1968–69 Brentford F.C. season

During the 1968–69 English football season, Brentford competed in the Football League Fourth Division. Off the back of 18 months of extreme financial problems, the club finished in mid-table.

Season summary After two tumultuous seasons off the pitch, a continued cash crisis meant that during the 1968 off-season, Brentford manager Jimmy Sirrel would not be provided with the funds to buy players who could guarantee a lasting run at promotion from the Fourth Division. He was able to plug the gaps in his threadbare squad, bringing in full back Denis Hunt and journeyman forwards Pat Terry and Peter Deakin. A need to balance the books led to Ian Lawther (one of the club's most consistent goalscorers since the 1964–65 season) being sold for a £3,000 fee a matter of days before the beginning of the season.

Manager Sirrel's young team began the season in promising form, losing just two of the first 15 league matches to consolidate a position in the top six. Brentford's position belied the club's personnel problems, with a growing catalogue of injuries, illness and suspensions. £10,000 was spent on Arsenal winger Gordon Neilson in October 1968, an extravagant amount given Brentford's financial problems. An inconsistent spell between November 1968 and April 1969 dropped the Bees as low as 19th, two places above the re-election zone, but six wins in the final seven matches of the season lifted the club to an 11th-place finish.

League table

Results Brentford's goal tally listed first.

Legend WinDrawLoss

Pre-season DateOpponentVenueResultScorer(s)27 July 1968West Ham UnitedH1–0Dobson

Football League Fourth Division No.DateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorer(s)110 August 1968Colchester UnitedH4–07,586Deakin, Moughton (og), Terry, Ross217 August 1968Scunthorpe UnitedA1–13,685Terry324 August 1968Port ValeH3–17,443Mansley, Fenton (2)426 August 1968RochdaleH1–19,149Deakin531 August 1968Exeter CityA2–28,835Terry, Richardson67 September 1968ChesterfieldH1–09,703Fenton714 September 1968Peterborough UnitedA1–26,435Dobson818 September 1968ChesterA2–28,410Terry, Ross921 September 1968York CityH5–18,360Carr (og), Terry (3), Ross1028 September 1968Bradford CityA0–36,491115 October 1968Newport CountyH1–17,825Mansley127 October 1968RochdaleA0–05,1811312 October 1968Swansea TownA3–26,912Neilson, Terry, Fenton1419 October 1968WrexhamH1–17,791Mansley1526 October 1968Notts CountyA2–04,173Mansley (2)162 November 1968AldershotH2–49,806Mansley, Higginson174 November 1968DarlingtonH0–18,550189 November 1968Lincoln CityA0–16,1211923 November 1968Bradford Park AvenueA2–02,341Fenton, Kirby2030 November 1968Halifax TownH1–16,002Mansley2114 December 1968Swansea TownH2–14,321Terry, Hawley2221 December 1968WrexhamA0–24,8672326 December 1968Newport CountyA1–13,750Gelson244 January 1969WorkingtonH0–36,0812511 January 1969AldershotA2–19,280Mansley (2)2618 January 1969Lincoln CityH2–26,572Terry, Ross2725 January 1969DarlingtonA1–35,184Dobson2831 January 1969Southend UnitedA0–410,9692922 February 1969Grimsby TownH4–25,697Richardson, Neilson (2), Terry3028 February 1969Colchester UnitedA1–27,268Neilson315 March 1969WorkingtonA0–12,318328 March 1969Scunthorpe UnitedH2–15,456Neilson, Nelmes3310 March 1969Southend UnitedH1–16,030Terry3415 March 1969Port ValeA1–44,478Ross (pen)3522 March 1969Exeter CityH0–15,2423626 March 1969Notts CountyH0–03,3613729 March 1969ChesterfieldA2–13,261Mansley, Neilson388 April 1969Doncaster RoversA0–511,5613912 April 1969York CityA1–23,767Mansley4014 April 1969Doncaster RoversH1–04,222Richardson4119 April 1969Peterborough UnitedH2–04,492Fenton, Mansley4221 April 1969Bradford Park AvenueH3–04,137Fenton (2), Ross (pen)4328 April 1969Halifax TownA0–26,9484430 April 1969ChesterH2–14,090Mansley, Fenton453 May 1969Grimsby TownA2–01,672Gelson, Dobson465 May 1969Bradford CityH2–15,720Richardson, Mansley

FA Cup

RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorer(s)Notes1R16 November 1968WokingH2–05,990Fenton, RossBoth teams played in change colours, with Brentford borrowing Watford's home shirts for the match.2R7 December 1968WatfordA0–112,883

Football League Cup

RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorer(s)1R14 August 1968AldershotA4–25,977Rafferty (og), Deakin, Mansley, Terry2R4 September 1969Hull CityH3–011,485Mansley (2), Fenton3R24 September 1969Norwich CityH0–217,425 Sources: 100 Years Of Brentford, Statto

