1971–72 season of Brentford F.C.
Brentford 1971–72 football season
Brentford1971–72 season |
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Chairman | Eric Radley-Smith (until January 1972) Les Davey & Walter Wheatley (from January 1972) |
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Manager | Frank Blunstone |
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Stadium | Griffin Park |
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Fourth Division | 3rd (promoted) |
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FA Cup | First round |
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League Cup | First round |
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Top goalscorer | League: O'Mara (25) All: O'Mara (27) |
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Highest home attendance | 18,521 |
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Lowest home attendance | 8,712 |
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Average home league attendance | 11,738 |
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During the 1971–72 English football season, Brentford competed in the Football League Fourth Division. The club led the division for much of the first half of the season and 10 wins in the final 14 matches secured automatic promotion with a 3rd-place finish.
Season summary
Despite the reduction of the club's debt to a manageable level and an average attendance higher than all but the top three finishers in the Third Division, Fourth Division Brentford went into the 1971–72 season with a squad of just 14 professionals.[1] Long-time goalkeeper Chic Brodie was released, as was bit-part winger Brian Tawse and in came two defensive youngsters on free transfers – Terry Scales and Steven Tom.[1]
Despite the club record £30,000 departure of Roger Cross to rivals Fulham and Alan Hawley also moving to Craven Cottage on loan, Brentford's 12-man squad met pre-season expectations in the early part of the season,[1] holding onto top spot intermittently until a minor blip in October and November 1971.[2] Utility player Michael Allen was signed from Middlesbrough for an £8,000 fee in October and proved to be a vital cog in the midfield.[1] The team owed much of its success to prolific goalscoring from John O'Mara, with the centre forward reaching 20 goals for the season after a 6–2 thrashing of Darlington on 8 January 1972, a result which made Brentford the top scorers in the Football League and was also notable for a 13-minute hattrick from John Docherty.[1]
After another blip caused by the suspension of John O'Mara for five weeks dropped Brentford out of the promotion places,[3] the team was buoyed by the loan signing of winger Stewart Houston and entered the final five weeks of the season strongly,[1] winning five matches in a row in March.[2] Two draws and a defeat over Easter threatened to drop the Bees out of the promotion places,[2] but four successive wins meant that automatic promotion was assured with two matches to play, when captain Bobby Ross' penalty was enough to beat Exeter City at Griffin Park on 22 April.[1] Despite going top of the Fourth Division after victory over Barrow in the following match, a 3–0 defeat away to Workington in the final match of the season dropped the Bees to a 3rd-place finish.[2]
Two club records were set during the season:
- Most clean sheets in a Football League season: 22 – Gordon Phillips[4]
- Fewest players used in a Football League season: 14[5]
Brentford finished top of the Fourth Division charts in the following statistical categories:
- Best away record[6]
- Highest overall goal difference[6]
- Highest away goal difference[6]
- Highest average attendance[7]
League table
Source: rsssf.com
Notes:
- ^ The two teams who scored the most goals in each division, and did not qualify for Europe and were not promoted, qualified for the Watney Cup.
Results
- Brentford's goal tally listed first.
Legend
Pre-season and friendlies
No. | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorer(s) |
1 | 14 August 1971 | Bury | A | 2–0 | 2,957 | Gelson, Tom |
2 | 21 August 1971 | Aldershot | H | 1–1 | 8,920 | Turner |
3 | 28 August 1971 | Darlington | A | 0–0 | 2,514 | |
4 | 30 August 1971 | Barrow | H | 4–0 | 8,866 | O'Mara, Cross, Turner, Ross |
5 | 4 September 1971 | Hartlepool | H | 6–0 | 8,712 | Turner (2), O'Mara (3), Cross |
6 | 11 September 1971 | Grimsby Town | A | 1–3 | 11,683 | O'Mara |
7 | 18 September 1971 | Peterborough United | H | 5–1 | 8,770 | Neilson, Graham, Docherty, O'Mara, Ross |
8 | 25 September 1971 | Chester | A | 0–0 | 4,088 | |
9 | 27 September 1971 | Stockport County | H | 2–0 | 10,445 | Ross (2) |
