1965–66 Brentford F.C. season

Brentford
1965–66 season
Chairman Jack Dunnett
Manager Tommy Cavanagh
(until 18 April 1966)
Ian Black
(18 April–2 May 1966)
Billy Gray
(from 2 May 1966)
Stadium Griffin Park
Third Division 23rd (relegated)
FA Cup Second round
League Cup Second round
Top goalscorer League: Lawther (10)
All: Lawther (11)
Highest home attendance 14,800
Lowest home attendance 4,450
Average home league attendance 8,416

During the 1965–66 English football season, Brentford competed in the Football League Third Division. After an awful first half of the season, Brentford dropped into the relegation places in January 1966 and failed to recover, ending the club's three-season spell in the Third Division.

Season summary

Future captain Bobby Ross transferred to Brentford from Shrewsbury Town in March 1966.

The lack of incoming transfer activity during the 1965 off-season served to highlight the view at Griffin Park that Brentford's squad was strong enough to secure promotion to the Second Division during the 1965–66 season.[1] The campaign began with a rousing 6–1 victory over local rivals Queens Park Rangers at Griffin Park, courtesy of goals from John Fielding, Joe Bonson, Ian Lawther and a Micky Block hattrick.[1] The win gave way to three defeats and a draw in the following four matches, but consecutive victories over Shrewsbury Town and Swansea Town in mid-September proved to be a false drawn.[2] Brentford would win just one more league match before the end of 1965 and the team's plight was worsened by the departures of influential attackers Jimmy Bloomfield, Mark Lazarus and John Fielding after disputes with manager Tommy Cavanagh.[1] Outside forward John Docherty was bought back from Sheffield United for his second spell at Griffin Park in December 1965,[1] but Brentford began 1966 entrenched in the relegation places.[2]

Misfiring forward Joe Bonson was sold in January 1966 and though manager Cavanagh was provided with the funds to purchase replacement forwards Brian Etheridge, John Regan and Bobby Ross,[1] the new signings failed to help the team convert draws into all-important wins, with four matches being drawn in March.[2] Three consecutive defeats in early April left the supporters clamouring for Cavanagh's head and despite a brief respite after a 2–0 victory over Brighton & Hove Albion, a 5–0 defeat away to Exeter City on 16 April led chairman Jack Dunnett to dispense with Cavanagh's services.[1] Youth team manager Ian Black won, drew and lost each of the following three matches in a caretaker capacity, before Billy Gray was appointed as manager.[1]

Gray began his reign with Brentford in 23rd place and three points from safety with five matches remaining.[3] A 3–0 home defeat at the hands of Mansfield Town in his first match in charge effectively ended all survival hopes after the gap to safety opened up to five points.[4] A draw and a win versus Watford and Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic respectively in the following two matches put the Bees back within two points of safety,[5] but defeats in the final two matches of the season sealed the club's relegation to the Fourth Division.[2]

Two club records were set or equalled during the season:[6]

  • Most away Football League games without a win: 21 (24 April 1965 – 16 April 1966)
  • Record home Football League defeat: 0–5 versus Bristol Rovers, 5 February 1966

League table

Pos Team Pld Home Away F A GA GD Pts
W D L F A W D L F A
1Hull City461922642412564538109621.758+4769
2Millwall4619404713878293076431.767+3365
3Queens Park Rangers4616346229869333695651.462+3057
4Scunthorpe United4698644341238363380671.194+1353
5Workington4613643818689293967571.175+1052
6Gillingham46144533198411293562541.148+852
7Swindon Town46118443188510313074481.542+2651
8Reading4613553619689344470631.111+751
9Walsall46137348217313294377641.203+1350
10Shrewsbury Town46137348226413254273641.141+949
11Grimsby Town46156247252714213768621.097+647
12Watford4612473319599223255511.078+447
13Peterborough United46136450264613304080661.212+1446
14Oxford United46113938338510324170740.946–446
15Brighton & Hove Albion46134648283713193767651.031+243
16Bristol Rovers461110238153416264964641.000±042
17Swansea Town46144561371715205981960.844–1541
18Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic4698624194415143738560.679–2838
19Mansfield Town46105831365315285359890.663–3038
20Oldham Athletic4687834334613214855810.679–2637
21Southend United46151743281319115554830.651–2936
22Exeter City4696836283515175153790.671–2635
23Brentford46941034301814143948690.696–2132
24York City465711304442172362531060.500–5327

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
Division Champions, promoted
Promoted
Welsh Cup winners, qualified for Cup Winners' Cup
Relegated

Results

Brentford's goal tally listed first.