Playing squad Players' ages are as of the opening day of the 1968–69 season. Pos.NameNat.Date of birth (age)Signed fromSigned inNotesGoalkeepersGKChic BrodieNorthampton Town1963GKGordon PhillipsHayes1963Loaned to Queens Park RangersDefendersDFPeter GelsonYouth1961DFAlan HawleyYouth1962DFTommy HigginsonKilmarnock1959DFDenis HuntGillingham1968DFAllan JonesLiverpool1963DFAlan NelmesChelsea1967DFDick RenwickAldershot1969MidfieldersMFGeorge DobsonYouth1966MFAllan MansleyBlackpool1968MFGordon NeilsonArsenal1968MFJohn RichardsonMillwall1966MFBobby RossShrewsbury Town1966ForwardsFWRon Fenton (c)Birmingham City1968Assistant managerFWRon FosterDallas Tornado1969FWPat TerrySwindon Town1968Players who left the club mid-seasonGKRon WillisCharlton Athletic1968Returned to Charlton Athletic after loanMFBrian CatererLeatherhead1968Amateur, releasedFWPeter DeakinPeterborough United1968ReleasedFWKeith HookerYouth1965Loaned to Brentwood Town, releasedFWGeorge KirbyNew York Generals1968Transferred to Worcester City Sources: 100 Years Of Brentford, Timeless Bees

Coaching staff NameRole Jimmy SirrelManager Ron FentonAssistant Manager Eddie LyonsPhysiotherapist

Statistics

Appearances and goals Substitute appearances in brackets. PosNatNameLeagueFA CupLeague CupTotalAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsGKChic Brodie2202010250GKGordon Phillips2300020250DFPeter Gelson4222030472DFAlan Hawley8 (2)1200010 (2)1DFTommy Higginson37 (2)1103041 (2)1DFDenis Hunt1200020140DFAllan Jones4502030500DFAlan Nelmes441202 (1)048 (1)1DFDick Renwick170——170MFBrian Caterer10——10MFGeorge Dobson22 (6)3003025 (6)3MFAllan Mansley411420334617MFGordon Neilson23 (4)620—25 (4)6MFJohn Richardson41 (1)4202045 (1)4MFBobby Ross43 (1)6213048 (1)7FWPeter Deakin7 (1)2—219 (1)3FWRon Fenton39 (2)9212143 (2)11FWRon Foster3 (1)0——3 (1)0FWKeith Hooker10000010FWGeorge Kirby511 (1)0—6 (1)1FWPat Terry291200213113Players loaned in during the seasonGKRon Willis10——10 Players listed in italics left the club mid-season. Source: 100 Years Of Brentford

Goalscorers Pos.NatPlayerFL4FACFLCTotalMFAllan Mansley140317FWPat Terry120113FWRon Fenton91111MFBobby Ross6107MFGordon Neilson60—6MFJohn Richardson4004MFGeorge Dobson3003FWPeter Deakin2—13DFPeter Gelson2002FWGeorge Kirby10—1DFAlan Hawley1001DFTommy Higginson1001DFAlan Nelmes1001Opponents2013Total642773 Players listed in italics left the club mid-season. Source: 100 Years Of Brentford

Management NameNatFromToRecord All CompsRecord LeaguePWDLW %PWDLW %Jimmy Sirrel10 August 19685 May 1969

Summary Games played 51 (46 Fourth Division, 2 FA Cup, 3 League Cup)Games won 21 (18 Fourth Division, 1 FA Cup, 2 League Cup)Games drawn 12 (12 Fourth Division, 0 FA Cup, 0 League Cup)Games lost 18 (16 Fourth Division, 1 FA Cup, 1 League Cup)Goals scored 73 (64 Fourth Division, 2 FA Cup, 7 League Cup)Goals conceded 70 (65 Fourth Division, 1 FA Cup, 4 League Cup)Clean sheets 12 (10 Fourth Division, 1 FA Cup, 1 League Cup)Biggest league win 4–0 versus Colchester United, 10 August 1968; 5–1 versus York City, 21 September 1968Worst league defeat 5–0 versus Doncaster Rovers, 8 April 1969Most appearances 50, Allan Jones (45 Fourth Division, 2 FA Cup, 3 League Cup)Top scorer (league) 14, Allan MansleyTop scorer (all competitions) 17, Allan Mansley

Transfers & loans Players transferred inDatePos.NamePrevious clubFeeRef.29 May 1968FW Pat Terry Swindon Townn/aJune 1968DF Denis Hunt GillinghamFreeJuly 1968MF Peter Deakin Peterborough Unitedn/aOctober 1968FW Brian Caterer LeatherheadAmateurOctober 1968FW George Kirby New York Generalsn/aOctober 1968MF Gordon Neilson Arsenal£10,000February 1969DF Dick Renwick Aldershot£1,500March 1969FW Ron Foster Dallas TornadoTrialPlayers loaned inDate fromPos.NameFromDate toRef.September 1968GK Ron Willis Charlton AthleticSeptember 1968Players transferred outDatePos.NameSubsequent clubFeeRef.August 1968FW Ian Lawther Halifax Town£3,0001968FW George Kirby Worcester Cityn/aPlayers loaned outDate fromPos.NameToDate toRef.1969GK Gordon Phillips Queens Park Rangers1969n/aFW Keith Hooker Brentwood Townn/aPlayers releasedDatePos.NameSubsequent clubJoin dateRef.October 1968FW Brian Caterer LeatherheadOctober 1968October 1968FW Peter Deakin Nuneaton BoroughOctober 1968May 1969FW Ron FosterRetiredMay 1969DF Denis Hunt Folkestone1969May 1969FW Pat Terry Hillingdon BoroughJuly 19691969FW Keith Hooker Durban Spurs1969

Notes

References