During the 1901–02 English football season, Brentford competed in the Southern League First Division. After a torrid season, the Bees were spared relegation after Second Division club Grays United forfeited promotion at the end of the campaign.
Season summary
Despite having won election to the Southern League First Division in July 1901, the Brentford committee did not rest on its laurels and quickly realised that the team which finished top of the Second Division during the previous season needed drastic improvement if the club was to retain its First Division status.White, p. 76-78. Almost a whole new XI was signed, which included goalkeeper Tommy Spicer, full back David Robson, half backs Bill Regan, Robert Stormont, Charlie McEleny and three new forwards. Half back Ralph McElhaney and forwards E. Andrews, Roddy McLeod and Peter Turnbull, all lynchpins of the promotion team, would play a part in the upcoming season. In late August, the club was registered as a limited liability company.
Brentford began the season in poor form and it took the signings of forwards Tommy Shanks, Paddy Logan and Tom Grieve to inspire the team to its first league victory of the campaign on 9 November 1901. The result inspired three wins and three draws from a seven-match spell through to January 1902, but the team soon regained the habit of losing. Despite the loss of captain Robert Stormont due to an FA suspension and injury problems in February, Brentford struggled on until mid-April and with two matches to go, were level on points with fellow promotion-relegation test match contenders Watford, New Brompton and Wellingborough near the bottom of the First Division. The Bees closed out the season with 7–1 and 3–0 defeats to Portsmouth and Tottenham Hotspur respectively, the top two sides in the First Division. Brentford's 15th-place finish led to a promotion-relegation test match with Grays United, in which the Second Division side forfeited promotion by refusing to play extra time while the score was at 1–1, which preserved the Bees' First Division status.
One club record was set during the season: Least Southern League away wins in a season: 0
League table
Results Brentford's goal tally listed first.
Legend WinDrawLoss
Southern League First Division No.DateOpponentVenueResultScorer(s)17 September 1901Swindon TownA0–0214 September 1901West Ham UnitedA0–2321 September 1901KetteringA1–3McLeod428 September 1901Luton TownH0–155 October 1901Millwall AthleticA1–4McSwan612 October 1901Queens Park RangersH1–1Turnbull719 October 1901ReadingA0–2826 October 1901SouthamptonA0–199 November 1901New BromptonH3–2McElhaney, Shanks, Logan1030 November 1901WellingboroughA1–3Crump117 December 1901WellingboroughH3–0Shanks, Andrews, McEleny1214 December 1901SouthamptonH1–1Regan1321 December 1901Swindon TownH2–0Stormont, Andrews144 January 1902KetteringH1–1Shanks1511 January 1902Luton TownA1–1Regan1618 January 1902Millwall AthleticH0–21725 January 1902Queens Park RangersA2–3Parkinson, Shanks181 February 1902ReadingH0–11915 February 1902Bristol RoversH2–0Shanks, Jury2022 February 1902New BromptonA0–2211 March 1902Northampton TownH4–2Jury, Shanks, Grieve, Regan223 March 1902West Ham UnitedH0–2238 March 1902WatfordA1–2Regan (pen)2415 March 1902Tottenham HotspurH2–1Logan, Shanks2528 March 1902Bristol RoversA0–52629 March 1902PortsmouthH1–4Andrews271 April 1902Northampton TownA2–2Logan, Shanks2812 April 1902WatfordH4–3Shanks, Logan, Andrews, Regan (pen)2919 April 1902PortsmouthA1–7Jury3026 April 1902Tottenham HotspurA0–3
Southern League Test Match DateOpponentVenueResultScorerNotes28 April 1902Grays UnitedN1–1AndrewsMatch played at Memorial Grounds, Canning Town. With the score at 1–1, Grays United forfeited promotion by refusing to play extra time.
FA Cup
RoundDateOpponentVenueResultScorer(s)3QR2 November 1901MarlowA3–0McLeod (pen), Broughton, McElhaney4QR23 November 1901Shepherd's BushH2–3Shanks, Turnbull Source: 100 Years of Brentford
Playing squad
Left club during season
Source: 100 Years of Brentford, The Football Association
Coaching staff NameRole Tom KingTrainer
Statistics Appearances
Goalscorers Pos.NatPlayerSL1FACTMTotalFWTommy Shanks92011HBBill Regan5005FWE. Andrews4015FWPaddy Logan4004FWHorace Jury3003FWPeter Turnbull1203DFRalph McElhaney11 02FWRoddy McLeod1102HBHarry Crump1001FWTom Grieve1001HBCharlie McEleny1001FWRanald McSwan1001FWJohn Parkinson1001HBRobert Stormont1001Total 346 141 Players listed in italics left the club mid-season. Source: 100 Years Of Brentford
Management NameFromToRecord All CompsRecord LeaguePWDLW %PWDLW %Committee7 September 190128 April 1902
Summary Games played 33 (30 Southern League First Division, 1 Southern League Test Match, 2 FA Cup)Games won 8 (7 Southern League First Division, 0 Southern League Test Match, 1 FA Cup)Games drawn 7 (6 Southern League First Division, 1 Southern League Test Match, 0 FA Cup)Games lost 18 (17 Southern League First Division, 0 Southern League Test Match, 1 FA Cup)Goals scored 40 (34 Southern League First Division, 1 Southern League Test Match, 5 FA Cup)Goals conceded 65 (61 Southern League First Division, 1 Southern League Test Match, 3 FA Cup)Clean sheets 5 (4 Southern League First Division, 0 Southern League Test Match, 1 FA Cup)Biggest league win 3–0 versus Wellingborough, 7 December 1901Worst league defeat7–1 versus Portsmouth, 19 April 1902Most appearances 29, Charlie McEleny (26 Southern League First Division, 1 Southern League Test Match, 2 FA Cup)Top scorer (league) 9, Tommy ShanksTop scorer (all competitions) 10, Tommy Shanks
Notes
References