During the 2006–07 English football season, Brentford competed in Football League One. The club finished bottom of the league and was relegated to Football League Two.
Season summary
After defeat in the 2006 League One play-off semi-finals, Brentford were rocked by the resignation of popular manager Martin Allen on 30 May 2006, who stated he "had taken the club as far as I could and felt it was right for me to leave". Chairman Greg Dyke revealed that, despite an FA Cup run and the £500,000 sale of forward DJ Campbell during 2005–06 season, Allen's departure was due to the reduction of the cash-strapped club's wage budget for 2006–07. Chief scout John Griffin handled first team affairs until the appointment of Leroy Rosenior as manager on 14 June. Despite the off-season sales of star players Jay Tabb, Michael Turner and Sam Sodje generating upwards of £1,000,000, Rosenior was forced to bring in players on free transfers. A new spine for the team was assembled from central defenders Adam Griffiths and Matthew Heywood, midfielder Thomas Pinault and forwards Jo Kuffour and Chris Moore. Goalkeeper Stuart Nelson, full backs Andy Frampton and Kevin O'Connor, midfielders Ólafur Ingi Skúlason, Paul Brooker, Alex Rhodes and forwards Lloyd Owusu and Calum Willock remained from the previous season's squad, though Owusu would miss much of the campaign with a groin injury.
Brentford enjoyed a good start to the season, going undefeated in eight matches and rising as high as fourth in the table. A 2–0 league defeat to Swansea City on 12 September began a sharp downturn in fortunes, with injuries to eight senior players forcing Rosenior to turn to inexperienced youngsters John Mousinho, Clark Masters, Darius Charles, Ryan Peters, Karleigh Osborne and Karle Carder-Andrews. After injury to Calum Willock and a loss of form from Chris Moore, incoming forwards Clyde Wijnhard and Fola Onibuje failed to readdress the team's goalscoring problems. After a winless run of 16 games which dropped Brentford into the League One relegation zone, Leroy Rosenior was sacked as manager after a 4–0 home defeat to Crewe Alexandra on 18 November.
Youth team manager Scott B. Fitzgerald took over as caretaker manager and was later given the job on a permanent basis until the end of the season. Off the field there was a glimmer of hope in January 2007, when supporter Matthew Benham paid out nearly £3 million to take over some of the club's loans. Despite a clear-out of the squad, an influx of new signings and an additional goal threat from emerging youngster Charlie Ide, rookie manager Fitzgerald fared little better than his predecessor, winning just four of 24 matches before his departure after Brentford's relegation was confirmed on 9 April. Head of Youth Barry Quin took caretaker charge for the final four matches of the season and despite a first win in over two months, Brentford finished the campaign bottom of League One.
As of , 2006–07 is the only season in which Brentford has finished bottom of a division of the Football League. The club finished with the worst away, overall attacking, overall defensive and home defensive records in League One, in addition to the lowest overall and lowest home goal differences. Club records set during the season included those of:
Fewest Football League wins in a season: 8 Fewest Football League home wins in a season: 5 (tied with 1946–47) Most home Football League goals conceded in a season: 41 Lowest negative home goal difference in a Football League season: -17 Fewest points in a Football League season (3 points for a win): 37 Lowest winning percentage in a Football League season: 17.39% Lowest winning percentage in a Football League season (all competitions): 15.686%"All competitions" comprises Football League, FA Cup, Football League Cup and Football League Trophy.
League table
Results Brentford's goal tally listed first.