10 | 2 October 1971 | Northampton Town | H | 6–1 | 11,004 | Gelson, Docherty, O'Mara (3), Neilson |
11 | 8 October 1971 | Southport | A | 0–0 | 5,371 | |
12 | 16 October 1971 | Bury | H | 2–0 | 9,851 | O'Mara, Graham |
13 | 20 October 1971 | Reading | A | 1–2 | 10,473 | O'Mara |
14 | 23 October 1971 | Southend United | H | 1–2 | 14,001 | O'Mara |
15 | 30 October 1971 | Scunthorpe United | A | 0–0 | 6,121 | |
16 | 6 November 1971 | Newport County | H | 3–1 | 10,484 | Docherty, Ross (2, 1 pen) |
17 | 13 November 1971 | Colchester United | A | 1–1 | 6,898 | O'Mara |
18 | 27 November 1971 | Gillingham | H | 1–3 | 10,945 | Ross |
19 | 4 December 1971 | Exeter City | A | 1–0 | 3,809 | O'Mara |
20 | 11 December 1971 | Southport | H | 1–0 | 9,624 | Peat (og) |
21 | 18 December 1971 | Hartlepool | A | 2–1 | 2,199 | Allen (2) |
22 | 27 December 1971 | Crewe Alexandra | H | 1–0 | 18,237 | O'Mara |
23 | 1 January 1972 | Peterborough United | A | 2–2 | 7,027 | O'Mara (2) |
24 | 8 January 1972 | Darlington | H | 6–2 | 10,582 | Ross (pen), O'Mara (2), Docherty (3) |
25 | 15 January 1972 | Lincoln City | A | 1–4 | 7,552 | O'Mara |
26 | 25 January 1972 | Stockport County | A | 1–0 | 3,247 | Ross |
27 | 29 January 1972 | Reading | H | 1–2 | 12,144 | Docherty |
28 | 5 February 1972 | Cambridge United | A | 1–1 | 6,861 | Graham |
29 | 12 February 1972 | Southend United | A | 1–3 | 9,841 | Ross (pen) |
30 | 19 February 1972 | Scunthorpe United | H | 0–3 | 11,912 | |
31 | 26 February 1972 | Newport County | A | 0–0 | 3,271 | |
32 | 4 March 1972 | Colchester United | H | 0–2 | 9,210 | |
33 | 13 March 1972 | Lincoln City | H | 2–0 | 12,065 | O'Mara, Scales |
34 | 18 March 1972 | Aldershot | A | 2–1 | 6,989 | O'Mara, Ross |
35 | 21 March 1972 | Doncaster Rovers | A | 3–0 | 5,256 | Graham (2), Ross |
36 | 25 March 1972 | Grimsby Town | H | 2–0 | 14,635 | Docherty, O'Mara |
37 | 27 March 1972 | Workington | H | 2–0 | 13,972 | Docherty, Houston |
38 | 31 March 1972 | Chester | H | 1–1 | 18,521 | Docherty |
39 | 1 April 1972 | Crewe Alexandra | A | 1–2 | 2,072 | Docherty |
40 | 3 April 1972 | Northampton Town | A | 0–0 | 5,314 | |
41 | 8 April 1972 | Cambridge United | H | 2–1 | 9,061 | Docherty, Graham |
42 | 15 April 1972 | Gillingham | A | 1–0 | 5,819 | Docherty |
43 | 17 April 1972 | Doncaster Rovers | H | 2–1 | 13,484 | O'Mara (2) |
44 | 22 April 1972 | Exeter City | H | 1–0 | 14,540 | Ross (pen) |
45 | 24 April 1972 | Barrow | A | 3–0 | 2,646 | Houston, Allen, Graham |
46 | 29 April 1972 | Workington | A | 0–3 | 1,751 | |
FA Cup
Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorer |
1R | 18 August 1971 | Colchester United | A | 1–3 | 6,125 | Ross |
- Sources: 100 Years of Brentford,[8] The Big Brentford Book of the Seventies,[9][10] Statto
Playing squad
- Players' ages are as of the opening day of the 1971–72 season.
- Sources: The Big Brentford Book of the Seventies,[11] Timeless Bees[12]
Coaching staff
Statistics
Appearances and goals
- Substitute appearances in brackets.
Pos | Nat | Name | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Total |
Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
GK | | Gordon Phillips | 46 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 49 | 0 |
DF | | Paul Bence | 32 (2) | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 35 (2) | 0 |
DF | | Peter Gelson | 36 (1) | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 37 (1) | 2 |
DF | | Alan Hawley | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 0 |
DF | | Alan Nelmes | 46 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 49 | 0 |
DF | | Terry Scales | 43 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 46 | 1 |
DF | | Steven Tom | 13 (5) | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 16 (5) | 1 |
MF | | Michael Allen | 29 (1) | 3 | 2 | 0 | — | 31 (1) | 3 |
MF | | John Docherty | 44 | 13 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 46 | 13 |
MF | | Jackie Graham | 45 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 48 | 7 |
MF | | Gordon Neilson | 8 (4) | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 (1) | 0 | 8 (5) | 2 |
MF | | Brian Turner | 34 (1) | 4 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 37 (1) | 4 |
FW | | Roger Cross | 5 | 2 | — | 1 | 0 | 6 | 2 |
FW | | John O'Mara | 40 | 25 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 43 | 27 |
FW | | Bobby Ross | 44 (1) | 13 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 47 (1) | 15 |
Players loaned in during the season |
FW | | Trevor Dawkins | 3 (1) | 0 | — | — | 3 (1) | 0 |
FW | | Stewart Houston | 15 | 2 | — | — | 15 | 2 |
FW | | Ken Wallace | 3 | 0 | — | — | 3 | 0 |
- Players listed in italics left the club mid-season.
