1946–47 Brentford F.C. season

Brentford
1946–47 season
Chairman Frank Davis
Manager Harry Curtis
Stadium Griffin Park
First Division 21st
FA Cup Fourth round
Top goalscorer League: Townsend (8)
All: Townsend (9)
Highest home attendance 35,604
Lowest home attendance 17,976
Average home league attendance 25,768
← 1945–46 1947–48 →

During the 1946–47 English football season, Brentford competed in the Football League First Division. The Bees' 12-year run in the First Division ended with relegation to the Second Division after a disastrous season, which tied the club record for fewest league victories and most league defeats. As of the end of the 2015–16 season, Brentford have not since played in the top-flight.

Season summary

After three successive top-six finishes in the First Division beginning in 1935–36, Brentford's decline began with the departure of key players during 1938–39, which culminated with a near-relegation.[1] For 1946–47, the first Football League season since the end of the Second World War, manager Harry Curtis was able to call on many of his regular players from the final pre-war seasons, though the elder players, such as Irish international full back Bill Gorman, utility man Buster Brown and former Wales forward Idris Hopkins, were all at age 35. Long-serving forward and once-capped England international Billy Scott had remained with the club and was then aged 38. The team fielded versus Aston Villa on 1 February 1947 was the oldest in club history, with an average age of over 31.5 years.[2] Curtis supplemented the squad by bringing in wing half Cyril Toulouse and forwards John Gillies, Maurice Roberts, Alan Smith and George Stewart. As in the final pre-war seasons, Curtis would also promote players from the Bees' reserve ranks, signing amateur Roddy Munro to a professional contract and handing debuts to Frank Latimer, John Moore and Wally Bragg, with Bragg going on to become the youngest-ever Brentford debutant at that time.[3]

Brentford had a good start to the season, winning four of the first five matches and going top on the opening day.[4] The majority of the team's goals were scored by forwards Gerry McAloon,[5] Fred Durrant and George Wilkins,[6][7] but when the goals dried up in September 1946, Brentford's form took a turn for the worse and matters were made worse when McAloon and Durrant were quickly sold to Celtic and Queens Park Rangers respectively.[8] Manager Curtis received half back George Paterson from Celtic in part exchange for McAloon and also strengthened the team with full back Malky Macdonald and forward Archie Macaulay.[9] By December, Brentford had dropped into the relegation places and a run of 11 losses in 15 matches culminated in the heaviest defeat of the season - 6–1 away to Sheffield United on Christmas Day.[4]

Brentford's form improved after the Christmas Day thrashing, going undefeated in four of the following five matches to climb out of the relegation places, but from February 1947 onwards, the team's form evaporated.[4] Despite Len Townsend coming into form and going on to become the Bees' top scorer for the season,[10] the goalscoring problem was compounded by the sale of George Wilkins and new forward signings Bill Naylor and Dickie Girling scored just three goals between them.[11][12][13] On 24 May, defeat to Sunderland and a draw for 20th-place Charlton Athletic away to Everton consigned the Bees to relegation to the Second Division.[14][15] By the time of the final day of the season on 14 June, Brentford had lost 14 of the final 19 matches.[4] The relegation was the first suffered by the club since it joined the Football League in 1920.[1] A number of club Football League records were equalled or broken during the 1946–47 season, including fewest victories (9), fewest home victories (5), most defeats (26), most home defeats (11), fewest home goals scored (19) and highest average attendance (25,768).[16][17] As of the end of the 2015–16 season, Brentford have not since played in the top-flight.[1]

