During the 1897–98 English football season, Brentford competed in the London League First Division. A hugely successful season saw the Bees win the London Senior Cup, the Middlesex Senior Cup and finish as runners-up in the league.
Season summary
After winning promotion from the London League Second Division at the first attempt, the Brentford committee bolstered the team's firepower for its first season in the First Division by signing forwards Thomas Knapman, John Richardson and Ernest Booth.White, p. 68-70. Goalkeeper Jack Foster, then one of the club's highest appearance-makers, elected to retire from football and Arthur Charlton, one of the club's first great players, moved to Nottingham and was succeeded as captain by Herbert Edney – though Charlton would return to play for Brentford sporadically through the season.
Brentford obliterated all opposition throughout the season, with the goals of forward Oakey Field providing the firepower to help the club win the London Senior Cup and the Middlesex Senior Cup. The pileup of London League fixtures meant that the Bees had to close the season with seven matches in just over three weeks, which included two matches in one day on 16 April. Brentford went into the final day of the season knowing that a victory over strugglers Barking Woodville would seal the league title, but the best the jaded team could manage was a 0–0 draw, which allowed Thames Ironworks, who won their final match, to finish the season as champions.
League table
Results Brentford's goal tally listed first.
Legend WinDrawLoss
London League First Division No.DateOpponentVenueResultScorer(s)Notes111 September 1897Thames IronworksA0–1218 September 18972nd Grenadier GuardsH4–2Untraced, Dailley, Wade, Field39 October 1897IlfordA2–2Dailley, Field46 November 1897StanleyA1–0Booth54 December 1897Barking WoodvilleA2–1Untraced611 December 1897BromleyA1–0Booth78 January 1898LeytonH8–4Dailley, Field (6), Booth815 January 18983rd Grenadier GuardsA5–1Dailley, Field (3), Knapman910 March 18982nd Grenadier GuardsA2–1Wade (2)Match played at Shotter's Field, Brentford.107 April 1898BromleyH9–1Untraced119 April 1898StanleyH1–0Knapman1216 April 1898LeytonA1–2Knapman1316 April 1898IlfordH2–1Fox, Butcher1423 April 1898Thames IronworksH1–0Lloyd1527 April 18983rd Grenadier GuardsH4–1Booth (2), Richardson, Butcher1630 April 1898Barking WoodvilleH0–0
FA Cup
RoundDateOpponentVenueResultScorer(s)1QR25 September 18971st Coldstream GuardsH6–1Wade (3), Knapman, Field, untraced2QR16 October 18973rd Grenadier GuardsH1–1Swann (pen)2QR (replay)20 October 18973rd Grenadier GuardsA1–4Richardson
London Senior Cup
RoundDateOpponentVenueResultScorer(s)Notes1R22 January 1898StanleyH4–2Field (3), Dailley2R19 February 1898ClaptonH4–1Dailley, Earle (og), Field, Swann (pen)SF12 March 1898CasualsN4–3Field (3), KnapmanMatch played at Essex County Ground, Leyton.F2 April 1898IlfordN5–1Lloyd (2), Field (2), Booth
Middlesex Senior Cup
RoundDateOpponentVenueResultScorer(s)Notes1R29 January 18981st Scots GuardsH4–2Field (2), Booth, Knapman2R26 February 18982nd Grenadier GuardsH0–02R (replay)5 March 18982nd Grenadier GuardsH3–1Newman (2), BoothSF19 March 18983rd Grenadier GuardsN4–1Field (2), Booth, RichardsonMatch played at Gunnersbury Lane, Acton.F28 April 18982nd Scots GuardsN3–2 Field, Charlton, KnapmanMatch played at National Athletic Grounds, Kensal Rise. Source: 100 Years of Brentford
Playing squad
"A. Bee" and "A. Newman" are aliases Source: 100 Years of Brentford
Statistics
Management NameFromToRecord All CompsRecord LeaguePWDLW %PWDLW %Committee11 September 189730 April 1898
Summary Games played 28 (16 London League First Division, 3 FA Cup, 4 London Senior Cup, 5 Middlesex Senior Cup)Games won 21 (12 London League First Division, 1 FA Cup, 4 London Senior Cup, 4 Middlesex Senior Cup)Games drawn 4 (2 London League First Division, 1 FA Cup, 0 London Senior Cup, 1 Middlesex Senior Cup)Games lost 3 (2 London League First Division, 1 FA Cup, 0 London Senior Cup, 0 Middlesex Senior Cup)Goals scored 82 (43 London League First Division, 8 FA Cup, 17 London Senior Cup, 14 Middlesex Senior Cup)Goals conceded 36 (17 London League First Division, 6 FA Cup, 7 London Senior Cup, 6 Middlesex Senior Cup)Clean sheets 6 (5 London League First Division, 0 FA Cup, 0 London Senior Cup, 1 Middlesex Senior Cup)Biggest league win 9–1 versus Bromley, 7 April 1898Worst league defeat 1–0 versus Thames Ironworks, 11 September 1897; 2–1 versus Leyton, 16 April 1898Most appearances (where traced) 25, Richard Dailley (13 London League First Division, 3 FA Cup, 4 London Senior Cup, 5 Middlesex Senior Cup)Top scorer (league, where traced) 11, Oakey FieldTop scorer (all competitions, where traced) 26, Oakey Field
Notes
References