Today I'm going back 39 years to 1984 and York City's League Division 3 visit to Griffin Park, the former home of Brentford FC which was famous amongst football fans for being the only football ground with a pub on each corner. The official attendance on the day was 4,261. Hosts Brentford are known as "the Bees" by their supporters and their badge incorporates a bee although, unlike many local councils these days, the club does cut its grass, no doubt to the chagrin of local bees!
It seems a little weird today to think of these two clubs meeting each other in League action. Down the years since this fixture was played, the sides concerned have had contrasting fortunes. In recent years, Brentford have adopted a cutting-edge approach to recruitment for both players and management (sometimes referred to as "Moneyball" after the movie of the same name) with some considerable success and now find themselves in the upper reaches of the Premier League under the stewardship of Danish manager Thomas Frank. York City meanwhile have gone in the opposite direction following the appointment of more than one inept manager (but notably Jackie McNamara) and no longer play in the Football League following a second demotion to the fifth tier and the National League in 2016.
Brentford's recruitment policy is based on the scientific use of data analytics to identify undervalued players who are performing well in their positions usually at a lower level. Provided that the price is right, Brentford will then recruit such players. It is recognised however that they may make errors perhaps half of the time and that not everyone will make the grade. What Brentford strive for however is to make good choices more than half of the time and thereby give themselves an edge by "Beating the house" to use roulette parlance. To date, Brentford's methodology seems to work and other clubs are stepping up their game in this regard which may dilute Brentford's edge going forwards. Interestingly, Brentford's owner Matthew Benham is an Oxford University Physics graduate who went on to work in finance in the City of London before entering the Gambling industry in 2001. Benham also owns the top-flight Danish football club FC Midtjylland and last year he had the highest approval rating amongst Premier League Chairmen.
Despite the result in the featured game, York went on to finish the season as the higher of the two clubs finishing in 8th position as compared to Brentford's 13th place finish. Relegated that season were two founder members of the Football League in Burnley and Preston North End and indeed Burnley had been Football League champion just a quarter of a century earlier. Also relegated were Orient and Cambridge United. Champions of the Third Division that season were Bradford City and also promoted were Millwall and Hull City. Bradford's achievement was overshadowed by the terrible fire disaster that occurred at Valley Parade on the final day of the season.
CRB Match No. 333
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