During the 1959–60 English football season, Brentford competed in the Football League Third Division. A strong run in the final 13 matches of the season lifted the Bees from mid-table to a 6th-place finish.
Season summary After two strong pushes for promotion from the Third Division, Brentford manager Malky MacDonald conducted little transfer business in the 1959 off-season, with his main signing being that of former Chelsea centre half Bill Livingstone as cover for the injured Ian Dargie. Two youngsters MacDonald signed from Scotland during the off-season would go on to make nearly 700 appearances for the club between them – Tommy Higginson and John Docherty. As a testament how little the squad had changed over the previous three years, by the end of the season MacDonald had 12 players on the books who had all made over 100 appearances for Brentford – Cakebread, Wilson, Horne, Coote, Bristow, Goundry, Dargie, Parsons, Heath, Rainford, Francis and Towers.
Despite runs of one defeat in seven matches in August and September 1959 and six wins in seven matches in October, Brentford had uneven first half of the season and were rooted in mid-table at the turn of the year. Jim Towers became the Bees' record Football League goalscorer, courtesy of a hat-trick in a 3–0 defeat of Accrington Stanley on 24 October 1959. He took 19 fewer matches to pass Jack Holliday's record. Towers' strike partner George Francis followed up with a hat-trick in a 4–2 derby victory over rivals Queens Park Rangers and eclipsed that performance with a four-goal haul in a 5–0 FA Cup first round victory over non-League club Ashford Town on 14 November. With the Brentford's so-so league form, the FA Cup looked to be the focus of the season's effort for success, but team met its end in the second round versus Fourth Division club Exeter City.
Brentford welcomed the 1960s with a 2–0 defeat to the eventual-promoted club Southampton at The Dell on 2 January 1960. Mixed form continued until March, when a 1–0 victory over Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic at the start of the month kicked off a strong run through to the end of the season. In the remaining 13 matches, George Francis and Jim Towers each scored eight goals to elevate Brentford to a 6th-place finish. Francis ended the season as top scorer with 31 goals and it was the second time he had managed to better his fellow "Terrible Twin" Towers' total.
League table
Results Brentford's goal tally listed first.
Legend WinDrawLoss
Football League Third Division No.DateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorer(s)Notes122 August 1959BarnsleyA2–17,418Francis (2)225 August 1959WrexhamH3–116,970Francis, Rainford, Towers (pen)329 August 1959SouthamptonH2–215,740Rainford (2)42 September 1959WrexhamA2–313,112Towers, McLeod (pen)55 September 1959ReadingA3–313,523Francis (2), Heath68 September 1959BuryH1–116,000Rainford712 September 1959Shrewsbury TownH2–112,500Towers, McLeod815 September 1959BuryA0–113,048919 September 1959Port ValeA1–312,817Francis1022 September 1959Halifax TownH1–115,700Francis1126 September 1959Norwich CityH3–421,600Towers (2), Heath1228 September 1959Halifax TownA0–17,654133 October 1959Grimsby TownA3–111,209Francis, Rainford (2)146 October 1959Colchester UnitedH2–014,750Francis, Towers1510 October 1959Tranmere RoversH2–111,481Rainford, Francis1612 October 1959Colchester UnitedA1–27,790Francis1717 October 1959Bournemouth & Boscombe AthleticA2–112,226Towers, Hales1824 October 1959Accrington StanleyH3–012,700Towers (3)1931 October 1959Queens Park RangersA4–219,430Francis (3), Towers2021 November 1959York CityH1–213,100McLeod (pen)2128 November 1959Coventry CityA1–214,959Towers2212 December 1959Newport CountyA2–49,401Goundry, Towers2319 December 1959BarnsleyH3–06,500Towers, Francis, Parsons2426 December 1959Southend UnitedA0–211,6942528 December 1959Southend UnitedH3–111,750Parsons (pen), Hales, Rainford262 January 1960SouthamptonA0–216,993279 January 1960Swindon TownA0–08,6332816 January 1960ReadingH2–29,200Francis, Parsons2923 January 1960Shrewsbury TownA1–16,997Wallace (og)306 February 1960Port ValeH2–010,100Towers, Francis3113 February 1960Norwich CityA1–222,388Francis3220 February 1960Grimsby TownH0–210,9003327 