During the 1946–47 English football season, Brentford competed in the Football League First Division. The Bees' 12-year run in the First Division ended with relegation to the Second Division after a disastrous season, which tied the club record for fewest league victories and most league defeats. The club did not play again in the top-tier until 2021–22, 74 years later.

Season summary After three successive top-six finishes in the First Division beginning in 1935–36, Brentford's decline began with the departure of key players during the 1938–39 season, which culminated with a near-relegation. For 1946–47, the first Football League season since the end of the Second World War, manager Harry Curtis was able to call on many of his regular players from the final pre-war seasons, though the elder players, such as Irish international full back Bill Gorman, utility man Buster Brown and former Wales forward Idris Hopkins, were all at age 35. Long-serving forward and once-capped England international Billy Scott had remained with the club and was then aged 38. The team fielded versus Aston Villa on 1 February 1947 was the oldest in club history, with an average age of over 31.5 years. Curtis supplemented the squad by bringing in wing half Cyril Toulouse and forwards John Gillies, Maurice Roberts and George Stewart. As in the final pre-war seasons, Curtis would also promote players from the Bees' reserve ranks, signing amateur Roddy Munro to a professional contract and handing debuts to Frank Latimer, John Moore and Wally Bragg, with Bragg going on to become the youngest-ever Brentford debutant at that time.

Brentford had a good start to the season, winning four of the first five matches and going top on the opening day. The majority of the team's goals were scored by forwards Gerry McAloon, Fred Durrant and George Wilkins, but when the goals dried up in September 1946, Brentford's form took a turn for the worse. Matters were made worse when McAloon and Durrant were quickly sold to Celtic and Queens Park Rangers respectively. A supporter, writing to The Brentford & Chiswick Times, commented "it would seem that Brentford were unaware when they allowed them to go that Thomas, Durrant and McAloon had scored very nearly all the side’s goals in the previous season". Manager Curtis received half back George Paterson from Celtic in part exchange for McAloon and also strengthened the team with full back Malky Macdonald and forward Archie Macaulay. By December, Brentford had dropped into the relegation places and a run of 11 losses in 15 matches culminated in the heaviest defeat of the season – 6–1 away to Sheffield United on Christmas Day.

Brentford's form improved after the Christmas Day thrashing, going undefeated in four of the following five matches to climb out of the relegation places, but from February 1947 onwards, the team's form evaporated. Despite Len Townsend coming into form and going on to become the Bees' top scorer for the season, the goalscoring problem was compounded by the transfer request and subsequent sale of George Wilkins in February. Bill Naylor and Dickie Girling were signed in February to bolster the forward line, but scored just three goals between them before the end of the season. On 24 May, defeat to Sunderland and a draw for 20th-place Charlton Athletic away to Everton consigned the Bees to relegation to the Second Division. By the time of the final day of the season on 14 June, Brentford had lost 14 of the final 19 matches.

The relegation was the first suffered by the club since it joined the Football League in 1920 and it was the club's final top-flight season until 2021–22, 74 years later. A number of club Football League records were equalled or broken during the season, including fewest victories (9), fewest home victories (5), most defeats (26), most home defeats (11), fewest home goals scored (19) and highest average attendance (25,768).

League table

Results Brentford's goal tally listed first.

Legend WinDrawLoss

Football League First Division No.DateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorer(s)131 August 1946EvertonA2–155,338Wilkins (pen), McAloon22 September 1946BlackpoolA2–424,230Durrant, Wilkins (pen)37 September 1946Huddersfield TownH2–031,407Wilkins, McAloon414 September 1946Wolverhampton WanderersA2–134,446Durrant (2)518 September 1946BlackpoolH2–125,621McAloon, G. Smith621 September 1946SunderlandH0–333,766728 September 1946Aston VillaA2–545,350Wilkins (pen), McAloon85 October 1946Derby CountyH0–334,746912 October 1946ArsenalA2–243,367Blakeman (2)1019 October 1946Preston North EndH2–325,303Blakeman (2)1126 October 1946LiverpoolA0–143,892122 November 1946Bolton WanderersH1–023,782Howe (og)139 November 1946ChelseaA2–350,242Hopkins (2)1416 November 1946Charlton AthleticH1–426,648Townsend1523 November 1946Grimsby TownA2–216,750Macaulay, Townsend1630 November 1946Leeds UnitedH1–120,352Townsend177 December 1946Manchester UnitedA1–431,956Macaulay1814 December 1946Stoke CityH1–530,189Macdonald1921 December 1946MiddlesbroughA0–228,7502025 December 1946Sheffield UnitedA1–636,156Townsend2126 December 1946Sheffield UnitedH2–129,535A. Smith, Wilkins2228 December 1946EvertonH1–129,360Hopkins231 January 1947Blackburn RoversA3–029,067Townsend, Wilkins, Stewart244 January 1947Huddersfield TownA0–327,7592518 January 1947Wolverhampton WanderersH4–135,604Wilkins, Stewart, Townsend, A. Smith261 February 1947Aston VillaH0–221,6922722 February 1947Preston North EndA2–525,591Townsend, A. Smith281 March 1947Derby CountyA1–218,691Leuty (og)2915 March 1947ChelseaH0–233,4983022 March 1947Charlton AthleticA0–329,3273129 March 1947Grimsby TownH0–119,778324 April 1947PortsmouthH1–324,570Hopkins335 April 1947Leeds UnitedA2–123,962Naylor, Girling347 April 1947PortsmouthA0–333,4093512 April 1947Manchester UnitedH0–022,0353619 April 1947Stoke CityA1–328,966Naylor3726 April 1947MiddlesbroughH0–019,020383 May 1947Blackburn RoversH0–318,0223910 May 1947Bolton WanderersA0–119,8874017 May 1947LiverpoolH1–118,228Stewart4124 May 1947SunderlandA1–220,160Townsend4226 May 1947ArsenalH0–117,976

FA Cup

RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorer(s)Notes3R11 January 1947Cardiff CityH1–032,894Townsend4R25 January 1947Leicester CityH0–032,1124R (replay)30 January 1947Leicester CityA0–020,3394R (2nd replay)3 February 1947Leicester CityN1–47,500ScottMatch played at Villa Park, Birmingham.