Legend

Win Draw Loss

Football League Third Division

No. DateOpponentVenueResultScorer(s)
1 21 August 1965Queens Park RangersH6–1Fielding, (Block 3, 1 pen), Bonson, Lawther
2 24 August 1965Grimsby Town A2–3Block, Gelson
3 28 August 1965Bristol RoversA1–1Cobb
4 4 September 1965York CityH0–1
5 11 September 1965Oxford UnitedA0–2
6 14 September 1965Shrewsbury TownH4–0Lazarus (2), Lawther, Cobb
7 18 September 1965Swansea Town H2–0Lawther, Block
8 25 September 1965WalsallA1–1Cobb
9 2 October 1965WorkingtonH0–1
10 6 October 1965Shrewsbury TownA0–0
11 9 October 1965Scunthorpe UnitedH0–1
12 16 October 1965WatfordA1–1Lawther
13 23 October 1965Oldham AthleticH0–0
14 30 October 1965GillinghamA0–1
15 6 November 1965MillwallH1–2Higginson
16 20 November 1965Exeter CityH1–2Cobb
17 23 November 1965Grimsby TownH3–2Cobb, Thomson, Lawther
18 27 November 1965Reading A0–2
19 11 December 1965Mansfield Town A0–2
20 1 January 1966Scunthorpe UnitedA2–3Block, Docherty
21 8 January 1966Peterborough UnitedH1–0Lawther
22 15 January 1966Oldham AthleticA1–1Cobb
23 29 January 1966Queens Park Rangers A0–1
24 5 February 1966Bristol RoversH0–5
25 12 February 1966Swindon Town A1–2Docherty
26 26 February 1966Oxford UnitedH5–1Docherty, Cobb, Etheridge, Lawther (2)
27 1 March 1966Southend UnitedH2–0Lawther, Curley
28 5 March 1966Swindon TownH0–1
29 7 March 1966Southend UnitedA0–1
30 12 March 1966 Swansea Town A 1–1 Regan
31 19 March 1966WalsallH2–2Regan, Docherty (pen)
32 26 March 1966WorkingtonA1–1Docherty
33 28 March 1966 York City A 1–1 Etheridge
34 2 April 1966MillwallA0–1
35 8 April 1966Brighton & Hove Albion A0–2
36 9 April 1966Hull City H2–4Lawther, Docherty
37 11 April 1966Brighton & Hove AlbionH2–0Regan, Curley
38 16 April 1966Exeter CityA0–5
39 23 April 1966ReadingH1–1Gelson
40 26 April 1966Bournemouth & Boscombe AthleticH1–0Regan
41 30 April 1966Hull CityA1–4Regan
42 7 May 1966Mansfield Town H0–3
43 10 May 1966 Watford H 1–1 Thomson
44 17 May 1966 Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic H 1–0 Docherty
45 21 May 1966Peterborough UnitedA0–3
46 28 May 1966Gillingham H0–2

FA Cup

RoundDateOpponentVenueResult Scorer(s)
1R 13 November 1965 Yeovil Town H 2–1 Fielding (2)
2R4 December 1965Reading A0–5

Football League Cup

RoundDateOpponentVenueResult Scorer(s)
2R 22 November 1965 Workington A 0–0
2R (replay)30 November 1965Workington H1–2 Lawther

Playing squad

Players' ages are as of the opening day of the 1965–66 season.
Pos. Name Nat. Date of birth (age) Signed from Signed in Notes
Goalkeepers
GK Chic Brodie Scotland 22 February 1937 (aged 28) Northampton Town 1963
GK Gordon Phillips England 17 November 1946 (aged 18) Hayes 1963
Defenders
DF Peter Gelson England 18 October 1941 (aged 23) Youth 1961
DF Alan Hawley England 7 June 1946 (aged 19) Youth 1962
DF Allan Jones Wales 6 January 1940 (aged 25) Liverpool 1963
DF Hamish MacKenzie Scotland 11 March 1945 (aged 20) Dunfermline Athletic 1964
DF George Thomson Scotland 19 October 1936 (aged 28) Everton 1963
Midfielders
HB Ron Crisp England 24 September 1938 (aged 26) Watford 1965
HB Tommy Higginson Scotland 6 January 1937 (aged 28) Kilmarnock 1959
HB Hugh McLaughlin Scotland 2 September 1943 (aged 21) St Roch's 1961
HB Eddie Reeve England 3 December 1947 (aged 17) Youth 1964
HB Mel Scott (c) England 26 September 1939 (aged 25) Chelsea 1963
HB Willie Smith Scotland 6 December 1943 (aged 21) Celtic 1963
Forwards
FW Micky Block England 28 January 1940 (aged 25) Chelsea 1962
FW Billy Cobb England 29 September 1940 (aged 24) Plymouth Argyle 1964
FW Tom Curley Scotland 11 June 1945 (aged 20) Celtic 1965
FW John Docherty Scotland 29 April 1940 (aged 25) Sheffield United 1966
FW Brian Etheridge England 4 March 1944 (aged 21) Northampton Town 1966
FW Ian Lawther Northern Ireland 20 October 1939 (aged 25) Scunthorpe United 1964
FW John Regan England 18 June 1944 (aged 21) Shrewsbury Town 1966
FW Bobby Ross Scotland 10 May 1942 (aged 23) Shrewsbury Town 1966
FW Barry Thornley England 11 February 1948 (aged 17) Gravesend & Northfleet 1965
Players who left the club mid-season
FW Jimmy Bloomfield England 15 February 1934 (aged 31) Birmingham City 1964 Transferred to West Ham United
FW Joe Bonson England 9 June 1936 (aged 29) Newport County 1964 Transferred to Lincoln City
FW John Fielding England 2 September 1939 (aged 25) Southport 1963 Transferred to Grimsby Town
FW Mark Lazarus England 5 December 1938 (aged 26) Queens Park Rangers 1964 Transferred to Queens Park Rangers

