Ten years ago today DJ Campbell wrote himself into Brentford folklore and, in the process, secured a move to the Premier League as his double dumped Sunderland out of the FA Cup at Griffin Park.

Back in January 2006 Martin Allen’s Brentford side were flying high in League One with ambitions of promotion to the second tier for the first-time since 1992 while Sunderland, under Mick McCarthy, were rock bottom of the Premier League with just nine points from 22 matches. The Black Cats had beaten non-league Northwich Victoria 3-0 in their Third Round tie while The Bees journey to Round Four, for the second consecutive year, had seen them defeat Rochdale, Oldham Athletic and Stockport County. 30 places in the Football League pyramid separated the two sides at kick-off but many in the crowd and in the media sensed an upset.

On the tenth anniversary of that famous day in Brentford history we caught up with DJ to see what his memories of the match are and started by asking him what the mood was like in the camp ahead of the game.

“Building up to the match everyone was excited to play a team from the Premier League,” said DJ. “I got there a bit earlier than normal because I wanted to see the atmosphere. In the build-up to the match I had a lot of butterflies, but they were good butterflies. The team that we had was a good team and we really believed that we could win. In the training sessions building up to the game we had a lot of fun and we were really relaxed. The team was on a good run of form and I was on a good run of form too. Martin Allen was really positive in the build-up.”

DJ had joined The Bees in the summer of 2005 for £5,000 from local non-league side Hayes and Yeading. As a youngster the London born striker had been a trainee at Aston Villa but was released and dropped into the non-league circuit. Following spells with Chesham United, Stevenage Borough, Billericay Town and finally Hayes and Yeading, where he scored 83 goals in 109 games, he was snapped up by Martin Allen and The Bees.

His first season in league football started slowly but by the turn of the year he was in red hot form. January saw him net in all five of The Bees matches ahead of the Sunderland tie, taking his season’s total to 10 in 17 starts. A match against Premier League opposition was the perfect stage for DJ to showcase his talents and the 34-year-old remembers being very excited in the build-up to the match for more than just on-field reasons.

“I had a lot of friends and family coming so that was exciting for me,” said DJ. “We had all been really excited ever since the draw was made. I had been playing for Hayes and Yeading the season before so playing a Premier League club in the FA Cup was huge for me. I knew in myself that I could play at that level so I saw the game as a stepping stone to proving it. I was buzzing ahead of the game already as we had gone to Dubai ahead of the match and myself and Martin Allen had discussed a new long-term contract at the club. I was more than happy to sign it and I was going to sign it after the match.”

On a bright but chilly January afternoon at Griffin Park there was nothing to separate the two sides in the first-half. Sam Sodje struck the bar with a header and Isaiah Rankin went close with a couple of curling efforts for The Bees while The Black Cats best chance saw Stuart Nelson deny Dean Whitehead from long-range. However that all changed 12 minutes after the break.

“It was a really even start to the game,” recalls DJ. “They had a few chances in the first-half but then we came into the game. I remember Jay Tabb nicking the ball off one of their midfielders and he prodded it forward to me. As I got the ball and turned I saw that their defenders were playing quite a high line. Gary Breen was a few metres away from me and I knew that if I could nip it past him I would be in. The pitch was a bit bobbly but I knew that if I could get round him they wouldn’t catch me. I remember bearing down on goal and seeing the fans standing behind the goal. I was about to shoot but then I saw the goalkeeper coming out and at the last second decided to take a touch and go round him.”

The advantage that DJ had given The Bees lasted just nine minutes as a Julio Arca cross evaded everyone and flew into the top corner. The goal sent the 3,000 Sunderland fans in the Ealing Road Terrace wild but as time went on it looked like both sides would be forced to do it all again at the Stadium of Light in a replay. Brentford’s financial position was perilous and a replay in front of a sizeable crowd in the North East would add much needed funds to the club coffers. Perhaps with that in mind, with eight minutes to play, Allen withdrew Rankin and replaced him with Eddie Hutchinson to add extra solidity to The Bees midfield. The substitution forced DJ out to the right-wing, a decision which he did not agree with at the time.

“Martin Allen told me to go and play on the right wing,” said DJ. “I was a bit upset because as I wanted to play through the middle. I think Martin had made a change to make sure we at least got a draw so he told me to go and play on the right but cut inside when I could. Lloyd Owusu went up for a header and I knew how good he was in the air so I read it and cut inside. I nipped in front of the defender and took a touch and then had a shot. The atmosphere after the goal was amazing.”

DJ’s late winner sent The Bees through to the Fifth-Round for the second consecutive season and sparked a mass pitch invasion on referee Mark Halsey’s full-time whistle. It was the first-time that The Bees had knocked out a top division side in 57 years. Being the club that gave him his professional chance DJ still retains an affinity to the club and to the fans in particular, and is thankful that he was able to give something back to the fans for the support that they had shown him.

“When the fans ran on the pitch at the end of the match it was great because no matter what club you are at it is the fans who are the main people of the club,” said DJ. “Coming from where I had come from in the non-league it was great to be able to give back to the fans who had supported me. There is a picture after the match where I am with my friends in the middle of the crowd. It was a nice feeling especially since it was great for the club. It is a great family club and the result was massive for the whole club not just for me. Martin Allen and the rest of the players were just as happy as me and it was a great time.”