During the 2004–05 English football season, Brentford competed in Football League One. In his first full season as manager of the club, Martin Allen's "two bob team" reached the 2005 Football League play-off semi-finals and the fifth round of the FA Cup.
Season summary
After pulling off "The Great Escape" from relegation at the end of the 2003–04 season, Brentford manager Martin Allen signed a three-year contract and assembled a "two bob" squad of veterans, youngsters and non-League footballers on free transfers. The club was £7 million in debt and facing annual interest payments on its overdraft of £300,000. The season was punctuated by bizarre motivational challenges set by Allen, which stretched from ordering the players to prepare their own lunch to swimming in rivers before cup ties.
As the season got underway, Brentford suffered first round exits from the League Cup and the Football League Trophy, but a run of five wins in eight league matches through to mid-October 2004 saw the club rooted in the League One automatic promotion places. Though Brentford then won just four matches in all competitions during the final two months of 2004, the club managed to remain in the top 10 in League One. Victory over Walsall in the first match at Griffin Park of 2005 began a spell in which the Bees lost just three of the following 21 matches in all competitions. One of the defeats came in a FA Cup fifth round replay at home to Southampton, which ended a memorable run that earned the club over £500,000 in match revenues. Postponements due to the cup run gave Brentford up to three games in hand from February through March.
Brentford broke back into the playoff positions on 12 April, after a 1–0 win over Tranmere Rovers, still with a game in hand. Consecutive defeats to Bradford City, Huddersfield Town and Luton Town in April dropped the Bees outside the playoff places, but a late 2–1 comeback victory away to Wrexham in the penultimate match of the regular season (the final game in hand) confirmed a place in the playoffs. Martin Allen selected a predominantly youth and reserve lineup for the final match of the league season versus already-promoted Hull City. The experimental team secured a 2–1 victory and a 4th-place finish in League One. Despite finishing 4th, the 9 goals conceded during the three defeats in April saw Brentford finish the season with a goal difference of −3.
Brentford met 5th-place Sheffield Wednesday in the 2005 League One playoffs, but a 1–0 defeat in the first leg at Hillsborough left the Bees with a mountain to climb. Despite an improved performance in the second leg at Griffin Park, the team crumbled and conceded twice to effectively end the tie, before Andy Frampton grabbed a late consolation.
League table
Results Brentford's goal tally listed first.
Legend WinDrawLoss
Pre-season DateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorer(s)17 July 2004Hampton & Richmond BoroughA3–0n/aBurton, Hutchinson, Salako20 July 2004AFC WimbledonH2–02,562Burton, Peters25 July 2004ReadingH1–03,230Rankin28 July 2004Aldershot TownA3–21,400Burton (2), Hargreaves31 July 2004Newmarket TownA5–0n/aMuldowney, Rhodes (3, 1 pen), Peters2 August 2004ArundelA3–0471Smith, Sodje, Moleski
Football League One No.DateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorer(s)17 August 2004ChesterfieldA1–34,651Rhodes210 August 2004Doncaster RoversH4–35,621Rankin, Hargreaves, Burton, Tabb314 August 2004WrexhamH1–05,091O'Connor421 August 2004Peterborough UnitedA0–34,868528 August 2004Stockport CountyH3–04,643Dobson, Salako, Burton630 August 2004Bristol CityA1–410,296O'Connor74 September 2004BournemouthH2–15,682Talbot, Rankin811 September 2004Torquay UnitedA2–23,458Hargreaves, Sodje918 September 2004Port ValeH1–05,442Salako (pen)1025 September 2004WalsallA0–15,302112 