Glenn Poole
Kit reveal 07.2008 Braemar Rd!
Did you think your chance of a Football League career had gone before you joined Brentford?
Before I signed for Brentford I spent a month on loan at Rochdale where I played 6 games and I must admit my mindset was if they are my 6 league games then so be it. I did however get offered a year at Rochdale, Dagenham & Redbridge and Barnet in the league. Stevenage managed by my old manager Mark Stimson who were in the Conference at the time, offered me a great deal, which I was very close to accepting. As soon as Brentford came in and I spoke to Terry Butcher & Andy Scott looked around the ground there was nowhere else I wanted to be playing my football.
How good was that 2008/9 squad and what were our main strengths?
Our squad was magnificent one of the best squads I had the pleasure to work with.
I think our biggest strength was the togetherness we showed.
The atmosphere was quality it was always a fun training ground to be around and everyone got on with each other, everyone that joined through the season just fitted in as well, which made such a difference and is essential if you want to be successful, which evidently, we were.
Losing your place to Sam Wood must have been brutal but can you understand the rationale now?
A lot has been made over this over the years, and it hurt me a lot and rankled with me for such a long time. I do understand the rationale for it in more ways than one which I won’t divulge in public because it was never really football related, very political which became clear when the player that took my number 11 shirt arrived, and he was being represented by a certain agent!! Football is football and the player that comes in and does well deserves to be in the team. What I found difficult was the isolation from the squads being made to travel all round the country and sit in the stands when I was not playing poorly at all, and then when Gillingham came in to take me on loan I wasn’t allowed to leave. All of which at the time and a long time after affected me a lot.
Your post – Brentford career. Highlights?
After leaving Brentford winning a couple of more league titles with Braintree & Billericay and winning numerous player of the year awards were my highlights. Doing all that whilst finding my love for the game again after what was a difficult 6 months at Brentford was more satisfying
Best player you played with?
That was Ledley King during my youth team days at Tottenham.
Back then you knew he was going to achieve massive things in the game
How did Andy Scott’s approach differ from Terry Butcher’s?
Scotty came in, it just lifted us
Terry Butcher was a lovely man.
I am so grateful for signing me at the club, but he was proper old school in his methods which made his time very difficult for the players, which was evident in the poor performances.
Doing double sessions on a Thursday was something we just couldn’t get our heads round! We were turning up to Friday training absolutely knackered.
It was no surprise he left so quickly.
Upright in Samvo strip
We trained shorter on the clock, training was fun and results and performances both individually and collectively improved.
I found myself scoring more goals and loving every minute of playing for Brentford.
On the floor in Samvo strip Lincoln Away
Right from the start he was very much good man manager.
The boys just took to his methods.
You had a penchant for scoring long range screamers. Luck or the result of good technique and lots of practice?
You need to make your own luck in life and football so it was all about practice I would spend hours in my garden as a child smashing balls into a goal, when I was playing part time at 20 onwards I’d climb over the gates at Redbridge FC where I was playing to take balls onto the pitch and practice shooting, penalties and free kicks. My chairman at the time wasn’t happy I was on the pitch. But always after training I’d be out practicing shooting etc and would usually be told to get inside as I was out there too long!!
Talk us through that goal against Wycombe
…well we practiced the routine on Christmas Eve as the game was on Boxing Day.
The manager said he wanted me to stand on the edge of the box and have a shot! We practiced it for 15 mins or so and maybe hit the target once, I hit the road behind the goal at Jersey road, the corner flag and even a British Airways plane on the flight path to Heathrow!!
The boys were giving me stick but the manager said don’t worry I trust you to do the job. In the game the ball goes out for a corner and I was ready!! The ball is hit very high into the air and as I’m adjusting my position I actually lose my footing and slip. I managed to get up and just thought, make a good connection which thankfully I did and knew I had, the moment it hit my foot. I was so happy when I saw the ball fly into the goal and then just run to the bench and jumped on the manager which now I regret, but at the time it was like thank you for putting that trust in me. What I will always remember is the way the ground just erupted in noise and I love watching the videos back every now and again, because if that’s the only thing I’m remembered for then I will take that.
When I come back to do legends duties it’s what everyone wants to talk about which I’m more than happy to do so. I even showed my 5 year old son, Teddie, the other week and he said ‘Wow Daddy that’s a great goal’ which made me smile. Still my favourite goal for Brentford but not my best in my opinion. The Bradford away goal where the whole stadium stood up and applauded me was something I will always remember as well, plus we won the game, which we didn’t do in the Wycombe game which still annoys me!
GPG members’ thoughts about Glenn
https://griffinpark.org/forums/threads/best-glenn-poole-goal.58567/
Our thanks to Glenn