During the 1996–97 English football season, Brentford competed in the Football League Second Division. Despite having led the division for most of the season, a collapse in the final 13 matches dropped the Bees into the playoffs, where they were defeated by Crewe Alexandra in the 1997 Second Division playoff Final.
Season summary Despite a hangover in the 1995–96 season, Brentford entered 1996–97 with largely the same core of players which reached the 1995 Second Division playoff semi-finals. That said, central defender Barry Ashby and midfielders Paul Smith and Carl Hutchings all rejected new contracts in favour of monthly agreements, but the trio signed new deals during the opening two months of the season. Manager David Webb's only significant signing of the 1996 off-season was that of midfielder Scott Canham, paying West Ham United a £25,000 fee to turn his loan from the previous season into a permanent deal.
Brentford began the Second Division season with an 11-match unbeaten run and firmly held on to top spot in the table. The four-pronged attack of Carl Asaba, Nicky Forster, Robert Taylor and Marcus Bent proved fruitful and Asaba's 7-minute hat-trick versus Shrewsbury Town on 31 August 1996 was the quickest ever in a league match by a Brentford player. One win in eight matches from mid-October through to mid-November dropped the Bees back into the playoff positions, but the club returned to the summit early in the following 13-match unbeaten run. Forward Nicky Forster, who was in the final year of his contract, was sold to Birmingham City for a £700,000 fee on 31 January 1997, but he was not replaced.
Despite the loss of Forster, the unbeaten run continued until defeat away to Preston North End on 8 March. In the aftermath of the match, manager David Webb tendered his resignation, citing verbal abuse of himself, the coaching staff and the players and "undisclosed sensitive issues" as the reason. Chairman Martin Lange refused to accept Webb's resignation. The fallout from the Preston match gave way to a run of eight defeats in the final 13 matches of the season, in which just six goals were scored and the team failed to find the net at all during the final four matches. Things went from bad to worse when central defender Barry Ashby suffered an injury on 19 April and Carl Asaba was sent off in the penultimate match of the season. The run dropped Brentford from 1st to 4th place and into a two-legged tie with Bristol City in the playoff semi-finals.
Brentford rallied in the playoff semi-finals, seeing off Bristol City (who had finished the regular season with five consecutive wins) 4–2 on aggregate, winning 2–1 home and away. The Bees were "exposed and outclassed" in the final at Wembley Stadium versus Crewe Alexandra, losing 1–0 in a match which saw the Railwaymen hit the woodwork on three occasions and have two goalbound efforts cleared off the line by Carl Hutchings. In addition, Bees defender Brian Statham was sent off for committing a second bookable offence 15 minutes from time.
League table
Results Brentford's goal tally listed first.
Legend WinDrawLoss
Pre-season and friendlies DateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorer(s)22 July 1996HamptonA3–0n/aAsaba (pen), Taylor (pen), Forster25 July 1996Carshalton AthleticA1–0n/aOmigie27 July 1996Chertsey TownA1–0n/aTaylor29 July 1996Southend UnitedH3–0n/aBent, Forster, Asaba31 July 1996Tottenham HotspurH0–33,1752 August 1996Queens Park RangersH2–13,793Taylor (pen), Abrahams5 August 1996Stevenage BoroughA2–2n/aDennis, Asaba7 August 1996Derby CountyH0–21,93612 August 1996HayesA7–0n/aDennis (2), Taylor, Forster, Bent, Myall, untraced (og)14 February 1997SouthamptonH2–0n/aAsaba (2)