League table

Pos Team Pld Home Away F A GA GD Pts
W D L F A W D L F A
1 Liverpool 42133542241245422884521.615+3257
2 Manchester United 4217316119597343595541.759+4156
3 Wolverhampton Wanderers 42151566311056322598561.750+4256
4 Stoke City 42145252211029383290531.698+3755
5 Blackpool 4214163832858333871701.014+150
6 Sheffield United 4212455132939384389751.187+1449
7 Preston North End 4210744527849314776741.027+247
8 Aston Villa 429663924939282967531.264+1445
9Sunderland4211373327759323965660.985–144
10Everton42135340244413224362670.925–543
11Middlesbrough42113746326510273673681.074+542
12Portsmouth42113742275610243366601.100+641
13Arsenal4295743337410293772701.029+241
14Derby County42132644285313295173790.924–641
15Chelsea4293933397410364569840.821–1539
16Grimsby Town4296637354611244761820.744–2138
17Blackburn Rovers42651023278310222645530.849–836
18Bolton Wanderers4285830285313274157690.826–1234
19Charlton Athletic4266934325610233957710.803–1434
20Huddersfield Town42114634242316195553790.671–2633
21Brentford42551119354215265345880.511–3325
22Leeds United42651030300120156045900.500–4518

P = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GA = Goal average; GD = Goal difference; Pts = Points

Key
League Champions
FA Cup winners
Relegated

Results

Brentford's goal tally listed first.

Legend

Win Draw Loss

Football League First Division

No. DateOpponentVenueResult AttendanceScorer(s)
1 31 August 1946EvertonA2–1 55,338Wilkins (pen), McAloon
2 2 September 1946Blackpool A2–4 24,230Durrant, Wilkins (pen)
3 7 September 1946Huddersfield TownH2–0 31,407Wilkins, McAloon
4 14 September 1946Wolverhampton WanderersA2–1 34,446Durrant (2)
5 18 September 1946Blackpool H2–1 25,621McAloon, G. Smith
6 21 September 1946SunderlandH0–3 33,766
7 28 September 1946Aston VillaA2–5 45,350Wilkins (pen), McAloon
8 5 October 1946Derby County H0–3 34,746
9 12 October 1946ArsenalA2–2 43,367Blakeman (2)
10 19 October 1946Preston North EndH2–3 25,303Blakeman (2)
11 26 October 1946LiverpoolA0–1 43,892
12 2 November 1946Bolton Wanderers H1–0 23,782Howe (og)
13 9 November 1946Chelsea A2–3 50,242Hopkins (2)
14 16 November 1946Charlton AthleticH1–4 26,648Townsend
15 23 November 1946Grimsby TownA2–2 16,750Macaulay, Townsend
16 30 November 1946Leeds UnitedH1–1 20,352Townsend
17 7 December 1946Manchester UnitedA1–4 31,956Macaulay
18 14 December 1946Stoke CityH1–5 30,189Macdonald
19 21 December 1946MiddlesbroughA0–2 28,750
20 25 December 1946Sheffield UnitedA1–6 36,156Townsend
21 25 December 1946Sheffield UnitedH2–1 29,535A. Smith, Wilkins
22 28 December 1946EvertonH1–1 29,360Hopkins
23 1 January 1947Blackburn RoversA3–0 29,067Townsend, Wilkins, Stewart
24 4 January 1947Huddersfield TownA0–3 27,759
25 18 January 1947Wolverhampton Wanderers H4–1 35,604Wilkins, Stewart, Townsend, A. Smith
26 1 February 1947Aston VillaH0–2 21,692
27 22 February 1947Preston North EndA2–5 25,591Townsend, A. Smith
28 1 March 1947Derby CountyA1–2 18,691Leuty (og)
29 15 March 1947Chelsea H0–2 33,498
30 22 March 1947Charlton AthleticA0–3 29,327
31 29 March 1947Grimsby TownH0–1 19,778
32 4 April 1947PortsmouthH1–3 24,570Hopkins
33 5 April 1947Leeds UnitedA2–1 23,962Naylor, Girling
34 7 April 1947PortsmouthA0–3 33,409
35 12 April 1947Manchester UnitedH0–0 22,035
36 19 April 1947Stoke City A1–3 28,966Naylor
37 26 April 1947MiddlesbroughH0–0 19,020
38 3 May 1947Blackburn Rovers H0–3 18,022
39 10 May 1947Bolton WanderersA0–1 19,887
40 17 May 1947LiverpoolH1–1 18,228Stewart
41 24 May 1947SunderlandA1–2 20,160Townsend
42 26 May 1947ArsenalH0–1 17,976

