Former Brentford midfielder Jonathan Douglas has recalled how he and his Bees team-mates celebrated their promotion to the Championship in 2014 in the latest edition of On the Rise.
Douglas details how he and house-mate Sam Saunders ended up in the Lord Nelson pub in Brentford after the 1-0 win over Preston North End, which secured their spot in the second tier.
After initally hoping for a few quiet pints, their partying escalated and resulted in the establishment running out of alcohol by the end of the night!
“The celebrations were great. We all packed into the Lord Nelson, which was near where me and Saunds used to live together,” he recalls fondly.
“We were planning on going there for a couple of drinks - and then the word got out on social media that we were all there, so it ended up being a great night to cap a great day.
“The owner was very happy - I think he ran out of drink at one stage! We spoke to him in the morning and had a few bills to pay but he said not to worry about it, which was nice.
“For us to get to the Championship when everybody said we couldn’t do it, I think it was only right we shared a few beers.”
That is one of many examples of the good bond between the squad, which Douglas believes was the main reason they were promoted that season.
“The dressing room is worth so many points to you,” the ex-Bees man adds. “Sometimes you might not be playing too well, but one of your mates pulls you up out of the fire. And we pulled each other through.
“We’re still very good mates now and it’s 10 years on. We met up a few months ago, myself, Macca [Alan McCormack], Judgey [Alan Judge], Harlee [Dean] and Saunds [Sam Saunders] and we still get on really well.
“I think if you spoke to anybody from that squad, they’d say it was the best dressing room. It was definitely mine anyway.
“It’s a massive factor. Your dressing room has to be spot on - and that seems to have carried on even to now under Thomas Frank, so it’s no surprise they are doing well now.”
Enjoying this interview? Read the full feature with Jonathan Douglas in the Everton issue of our match programme.
Inside your Brentford v Everton match programme
“I expect them to be very intense in their pressing and physical in the second balls and the duels” – Thomas Frank shares his thoughts before Everton’s visit to the Gtech
Big Ben Burgess’ Big Match Preview
Sky Sports’ Ben Grounds takes us inside the Toffees camp in Hot off the Press
The Nathan Caton Column
The Long Read with Brentford goalkeeper Mark Flekken, who discusses how he bounced back from a long-term injury and high-profile error to arrive in the Premier League this summer
Including insight from Korea Republic manager Jurgen Klinsmann and sports journalist Sungmo Lee, we followed Ji-soo Kim during the September international break to find out more about Brentford's promising young defender
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