I think it is about 40 years ago that I last went to a football game at Brentford. It would have been in the early 80's when I was still working at Fiat UK and still on shift in the computer department.
In those far off days we had three shifts around the clock running on a single IBM 370/135 that later was upgraded to a mighty 370/138! There was also an HP3000 in the corner that at the time we didn't realise was going to kill off the mainframes and become the start of the future.
Anyway, on evening shifts there were long programs running and it was a case of sitting and waiting for it to finish and churn out a few boxes of paper. I was shift leader and I had two operators working with me.
One of them was an Australian woman, Moira, and she tended dislike us to an extent that she'd rather we weren't there. On occasions we'd go to play pool, enough rolled up one-part to stop the balls escaping down the pockets and costing another 10p to release them. Or to the pub. In those days no one thought anything about smoking in offices (not the computer suite!) or going to the pub for lunch.
Some evenings though we'd go to Griffin Park and take in a Brentford home game. Mostly lower league fare. It was a short walk from work on the Great West Road. A pie or pasty and a game of footie.
So after all these years, it maybe the case of a fool being easily parted with his money but I have bought a ticket to watch my Latics play against Brentford at the new stadium that was only opened in the summer.
Something else new is that the tables have been turned. Oldham were one of the original founder members of the Premier League and through successively shite owners have sunk year on year to the very foot of the fourth tier of English Football.
Brentford on the other hand have gone the other way and this year are playing in the top division for the first time in 74 years!
So what could wrong? Hopefully Brentford will see the game as a training exercise and play a load of kids and Oldham will play their usual style and might come away without being thrashed.
Tickets were only a fiver (£5) for seniors like me.
It may turn out to be a very poor game from our point of view, but like Sutton United a few weeks back, I can tick off a visit to another new stadium.
Last week I contacted Brentford to ask about motorcycle parking. They are very efficient and have a proper website and everything. I said I had to wait to see if I could get a match ticket. When I went back to book a space it was sold out! A quick email and they kindly opened the booking for me with a space for a bike. Cost? Another fiver.
So September 21st. Tuesday. Vera and me have a date!
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