During the 1943–44 English football season, Brentford competed in the Football League South, due to the cessation of competitive football for the duration of the Second World War. The Bees marginally improved on the previous season's 9th-place finish, ending in 7th.
Season summary Brentford returned for the 1943–44 Football League South season again with a shortage of first team players, with just 10 available who made a senior appearance for the club prior to the outbreak of the Second World War in September 1939. The biggest boost for the squad came with the availability of goalkeeper Joe Crozier, who had not appeared since 21 October 1939. Reserve forwards Fred Durrant and Bob Thomas, signed before the war, would feature during the season, as would six junior and amateur players on the club's books. A whopping 36 guest players would be used during the campaign.
Despite an improved 7th-place finish in the Football League South, 1943–44 proved to be as forgettable as the previous season, though there were a few memorable results – 7–2 versus Southampton on 18 December 1943, 4–1 versus Arsenal in front of 20,270 at Griffin Park on 4 February 1944 and 8–0 versus Brighton & Hove Albion a month later in the group stage of the Football League War Cup, from which Brentford failed to qualify for the knockout stages. Three players won wartime international caps during the season – Les Smith for England, Joe Crozier for Scotland and Idris Hopkins for Wales. Though he finished the season as second-leading scorer behind guest Douglas Hunt, Les Smith's 15 goals in 15 appearances led his case for a first international cap in over two years.
The 1943–44 season ended with the retirements of two players who had contributed to Brentford's rise from the Third Division South to the First Division between 1932 and 1935. 34-year-old centre half Joe James elected to retire six months after failing to recover from a wrist injury suffered in the match versus Charlton Athletic on 26 February 1944. He would return to football briefly with Colchester United in November 1945. 35-year-old centre forward Jack Holliday, who moved to the half back line in his later years, retired at the end of the season, having scored 122 goals in 222 matches from his arrival in May 1932 to the outbreak of war in September 1939. He remained on the club's books as assistant trainer of the reserve team.
League table
Results Brentford's goal tally listed first.
Legend WinDrawLoss
Football League South No.DateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorer(s)128 August 1943Clapton OrientH4–24,820Hunt, Smith (2), Stewart24 September 1943FulhamA3–47,737Stewart, Hunt (2)311 September 1943Brighton & Hove AlbionH2–35,310Hopkins, Hunt418 September 1943ChelseaH3–16,400Smith, Hunt, Stewart525 September 1943Crystal PalaceA1–15,131W. Watson62 October 1943WatfordH4–16,720Durrant, Hunt (pen), McKennan (2)79 October 1943West Ham UnitedA0–012,000816 October 1943ArsenalA3–317,658McKennan, Townsend, Hunt923 October 1943AldershotH2–49,940McKennan (2)1030 October 1943Luton TownA2–25,000Driver, McKennan116 November 1943Tottenham HotspurH0–29,6501213 November 1943PortsmouthH2–06,880Smith, Hunt (pen)1327 November 1943Clapton OrientA4–11,000Smith (2), Little, McKennan144 December 1943FulhamH0–07,5101511 December 1943Brighton & Hove AlbionA2–02,500Thomas, Stewart1618 December 1943SouthamptonH7–23,000Smith (2), Hunt (2), McKennan (2), Stewart1725 December 