier League in 12 years: Brentford complete remarkable rise
Brentford's Pontus Jansson with the trophy as they celebrate promotion to the Premier League. Picture: Mike Egerton/PA Wire.
Chelsea fans were not the only ones aiming to drink the pubs and bars of west London dry on Saturday night, as Brentford manager Thomas Frank made his intentions clear shortly after masterminding his side's return to the top flight after a 74-year absence: “I just want to get drunk tonight!”
The charismatic Dane was laughing as he said it, in response to a question about whether he can enjoy a summer that does not involve selling his best players, but instead adding to his squad with a windfall of up to €200m that Premier League football brings.
Last season the Bees lost the play-off final to Fulham and Frank had to sell his star strikers Ollie Watkins to Aston Villa and Said Benrahma to West Ham. Previous summers have seen plenty of players leave Brentford for the top flight – Neal Maupay to Brighton, Ezri Konsa also to Villa, Burnley's James Tarkowski and Stuart Dallas of Leeds to name a few.
The Brentford Community Stadium, opened last year but yet to host a full house, is barely five miles from Stamford Bridge, but the Bees and the Blues are light years apart in the way they are run.
Both have wealthy benefactors, with Brentford's rise from the fourth division to the Premier League in 12 years overseen by Matthew Benham, a Bees fans since childhood who made a fortune using a statistically-based betting syndicate.
His approach is the total opposite of Roman Abramovich, who spent around €250m last summer, on top of more than €1bn in previous years, and now has the Champions League trophy in glittering collection.
Benham has managed Brentford carefully, looking for bargain signings that can bring either success or a decent profit, as in the case of Watkins, signed for £1.8m and sold for £28m three years later.
Ivan Toney is the latest rough diamond, a cast-off from Newcastle United, who did the rounds of unglamorous loan moves before being picked up from Peterborough for £5m last summer. He is now worth many times that fee after scoring 33 goals in the Championship this season, the last of which was the first at Wembley on Saturday, a 10th-minute penalty after Bryan Mbeumo was brought down by Swansea keeper Freddie Woodman. Ten minutes later Mbeumo led a breakaway that finished with Emiliano Marcondes making it 2-0 and effectively putting the game beyond Swansea, who played the final 26 minutes with ten men after Jay Fulton was sent off for a lunge on Mathias Jensen.
The emotions at the final whistle were of joy and relief from Frank, his players, staff and around 6,000 Brentford fans inside Wembley, some of whom had witnessed their nine previous play-off appearances all end in defeat.
“On the final whistle it was very emotional, there were tears in my eyes, and also some of my staff and players, because this is so big for the club, especially the way we did it,” he said.
“We were so close to automatic promotion twice last season, then close in the play-off final and devastated to lose. Then ten days holiday, or less, back into it, Covid restrictions, second, third, fourth wave, 21 games unbeaten and top of the league, then a minor setback, then the play-offs again and a final where we know anything can happen.”
Frank admitted he was “empty” of emotion by the time he did his press conference, some 90 minutes after the final whistle, having been thrown in the air by his celebrating players, who then hijacked a pitchside interview to shower their manager with champagne and beer. In return he showered them with praise.
“I feel very humbled to be here,” he added. “But it is not just me. Chris, the press officer beside me, the rest of the staff, the players – they have all played their part. We cannot do it alone and that is one of Brentford's biggest strengths.”
He is a remarkable manager, nevertheless, having started by working with kids as a young coach himself. “I really walked the hard way, coaching since I was 20, with under-8s up to now in the Premier League. I hope I can inspire other coaches there to help people become better persons and players.”
Frank knows Brentford are a shining example of how a small club with a fraction of their rivals' resources can be successful if they are run well and dare to dream. “The journey the club has been on is absolutely remarkable, and the credit goes to Matthew Benham and others who have been part of it.
“There should be a lot of clubs out there dreaming that anything is possible if you work hard, have a clear strategy, top attitude and togetherness. Then everything in the world is achievable.”
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