During the 1948–49 English football season, Brentford competed in the Football League Second Division. It was Harry Curtis' final season as manager and he was replaced by Jackie Gibbons in February 1949. Brentford ended the season in 18th-place, just one point away from a second relegation in three seasons, though the Bees advanced to the sixth round of the FA Cup for the third time in the club's history.
Season summary
Brentford manager Harry Curtis prepared conservatively for the 1948–49 Second Division season, with inside forward Viv Woodward and wing half Paddy Harris being his only veteran additions to the first team squad. The Essential Work Order made it almost impossible for the Bees to sign any player aged under 30, due to the club having spent £28,300 (almost double the club's net income, equivalent to £ in ) on six new players during the previous financial year, with only Jack Chisholm and Fred Monk aged under 30. Curtis elected to build for the future with the signings of young players Les Devonshire, Jimmy Anders, Micky Bull and Billy Dare, but Dare was the only one of the quartet who would go on to make an impact on the first team. On the eve of the season, it was announced that Curtis would step down from the manager's position at the end of the campaign.
After two wins from the opening seven matches, Curtis signed Leicester City forward Peter McKennan for £8,000. He failed to have an immediate effect on the team's goalscoring problems, but Brentford were able to stay afloat in mid-table due to the low number of goals conceded. Amidst a dire run of form in league matches around the turn of the year, McKennan finally came into form and scored 9 goals in a seven-match spell, firing Brentford into the sixth round of the FA Cup for the second time in four seasons. In the midst of the run was an 8–2 victory over Bury, in which McKennan became the third (and as of , most recent) Brentford player to score five goals in a Football League match. The Bury fixture also marked the first match in charge for player-manager Jackie Gibbons, having replaced Harry Curtis, who remained at Griffin Park until the end of the season as an adviser to Gibbons. Brentford's FA Cup run ended with defeat to Leicester City in the sixth round, with the 38,678 crowd setting a new club record, which still stands as of .
Brentford's form deserted them in the wake of the FA Cup exit, with just two victories during the remaining 14 league matches of the season. Centre half Ron Greenwood was bought from Bradford Park Avenue for £9,000 in February 1949, with all of the money being recouped following the sale of captain Jack Chisholm to Sheffield United for £16,000 a month later. Advanced preparations for the 1949–50 season continued in April, with the £7,000 purchase of Jackie Goodwin and Wally Quinton from Birmingham City. Brentford slumped to an 18th-place finish, just one point above 21st-place Nottingham Forest. Young forward Billy Dare was blooded in the final two months of the season and showed promise for the future with four goals in the final six matches.
League table
Results Brentford's goal tally listed first.
Legend WinDrawLoss
Football League Second Division No.DateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorer(s)121 August 1948Coventry CityH2–226,090Nelson, Monk225 August 1948Leeds UnitedA0–026,625328 August 1948Sheffield WednesdayA0–035,11641 September 1948Leeds UnitedH1–319,212Woodward54 September 1948Lincoln CityH2–122,414Manley, Girling66 September 1948Leicester CityA0–024,151711 September 1948ChesterfieldA1–011,057Girling815 September 1948Leicester CityH1–217,986Buchanan918 September 1948West Bromwich AlbionH0–028,2121025 September 1948BuryA2–122,473Monk (2)112 October 1948West Ham UnitedA0–031,369129 October 1948Queens Park RangersA0–225,8141316 October 1948Luton TownH2–023,211Gibbons, Buchanan1423 October 1948Bradford Park AvenueA1–314,906Blakeman1530 October 1948SouthamptonH0–029,887166 November 1948BarnsleyA2–120,883Nelson (pen), Monk1713 November 1948Grimsby TownH2–024,992Keene, Monk1820 November 1948Nottingham ForestA2–119,278Gibbons, Monk194 December 1948Plymouth ArgyleA0–125,6112011 December 1948Blackburn RoversH0–121,4212118 December 1948Coventry CityA1–221,280Manley2225 December 1948Cardiff CityH1–122,813Monk2327 December 1948Cardiff CityA0–249,236241 January 1949Sheffield WednesdayH2–116,753Buchanan, Monk2515 January 1949Lincoln CityA1–313,125McKennan2622 January 1949ChesterfieldH1–125,549Monk275 February 1949West Bromwich AlbionA0–239,4822819 February 1949BuryH8–223,249McKennan (5, 1 pen), Gibbons, Monk295 March 1949Queens Park RangersH0–329,4203012 March 1949Luton TownA1–216,682Chisholm3119 March 1949Bradford Park AvenueH1–018,413Manley (pen)3226 March 1949SouthamptonA0–225,217332 April 1949BarnsleyH0–018,485346 April 1949FulhamH0–029,160359 April 1949Grimsby TownA0–315,6953615 April 1949Tottenham HotspurA0–239,0503716 April 1949Nottingham ForestH2–115,857Gager (og), Dare3818 April 1949Tottenham HotspurH1–119,004Dare3923 April 1949FulhamA1–239,149Dare4025 April 1949West Ham UnitedA1–115,553Smith4130 April 1949Plymouth ArgyleH2–214,360Buchanan (2)427 May 1949Blackburn RoversA1–215,453Gray (og), Dare
