Fans daring to dream as Bees continue to create a buzz way out west

IT WAS midway through the second half here and, tentative at first, the scattered murmurs were only just loud enough to make out.

- Malik Ouzia

But, in the dying minutes, with their side well on their way to a derby victory over Fulham that was nothing like as tense as the scoreline suggests, Brentford's fans held back no longer and began to sing, with some gusto, of plans for a European tour.

And why not? Recent seasons have taken this club to places unimaginable even a decade ago. Heck, it was only in early 2020, during another west London derby against QPR, that you first heard true conviction in a chorus of "The Bees are going up!", premature as it turned out, as that Championship season ended in yet another play-off failure.

Success in this Ca where HOLLY less-familiar pursuit remains an outside chance and obvious caveats apply: the race for Europe is littered with contenders of greater prestige, grander resource and more proven staying power; its parameters are yet to be defined, given the chance of a surprise FA Cup winner; Brentford are still only ninth-yes, having played fewer matches than most of the teams above, but aware that a game in hand might not be worth points in their push.

Unbeaten in the League since late October, however, belief is building.