1943Queens Park RangersH2–511,200Thomas, McKennan1827 December 1943Queens Park RangersA2–38,900Smith, Stewart191 January 1944ChelseaA3–012,000McKennan (2), Hunt208 January 1944Tottenham HotspurA0–116,9172122 January 1944WatfordA4–42,759Hunt (2, 1 pen), W. Watson, McKennan2229 January 1944West Ham UnitedH2–111,220Townsend, Hunt235 February 1944ArsenalH4–120,270Soo, Westcott, Townsend (2)2412 February 1944AldershotA2–44,000McKennan, Smith251 April 1944Luton TownH2–02,340Hopkins, Baynham2610 April 1944Crystal PalaceH2–04,440Stewart, Holliday2715 April 1944ReadingH1–06,040Smith2822 April 1944SouthamptonA2–29,000Townsend, Stewart2929 April 1944PortsmouthA2–38,000Baynham, Townsend306 May 1944ReadingA3–03,500Townsend (2), Hunt
Football League South War Cup RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorer(s)Grp19 February 1944Crystal PalaceH3–44,110Townsend, StevensGrp26 February 1944Charlton AthleticA3–55,023Townsend, Hunt (2)Grp4 March 1944Brighton & Hove AlbionH8–05,020Westcott (4), Townsend (3), HuntGrp11 March 1944Crystal PalaceA2–18,659Westcott, ShepherdGrp18 March 1944Charlton AthleticH2–210,000Townsend, SmithGrp25 March 1944Brighton & Hove AlbionA0–53,000 Source: 100 Years Of Brentford
Playing squad Players' ages are as of the opening day of the 1943–44 season. Pos. Name Nat. Date of birth (age) Signed from Signed in NotesGoalkeepersGKJoe CrozierEast Fife1937GKReg SaundersUxbridge Town1944AmateurDefendersDFBuster BrownHuddersfield Town1937DFBernard FloodgateYouth1943DFGeorge PoyserPort Vale1934MidfieldersHBJack HollidayMiddlesbrough1932HBJoe JamesBattersea Church1929HBTom ManleyManchester United1939Guest for Tottenham HotspurHBErnest MuttittMiddlesbrough1932Guest for Brighton & Hove Albion, Chelsea, Crystal Palace, Fulham, Leyton Orient, Reading, Watford, West Ham UnitedForwardsFWJohnny BaynhamYouth1944FWFred DurrantFolkestone1938FWIdris HopkinsCrystal Palace1932FWMaurice RichfieldOctober 1921 (aged 21)Youth1944FWLes SmithPetersham1934FWBob ThomasGolders Green1939FWLen TownsendHayes1937Guest playersGKGordon BentleyOctober 1920 (aged 22)Burnley1944Guest from BurnleyGKCharlie BriggsHalifax Town1943Guest from Halifax TownGKHarry DukesNorwich City1943Guest from Norwich CityGKFreddie HouldsworthReading1944Guest from ReadingGKJohn JonesNorthampton Town1943Guest from Northampton TownGKBill MasonQueens Park Rangers1944Guest from Queens Park RangersGKAlec RoxburghBlackpool1944Guest from BlackpoolDFRalph Cowann/aRangers1944Guest from RangersDFFrank Jennern/aSt Mirren1944Guest from St MirrenDFFred LesterSheffield Wednesday1943Guest from Sheffield WednesdayDFGeorge TaylorBolton Wanderers1943Guest from Bolton WanderersHBLen JonesPlymouth Argyle1943Guest from Plymouth ArgyleHBDuncan McKenzieMiddlesbrough1943Guest from MiddlesbroughHBDavid NelsonArsenal1943Guest from ArsenalHBFrank SooStoke City1943Guest from Stoke CityHBJack WatsonBury1944Guest from BuryHBJimmy WatsonBristol Rovers1943Guest from Bristol RoversHBBill WhittakerCharlton Athletic1943Guest from Charlton AthleticFWDickie DavisSunderland1943Guest from SunderlandFWJohnny DeakinSt Mirren1944Guest from St MirrenFWAllenby DriverSheffield Wednesday1943Guest from Sheffield WednesdayFWBobby FlavellAirdrieonians1943Guest from AirdrieoniansFWDickie GirlingCrystal Palace1944Guest from Crystal PalaceFWDouglas HuntSheffield Wednesday1943Guest from Sheffield WednesdayFWTommy KiernanAlbion Rovers1943Guest from Albion RoversFWCharlie LeyfieldDoncaster