During the 1951–52 English football season, Brentford competed in the Football League Second Division. The Bees secured a third-consecutive top 10 finish and reached the fourth round of the FA Cup, taking Luton Town to two replays before being knocked out.

Season summary After two consecutive 9th-place finishes in the Second Division, Brentford manager Jackie Gibbons elected to keep his squad together for the 1951–52 season, with former Brighton & Hove Albion utility player Frank Morrad being his only first team signing.

Aided by the goalscoring of full back-cum-centre forward Fred Monk, Brentford showed excellent form in the first half of the season and just five losses in the opening 21 matches put the club into the promotion places. The push for promotion was derailed during the Christmas period, after consecutive defeats to Southampton on Christmas Day and Boxing Day. A dressing room ruckus ensued between manager Gibbons on one side and half backs Ron Greenwood and Jimmy Hill on the other. The bust-up resulted in Greenwood and Hill requesting transfers, with Hill eventually moving to local rivals Fulham in March 1952 in exchange for inside forward Jimmy Bowie.

Centre forward Billy Dare came into goalscoring in the second half of the season, but the disruption to the Harper-Hill-Greenwood half back line (Greenwood later rescinded his transfer request) led to an increase in the number of goals conceded and Brentford drifted out of contention for promotion to finish in 10th place. Amid much fanfare, former England international Tommy Lawton was signed for a club record £16,000 fee in March 1952, but he managed to contribute only two goals in his 10 appearances. In 2010, full back Ken Horne commented that "I'm sure we could have gone up that year but the spirit completely went out the team. We'd got by on spirit. The team had been kept together for so long that they had been fighting for each other".

The end of the season saw the retirement of Brentford's final two players signed prior to the outbreak of the Second World War in September 1939 – goalkeeper Ted Gaskell and utility man Tom Manley. Both received a joint-testimonial in April 1954.

League table

Results Brentford's goal tally listed first.

Legend WinDrawLoss

Football League Second Division No.DateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorer(s)Notes118 August 1951Leeds UnitedA1–120,268Paton222 August 1951EvertonA0–132,722325 August 1951Rotherham UnitedH2–024,904Sperrin, Monk427 August 1951EvertonH1–019,525Sperrin51 September 1951Cardiff CityA0–227,77265 September 1951Doncaster RoversA2–121,154Goodwin, Monk (pen)78 September 1951Birmingham CityH1–025,029Monk815 September 1951Leicester CityA1–123,757Monk922 September 1951Nottingham ForestH1–126,350Hill1029 September 1951Queens Park RangersA1–325,339Monk116 October 1951Notts CountyH1–028,214Coote1213 October 1951Luton TownA2–018,521Sperrin, Monk1320 October 1951BuryH4–020,726Sperrin (2), Coote, Paton1427 October 1951Swansea TownA1–119,235Sperrin153 November 1951Coventry CityH4–022,899Monk1610 November 1951West Ham UnitedA0–126,2881717 November 1951Sheffield UnitedH4–126,288Paton, Monk (2), Sperrin1824 November 1951BarnsleyA0–010,149191 December 1951Hull CityH2–126,072Monk (2)208 December 1951Blackburn RoversA0–313,6172115 December 1951Leeds UnitedH2–117,957Dare (2)2222 December 1951Rotherham UnitedA1–114,809Monk2325 December 1951SouthamptonH1–225,841Dare2426 December 1951SouthamptonA1–221,625Sperrin2529 December 1951Cardiff CityH1–127,547Paton265 January 1952Birmingham CityA2–128,368Dare, Badham (og)2719 January 1952Leicester CityH1–319,923Dare2826 January 1952Nottingham ForestA0–221,649299 February 1952Queens Park RangersH0–025,6453016 February 1952Notts CountyA2–522,503Dare, Sperrin311 March 1952Luton TownH3–321,218Dare (2), Horne328 March 1952BuryA0–112,1403315 March 1952Swansea TownH3–129,753Coote, Dare (2)3422 March 1952Coventry CityA1–227,577Dare355 April 1952Sheffield UnitedA4–123,435Lawton, Paton, Dare, Harper3611 April 1952Sheffield WednesdayH2–335,827Bragg, Dare3712 April 1952BarnsleyH1–119,912Goodwin3814 April 1952Sheffield WednesdayA0–243,9353919 April 1952Hull CityA1–430,891Dare4021 April 1952West Ham UnitedH1–112,563LawtonThe original fixture on 29 March 1952 was abandoned at half time due to snow, with the score at 1–1.4126 April 1952Blackburn RoversH1–116,195Slater4230 April 1952Doncaster RoversH1–010,243Morrad

FA Cup

RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorer(s)Notes3R12 January 1952Queens Park RangersH3–135,000Coote, Paton, Sperrin4R2 February 1952Luton TownA2–225,320Sperrin (2)4R (replay)6 February 1952Luton TownH0–0 29,5004R (2nd replay)18 February 1952Luton TownN2–3 37,269Dare (2)Match played at Arsenal Stadium, London.