Sources: 100 Years of Brentford, 11v11, Brentford Football Club History

Playing squad Players' ages are as of the opening day of the 1946–47 season. Pos. Name Nat. Date of birth (age) Signed from Signed in NotesGoalkeepersGKJoe CrozierEast Fife1937DefendersDFBill GormanBury1938DFFrank LatimerSnowdown Colliery Welfare1945DFMalky MacDonaldKilmarnock1946CoachDFRoddy MunroRangers1946DFHarry OliverHartlepools United1938MidfieldersHBWally BraggTwickenham Celtic1946Loaned to Hounslow TownHBBuster BrownHuddersfield Town1937HBTom ManleyManchester United1939HBJohn MooreUnattached1938HBGeorge Paterson (c)Celtic1946HBArthur ShawHayes1946HBGeorge SmithCharlton Athletic1945HBCyril ToulouseSt Cuthberts1946ForwardsFWAlec BlakemanOxford City1946FWJosé GallegoCambridge City1947FWJohn GilliesSt Mirren1946FWDickie GirlingCrystal Palace1947FWIdris HopkinsCrystal Palace1932FWArchie MacaulayWest Ham United1946FWBill NaylorCrystal Palace1947FWMaurice RobertsUnattached1946Loaned to Guildford CityFWBilly ScottMiddlesbrough1932FWAlan SmithArsenal1946FWGeorge StewartHamilton Academical1946FWLen TownsendHayes1937Players who left the club mid-seasonFWFred DurrantFolkestone1938Transferred to Queens Park RangersFWGerry McAloonWolverhampton Wanderers1945Transferred to CelticFWGeorge WilkinsHayes1938Transferred to Bradford Park Avenue Sources: 100 Years of Brentford, Timeless Bees, Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939

Coaching staff NameRole Harry CurtisManager Jimmy BainAssistant Manager Malky MacDonaldCoach Billy LaneCoach Bob KaneTrainer Jack CartmellAssistant Trainer

Statistics

Appearances and goals

PosNatNameLeagueFA CupTotalAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsGKJoe Crozier42040460DFWally Bragg100010DFBill Gorman34040380DFFrank Latimer100010DFMalky MacDonald16100161DFRoddy Munro34040380DFHarry Oliver14000140HBWally Bragg100010HBBuster Brown800080HBTom Manley900090HBJohn Moore200020HBGeorge Paterson27040310HBArthur Shaw400040HBGeorge Smith41140451HBCyril Toulouse10000100FWAlec Blakeman840084FWFred Durrant43—43FWJosé Gallego100010FWJohn Gillies500050FWDickie Girling151—151FWIdris Hopkins39440434FWGerry McAloon74—74FWArchie Macaulay26240302FWBill Naylor112—112FWMaurice Roberts10000100FWBilly Scott12031151FWAlan Smith10340143FWGeorge Stewart16310173FWLen Townsend29841339FWGeorge Wilkins26740307 Players listed in italics left the club mid-season. Source: 100 Years of Brentford

Goalscorers Pos.NatPlayerFL1FACTotalFWLen Townsend819FWGeorge Wilkins707FWGerry McAloon4—4FWAlec Blakeman404FWIdris Hopkins404FWFred Durrant3—3FWAlan Smith303FWGeorge Stewart303FWBill Naylor2—2FWArchie Macaulay202FWDickie Girling1—1DFMalky MacDonald101HBGeorge Smith101FWBilly Scott011Opponents202Total45247 Players listed in italics left the club mid-season. Source: 100 Years of Brentford

International caps Pos.NatPlayerCapsGoalsRefDFBill Gorman2300FWArchie Macaulay10

Management NameNatFromToRecord All CompsRecord LeaguePWDLW %PWDLW %Harry Curtis31 August 194614 June 1947 |

Summary Games played 46 (42 First Division, 4 FA Cup)Games won 10 (9 First Division, 1 FA Cup)Games drawn 9 (7 First Division, 2 FA Cup)Games lost 27 (26 First Division, 1 FA Cup)Goals scored 47 (45 First Division, 2 FA Cup)Goals conceded 92 (88 First Division, 4 FA Cup)Clean sheets 8 (5 First Division, 3 FA Cup)Biggest league win 3–0 versus Blackburn Rovers, 1 January 1947; 4–1 versus Wolverhampton Wanderers, 18 January 1947Worst league defeat 6–1 versus Sheffield United, 25 December 1946Most appearances 46, Joe Crozier (42 First Division, 4 FA Cup)Top scorer (league) 8, Len TownsendTop scorer (all competitions) 9, Len Townsend

Transfers & loans Cricketers are not included in this list.