FA Cup

Main article: 1946–47 FA Cup
RoundDateOpponentVenueResult Attendance Scorer(s) Notes
3R 11 January 1947 Cardiff City H 1–0 32,894 Townsend
4R 25 January 1947 Leicester City H 0–0 32,112
4R (replay) 30 January 1947 Leicester City A 0–0 20,339
4R (2nd replay)3 February 1947Leicester City N1–4 7,500 Scott [nb 1]

Playing squad

Players' ages are as of the opening day of the 1946–47 season.
Pos. Name Nat. Date of birth (age) Signed from Signed in Notes
Goalkeepers
GK Joe Crozier Scotland 2 December 1914 (aged 31) East Fife 1937
Defenders
DF Bill Gorman Republic of Ireland 13 January 1911 (aged 35) Bury 1938
DF Frank Latimer England 3 October 1923 (aged 22) Snowdown Colliery Welfare 1945
DF Malky MacDonald Scotland 26 October 1913 (aged 32) Kilmarnock 1946 Coach
DF Roddy Munro Scotland 27 July 1920 (aged 26) Rangers 1946
DF Harry Oliver England 16 February 1921 (aged 25) Hartlepools United 1938
Midfielders
HB Wally Bragg England 8 July 1929 (aged 17) Twickenham Celtic 1946 Loaned to Hounslow Town
HB Buster Brown England 6 September 1910 (aged 35) Huddersfield Town 1937
HB Tom Manley England 7 October 1912 (aged 33) Manchester United 1939
HB John Moore England 25 September 1923 (aged 22) Unattached 1938
HB George Paterson Scotland 26 September 1914 (aged 31) Celtic 1946
HB Arthur Shaw England 9 April 1924 (aged 22) Hayes 1946
HB George Smith England 23 April 1915 (aged 31) Charlton Athletic 1945
HB Cyril Toulouse England 24 December 1923 (aged 22) St Cuthberts 1946
Forwards
FW Alec Blakeman England 1 April 1922 (aged 24) Oxford City 1946
FW José Gallego Spain 8 April 1923 (aged 23) Cambridge City 1947
FW John Gillies Scotland 22 October 1918 (aged 27) St Mirren 1946
FW Dickie Girling England 24 May 1922 (aged 24) Crystal Palace 1947
FW Idris Hopkins Wales 11 October 1910 (aged 35) Crystal Palace 1932
FW Archie Macaulay Scotland 30 July 1915 (aged 31) West Ham United 1946
FW Bill Naylor England 23 November 1919 (aged 26) Crystal Palace 1947
FW Maurice Roberts England 5 July 1922 (aged 24) Unattached 1946 Loaned to Guildford City
FW Billy Scott England 6 December 1907 (aged 38) Middlesbrough 1932
FW Alan Smith England 15 October 1921 (aged 24) Arsenal 1946
FW George Stewart Scotland 18 October 1920 (aged 25) Hamilton Academical 1946
FW Len Townsend England 31 August 1917 (aged 29) Hayes 1937
Players who left the club mid-season
FW Fred Durrant England 19 June 1921 (aged 25) Folkestone 1938 Transferred to Queens Park Rangers
FW Gerry McAloon Scotland 13 September 1916 (aged 29) Wolverhampton Wanderers 1945 Transferred to Celtic
FW George Wilkins England 27 October 1919 (aged 26) Hayes 1938 Transferred to Bradford Park Avenue

Coaching staff

Name Role
England Harry Curtis Manager
Scotland Jimmy Bain Assistant Manager
Scotland Malky MacDonald Coach
England Bill Lane Coach
England Bob Kane Trainer
England Jack Cartmell Assistant Trainer