Coaching staff

Tommy Cavanagh (21 August 1965 – 18 April 1966)

Name Role
England Tommy Cavanagh Manager
Scotland Jimmy Sirrel Trainer
England Eddie Lyons Physiotherapist

Ian Black (18 April – 2 May 1966)

Name Role
Scotland Ian Black Caretaker Manager
Scotland Jimmy Sirrel Trainer
England Eddie Lyons Physiotherapist

Billy Gray (3 May – 28 May 1966)

Name Role
England Billy Gray Manager
Scotland Jimmy Sirrel Trainer
England Eddie Lyons Physiotherapist

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 Scotland Chic Brodie 35 0 1 0 2 0 38 0
GK England Gordon Phillips 11 0 1 0 0 0 12 0
DF England Peter Gelson 34 2 2 0 0 0 36 2
DF Wales Allan Jones 44 0 2 0 2 0 48 0
DF England Alan Hawley 36 0 2 0 2 0 40 0
DF Scotland Hamish MacKenzie 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 0
DF Scotland George Thomson 44 2 1 0 2 0 47 2
HB England Ron Crisp 10 (1) 0 1 0 0 0 11 (1) 0
HB Scotland Tommy Higginson 30 1 2 0 2 0 34 1
HB Scotland Hugh McLaughlin 0 (1) 0 0 0 0 0 0 (1) 0
HB England Eddie Reeve 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 0
HB England Mel Scott 38 0 1 0 2 0 41 0
HB Scotland Willie Smith 5 0 0 0 0 0 5 0
FW England Micky Block 29 6 2 0 2 0 33 6
FW England Jimmy Bloomfield 2 0 — 0 0 2 0
FW England Joe Bonson 12 1 1 0 2 0 15 1
FW England Billy Cobb 27 (2) 7 2 0 2 0 31 (2) 7
FW Scotland Tom Curley 14 2 0 0 0 0 14 2
FW Scotland John Docherty 26 7 — — 26 7
FW England Brian Etheridge 16 2 — — 16 2
FW England John Fielding 9 1 2 2 0 0 11 3
FW Northern Ireland Ian Lawther 37 10 2 0 2 1 41 11
FW EnglandMark Lazarus 92— 2 0 112
FW England John Regan 12 5 — — 12 5
FW Scotland Bobby Ross 17 0 — — 17 0
FW England Barry Thornley 7 0 0 0 0 0 7 0
  • Players listed in italics left the club mid-season.
  • Source: 100 Years Of Brentford[7]

Goalscorers

Pos. Nat Player FL3 FAC FLC Total
FW Northern Ireland Ian Lawther 10 0 1 11
FW England Billy Cobb 7 0 0 7
FW Scotland John Docherty 7 — — 7
FW England Micky Block 6 0 0 6
FW England John Regan 5 — — 5
FW England John Fielding 1 2 0 3
FW England Brian Etheridge 2 — — 2
FW England Mark Lazarus 2 — 0 2
FW Scotland Tom Curley 2 0 0 2
HB England Peter Gelson 2 0 0 2
DF Scotland George Thomson 2 0 0 2
FW England Joe Bonson 1 0 0 1
HB Scotland Tommy Higginson 1 0 0 1
Total482 151
  • Players listed in italics left the club mid-season.
  • Source: 100 Years Of Brentford[7]

Management

Name Nat From To Record All Comps Record League
PWDLW %PWDLW %
Tommy Cavanagh England 22 August 1964 16 April 1966 42 9 11 22 021.43 38 8 10 20 021.05
Ian Black (caretaker) Scotland 23 April 1966 30 April 1966 3 1 1 1 033.33 3 1 1 1 033.33
Billy Gray England 7 May 1966 28 May 1966 5 1 1 3 020.00 5 1 1 3 020.00