Football League Second Division No.DateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorer(s)1 17 August 1996 BuryA1–13,373Taylor2 24 August 1996 Luton TownH3–25,404Asaba, Bates, Taylor3 27 August 1996 GillinghamH2–05,384Abrahams (2)4 31 August 1996 Shrewsbury TownA3–03,530Asaba (3)5 7 September 1996 ChesterfieldA2–03,643Bates, Forster6 10 September 1996 Plymouth ArgyleH3–25,377Smith, Asaba, Bent7 14 September 1996 BlackpoolH1–15,908Asaba8 21 September 1996 Wycombe WanderersA1–05,330Bent9 28 September 1996 York CityH3–35,243Taylor, Asaba (2)10 1 October 1996 Bristol CityA2–19,520Asaba, Forster11 5 October 1996 Rotherham UnitedH4–26,137Asaba (2), Taylor, Forster12 12 October 1996 Crewe AlexandraA0–24,31313 15 October 1996 Peterborough UnitedA1–05,037Taylor14 19 October 1996 WalsallH1–15,419Hutchings15 26 October 1996 MillwallH0–07,69116 29 October 1996 Bristol RoversA1–25,163Hutchings17 2 November 1996 WatfordA0–211,44818 9 November 1996 Stockport CountyH2–25,076Canham, Forster19 19 November 1996 BournemouthA1–23,464Anderson20 23 November 1996 WrexhamH2–04,885Forster, Asaba21 29 November 1996 MillwallA0–07,84522 3 December 1996 Notts CountyH2–03,675Bent, Asaba23 14 December 1996 BurnleyA2–110,575Asaba, Forster24 21 December 1996 Preston North EndH0–05,36525 26 December 1996 Plymouth ArgyleA4–19,525Forster (2), Asaba, Omigie26 11 January 1997 York CityA4–23,085Asaba (2), Forster (2)27 18 January 1997 Bristol CityH0–07,60628 21 January 1997 Bristol RoversH0–04,19129 1 February 1997 Stockport CountyA2–18,650McGhee, Taylor30 8 February 1997 WatfordH1–18,679Asaba31 22 February 1997 BournemouthH1–06,071Asaba32 1 March 1997 Notts CountyA1–14,323Ashby33 4 March 1997 Wycombe WanderersH0–05,37534 8 March 1997 Preston North EndA0–19,48935 15 March 1997 BurnleyH0–36,62436 21 March 1997 Luton TownA0–18,16437 25 March 1997 WrexhamA2–04,053Asaba (2, 1 pen)38 29 March 1997 BuryH0–27,82339 31 March 1997 GillinghamA2–17,361Janney, Asaba40 5 April 1997 Shrewsbury TownH0–05,35541 11 April 1997 Rotherham UnitedA1–01,797Taylor42 15 April 1997 ChesterfieldH1–05,216Asaba43 19 April 1997 Crewe AlexandraH0–26,18344 22 April 1997 BlackpoolA0–14,03045 26 April 1997 WalsallA0–15,35946 3 May 1997 Peterborough UnitedH0–15,274
Football League Second Division play-offs
+RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorer(s)NotesSF (1st leg)11 May 1997 Bristol CityA2–115,581Smith, TaylorSF (2nd leg)14 May 1997 Bristol CityH2–1 (won 4–2 on aggregate)9,496Taylor, BentF25 May 1997 Crewe AlexandraN0–134,149Match played at Wembley Stadium, London.
FA Cup
+RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorer(s)NotesR116 November 1996 BournemouthH2–04,509Smith, ForsterR27 December 1996 Sudbury TownA3–13,973McGhee, Taylor (2)Match played at Layer Road, Colchester.R325 January 1997 Manchester CityH0–112,019
League Cup
+RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorerR1 (1st leg)20 August 1996 Plymouth ArgyleH1–03,034TaylorR1 (2nd leg)3 September 1996 Plymouth ArgyleA0–0 (won 1–0 on aggregate)5,180R2 (1st leg)17 September 1996 Blackburn RoversH1–28,938ForsterR2 (2nd leg)24 September 1996 Blackburn RoversA0–2 (lost 4–1 on aggregate)9,599
Football League Trophy
+RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorer(s)SR110 December 1996 Bristol RoversA2–12,752Omigie, AsabaSR27 January 1997 BarnetH2–1 1,455Taylor, ForsterSQF28 January 1997 Colchester UnitedH0–12,253 Source: Statto, The Big Brentford Book of the Nineties
Playing squad Players' ages are as of the opening day of the 1996–97 season. Position Name Nationality Date of birth (age) Signed from Signed in NotesGoalkeepers GK Kevin Dearden Tottenham Hotspur1993 GK Tamer Fernandes Youth1993 DefendersDFIjah AndersonSouthend United1995DF Barry Ashby Watford1994DF Jamie Bates (c) Youth1986DF Carl Hutchings Youth1993DF Brian Statham Tottenham Hotspur1992MidfieldersMFScott CanhamWest Ham United1996MFKevin DennisArsenal1996MFRichard GoddardArsenal1996MFLee HarveyNottingham Forest1993MF Gus Hurdle Carshalton Athletic1993MFDavid McGheeYouth1994MF Paul Smith Southend United1993 ForwardsFW Carl Asaba Dulwich Hamlet1994 FW Marcus Bent Youth1995FWMalcolm McPhersonWest Ham United1996 FW Joe Omigie Donna1994FWKevin RapleyYouth1997FW Robert Taylor Leyton Orient1994 Players who left the club mid-seasonMFPaul AbrahamsColchester United1995Transferred to Colchester UnitedMFMark Janney Tottenham Hotspur1997Returned to Tottenham Hotspur after loanFWNicky ForsterGillingham1994Transferred to Birmingham CityFWSteve SladeQueens Park Rangers1997Returned to Queens Park Rangers after loan Source: Soccerbase