October 2004Oldham AthleticH2–05,818Rankin, Burton129 October 2004BarnsleyA0–08,4531316 October 2004Milton Keynes DonsA0–05,9241419 October 2004Hartlepool UnitedH2–14,797Rankin, Burton1523 October 2004BlackpoolH0–36,7221630 October 2004Tranmere RoversA0–18,740177 November 2004Huddersfield TownA1–110,810Sodje1820 November 2004Bradford CityH1–25,909Rhodes1927 November 2004Hull CityA0–215,710207 December 2004Luton TownH2–06,393Burton, May2111 December 2004Sheffield WednesdayA2–121,592Rhodes, Burton2218 December 2004Colchester UnitedH1–05,634Salako2326 December 2004Torquay UnitedH1–36,419Sodje2428 December 2004Swindon TownA0–36,875251 January 2005BournemouthA2–38,072Rankin (2)263 January 2005WalsallH1–05,084Broad (og)2715 January 2005Port ValeA1–04,230Hutchinson2822 January 2005Swindon TownH2–15,867Burton, Hunt2925 January 2005BarnsleyH1–14,835Sodje305 February 2005Milton Keynes DonsH1–05,077Hunt (pen)3122 February 2005Hartlepool UnitedA1–34,206Rankin3226 February 2005Sheffield WednesdayH3–38,323Burton, Peters, Hunt335 March 2005Colchester UnitedA1–03,066Tabb3412 March 2005Doncaster RoversA0–05,5253515 March 2005Oldham AthleticA2–04,291S.P. Fitzgerald3619 March 2005ChesterfieldH2–26,097Burton, Tabb3722 March 2005BlackpoolA1–25,478Pratley3828 March 2005Peterborough UnitedH0–06,341392 April 2005Stockport CountyA2–14,408S.P. Fitzgerald, Sodje409 April 2005Bristol CityH1–06,780Sodje4112 April 2005Tranmere RoversH1–06,005Turner4216 April 2005Bradford CityA1–46,743Tabb4323 April 2005Huddersfield TownH0–17,703Owusu4430 April 2005Luton TownA2–49,313Sodje, Burton453 May 2005WrexhamA2–14,374Rankin, S.P. Fitzgerald467 May 2005Hull CityH2–19,604Sobers, Tabb
Football League play-offs
RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorer(s)SF (1st leg)12 May 2005Sheffield WednesdayA0–128,625SF (2nd leg)16 May 2005Sheffield WednesdayH1–2 (lost 3–1 on aggregate)10,823Frampton
FA Cup
RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorer(s)R112 November 2004Bristol CityA1–17,547SalakoR1 (replay)25 November 2004Bristol CityH1–1 , won 4–3 on pens)3,706FramptonR25 December 2004Hinckley UnitedA0–02,661R2 (replay)14 December 2004Hinckley UnitedH2–14,002Rhodes, TalbotR38 January 2005Luton TownA2–06,861Hargreaves, TabbR429 January 2005Hartlepool UnitedH0–08,967R4 (replay)12 February 2005Hartlepool UnitedA1–07,580RankinR519 February 2005SouthamptonA2–224,741Rankin, SodjeR5 (replay)1 March 2005SouthamptonH1–311,720Hutchinson
Football League Cup
RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceR124 August 2004Ipswich TownA0–210,190
Football League Trophy
RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceSR128 September 2004Milton Keynes DonsH0–31,679 Sources: Soccerbase, 11v11
Playing squad Players' ages are as of the opening day of the 2004–05 season. No Position Name Nationality Date of birth (age) Signed from Signed in NotesGoalkeepers1GKStuart NelsonHucknall Town200421GKJosh LennieYouth2003Loaned to Carshalton Athletic and Maidenhead United31 GKAdemola Bankole Maidenhead United2005Goalkeeping coach45GKClark MastersYouth2005Defenders2DF Michael Dobson Youth19993DFAndy MyersColchester United20045DFMichael TurnerCharlton Athletic2004Loaned from Charlton Athletic before transferring permanently6DFScott B. FitzgeraldColchester United200412DFAndy FramptonCrystal Palace200216DFKevin O'ConnorYouth200017DFSam SodjeMargate200420DFJamie Palmer Youth2005Loaned to Kingstonian and Staines Town22DFSean HillierYouth2004Loaned to Welling United, Hendon and North Greenford United37DFDarius CharlesYouth200438DFKarleigh OsborneYouth200442DFAhmet RifatReading200544DFRyan WattsYouth2005Midfielders4MFStewart Talbot (c) Rotherham United20047MFEddie HutchinsonSutton United20008MFJay Tabb Crystal Palace200010MFStephen Hunt Crystal Palace200111MFChris Hargreaves