- Source: 100 Years of Brentford[8]
Goalscorers
Pos. | Nat | Player | FL4 | FAC | FLC | Total |
FW | | John O'Mara | 25 | 2 | 0 | 27 |
FW | | Bobby Ross | 13 | 1 | 1 | 15 |
MF | | John Docherty | 13 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
MF | | Jackie Graham | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
MF | | Brian Turner | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
MF | | Michael Allen | 3 | 0 | — | 3 |
FW | | Stewart Houston | 2 | — | — | 2 |
FW | | Roger Cross | 2 | — | 0 | 2 |
DF | | Peter Gelson | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
MF | | Gordon Neilson | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
DF | | Terry Scales | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
DF | | Steven Tom | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Opponents | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Total | 76 | 3 | 1 | 80 |
- Players listed in italics left the club mid-season.
- Source: 100 Years of Brentford[8]
Management
Name | Nat | From | To | Record All Comps | Record League |
P | W | D | L | W % | P | W | D | L | W % |
Frank Blunstone | | 14 August 1971 | 29 April 1972 | 49 | 24 | 12 | 13 | 048.98 | 46 | 24 | 11 | 11 | 052.17 |
Summary
Games played | 49 (46 Fourth Division, 2 FA Cup, 1 League Cup) |
Games won | 24 (24 Fourth Division, 0 FA Cup, 0 League Cup) |
Games drawn | 12 (11 Fourth Division, 1 FA Cup, 0 League Cup) |
Games lost | 13 (11 Fourth Division, 1 FA Cup, 1 League Cup) |
Goals scored | 80 (76 Fourth Division, 3 FA Cup, 1 League Cup) |
Goals conceded | 51 (44 Fourth Division, 4 FA Cup, 3 League Cup) |
Clean sheets | 22 (22 Fourth Division, 0 FA Cup, 0 League Cup) |
Biggest league win | 6–0 versus Hartlepool, 4 September 1971 |
Worst league defeat | 3–0 on two occasions; 4–1 versus Lincoln City, 15 January 1972 |
Most appearances | 49, Alan Nelmes, Gordon Phillips (46 Fourth Division, 2 FA Cup, 1 League Cup) |
Top scorer (league) | 25, John O'Mara |
Top scorer (all competitions) | 27, John O'Mara |
Transfers & loans
Awards
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h White, p. 284-287.
- ^ a b c d "Brentford results for the 1971–1972 season". Statto.com. Archived from the original on 9 November 2016. Retrieved 25 August 2016.
- ^ Croxford, Lane & Waterman, p. 34.
- ^ Haynes, Graham (1998). A-Z Of Bees: Brentford Encyclopedia. Yore Publications. p. 30. ISBN 1 874427 57 7.
- ^ Haynes & Coumbe, p. 179.
- ^ a b c "Brentford Home Page for the 1971–1972 season". Statto.com. Archived from the original on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 3 December 2016.
- ^ Haynes, p. 13.
- ^ a b c White, Eric, ed. (1989). 100 Years Of Brentford. Brentford FC. p. 391. ISBN 0951526200.
- ^ Croxford, Lane & Waterman, p. 36-48.
- ^ Croxford, Lane & Waterman, p. 300.
- ^ Croxford, Mark; Lane, David; Waterman, Greville (2011). The Big Brentford Book of the Seventies. Sunbury, Middlesex: Legends Publishing. ISBN 978-1906796709.
- ^ Haynes, Graham; Coumbe, Frank (2006). Timeless Bees: Brentford F.C. Who's Who 1920–2006. Yore Publications. ISBN 978-0955294914.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Croxford, Lane & Waterman, p. 50-53.
- ^ a b Croxford, Lane & Waterman, p. 295.
- ^ Haynes & Coumbe, p. 118.
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National teams | |
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League competitions | Levels 1–4 | |
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Levels 5–6 | |
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Levels 7–9 | - Athenian League (Premier, One, Two)
- Cheshire County League (level 7 only)
- Eastern Counties League (level 7 only)
- Essex Senior League (level 7 only)
- Hellenic League (Premier, One A, One B)
- Kent League (level 7 only)
- Lancashire Combination (level 7 only)
- Midland Football Combination (level 7 only)
- Midland League (level 7 only)
- Northern League (level 7 only)
- South Midlands League (Premier, One)
- Spartan League (level 7 only)
- Sussex County League (One, Two)
- United Counties League (One, Two, Three)
- West Midlands (Regional) League (level 7 only)
- Western League (level 7 only)
- Yorkshire League (One, Two, Three)
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Cup competitions | FA cups | |
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Football League cups | |
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European competitions | |
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