Statistics

Appearances and goals

Pos Nat Name League FA Cup Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
GK Scotland Joe Crozier 42 0 4 0 46 0
DF England Wally Bragg 1 0 0 0 1 0
DF Republic of Ireland Bill Gorman 34 0 4 0 38 0
DF EnglandFrank Latimer 100 0 10
DF Scotland Malky MacDonald 16 1 0 0 16 1
DF Scotland Roddy Munro 34 0 4 0 38 0
DF England Harry Oliver 14 0 0 0 14 0
HB England Wally Bragg 1 0 0 0 1 0
HB EnglandBuster Brown 800 0 80
HB EnglandTom Manley 900 090
HB England John Moore 2 0 0 0 2 0
HB Scotland George Paterson 27 0 4 0 31 0
HB England Arthur Shaw 4 0 0 0 4 0
HB England George Smith 41 1 4 0 45 1
HB England Cyril Toulouse 10 0 0 0 10 0
FW England Alec Blakeman 8 4 0 0 8 4
FW England Fred Durrant 4 3 — 4 3
FW Spain José Gallego 1 0 0 0 1 0
FW Scotland John Gillies 5 0 0 0 5 0
FW England Dickie Girling 15 1 — 15 1
FW Wales Idris Hopkins 39 4 4 0 43 4
FW Scotland Gerry McAloon 7 4 — 7 4
FW Scotland Archie Macaulay 26 2 4 0 30 2
FW England Bill Naylor 11 2 — 11 2
FW England Maurice Roberts 10 0 0 0 10 0
FW England Billy Scott 12 0 3 1 15 1
FW EnglandAlan Smith 1034 0 143
FW Scotland George Stewart 16 3 1 0 17 3
FW England Len Townsend 29 8 4 1 33 9
FW England George Wilkins 26 7 4 0 30 7

Goalscorers

Pos. Nat Player FL1 FAC Total
FW England Len Townsend 8 1 9
FW England George Wilkins 7 0 7
FW England Alec Blakeman 4 0 4
FW Wales Idris Hopkins 4 0 4
FW Scotland Gerry McAloon 4 — 4
FW England Fred Durrant 3 — 3
FW England Alan Smith 3 0 3
FW Scotland George Stewart 3 0 3
FW Scotland Archie Macaulay 2 0 2
FW England Bill Naylor 2 — 2
FW England Dickie Girling 1 — 1
DF Scotland Malky MacDonald 1 0 1
HB England George Smith 1 0 1
FW England Billy Scott 0 1 1
Opponents 2 0 2
Total45247

International caps

Pos. Nat Player Caps Goals Ref
DF Republic of Ireland
Ireland		 Bill Gorman 2
3		 0
0		 [21]
[22]
FW Scotland Archie Macaulay 1 0 [23]

Management

Name Nat From To Record All Comps Record League
PWDLW %PWDLW %
Harry Curtis England 31 August 1946 14 June 1947 46 10 9 27 21.74|42 9 7 26 21.43

Summary

Games played 46 (42 First Division, 4 FA Cup)
Games won 10 (9 First Division, 1 FA Cup)
Games drawn 9 (7 First Division, 2 FA Cup)
Games lost 27 (26 First Division, 1 FA Cup)
Goals scored 47 (45 First Division, 2 FA Cup)
Goals conceded 92 (88 First Division, 4 FA Cup)
Clean sheets 8 (5 First Division, 3 FA Cup)
Biggest league win 3–0 versus Blackburn Rovers, 1 January 1947; 4–1 versus Wolverhampton Wanderers, 18 January 1947
Worst league defeat 6–1 versus Sheffield United, 25 December 1946
Most appearances 46, Joe Crozier (42 First Division, 4 FA Cup)
Top scorer (league) 8, Len Townsend
Top scorer (all competitions) 9, Len Townsend