Northampton Town200415MFAlex RhodesNewmarket Town200319MFSan LeeWest Ham United2004Loaned to São Paulo23MFLuke Muldowney Youth2004Loaned to Kingstonian and Staines Town24MFJames MorrisonYouth2004Loaned to Hendon and Chertsey Town25MFRyan PetersYouth2004Loaned to Windsor & Eton and Gravesend & Northfleet26MFJohn SalakoReading200428MFJamie LawrenceGrimsby Town200429MFDarren PratleyFulham2005On loan from Fulham39MFScott WeightYouth200440MFGeorge MoleskiYouth200543MFAaron SteeleYouth2004Forwards9FWIsaiah RankinGrimsby Town200414FWMatt HarroldHarlow Town2003Loaned to Dagenham & Redbridge and Grimsby Town18FWDeon Burton Portsmouth200430 FWScott P. Fitzgerald Watford2005Loaned from Watford before transferring permanently32FWJerrome SobersIpswich Town2005On loan from Ipswich Town33FWMarcus Gayle Watford200541FWCharlie IdeYouth2005Players who left the club mid-season27FWBen MayMillwall2004Returned to Millwall after loan expired29FWSteve ClaridgeBrighton & Hove Albion2004Loaned to Wycombe Wanderers, released30DFMatt SomnerYouth2001Loaned to Cambridge United, transferred to Cambridge United31GKAlan JulianYouth2001Transferred to Stevenage Borough32FWRichard PacquetteFisher Athletic2004Non-contract32MFJay SmithYouth2001Transferred to Farnborough Town Source: Soccerbase
Coaching staff NameRole Martin AllenManager Adrian WhitbreadFirst Team Coach Ademola BankoleGoalkeeping Coach Damien DoyleSports Therapist Matt HironsPhysiotherapist John GriffinChief Scout
Statistics
Appearances and goals Substitute appearances in brackets. NoPosNatNameLeagueFA CupLeague CupFL TrophyPlay-offsTotalAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals1GKStuart Nelson430901000205502DFMichael Dobson13 (5)14010000018 (5)13DFAndy Myers6 (4)0101010009 (4)04MFStewart Talbot35 (2)1910 (1)0002046 (3)25DFMichael Turner451800000205516DFScott B. Fitzgerald120101010001507MFEddie Hutchinson14 (1)15 (1)100002021 (2)28MFJay Tabb29 (11)55 (4)10 (1)0101 (1)036 (17)69FWIsaiah Rankin33 (8)88 (1)20 (1)0000 (2)041 (12)1010MFStephen Hunt13 (6)31 (3)000100015 (9)311MFChris Hargreaves3026110002039312DFAndy Frampton34 (1)06 (1)110002143 (2)214FWMatt Harrold6 (13)01 (3)00010008 (16)015MFAlex Rhodes4 (18)31 (3)11010007 (21)416DFKevin O'Connor32 (5)24 (1)010001038 (6)217DFSam Sodje4078100002050818MFDeon Burton38 (2)1070100020501020DFJamie Palmer00000010001021GKJosh Lennie0000000 (1)0000 (1)022DFSean Hillier00000010001023MFLuke Muldowney00000010001025MFRyan Peters1 (8)10 (1)01010003 (9)126MFJohn Salako30 (5)48 (1)100000 (1)039 (7)528MFJamie Lawrence8 (6)03 (1)0—100012 (7)029FWSteve Claridge3 (1)000———3 (1)030DFMatt Somner1 (1)0000000—1 (1)030FWScott P. Fitzgerald7 (5)4———108 (5)431GKAlan Julian00000010—1031GKAdemola Bankole30———003032MFJay Smith0 (2)0001000—1 (2)032FWRichard Pacquette1000———1033FWMarcus Gayle4 (2)0———1 (1)05 (3)037DFDarius Charles10000000001038DFKarleigh Osborne10000000001039MFScott Weight0000000 (1)0000 (1)040MFGeorge Moleski0 (1)0000000000 (1)041FWCharlie Ide0 (1)0000000000 (1)044DFRyan Watts0 (1)0000000000 (1)0Players loaned in during the season27FWBen May7 (3)14 (2)0———11 (5)129MFDarren Pratley11 (3)1———2013 (3)132FWJerrome Sobers11———0011 Players listed in italics left the club mid-season. Source: Soccerbase
Goalscorers NoPosNatPlayerFL1FACFLCFLTFLPTotal18FWDeon Burton100000109FWIsaiah Rankin820001017DFSam Sodje7100088MFJay Tabb51000626MFJohn Salako41000530FWScott P. Fitzgerald4———0415MFAlex Rhodes31000410MFStephen Hunt30000311MFChris Hargreaves21000316DFKevin O'Connor2000027MFEddie Hutchinson1100024MFStewart Talbot11000212DFAndy Frampton01001227FWBen May10———129MFDarren Pratley1———0132FWJerrome Sobers1———012DFMichael Dobson10000125MFRyan Peters1000015DFMichael Turner100001Opponent100001Total571000168 Players listed in italics left the club mid-season. Source: Soccerbase
Discipline