Legend WinDrawLoss
Pre-season and friendlies DateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorer(s)8 July 2006Staines TownA1–31,249Rhodes13 July 2006Ilfracombe TownA6–0250Standing, Brooker, Moore, Griffiths, Willock, Fitzgerald15 August 2006Bideford AFCA0–0n/a19 July 2006YeadingA2–2n/aTrialist, Moore (pen)22 July 2006Hampton & Richmond BoroughA1–0n/aTomlin25 July 2006Basingstoke TownA1–0n/aO'Connor (pen)28 July 2006Crawley TownA0–0n/a31 July 2006Harrow BoroughA3–05,420Ide, Trialist, DimitrovOctober 2006Hampton & Richmond BoroughA1–1301Tomlin
Football League One No.DateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorer(s)Notes15 August 2006BlackpoolH1–06,048Skúlason28 August 2006Northampton TownA1–05,707Moore312 August 2006Brighton & Hove AlbionA2–26,745O'Connor, Moore419 August 2006Huddersfield TownH2–25,709Kuffour (2)526 August 2006Scunthorpe UnitedA1–13,942Kuffour62 September 2006Bradford CityH2–15,471O'Connor, Kuffour79 September 2006Leyton OrientA1–15,420Tillen812 September 2006Swansea CityH0–25,392916 September 2006BournemouthH0–06,2721023 September 2006ChesterfieldA1–33,877Griffiths1126 September 2006MillwallA1–17,618Willock1230 September 2006Yeovil TownH1–25,770Kuffour137 October 2006Bristol CityH1–16,740O'Connor (pen)1414 October 2006Rotherham UnitedA0–24,7221521 October 2006GillinghamH2–25,759Heywood, Willock1628 October 2006Oldham AthleticA0–34,708174 November 2006Nottingham ForestA0–218,0031818 November 2006Crewe AlexandraH0–44,7711924 November 2006Cheltenham TownA0–23,646205 December 2006Doncaster RoversH0–44,296219 December 2006Tranmere RoversH1–14,878Ide2216 December 2006Port ValeA0–14,1662323 December 2006Carlisle UnitedA0–26,8052426 December 2006MillwallH1–46,925O'Connor (pen)2530 December 2006ChesterfieldH2–14,540Kuffour (2)261 January 2007Swansea CityH0–212,554276 January 2007BournemouthA0–15,7822813 January 2007Leyton OrientH2–26,765Ide (2)2920 January 2007Yeovil TownA0–15,3733027 January 2007Carlisle UnitedH0–05,381313 February 2007BlackpoolA3–16,086Frampton, Kuffour (2)3210 February 2007Brighton & Hove AlbionH1–07,023Kuffour3317 February 2007Huddersfield TownA2–010,520Ide, Kuffour3419 February 2007Northampton TownH0–15,1643524 February 2007Bradford CityA1–17,627O'Connor (pen)363 March 2007Scunthorpe UnitedH0–25,6453710 March 2007Bristol CityA0–111,8263817 March 2007Rotherham UnitedH0–14,9373925 March 2007Oldham AthleticH2–24,720Richards, Keith4031 March 2007GillinghamA1–26,113Kuffour417 April 2007Cheltenham TownH0–24,831Owusu429 April 2007Crewe AlexandraA1–34,667O'Connor (pen)4314 April 2007Nottingham ForestH2–46,637Pinault, Ide4421 April 2007Doncaster RoversA0–38,7134528 April 2007Port ValeH4–35,125Ide (2), Keith (pen), CharlesBrentford wore the upcoming 2007–08 season's away colours.465 May 2007Tranmere RoversA1–36,529Willock
FA Cup
RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceR111 November 2006Doncaster RoversH0–13,607
Football League Cup
RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorer(s)R122 August 2006Swindon TownA2–2 , won 4–3 on pens)5,582O'Connor, KuffourR219 September 2006Luton TownH0–33,005
Football League Trophy
RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorer(s)SR117 October 2006Northampton TownA0–0 , won 4–2 on pens)2,088SR231 October 2006Nottingham ForestA1–22,031Kuffour Sources: Soccerbase, 11v11
Playing squad Players' ages are as of the opening day of the 2006–07 season. No Position Name Nationality Date of birth (age) Signed from Signed in NotesGoalkeepers1GKStuart NelsonHucknall Town200421GKClark MastersYouth2005Loaned to AFC Wimbledon26 GKSeb Brown Youth200628GKNathan AbbeyTorquay United2006Loaned from Torquay United before transferring permanentlyDefenders2DFKevin O'Connor (c)Youth20003DFAndy FramptonCrystal Palace20025DFMatthew HeywoodBristol City2006Loaned from Bristol City before transferring permanently6DFAdam GriffithsBournemouth200616DFJoe Keith Leyton Orient200718DFSam TillenChelsea200523DFDarius CharlesYouth2004Loaned to Staines