Coaching staff NameRole David WebbManager Kevin LockFirst Team Coach Roy JohnsonPhysiotherapist Fergus DignanMedical Officer
Statistics
Appearances and goals Substitute appearances in brackets. PosNatNameLeagueFA CupLeague CupFL TrophyPlayoffsTotalAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsGKKevin Dearden44030402030560GKTamer Fernandes200000100030DFIjah Anderson46120401030561DFBarry Ashby4013040300 (1)050 (1)1DFJamie Bates37230403030502DFGus Hurdle28 (3)02040103038 (3)0DFBrian Statham11 (8)01000203017 (8)0MFPaul Abrahams5 (3)2—1 (2)0——6 (5)2MFMarcus Bent29 (5)320401 (1)03139 (6)4MFScott Canham1311020000 (2)016 (2)1MFKevin Dennis9 (3)00000201012 (3)0MFRichard Goddard0 (1)0000000000 (1)0MFLee Harvey2 (12)00 (2)00 (2)010003 (16)0MFCarl Hutchings23 (5)2100 (1)0103028 (6)2MFDavid McGhee44 (1)1312 (1)0303055 (2)2MFPaul Smith46131402031583FWCarl Asaba4423304031205624FWNicky Forster2510313111—3213FWMalcolm McPherson2 (1)000001 (1)0003 (2)0FWJoe Omigie7 (6)10 (3)0002 (1)1009 (10)2FWKevin Rapley1 (1)0000000001 (1)0FWRobert Taylor437324131325613Players loaned in during the seasonMFMark Janney1 (1)1————1 (1)1MFSteve Slade40————40 Players listed in italics left the club mid-season. Source: The Big Brentford Book of the Nineties
Goalscorers Pos.NatPlayerFL2FACFLCFLTFLPTotalFWCarl Asaba23001024FWNicky Forster10111—13FWRobert Taylor7211213MFMarcus Bent300014MFPaul Smith110013MFPaul Abrahams2—0——2DFJamie Bates200002MFCarl Hutchings200002MFDavid McGhee110002FWJoe Omigie100102MFMark Janney1————1DFIjah Anderson100001DFBarry Ashby100001MFScott Canham100001Total56524471 Players listed in italics left the club mid-season. Source: The Big Brentford Book of the Nineties
Discipline PosNatPlayerFL2FACFLCFLTFLPTotalPtsFWCarl Asaba60002000119112DFBarry Ashby40002000006212DFIjah Anderson7000100000808DFGus Hurdle6000100000707DFBrian Statham2000000011316FWNicky Forster40100000—505DFJamie Bates3000100000404MFMarcus Bent3000000000303MFPaul Smith3000000000303MFSteve Slade20————202MFKevin Dennis2000000000202MFCarl Hutchings2000000000202MFScott Canham1010000000202GKKevin Dearden1000000000101FWRobert Taylor1000000000101Total4702070002258264 Players listed in italics left the club mid-season. Source: Soccerbase
Management NameNatFromToRecord All CompsRecord LeaguePWDLW %PWDLW %David Webb17 August 199625 May 1997
Summary Games played 59 (46 Second Division, 3 FA Cup, 4 League Cup, 3 Football League Trophy, 3 Football League playoffs)Games won 27 (20 Second Division, 2 FA Cup, 1 League Cup, 2 Football League Trophy, 2 Football League playoffs)Games drawn 15 (14 Second Division, 0 FA Cup, 1 League Cup, 0 Football League Trophy, 0 Football League playoffs)Games lost 17 (12 Second Division, 1 FA Cup, 2 League Cup, 1 Football League Trophy, 1 Football League playoffs)Goals scored 71 (56 Second Division, 5 FA Cup, 2 League Cup, 4 Football League Trophy, 4 Football League playoffs)Goals conceded 55 (43 Second Division, 2 FA Cup, 4 League Cup, 3 Football League Trophy, 3 Football League playoffs)Clean sheets 21 (18 Second Division, 1 FA Cup, 2 League Cup, 0 Football League Trophy, 0 Football League playoffs)Biggest league win 3–0 versus Shrewsbury Town, 31 August 1996; 4–1 versus Plymouth Argyle, 26 December 1996Worst league defeat 3–0 versus Burnley, 15 March 1997Most appearances 58, Paul Smith (46 Second Division, 3 FA Cup, 4 League Cup, 2 Football League Trophy, 3 Football League playoffs)Top scorer (league) 23, Carl AsabaTop scorer (all competitions) 24, Carl Asaba
Transfers & loans