One half of this arena was a picture of dejection, the other pure disbelief: for the first time since 1947, Brentford will play in the top flight of English
Football. There were tears of joy in the stands and on the pitch, Mathias Jensen among those overcome with emotion. Ivan Toney and Bryan Mbeumo rushed inside to fetch their phones to share the moment and by the time Henrik Dalsgaard led his teammates to collect their winners’ medals, the Swansea end had long since emptied.
Half an hour after the final whistle, Emiliano Marcondes and Jensen pretended to hoist a giant 12ft replica of the Championship play-off final trophy before a sun-drenched sea of red and white. Shortly after Dalsgaard and the Brentford captain, Pontus Jansson, ambushed Thomas Frank midway through an interview before giving their head coach the customary celebratory bumps. “Right now, I just want to get so drunk and then tomorrow we can think of the
Premier League,” said Frank when the interview resumed moments later. Matthew Benham, the Brentford owner and lifelong fan, high-fived players on the pitch. As the pyrotechnics fizzed into the sky behind the winners’ podium, players made sure to drench Peter Gilham, aka Mr Brentford, the club’s matchday announcer since 1969.