Coming up very soon is a competition which despite the roadcrash-type performances it is something that people can’t turn their eyes away. Despite everything they still have to watch.

Not everybody watches, most of them don’t even bother a look, but to their fans this is a chance to celebrate… to achieve some glory…

Yes that’s right it is the JPT Final – to be played on Sun 3rd April: Mother’s Day.

This cup competition (also known as the Football League Trophy) is only open to the lower 48 league teams – from the old 3rd & 4th Divisions.

It was set up because the F.A were feeling sorry about letting these and non-league teams, enter the FA Cup only to be knocked out by the third round. There must be a consolation/pity prize for them, something that gives them a chance of being ripped off at the prices at Wembley * So this trophy compo was born.

*Some of the words in the above paragraph may or may not be true.

This year for Brentford, they are hoping that it’s third time lucky. They’ve been in a final two times before, but ending up on the losing side on each occasions.

(They will meet Carlisle, who hold the record of 6 visits but only 1 win).

With the end of season rapidly approaching Carlisle (at the time of writing) have an outside chance of reaching the playoffs, and with Brentford there is an outside chance of them being dragged into the relegation. So for both teams it is an opportunity to give their (footballing and financially) fortunes a bit of a boost.

For this occasion some fans of Brentford F.C. have… well you know what this site is about so you know where we are going next:

“Brentford are on their way to Wembley; therefore Brentford FC’s rock ’n’ rollers have rushed into the recording studio to shout “Wembley!” into a microphone.

Two contenders have emerged, in a Blur v Oasis or Pop Stars, The Rivals JPT Final Sing-off.

The rivalry is intense. Egos are fuelled. So it’s down to you, the Brentford supporter, to decide which is best. Much is at stake here: the winner buys the loser a curry after Brentford’s trip to Huddersfield on the last day of the season!

The BBC London 94.9 Sports Show will also be playing both tracks on the Friday Night show on April 1st (7pm to 8pm)   Download the singles for free below – and then VOTE for your favourite. The poll will close at midnight on Saturday April 2nd.”

You can vote for the song by clicking one of the images below:

– Find out more about both songs by going to: www.westlondonpride.co.uk

Many thanks to Graham for mailing me. Best of luck to both songs – and both teams. I hope somebody wins.

I don’t know what it was with footballers in the 1970′s, drinking, gambling, punch ups, sleeping with someone else’s birds… you never see that with the modern day players.   Oh.

One of these so-called rebels was like the next player I’m going to profile, somebody with exceptional talent but was called up by England only a handful of times. Those times though were the mid 70′s when the type of football being played in England wasn’t exactly one of skill. There was a time when players such as Tommy Smith, Norman Hunter and “Chopper” Harris dictated how games were played. Usually with a leg breaking tackle or two.

But there was Stan Bowles, who leapt over these challenges.

Bowles started out with his hometown team of Man City, but after three seasons because of constant falling outs with…well anybody who was close enough…he was eventually released. After a brief spell at Bury, Crewe and then (2nd Division) Carlisle, it was here that he caught the eye and joined QPR in January 1972.

Wikipedia:

He replaced in the team another QPR folk-hero, Rodney Marsh, who had been transferred to Bowles’ first club Manchester City six months before. Bowles took over Marsh’s number 10 shirt, which other players had been reluctant to wear in fear of being compared to Marsh. Bowles had no qualms about taking the shirt, primarily because he said that, coming from the North, he had never heard of Marsh.

His rebelliousness and misbehaviour continued when in 1973 his QPR team were away at Sunderland, who had just won the FA Cup.
Before the match kicked off the trophy was paraded around the ground and then placed on a table at the side of the pitch.
Bowles spotted this, took a ball and kicked it towards the cup, knocking it flying off the table.

Even with his most successful period at QPR, he still had differences with the management. As seen below when Dave Sexton, the boss of QPR was trying to sub him in a match against West Ham:

Eventually he left QPR to be sold to Brian Clough’s Nottingham Forest and I don’t have to tell you how they didn’t get on and… he was on the move again to Leyton Orient before his final club – Brentford.

He retired in 1984 and went the usual after dinner speaker/pundit route before once again replacing Rodney Marsh (more about that in another post) this time on Sky Sports.

Bowles is still mouthing off and is still not short of an opinion. Ever the rebel even in his old age.

Related:
Now you’ve read all that take the Guardian Football quiz.

The Music:

The Others, who are a sort of Razorlight/Libertines wanna-be released a single in 2004 which they used the ex-QPR legend as the title and as the chorus. It reached number 36 in the charts:

[See post to listen to audio] » The Others – Stan Bowles

Video:

Aberdeen City

From Boston in the USA who use the name of the perennial footballing underachievers.     Maybe.
There is one track on their album which I obviously have to feature… Plus another sample track:

» Aberdeen City – Brighton » Aberdeen City – Sixty Lives

More Info: Here, Here and especially here.

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This next lot I’ve featured previously.

Barcelona

The now defunct Washington D.C band have an 80′s electronica sound.
The reason for their first appearance was because they did a song about Kasey Keller and his performance in one match against Brazil. Click the above link to read more.

That song reposted here as well as another track added:

[See post to listen to audio] » Barcelona – Kasey Keller [See post to listen to audio] » Barcelona – Studio Hair Gel

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Finally for this week – from a suggestion by hoxton fin:

“There’s the Bees (known as A Band of Bees in the States), like Brentford and (allegedly) FC Bees in the Congo….”

The Bees

It doesn’t actually say on the Wikipedia entry as to why they are known as “A Band Of Bees” in the USA. I assume there must be another act who already have that name.

» The Bees – Left Foot Stepdown » The Bees – Better Days (Ashley Beedle Remix)

Update: Ah I just looked again and saw. There is another group. They are called The Silver Seas, but are also known as “The Bees”.

Next weekend (or whenever) – the letter C.