Transfers & loans

Cricketers are not included in this list.
Players transferred in
Date Pos. Name Previous Club Fee Ref.
May 1946 FW Scotland John Gillies Scotland St Mirren Nominal [24]
May 1946 HB England Arthur Shaw England Hayes n/a [25]
May 1946 FW England Alan Smith England Arsenal Free [26]
May 1946 FW Scotland George Stewart Scotland Hamilton Academical n/a [27]
May 1946 HB England Cyril Toulouse England St Cuthberts Free [28]
August 1946 FW England Maurice Roberts Unattached Free [29]
October 1946 FW England Alec Blakeman England Oxford City Free [30]
October 1946 DF Scotland Malky MacDonald Scotland Kilmarnock £1,500 [31]
October 1946 HB Scotland George Paterson Scotland Celtic Exchange [32]
November 1946 FW Scotland Archie Macaulay England West Ham United n/a [33]
1946 HB England Wally Bragg England Twickenham Celtic Free [3]
January 1947 FW Spain José Gallego England Cambridge City Free [34]
January 1947 DF Scotland William Gibson England Arsenal n/a [35]
February 1947 FW England Dickie Girling England Crystal Palace n/a [24]
February 1947 FW England Bill Naylor England Crystal Palace n/a [36]
March 1947 FW England Percy Gleeson England Hounslow Town n/a [37]
Players transferred out
Date Pos. Name Subsequent club Fee Ref.
19 June 1946 FW England Albert Hammond England Exeter City n/a [38]
September 1946 FW England Fred Durrant England Queens Park Rangers £4,500 [39]
4 October 1946 FW Scotland Gerry McAloon Scotland Celtic Exchange [40]
October 1946 DF England Jimmy Anderson England Carlisle United Nominal [41]
February 1947 DF England Fred Mansfield England Norwich City n/a [42]
February 1947 FW England George Wilkins England Bradford Park Avenue £7,000 [43]
Players loaned out
Date Pos. Name Previous Club Date to Ref.
n/a HB England Wally Bragg England Hounslow Town 1947 [3]
November 1946 FW England Maurice Roberts England Guildford City 1947
Players released
Date Pos. Name Subsequent club Join date Ref.
May 1947 FW Wales Les Boulter England Yeovil Town 1947 [44]
May 1947 HB England Buster Brown England Leyton Orient May 1947 [45]
May 1947 FW Scotland John Gillies Scotland Morton 1947 [24]
May 1947 FW Wales Idris Hopkins England Bristol City May 1947 [46]
May 1947 FW England Ernest Muttitt England Dover 1947 [47]
May 1947 FW England Maurice Roberts England Bristol City May 1947 [29]
May 1947 FW England Billy Scott England Aldershot July 1947 [48]
May 1947 FW England Len Townsend England Bristol City June 1947 [49]

