Season summary
In a bid to buy Brentford out of the bottom two divisions of the Football League, the large transfer funds made available by chairman Jack Dunnett to previous managers Malky MacDonald and Tommy Cavanagh had left the club with mounting debts. Cavanagh had spent £30,000 on seven players since being appointed to the manager's job in January 1965, with five key attacking players (Bloomfield, Lazarus, Ward, Bonson and Fielding) being sold on for a total less than half that sum during the course of the 1965–66 Third Division season, towards the end of which he was sacked. New manager Billy Gray failed to halt Brentford's relegation slide, which meant that the club would be members of the Fourth Division for the 1966–67 season. An average home attendance of 11,000 would be needed to break even, a record which had been falling year on year since the 1963–64 season. With no money available to bring in established players, manager Gray brought in a number of youngsters, including his nephew John Richardson.
The Bees had a good start to the season, winning the first two matches to sit top of the Fourth Division, but a winless run of five defeats in eight matches dropped the club into the relegation places in mid-October 1966.[3] Manager Billy Gray then made wholesale changes to the starting XI, introducing a number of youngsters, with the new-look team going on to win five consecutive matches. The establishment of the new lineup led to a clearout of players, with out-of-favour Micky Block, Billy Cobb, John Regan, Mel Scott and Ron Crisp all exiting Griffin Park before the end of the season. The Bees failed to keep up their good form through November and December and dropped back into mid-table. The team weathered the storm caused by the tumultuous events of 19 January 1967, which resulted in the departure of chairman Jack Dunnett and manager Billy Gray. Trainer Jimmy Sirrel took over as acting manager and built on the improved January form under Gray and led the team on a 16-match unbeaten league run, which equalled the club record at the time. The run left Brentford within three points of the promotion places,[4] but an inexplicable five consecutive defeats in the final six matches of the season ended any chances of promotion.[3]
The Brentford reserve team had a successful season, beating local rivals Fulham in a replay to win the 1966–67 London Challenge Cup.[5]
League table
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 |
|
New club in the league (none) |
|
Re-elected |
|
Failed re-election (none) |
Results
- Brentford's goal tally listed first.
No. |
Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Scorer(s) |
1 |
20 August 1966 | Barnsley | A | 1–0 | Ross |
2 |
27 August 1966 | Luton Town | H | 1–0 | Cobb |
3 |
3 September 1966 | Aldershot |
A | 1–3 | Docherty |
4 |
7 September 1966 | Lincoln City | A | 1–3 | Richardson |
5 |
10 September 1966 | