During the 1967–68 English football season, Brentford competed in the Football League Fourth Division. Weathering the storm of a severe financial crisis for the second successive season, the threadbare squad managed a mid-table finish.
Season summary The positive outcome of the events of 19 January 1967 meant that Brentford would stay in business long enough to compete in the 1967–68 Fourth Division season. A syndicate headed by Ron Blindell had taken over the shares of former chairman Jack Dunnett and assumed control of the club, with Blindell as chairman. With a £100,000 debt (equivalent to £ in ) needing to be paid by 30 June 1968, drastic cost-cutting measures were enacted at Griffin Park. Brentford's reserve and youth teams were scrapped and a mass clear-out of the squad led to just 16 professionals being retained. Having been installed in the role full-time, manager Jimmy Sirrel was permitted to sign a small number of players, including Chelsea youth product Alan Nelmes and Charlton Athletic's inside forward Cliff Myers.
Injuries to John Richardson and George Thomson prior to the opening match of the season left Brentford with just 15 fit players and a lack of personnel would be a running saga during the campaign. Regular goals from John Docherty and Ian Lawther in the early months of the season helped Brentford tread water in mid-table and then slowly rise towards the promotion places, coming as high as 6th place by early December 1967. Hopes of money-raising runs in the FA Cup and League Cup were extinguished with first round defeats in each competition, but chairman Blindell had revealed the positive news in November that the club was more or less breaking even. 9 defeats and just one victory in a 12-match spell between December 1967 and February 1968 undid all the good early-season work and dropped the Bees back into mid-table. Manager Sirrel was permitted to spend £12,000 on attackers Ron Fenton and Allan Mansley in January 1968, but was forced to sell Cliff Myers and top-scorer John Docherty to balance the books.
By March 1968, spiralling debts and the "Brentford Borough" saga threatened the club's existence for the second time in a year. With £70,000 of the £135,000 debt needed to be paid in June 1968, former director Walter Wheatley stepped in and provided the club with a £69,000 interest-fee loan, repayable in 12 months. On the pitch, the team had experienced something of a revival, winning five matches and drawing two of a 9-match spell between late February and early April, but the retirement of George Thomson and the departure of Eddie Reeve left manager Jimmy Sirrel with just 14 players with which to complete the season. Brentford finished in 14th place and used just 18 outfield players during the course of the season.
League table
Results Brentford's goal tally listed first.
Legend WinDrawLoss
Football League Fourth Division No.DateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorer(s)119 August 1967Hartlepools UnitedA0–25,343226 August 1967Newport CountyH3–14,500Docherty, Lawther, Dobson32 September 1967York CityA1–04,529Docherty45 September 1967Swansea TownA1–26,559Docherty (pen)59 September 1967RochdaleH4–05,630Ross, Docherty, Lawther, Melledew (og)616 September 1967Halifax TownH0–06,890723 September 1967Bradford Park AvenueA0–13,403826 September 1967Swansea TownH2–17,570Lawther, Docherty930 September 1967Doncaster RoversH4–27,300Lawther, Edwards, Jones, Thomson102 October 1967WrexhamA2–18,000Smith (og), Docherty117 October 1967Crewe AlexandraA0–26,2461214 October 1967Notts CountyH2–17,430Edwards, Lawther1321 October 1967Port ValeA1–45,944Higginson1424 October 1967WrexhamH0–07,9601528 October 1967ChesterH3–16,290Hooker, Thomson, Hawley164 November 1967ChesterfieldA1–29,644Higginson1711 November 1967Exeter CityH5–17,215Lawther (2), Ross, Wilkinson (og), Docherty1814 November 1967York CityH3–17,910Lawther, Gelson, Dobson1918 November 1967DarlingtonA3–24,789Gelson, Dobson, Albeson (og)2025 November 1967AldershotH1–19,440Docherty212 December 1967WorkingtonA0–21,7642216 December 1967Hartlepools UnitedH0–16,2002323 December 1967Newport CountyA2–22,700Docherty (2)2426 December 1967Southend UnitedH1–28,360Richardson2530 December 1967Southend UnitedA0–19,059266 January 1968BarnsleyH0–15,1802720 January 1968Halifax TownA0–34,6102827 January 1968Bradford CityH0–15,550293 February 1968Bradford Park AvenueH2–14,310Dobson, Fenton3010 February 1968Doncaster RoversA0–27,1833117 February 1968Luton TownH0–27,7103224 February 1968DarlingtonH2–04,155Lawther (2)332 March 1968Notts CountyA1–24,486Nelmes349 March 1968Bradford CityA3–27,118Fenton (2), Gelson (pen)3516 March 1968Port ValeH3–14,700Fenton, Hawley, Mansley3618 March 1968RochdaleA1–11,722Cockcroft (og)3723 March 1968ChesterA0–32,8613830 March 1968ChesterfieldH1–13,845Lawther396 April 1968Exeter CityA3–03,900Higginson, Fenton (2)4013 April 1968Crewe AlexandraH2–15,390Mansley (2)4115 April 1968BarnsleyA0–312,1744220 April 1968AldershotA0–05,1834323 April 1968Lincoln CityH1–34,890Gelson (pen)4427 April 1968WorkingtonH2–13,740Mansley, Gelson454 May 1968Lincoln CityA0–18,7014611 May 1968Luton TownA1–214,643Moore (og)
FA Cup
RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorer(s)Notes1R13 December 1967Guildford CityH2–26,725Docherty, MyersBoth teams wore change colours.1R (replay)18 December 1967Guildford CityA1–210,050Myers
Football League Cup
RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendance1R23 August 1967Southend UnitedA0–17,905 Sources: 100 Years Of Brentford, Statto
Playing squad Players' ages are as of the opening day of the 1967–68 season. Pos. Name Nat. Date of birth (age) Signed from Signed in NotesGoalkeepersGKChic BrodieNorthampton Town1963GKGordon PhillipsHayes1963DefendersDFPeter Gelson (c)Youth1961DFAlan HawleyYouth1962DFTommy HigginsonKilmarnock1959DFAllan JonesLiverpool1963DFAlan NelmesChelsea1967MidfieldersMFGeorge DobsonYouth1966MFAllan MansleyBlackpool1968MFJohn RichardsonMillwall1966MFBobby RossShrewsbury Town1966MFGeorge ThomsonEverton1963ForwardsFWRon FentonBirmingham City1968FWKeith HookerYouth1965FWIan LawtherScunthorpe United1964Players who left the club mid-seasonMFJohn DochertySheffield United1966Transferred to ReadingMFCliff MyersCharlton Athletic1967Transferred to Yeovil TownFWDennis EdwardsPortsmouth1967Returned to Portsmouth after loanFWEddie ReeveYouth1964Loaned to Lincoln City, releasedFWRon StillNotts County1967Released Sources: 100 Years Of Brentford, Timeless Bees
Coaching staff NameRole Jimmy SirrelManager Eddie LyonsPhysiotherapist
Statistics
Appearances and goals Substitute appearances in brackets. PosNatNameLeagueFA CupLeague CupTotalAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsGKChic Brodie10000010GKGordon Phillips4502010480DFPeter Gelson4352010465DFAlan Hawley4622010492DFTommy Higginson41 (1)3201044 (1)3DFAllan Jones42 (1)1201045 (1)1DFAlan Nelmes241200 (1)026 (1)1MFGeorge Dobson3630010373MFJohn Docherty281121103112MFAllan Mansley194——194MFCliff Myers9 (1)01 (1)21011 (2)2MFJohn Richardson20 (1)1100021 (1)1MFBobby Ross39 (2)2201042 (2)2MFGeorge Thomson2922000312FWRon Fenton196——196FWKeith Hooker16 (5)1101018 (5)1FWIan Lawther401110104211FWEddie Reeve1 (1)000001 (1)0FWRon Still10——10Players loaned in during the seasonFWDennis Edwards112——112 Players listed in italics left the club mid-season. Source: 100 Years Of Brentford
Goalscorers Pos.NatPlayerFL4FACFLCTotalMFJohn Docherty111012FWIan Lawther110011FWRon Fenton6——6DFPeter Gelson5005MFAllan Mansley4——4MFGeorge Dobson3003DFTommy Higginson3003FWDennis Edwards2——2DFAlan Hawley2002MFBobby Ross2002MFGeorge Thomson2002MFCliff Myers0202FWKeith Hooker1001DFAllan Jones1001DFAlan Nelmes1001MFJohn Richardson1001Opponents6006Total613064 Players listed in italics left the club mid-season. Source: 100 Years Of Brentford
Management NameNatFromToRecord All CompsRecord LeaguePWDLW %PWDLW %Jimmy Sirrel19 August 196711 May 1968
Summary Games played 49 (46 Fourth Division, 2 FA Cup, 1 League Cup)Games won 18 (18 Fourth Division, 0 FA Cup, 0 League Cup)Games drawn 8 (7 Fourth Division, 1 FA Cup, 0 League Cup)Games lost 23 (21 Fourth Division, 1 FA Cup, 1 League Cup)Goals scored 64 (61 Fourth Division, 3 FA Cup, 0 League Cup)Goals conceded 69 (64 Fourth Division, 4 FA Cup, 1 League Cup)Clean sheets 7 (7 Fourth Division, 0 FA Cup, 0 League Cup)Biggest league win 4–0 versus Rochdale, 9 September 1967; 5–1 versus Exeter City, 11 November 1967Worst league defeat 3–0 on three occasions; 4–1 versus Port Vale, 21 October 1967Most appearances 49, Alan Hawley (46 Fourth Division, 2 FA Cup, 1 League Cup)Top scorer (league) 11, John Docherty, Ian LawtherTop scorer (all competitions) 12, John Docherty
Transfers & loans Players transferred inDatePos.NamePrevious clubFeeRef.June 1967MF Cliff Myers Charlton Athleticn/aJuly 1967DF Alan Nelmes Chelsean/aJuly 1967FW Ron Still Notts CountyTrialAugust 1967MF Geoff Anderson Lincoln Cityn/aJanuary 1968FW Ron Fenton Birmingham Cityn/aJanuary 1968MF Allan Mansley Blackpooln/aFebruary 1968FW Dave Boothman HamptonAmateurFebruary 1968GK John Maskell Wycombe WanderersAmateurPlayers loaned inDate fromPos.NameFromDate toRef.September 1967FW Dennis Edwards PortsmouthDecember 1967Players transferred outDatePos.NameSubsequent clubFeeRef.November 1967MF Geoff Anderson Port Valen/aFebruary 1968MF John Docherty Readingn/a1968MF Cliff Myers Yeovil Townn/aPlayers loaned outDate fromPos.NameToDate toRef.n/aFW Eddie Reeve Lincoln Cityn/aPlayers releasedDatePos.NameSubsequent clubJoin dateRef.August 1967FW Ron Still Margate1967March 1968FW Eddie Reeve Los Angeles WolvesMarch 1968May 1968MF George ThomsonRetired
Notes
References