February 1960Tranmere RoversA1–28,053Parsons345 March 1960Bournemouth & Boscombe AthleticH1–09,750Francis358 March 1960ChesterfieldH3–06,300Bristow, McLeod (pen), Towers3611 March 1960Accrington StanleyA4–33,500Parsons, Towers, Francis (2)3719 March 1960Coventry CityH3–19,900Francis (2), Bristow3826 March 1960ChesterfieldA0–14,363The original fixture on 7 November 1959 was abandoned at half time due to fog, with the score at 1–1.392 April 1960Swindon TownH2–18,550Towers, Higgins (og)409 April 1960York CityA1–04,608Towers4115 April 1960Mansfield TownH1–19,575Francis4216 April 1960Queens Park RangersH1–116,000Towers4318 April 1960Mansfield TownA1–07,626Parsons4423 April 1960Bradford CityA2–06,509Francis, Goundry4530 April 1960Newport CountyH1–27,900Towers463 May 1960Bradford CityH4–07,200Hales, Towers (2), Francis
FA Cup
RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorer(s)1R14 November 1959Ashford TownH5–013,900Francis (4), Towers2R5 December 1959Exeter CityA1–310,000Francis
Sources: 100 Years Of Brentford, Statto
Playing squad Players' ages are as of the opening day of the 1959–60 season. Pos. Name Nat. Date of birth (age) Signed from Signed inGoalkeepersGKGerry CakebreadYouth1954DefendersDFVernon AvisYouth1952DFKen CooteWembley1949DFKen HorneBlackpool1950DFTom Wilson (c)Fulham1957MidfieldersHBGeorge BristowYouth1950HBIan DargieTonbridge1952HBBilly GoundryHuddersfield Town1955HBBill LivingstoneChelsea1959HBCharlie McInallySt Roch's1958HBRon PeplowSouthall1955HBSid RussellJolly X1956ForwardsFWGeorge FrancisYouth1955FWJohnny HalesSt Roch's1958FWDennis HeathYouth1954FWTommy HigginsonKilmarnock1959FWGeorge McLeodLuton Town1958FWEric ParsonsChelsea1956FWJohnny RainfordCardiff City1953FWJim TowersYouth1954 Sources: 100 Years Of Brentford, Timeless Bees
Coaching staff NameRole Malky MacDonaldManager Fred MonkTrainer Jack HollidayAssistant Trainer
Statistics
Appearances and goals
PosNatNameLeagueFA CupTotalAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsGKGerry Cakebread46020480DFVernon Avis11000110DFKen Coote42020440DFKen Horne20020220DFTom Wilson19000190HBGeorge Bristow35220372HBIan Dargie20000200HBBilly Goundry40220422HBBill Livingstone19020210HBCharlie McInally100010HBRon Peplow800080HBSid Russell15000150FWGeorge Francis4626254831FWJohnny Hales18320203FWDennis Heath13200132FWTommy Higginson200020FWGeorge McLeod36410374FWEric Parsons25610266FWJohnny Rainford46820488FWJim Towers4423214624 Players listed in italics left the club mid-season. Source: 100 Years Of Brentford
Goalscorers Pos.NatPlayerFL3FACTotalFWGeorge Francis26531FWJim Towers23124FWJohnny Rainford808FWEric Parsons606FWGeorge McLeod404FWJohnny Hales303HBGeorge Bristow202HBBilly Goundry202FWDennis Heath202Opponents202Total78684 Players listed in italics left the club mid-season. Source: 100 Years Of Brentford
Management NameNatFromToRecord All CompsRecord LeaguePWDLW %PWDLW %Malky MacDonald22 August 19593 May 1960
Summary Games played 48 (46 Third Division, 2 FA Cup)Games won 22 (21 Third Division, 1 FA Cup)Games drawn 9 (9 Third Division, 0 FA Cup)Games lost 17 (16 Third Division, 1 FA Cup)Goals scored 84 (78 Third Division, 6 FA Cup)Goals conceded 64 (61 Third Division, 3 FA Cup)Clean sheets 12 (11 Third Division, 1 FA Cup)Biggest league win 4–0 versus Bradford City, 3 May 1960Worst league defeat 2–0 on three occasions; 3–1 versus Port Vale, 19 September 1959; 4–2 versus Newport County, 12 December 1959Most appearances 48, Gerry Cakebread, George Francis, Johnny Rainford (46 Third Division, 2 FA Cup)Top scorer (league) 26, George FrancisTop scorer (all competitions) 31, George Francis
Transfers and loans Players transferred inDatePos.NamePrevious clubFeeRef.27 June 1959FW John Docherty St Roch'sn/a11 July 1959FW Tommy Higginson Kilmarnockn/aJuly 1959DF Jimmy Gitshamn/an/aJuly 1959HB Bill Livingstone ChelseaFreeAugust 1959GK Fred Ryecraft SouthallFreeFebruary 1960FW Danny O'Donnell Kirkintilloch Rob Royn/aPlayers transferred outDatePos.NameSubsequent clubFeeRef.26 December 1959HB Jimmy Lafferty St Mirrenn/aPlayers releasedDatePos.NameSubsequent clubJoin dateRef.January 1960FW Billy BloomfieldRetiredMay 1960HB Bill Livingstone Hastings Unitedn/aMay 1960FW Len Newcombe Guildford Cityn/a
Notes
References