Rovers1943Guest from Doncaster RoversFWGeorge LittleDoncaster Rovers1943Guest from Doncaster RoversFWPeter McKennanPartick Thistle1943Guest from Partick ThistleFWErnie ShepherdFulham1944Guest from FulhamFWArthur StevensFulham1944Guest from FulhamFWGeorge StewartHamilton Academical1943Guest from Hamilton AcademicalFWHarry ThompsonSunderland1943Guest from SunderlandFWDennis WestcottWolverhampton Wanderers1944Guest from Wolverhampton Wanderers Sources: Timeless Bees, Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939, 100 Years Of Brentford
Coaching staff NameRole Harry CurtisManager Jimmy BainAssistant manager Bob KaneTrainer Jack CartmellAssistant trainer
Statistics
Appearances and goals
PosNatNameLeagueFL War CupTotalAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsGKJoe Crozier15010160GKReg Saunders301040DFBuster Brown30050350DFBernard Floodgate10—10DFGeorge Poyser24060300HBJack Holliday31—31HBJoe James22010230HBTom Manley202040HBErnest Muttitt8030110FWJohnny Baynham22—22FWFred Durrant11—11FWIdris Hopkins12220142FWMaurice Richfield10—10FWLes Smith2112412513FWBob Thomas82—82FWLen Townsend108571515Players guested during the seasonGKGordon Bentley502070GKCharlie Briggs10—10GKHarry Dukes40—40GKFreddie Houldsworth—1010GKJohn Jones20—20GKBill Mason10—10GKAlec Roxburgh—1010DFRalph Cowan—1010DFFrank Jenner10—10DFFred Lester10—10DFGeorge Taylor10—10HBLen Jones10—10HBDuncan McKenzie180—180HBDavid Nelson50—50HBFrank Soo12130151HBJimmy Watson14260202HBJack Watson10—10HBBill Whittaker20040240FWDickie Davis20—20FWJohnny Deakin10—10FWAllenby Driver11—11FWBobby Flavell10—10FWDickie Girling10—10FWDouglas Hunt2615433018FWTommy Kiernan40—40FWCharlie Leyfield10—10FWGeorge Little21—21FWPeter McKennan1814202014FWErnie Shepherd101121FWArthur Stevens—1111FWGeorge Stewart22860288FWHarry Thompson10—10FWDennis Westcott114556 Players listed in italics left the club mid-season. Source: 100 Years Of Brentford
Goalscorers Pos.NatPlayerFLSFLCTotalFWDouglas Hunt15318FWLen Townsend8715FWPeter McKennan14014FWLes Smith12113FWGeorge Stewart808FWDennis Westcott156FWJohnny Baynham2—2FWBob Thomas2—2FWIdris Hopkins202HBJimmy Watson202FWAllenby Driver1—1FWFred Durrant1—1HBJack Holliday1—1FWGeorge Little1—1HBFrank Soo101FWErnie Shepherd011FWArthur Stevens011Total711889 Players listed in italics left the club mid-season. Source: 100 Years Of Brentford
Wartime international caps Pos.NatPlayerCapsGoalsRefGKJoe Crozier30FWIdris Hopkins10FWLes Smith31
Management NameNatFromToRecord All CompsRecord LeaguePWDLW %PWDLW %Harry Curtis28 August 19436 May 1944 |
Summary Games played 36 (30 Football League South, 6 Football League War Cup)Games won 16 (14 Football League South, 2 Football League War Cup)Games drawn 8 (7 Football League South, 1 Football League War Cup)Games lost 12 (9 Football League South, 3 Football League War Cup)Goals scored 89 (71 Football League South, 18 Football League War Cup)Goals conceded 68 (51 Football League South, 17 Football League War Cup)Clean sheets 10 (9 Football League South, 1 Football League War Cup)Biggest league win7–2 versus Southampton, 18 December 1943Worst league defeat 5–2 versus Queens Park Rangers, 25 December 1943Most appearances 35, Buster Brown (30 Football League South, 5 Football League War Cup)Top scorer (league)15, Douglas HuntTop scorer (all competitions)18, Douglas Hunt
Transfers & loans Guest players' arrival and departure dates correspond to their first and last appearances of the season.