Summary

Games played50 (46 Third Division, 2 FA Cup, 2 League Cup)
Games won11 (10 Third Division, 1 FA Cup, 0 League Cup)
Games drawn13 (12 Third Division, 0 FA Cup, 1 League Cup)
Games lost26 (24 Third Division, 1 FA Cup, 1 League Cup)
Goals scored51 (48 Third Division, 2 FA Cup, 1 League Cup)
Goals conceded77 (69 Third Division, 6 FA Cup, 2 League Cup)
Clean sheets10 (9 Third Division, 0 FA Cup, 1 League Cup)
Biggest league win6–1 versus Queens Park Rangers, 21 August 1965
Worst league defeat5–0 on two occasions
Most appearances48, Allan Jones (44 Third Division, 2 FA Cup, 2 League Cup)
Top scorer (league)10, Ian Lawther
Top scorer (all competitions)11, Ian Lawther

Transfers & loans

Players transferred in
Date Pos. Name Previous Club Fee Ref.
May 1965 DF England Michael Ogburn England Portsmouth n/a [9]
August 1965 HB England Ron Crisp England Watford £2,000 [10]
August 1965 FW Scotland Tom Curley Scotland Celtic n/a [11]
December 1965 FW Scotland John Docherty England Sheffield United n/a [12]
1965 HB England Keith Hooker n/a n/a [9]
February 1966 FW England Brian Etheridge England Northampton Town £8,000 [13]
March 1966 FW England John Regan England Shrewsbury Town £4,250 [14]
March 1966 FW Scotland Bobby Ross England Shrewsbury Town £4,250 [15]
Players transferred out
Date Pos. Name Subsequent club Fee Ref.
1965 FW Wales Dai Ward England Worcester City £2,000 [9]
October 1965 FW England Jimmy Bloomfield England West Ham United £6,500 [16]
4 November 1965 FW England Mark Lazarus England Queens Park Rangers £6,000 [17]
December 1965 FW England John Fielding England Grimsby Town n/a [18]
January 1966 FW England Joe Bonson England Lincoln City n/a [19]
Players released
Date Pos. Name Subsequent club Join date Ref.
April 1966 FW England Joe Gadston England Corby Town 1966 [20]
April 1966 HB Scotland Hugh McLaughlin England Gravesend & Northfleet 1966 [21]
April 1966 HB Scotland Willie Smith England Hastings United 1966 [22]
April 1966 FW England Tim Soutar England Ashford Town (Kent) 1966 [23]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 White 1989, p. 260-262.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Ltd, Statto Organisation. "Brentford results for the 1965-1966 season - Statto.com". Statto.com. Archived from the original on 28 March 2016. Retrieved 25 January 2017.
  3. ↑ Ltd, Statto Organisation. "Brentford Table on Friday 6th May 1966 - Statto.com". Statto.com. Retrieved 25 January 2017.
  4. ↑ Ltd, Statto Organisation. "Brentford Table on Saturday 7th May 1966 - Statto.com". Statto.com. Retrieved 25 January 2017.
  5. ↑ Ltd, Statto Organisation. "Brentford Table on Tuesday 17th May 1966 - Statto.com". Statto.com. Retrieved 25 January 2017.
  6. ↑ Ltd, Statto Organisation. "Brentford scoring and sequence records - Statto.com". Statto.com. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 25 January 2017.
  7. 1 2 3 4 White, Eric, ed. (1989). 100 Years Of Brentford. Brentford FC. p. 388. ISBN 0951526200.
  8. ↑ Haynes, Graham; Coumbe, Frank (2006). Timeless Bees: Brentford F.C. Who's Who 1920–2006. Yore Publications. ISBN 978-0955294914.
  9. 1 2 3 Haynes & Coumbe 2006, p. 118.
  10. ↑ Haynes & Coumbe 2006, p. 42.
  11. ↑ Haynes & Coumbe 2006, p. 44.
  12. ↑ Haynes & Coumbe 2006, p. 49.
  13. ↑ Haynes & Coumbe 2006, p. 53.
  14. ↑ Haynes & Coumbe 2006, p. 132.
  15. ↑ Haynes & Coumbe 2006, p. 138.
  16. ↑ Haynes & Coumbe 2006, p. 22-23.
  17. ↑ "QPRnet – Seasonal Stats – 1965/66". Retrieved 9 May 2018.
  18. ↑ Haynes & Coumbe 2006, p. 56.
  19. ↑ Haynes & Coumbe 2006, p. 23-24.
  20. ↑ "Barry Hugman's Footballers – Joe Gadston". hugmansfootballers.com. Retrieved 23 January 2017.
  21. ↑ Haynes & Coumbe 2006, p. 107.
  22. ↑ Haynes & Coumbe 2006, p. 150.
  23. ↑ Haynes & Coumbe 2006, p. 152.
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