Town and Crawley Town24DFKarleigh OsborneYouth200435DFBradley Falco Youth2007Midfielders4MFThomas Pinault Unattached20067MFPaul Brooker Reading2005 14MFKarle Carder-Andrews Youth200617MFAlex RhodesNewmarket Town2003Loaned to Swindon Town and Grays Athletic20MFRyan PetersYouth2004Loaned to Crawley Town and AFC Wimbledon22MFJohn MousinhoUnattached200530MFLewis Dark Youth200732MFMichael LearyLuton Town2007On loan from Luton TownForwards9FWLloyd OwusuReading200510FWJo KuffourTorquay United200612FWNeil Shipperley Sheffield United2007 19FWCalum Willock Peterborough United2006 25FWCharlie IdeYouth2005Loaned to Sutton United29FWRoss MontagueYouth2007Players who left the club mid-season8MFÓlafur Ingi Skúlason Arsenal2005Released8FWScott TaylorMilton Keynes Dons2007Returned to Milton Keynes Dons after loan11MFGavin TomlinWindsor & Eton2006Released12 FWScott P. Fitzgerald Watford2005Loaned to AFC Wimbledon, released15FWChris MooreDagenham & Redbridge2006Released15DFGarry RichardsColchester United2007Returned to Colchester United after loan16MFSimon CoxReading2006Returned to Reading after loans16FWFola OnibujeSwindon Town2006Returned to Swindon Town after loan27MFJamie EnglandUnattached2006Released28FWClyde WijnhardUnattached2006Released31DFDavid PartridgeBristol City2007Returned to Bristol City after loan33DFChe WilsonSouthend United2007Returned to Southend United after loan Source: Soccerbase
Coaching staff
Leroy Rosenior (5 August – 18 November 2006) NameRole Leroy RoseniorManager John GriffinAssistant Manager, Chief Scout Paul MortimerFirst Team Coach Jim StannardGoalkeeping Coach Brett HutchinsonPhysiotherapist
Scott B. Fitzgerald (18 November 2006 – 10 April 2007) Name Role Scott B. FitzgeraldManager John GriffinAssistant Manager, Chief Scout Alan ReevesFirst Team Coach Jim StannardGoalkeeping Coach Brett HutchinsonPhysiotherapist
Barry Quin (10 April – 5 May 2007) Name Role Barry QuinCaretaker Manager John GriffinAssistant Manager, Chief Scout Jim StannardGoalkeeping Coach Brett HutchinsonPhysiotherapist
Statistics
Appearances and goals Substitute appearances in brackets. NoPosNatNameLeagueFA CupLeague CupFL TrophyTotalAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals1GKStuart Nelson1900020002102DFKevin O'Connor38 (1)610112042 (1)73DFAndy Frampton3211000203514MFThomas Pinault24 (3)10 (1)0201027 (4)15DFMatthew Heywood25 (3)100202029 (3)16DFAdam Griffiths32 (5)110100034 (5)17MFPaul Brooker24 (10)010201 (1)028 (11)08MFÓlafur Ingi Skúlason1011000201319FWLloyd Owusu4 (3)00000004 (3)010FWJo Kuffour38 (1)1210212143 (1)1411MFGavin Tomlin6 (6)000101 (1)08 (7)012FWNeil Shipperley110———11014MFKarle Carder-Andrews2 (3)00000103 (3)015FWChris Moore8 (8)20 (1)01 (1)01010 (10)216DFJoe Keith17 (1)2———17 (1)217MFAlex Rhodes8 (7)00010—9 (7)018DFSam Tillen28 (6)110201032 (6)119FWCalum Willock18 (10)3000 (1)00018 (11)320MFRyan Peters0 (13)000001 (1)01 (14)021GKClark Masters11010002014022MFJohn Mousinho29 (5)010201 (1)033 (6)023DFDarius Charles9 (8)1—1 (1)0—10 (9)124DFKarleigh Osborne17 (4)0001 (1)01019 (5)025FWCharlie Ide24 (2)7100 (1)01026 (3)727MFJamie England00—0 (1)0—0 (1)028FWClyde Wijnhard7 (2)00 (1)0—0 (2)07 (5)028GKNathan Abbey160———16029FWRoss Montague0 (4)00000000 (4)030MFLewis Dark2 (1)00000002 (1)0Players loaned in during the season8FWScott Taylor3 (3)0———3 (3)015DFGarry Richards101———10116FWSimon Cox11 (2)0—10—12 (2)016FWFola Onibuje0 (2)010——1 (2)031DFDavid Partridge30———3032MFMichael Leary170———17033DFChe Wilson30———30 Players listed in italics left the club mid-season. Source: Soccerbase
Goalscorers NoPosNatPlayerFL1FACFLCFLTTotal10FWJo Kuffour120111425FWCharlie Ide700072DFKevin O'Connor6010719FWCalum Willock3000316DFJoe Keith2———215FWChris Moore2000215DFGarry Richards1———123DFDarius Charles1—0—13DFAndy Frampton100016DFAdam Griffiths100015DFMatthew Heywood100014MFThomas Pinault100018MFÓlafur Ingi Skúlason1000118DFSam Tillen10001Total4002143 Players listed in italics left the club mid-season. Source: Soccerbase
Discipline