Episode 148 - Benham's biggest gamble?

We Are Going Up

Brentford owner Matthew Benham made his millions as a professional gambler, working as managing director of Smartodds, his company which provides statistical research to customers betting exclusively on football all around the world.

However, has he just made his biggest gamble yet?

With the Bees just one point outside the Championship play-off spots and in with a chance of an incredible promotion to the Premier League, the club have confirmed that their manager Mark Warburton (plus assistant boss David Weir and sporting director Frank McParland) will leave Griffin Park at the end of the season.

Warburton feels unable to work under the changed structure being proposed by Benham's 'remodelling of the club's football management', with a new head coach to be appointed to work alongside a new sporting director. The boys speak to Nick Bruzon, Brentford fan and author of 'The Last Word' for his reaction to the news, and ask if it will derail the club's form on the pitch.

On the other side of London, there's a mess that needs to be sorted out at the Matchroom Stadium. On Saturday May 24th last year, Leyton Orient were a penalty shoot-out win away from promotion to the Championship at Wembley. Now they lie second bottom of League One and three points from safety, with only seven wins all season.

The O's have had four managers since the arrival of Italian businessman Francesco Becchetti in the summer, plus are now the subject of a reality TV show in Italy, while stories do the rounds about a £4 million increase in the club’s wage bill, dressing room bust ups, poor communication and various players wanting out.

We’re joined by Orient writer Andy Brown, who writes for the Guardian Series, View From The West Stand and wearegoingup.co.uk, plus Paul Levy, co-host of The Orient Outlook Podcast.

Elsewhere there's Bradford, Blackburn and Reading reaching the FA Cup quarter finals, a huge midweek win for Wigan Athletic - and DC's new job as a linesman...

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