Five Things: Brentford 3-1 Bolton Wanderers

The defeat against Brentford has ensured that Bolton Wanderers have gone a full year without an away win. After witnessing this performance I can't see that run being broken before next season. Anyhow, here are my Five Things:

1. Ticket Prices

Brentford have a reputation as a family club that is strongly connected to the local community. Well that's going to stop if they don't change their pricing structure sharpish. £23 standing and £28 seated, with an addition surcharge of £5 on each if the tickets are bought on the day.

For two teams that prior to this match had the worst current form in the division, playing on a Tuesday evening, Brentford are having a laugh asking these prices.

Except it isn't funny.

As shown by the good natured banter and atmosphere created by the 370+ Bolton fans, getting people through the turnstiles is hugely important to professional football. It's not just what happens on the pitch, fan interaction at the game is crucial for giving a positive matchday experience and goes a long way to getting occasional supporters turning up more regularly.

This is something that should be a no-brainer to every club. Twenty really is plenty.

2. Team Work

The finger can be pointed at many reasons for Bolton being stranded at the bottom of the Championship, from off-field financial disasters to lack of player confidence, tactics, poor form or injuries.

In my opinion the biggest reason for this season being such a massive fuck up for Bolton Wanderers is the inability of eleven players to play as a team.

We've been bettered by a succession of poor teams this season and every time I watch it seems that Bolton just can't play for each other as a cohesive unit. The Brentford game was just the latest example of this, with players leaving each other exposed and then bollocking them when a goal was conceded.

3. Our Fans

I have to salute those who made the long journey down from Bolton on a Tuesday, taking time off work, in the full knowledge that they were going to witness another shite performance from the Whites. As I work in London, it was just a trip on the tube and a short walk for me.

Despite what was happening on the pitch, sitting and listening to the chants, banter and catcalls going on in the tier below was great. Particularly on one occasion after a god awful miss from Trotter meant the ball was in with our fans rather than the back of the net.

A bemused Button looked on as our fans refused to give the ball back and we had the spectacle of the entire ground watching our fans having an impromptu game of handball.

Special mention must go to the 80+ year old Tourette's suffering Victor Meldrew doppelgänger Boltonian sat next to me. Be it telling some player to get a fucking grip or unconsciously imitating and taking the piss out of some of our fans cat calls, this bloke had me in stitches throughout the game. Made the £33 almost worth it, almost...

4. Ben Amos Should've Gone to Specsavers

Amos is a talented young goalkeeper but seemingly only when he can see what's going on. I have no other explanation as to why anything that is more than 30 yards away is off Ben's radar. His distribution was poor at best and he just couldn't pick out any Bolton player who was more than a short throw away. Truly bizarre.

5. Senior Players

If they can't be bothered to make an effort that doesn't embarrass their profession then they should just fuck the fuck off.

No excuses.

Bolton are down, have been for a while, so the pressure is off and an ideal time for them to put themselves in the shop window, so that their agents can say it wasn't my player that was the problem and proving it with a few video clips. No idea what Dean Moxey, Darren Pratley and Liam Trotter were up to against Brentford but it certainly didn't involve playing football.