1901–02 Brentford F.C. season

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.

Brentford
1901–02 season
ChairmanCharlie Dorey
StadiumYork Road
Southern League First Division15th
FA CupFourth qualifying round
Top goalscorerLeague: Shanks (9)
All: Shanks (11)

Season summary

Wing half Bill Regan joined Brentford during the 1901 off-season.

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.[1] Almost a whole new XI was signed, which included goalkeeper Tommy Spicer, full back David Robson, half backs Bill Regan, Bob Stormont, Charlie McEleny and three new forwards.[1] Half back Ralph McElhaney and forwards E. Andrews, Roddy McLeod and Peter Turnbull, all lynchpins of the promotion side, would play a part in the upcoming season.[2] In late August, the club was registered as a limited liability company.[1]

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.[1] 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.[2] Despite the loss of captain Bob 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.[1] 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.[2] 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.[1]

One club record was set during the season:

  • Least Southern League away wins in a season: 0[3]

League table

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GR Pts Qualification
12 Queens Park Rangers 30 9 6 15 34 55 0.618 24
13 Watford 30 9 4 17 36 58 0.621 22
14 Wellingborough 30 9 3 18 34 72 0.472 21
15 Brentford 30 7 6 17 34 61 0.557 20 Relegation test matches
16 Swindon Town 30 2 3 25 17 92 0.185 7
Source: rsssf.com
Rules for classification: The system of using goal average to separate two teams tied on points was used until the 1976-77 season. The points system: 2 points for a win, 1 point for a draw and 0 points for losing.

Results

Brentford's goal tally listed first.

Legend

Win Draw Loss

Southern League First Division

No. DateOpponentVenueResultScorer(s)
1 7 September 1901Swindon TownA0–0
2 14 September 1901West Ham UnitedA0–2
3 21 September 1901Kettering A1–3McLeod
4 28 September 1901Luton TownH0–1
5 5 October 1901Millwall AthleticA1–4McSwan
6 12 October 1901Queens Park RangersH1–1Turnbull
7 19 October 1901ReadingA0–2
8 26 October 1901 Southampton A 0–1
9 9 November 1901 New Brompton H 3–2 McElhaney, Shanks, Logan
10 30 November 1901WellingboroughA1–3Crump
11 7 December 1901WellingboroughH3–0Shanks, Andrews, McEleny
12 14 December 1901 Southampton H 1–1 Regan
13 21 December 1901Swindon Town H2–0Stormont, Andrews
14 4 January 1902 Kettering H 1–1 Shanks
15 11 January 1902 Luton Town A 1–1 Regan
16 18 January 1902 Millwall Athletic H 0–2
17 25 January 1902 Queens Park Rangers A 2–3 Parkinson, Shanks
18 1 February 1902 Reading H 0–1
19 15 February 1902Bristol Rovers H2–0Shanks, Jury
20 22 February 1902 New Brompton A 0–2
21 1 March 1902Northampton Town H4–2Jury, Shanks, Grieve, Regan
22 3 March 1902 West Ham United H 0–2
23 8 March 1902 Watford A 1–2 Regan (pen)
24 15 March 1902Tottenham Hotspur H2–1Logan, Shanks
25 28 March 1902 Bristol Rovers A 0–5
26 29 March 1902 Portsmouth H 1–4 Andrews
27 1 April 1902 Northampton Town A 2–2 Logan, Shanks
28 12 April 1902Watford H4–3Shanks, Logan, Andrews, Regan (pen)
29 19 April 1902 Portsmouth A 1–7 Jury
30 26 April 1902 Tottenham Hotspur A 0–3

Southern League Test Match

DateOpponentVenueResult Scorer Notes
28 April 1902 Grays United N1–1 Andrews [nb 1]

FA Cup

RoundDateOpponentVenueResult Scorer(s)
3QR 2 November 1901 Marlow A 3–0 McLeod (pen), Broughton, McElhaney
4QR23 November 1901 Shepherd's Bush H2–3 Shanks, Turnbull
  • Source: 100 Years of Brentford[2]

Playing squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player
GK Billy Green
GK Tommy Spicer
DF Harry Gilmour
DF Alfred Mattocks
DF Ralph McElhaney
DF David Robson
DF A. Wylie
MF Thomas Briddon
MF Harry Crump
MF William Hainsworth
MF Charlie McEleny
MF Bill Regan
MF Bob Stormont (c)
FW E. Andrews
No. Position Player
FW Frederick Broughton
FW F. Dexter
FW Tom Grieve
FW Harry Harris
FW Jury
FW Paddy Logan
FW Roddy McLeod
FW R. McSwan
FW J. Parkinson
FW Tommy Shanks
FW Spawton
FW Henry Squires
FW Peter Turnbull
FW Joe Turner
  • Source: 100 Years of Brentford[2]

Coaching staff

Name Role
Tom King Trainer

Statistics

Appearances

Gilmour
Robson
Jury
Andrews
Brentford's highest appearance-makers in each position during the Southern League season.

Goalscorers

Pos. Nat Player SL1 FAC TM Total
FW Tommy Shanks 9 2 0 11
HB Bill Regan 5 0 0 5
FW E. Andrews 4 0 1 5
FW Paddy Logan 4 0 0 4
FW Jury 3 0 0 3
FW Peter Turnbull 1 2 0 3
DF Ralph McElhaney11 02
FW Roddy McLeod 1 1 0 2
HB Harry Crump 1 0 0 1
FW Tom Grieve 1 0 0 1
HB Charlie McEleny 1 0 0 1
FW R. McSwan 1 0 0 1
FW n/a J. Parkinson 1 0 0 1
HB Bob Stormont 1 0 0 1
Total346 141
  • Players listed in italics left the club mid-season.
  • Source: 100 Years Of Brentford[2]

Management

Name From To Record All Comps Record League
PWDLW %PWDLW %
Committee 7 September 1901 28 April 1902 33 8 7 18 024.24 30 7 6 17 023.33

Summary

Games played33 (30 Southern League First Division, 1 Southern League Test Match, 2 FA Cup)
Games won8 (7 Southern League First Division, 0 Southern League Test Match, 1 FA Cup)
Games drawn7 (6 Southern League First Division, 1 Southern League Test Match, 0 FA Cup)
Games lost18 (17 Southern League First Division, 0 Southern League Test Match, 1 FA Cup)
Goals scored40 (34 Southern League First Division, 1 Southern League Test Match, 5 FA Cup)
Goals conceded65 (61 Southern League First Division, 1 Southern League Test Match, 3 FA Cup)
Clean sheets5 (4 Southern League First Division, 0 Southern League Test Match, 1 FA Cup)
Biggest league win3–0 versus Wellingborough, 7 December 1901
Worst league defeat 7–1 versus Portsmouth, 19 April 1902
Most appearances29, Charlie McEleny (26 Southern League First Division, 1 Southern League Test Match, 2 FA Cup)
Top scorer (league)9, Tommy Shanks
Top scorer (all competitions)10, Tommy Shanks

Notes

  1. Match played at Memorial Grounds, Canning Town. With the score at 1–1, Grays United forfeited promotion by refusing to play extra time.

References

  1. White, p. 76-78.
  2. White, Eric, ed. (1989). 100 Years Of Brentford. Brentford FC. p. 356. ISBN 0951526200.
  3. Haynes, Graham (1998). A-Z Of Bees: Brentford Encyclopedia. Yore Publications. p. 117–120. ISBN 1 874427 57 7.
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