FA Cup
RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorer(s)3R8 January 1949MiddlesbroughH3–2 30,000Harper, Monk, McKennan4R29 January 1949Torquay UnitedH1–024,500McKennan5R12 February 1949BurnleyH4–234,000McKennan (2), Gibbons, Monk6R26 February 1949Leicester CityH0–238,678
Sources: Statto, 11v11, 100 Years Of Brentford
Playing squad Players' ages are as of the opening day of the 1948–49 season. Pos. Name Nat. Date of birth (age) Signed from Signed in NotesGoalkeepersGKJoe CrozierEast Fife1937GKTed GaskellBuxton1937DefendersDFBill GormanBury1938DFMalky MacDonaldKilmarnock1946CoachDFRoddy MunroRangers1946DFWally QuintonBirmingham City1949MidfieldersHBRon GreenwoodBradford Park Avenue1949HBTom ManleyManchester United1939HBDavid NelsonFulham1947HBGeorge PatersonCeltic1946HBAlan SmithArsenal1946ForwardsFWPeter BuchananFulham1947FWBilly DareHendon1948FWJackie GibbonsBradford Park Avenue1947ManagerFWDickie GirlingCrystal Palace1947FWTony HarperHeadington United1948FWPeter McKennanLeicester City1948FWDoug KeeneKingsbury Town1946FWFred MonkGuildford City1948FWViv WoodwardMillwall1948Players who left the club mid-seasonHBJack Chisholm (c)Tottenham Hotspur1947Transferred to Sheffield UnitedHBPaddy HarrisNotts County1948ReleasedFWAlec BlakemanOxford City1946Transferred to Sheffield United Sources: 100 Years of Brentford, Timeless Bees
Coaching staff
Harry Curtis (21 August 1948 – 14 February 1949) NameRole Harry CurtisManager Jimmy BainAssistant Manager Malky MacDonaldTrainer-Coach Jack CartmellTrainer
Jackie Gibbons (15 February – 7 May 1949) NameRole Jackie GibbonsManager Jimmy BainAssistant Manager Malky MacDonaldCoach Jack CartmellTrainer Harry CurtisAdvisory Manager
Statistics
Appearances and goals
PosNatNameLeagueFA CupTotalAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsGKJoe Crozier41040450GKTed Gaskell100010DFBill Gorman42040460DFMalky MacDonald30040340DFRoddy Munro13000130DFWally Quinton10—10HBJack Chisholm30140341HBRon Greenwood120—120HBPaddy Harris40—40HBTom Manley42340463HBDavid Nelson40240442HBGeorge Paterson600060HBAlan Smith310031FWAlec Blakeman91—91FWPeter Buchanan34540385FWBilly Dare13400134FWJackie Gibbons15321174FWDickie Girling24220262FWTony Harper19021211FWDoug Keene12120141FWPeter McKennan24643289FWFred Monk3711424113FWViv Woodward10100101 Players listed in italics left the club mid-season. Source: 100 Years Of Brentford
Goalscorers Pos.NatPlayerFL2FACTotalFWFred Monk11213FWPeter McKennan639FWPeter Buchanan505FWBilly Dare404FWJackie Gibbons314HBTom Manley303FWDickie Girling202HBDavid Nelson202FWAlec Blakeman1—1HBJack Chisholm101FWDoug Keene101HBAlan Smith101FWViv Woodward101FWTony Harper011Opponents202Total42850 Players listed in italics left the club mid-season. Source: 100 Years Of Brentford
Management NameNatFromToRecord All CompsRecord LeaguePWDLW %PWDLW %Harry Curtis21 August 194814 February 1949Jackie Gibbons15 February 19497 May 1949
Summary Games played 46 (42 Second Division, 4 FA Cup)Games won 14 (11 Second Division, 3 FA Cup)Games drawn 14 (14 Second Division, 0 FA Cup)Games lost 18 (17 Second Division, 1 FA Cup)Goals scored 50 (42 Second Division, 8 FA Cup)Goals conceded 59 (53 Second Division, 6 FA Cup)Clean sheets 17 (16 Second Division, 1 FA Cup)Biggest league win 8–2 versus Bury, 19 February 1949Worst league defeat 3–0 on two occasionsMost appearances 46, Bill Gorman, Tom Manley (42 Second Division, 4 FA Cup)Top scorer (league) 11, Fred MonkTop scorer (all competitions) 13, Fred Monk
Transfers & loans Cricketers are not included in this list. Players transferred inDatePos.NamePrevious clubFeeRef.1 May 1948FW Les Devonshire Queens Park Rangersn/aJuly 1948FW Ron Brown Blackburn Roversn/aJuly 1948HB Paddy Harris Notts Countyn/aJuly 1948FW Viv Woodward MillwallFreeAugust 1948n/a Ray Jefferies Oxford Cityn/aSeptember 1948FW Jimmy Anders Preston North Endn/aSeptember 1948FW Micky Bulln/an/aSeptember 1948FW Peter McKennan Leicester City£8,00019 November 1948FW Billy Dare Hendonn/a1948FW Jim Towersn/an/aFebruary 1949HB Ron Greenwood Bradford Park Avenue£9,000May 1949FW Ken Coote WembleyAmateur29 April 1949FW Jackie Goodwin Birmingham City£3,5005 May 1949DF Wally Quinton Birmingham City£3,500Players transferred outDatePos.NameSubsequent clubFeeRef.19 May 1948FW Tommy Dawson Swindon Town£7,000May 1948DF Harry Oliver Watford£2,000September 1948n/a Tommy Connors Celticn/aNovember 1948FW Alec Blakeman Middlesbroughn/aNovember 1948FW Tommy Dougall Sunderlandn/aMarch 1949HB Jack Chisholm Sheffield United£16,000Players releasedDatePos.NameSubsequent clubJoin dateRef.1949HB Paddy HarrisRetiredMay 1949FW Peter Buchanan Headington United1949May 1949GK Joe Crozier Chelmsford City1949May 1949FW Les Devonshire Wealdstone1949May 1949FW Jackie GibbonsRetiredMay 1949FW Robert Sherwood Queens Park RangersMay 1949
References