Notes

  1. ↑ Match played at Villa Park, Birmingham.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Ltd, Statto Organisation. "Brentford Complete History - Statto.com". Statto.com. Retrieved 2016-05-25.
  2. ↑ Haynes 1998, p. 99.
  3. 1 2 3 Haynes & Coumbe 2006, p. 25-26.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Ltd, Statto Organisation. "Brentford results for the 1946-1947 season - Statto.com". Statto.com. Retrieved 2016-05-25.
  5. ↑ "Brentford Football Club History". www.brentfordfchistory.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2016-04-24. Retrieved 2016-05-25.
  6. ↑ "Brentford Football Club History". www.brentfordfchistory.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2016-04-12. Retrieved 2016-05-25.
  7. ↑ "Brentford Football Club History". www.brentfordfchistory.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2016-07-01. Retrieved 2016-05-25.
  8. ↑ Haynes & Coumbe 2006, p. 51, 102-103.
  9. ↑ Haynes & Coumbe 2006, p. 98, 105, 121-122.
  10. ↑ "Brentford Football Club History". www.brentfordfchistory.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2016-05-25.
  11. ↑ "Brentford Football Club History". www.brentfordfchistory.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2016-07-01. Retrieved 2016-05-25.
  12. ↑ "Brentford Football Club History". www.brentfordfchistory.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2016-04-11. Retrieved 2016-05-25.
  13. ↑ Haynes & Coumbe 2006, p. 168.
  14. ↑ Brentford Table on Saturday 24th May 1947 - Statto.com
  15. ↑ Ltd, Statto Organisation. "All of the results on Saturday 24th May 1947 - Statto.com". Statto.com. Retrieved 2016-05-25.
  16. ↑ Haynes, Graham (1998). A-Z Of Bees: Brentford Encyclopedia. Harefield, Middlesex: Yore Publications. pp. 78–79. ISBN 1 874427 57 7.
  17. ↑ Haynes 1998, p. 13.
  18. 1 2 3 4 White, Eric, ed. (1989). 100 Years Of Brentford. Brentford FC. p. 379. ISBN 0951526200.
  19. ↑ Haynes, Graham; Coumbe, Frank (2006). Timeless Bees: Brentford F.C. Who's Who 1920-2006. Yore Publications. ISBN 978-0955294914.
  20. ↑ Joyce, Michael (2012). Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939. Nottingham: Tony Brown. ISBN 190589161X.
  21. ↑ "Bill Gorman". 11v11.com. Retrieved 2016-05-23.
  22. ↑ "NIFG: Bill Gorman". nifootball.blogspot.co.uk. Retrieved 2016-05-24.
  23. ↑ "Archie MacAulay". 11v11.com. Retrieved 2016-05-25.
  24. 1 2 3 Haynes & Coumbe 2006, p. 65.
  25. ↑ Haynes & Coumbe 2006, p. 144.
  26. ↑ Haynes & Coumbe 2006, p. 147.
  27. ↑ Haynes & Coumbe 2006, p. 155.
  28. ↑ Haynes & Coumbe 2006, p. 161-162.
  29. 1 2 "Barry Hugman's Footballers - Maurice Roberts". hugmansfootballers.com. Retrieved 2016-06-09.
  30. ↑ Haynes & Coumbe 2006, p. 21.
  31. ↑ Haynes & Coumbe 2006, p. 105.
  32. ↑ Haynes & Coumbe 2006, p. 121-122.
  33. ↑ Haynes & Coumbe 2006, p. 98.
  34. ↑ "Refugee Footballers in Britain" (PDF).
  35. ↑ "Barry Hugman's Footballers - Bill Gibson". hugmansfootballers.com. Retrieved 2016-06-19.
  36. ↑ Haynes & Coumbe 2006, p. 114.
  37. ↑ Haynes & Coumbe 2006, p. 66.
  38. ↑ Western Morning News. Plymouth, Devon. 1946.
  39. ↑ Haynes & Coumbe 2006, p. 51.
  40. ↑ "McAloon, Gerald - The Celtic Wiki". www.thecelticwiki.com. Retrieved 2016-06-09.
  41. ↑ Haynes & Coumbe 2006, p. 11-12.
  42. ↑ "Barry Hugman's Footballers - Fred Mansfield". hugmansfootballers.com. Retrieved 2016-06-29.
  43. ↑ "Leeds United F.C. History". www.ozwhitelufc.net.au. Retrieved 2016-06-09.
  44. ↑ Haynes & Coumbe 2006, p. 24.
  45. ↑ "Barry Hugman's Footballers - Billy Brown". hugmansfootballers.com. Retrieved 2016-06-09.
  46. ↑ "Barry Hugman's Footballers - Dai Hopkins". hugmansfootballers.com. Retrieved 2016-06-09.
  47. ↑ Haynes & Coumbe 2006, p. 113.
  48. ↑ "Barry Hugman's Footballers - Billy Scott". hugmansfootballers.com. Retrieved 2016-06-09.
  49. ↑ "Barry Hugman's Footballers - Len Townsend". hugmansfootballers.com. Retrieved 2016-06-09.
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