Sources: 100 Years Of Brentford, Statto, 11v11

Playing squad Players' ages are as of the opening day of the 1951–52 season. Pos. Name Nat. Date of birth (age) Signed from Signed in NotesGoalkeepersGKTed GaskellBuxton1937GKAlf JefferiesOxford City1945GKReg NewtonLeyton Orient1949DefendersDFWally BraggTwickenham Celtic1946DFIan DargieTonbridge1952DFKen HorneBlackpool1950DFTecwyn JonesHolywell Town1950DFFrank MorradBrighton & Hove Albion1951DFRoddy MunroRangers1946MidfieldersHBGeorge BristowYouth1950HBRon Greenwood (c)Bradford Park Avenue1949HBTony HarperHeadington United1948HBFrank LatimerSnowdown Colliery Welfare1945HBBill SlaterBlackpool1951AmateurForwardsFWJimmy BowieFulham1952FWKen CooteWembley1949FWBilly DareHendon1948FWVerdi GodwinGrimsby Town1952FWJackie GoodwinBirmingham City1949FWTommy LawtonNotts County1952FWTerry LedgertonHuyton1950FWFred MonkGuildford City1948FWJohnny PatonCeltic1949FWBilly SperrinGuildford City1949Players who left the club mid-seasonHBJimmy HillReading1949Transferred to Fulham Sources: 100 Years Of Brentford, Timeless Bees

Coaching staff NameRole Jackie GibbonsSecretary-Manager Jimmy BainAssistant Manager David RichardsTrainer Jack CartmellAssistant Trainer Jimmy HoganAssistant Trainer

Statistics

Appearances and goals

PosNatNameLeagueFA CupTotalAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsGKTed Gaskell15040190GKAlf Jefferies17000170GKReg Newton10000100DFWally Bragg10100101DFIan Dargie10—10DFKen Horne34140381DFTecwyn Jones100010DFFrank Morrad110011DFRoddy Munro40040440HBGeorge Bristow200020HBRon Greenwood37030400HBTony Harper37140411HBJimmy Hill27130301HBFrank Latimer401050HBBill Slater711081FWJimmy Bowie90—90FWKen Coote24341284FWBilly Dare4214424616FWVerdi Godwin10—10FWJackie Goodwin21220232FWTommy Lawton102—102FWTerry Ledgerton501060FWFred Monk4012204212FWJohnny Paton36531396FWBilly Sperrin319423511 Players listed in italics left the club mid-season. Source: 100 Years Of Brentford

Goalscorers Pos.NatPlayerFL2FACTotalFWBilly Dare14216FWFred Monk12012FWBilly Sperrin9211FWJohnny Paton516FWKen Coote314FWTommy Lawton2—2FWJackie Goodwin202DFWally Bragg101HBTony Harper101HBJimmy Hill101DFKen Horne101DFFrank Morrad101HBBill Slater101Opponents101Total54761 Players listed in italics left the club mid-season. Source: 100 Years Of Brentford

Amateur international caps Pos.NatPlayerCapsGoalsRefHBBill Slater50

Management NameNatFromToRecord All CompsRecord LeaguePWDLW %PWDLW %Jackie Gibbons18 August 195130 April 1952

Summary Games played 46 (42 Second Division, 4 FA Cup)Games won 16 (15 Second Division, 1 FA Cup)Games drawn 14 (12 Second Division, 2 FA Cup)Games lost 16 (15 Second Division, 1 FA Cup)Goals scored 61 (54 Second Division, 7 FA Cup)Goals conceded 61 (55 Second Division, 6 FA Cup)Clean sheets 11 (10 Second Division, 1 FA Cup)Biggest league win 4–0 on two occasionsWorst league defeat 3–0 versus Blackburn Rovers, 8 December 1951; 4–1 versus Hull City, 19 April 1952; 5–2 versus Notts County, 16 February 1952Most appearances 46, Billy Dare (42 Second Division, 4 FA Cup)Top scorer (league) 14, Billy DareTop scorer (all competitions) 16, Billy Dare

Transfers & loans Players transferred inDatePos.NamePrevious clubFeeRef.May 1951DF George LowdenUnattachedAmateurAugust 1951DF Frank Morrad Brighton & Hove Albionn/aSeptember 1951HB Mike Skivington Gillinghamn/aDecember 1951GK Dave Jones Dovern/aDecember 1951HB Bill Slater BlackpoolAmateur25 February 1952DF Ian Dargie Tonbridgen/aMarch 1952FW Jimmy Bowie FulhamExchangeMarch 1952FW Verdi Godwin Grimsby Townn/aMarch 1952FW Tommy Lawton Notts County£16,000Players transferred outDatePos.NameSubsequent clubFeeRef.December 1951n/a Jack Nicholson Dundee Unitedn/aMarch 1952HB Jimmy Hill FulhamExchangePlayers releasedDatePos.NameSubsequent clubJoin dateRef.October 1951FW Joe Corr Snowdown Colliery WelfareOctober 1951May 1952GK Ted GaskellRetiredMay 1952FW Bernard Kelly Deal Town1952May 1952HB Tom ManleyRetiredMay 1952FW Tommy Mycock Tranmere RoversMay 1952May 1952HB Mike SkivingtonRetired

Notes

References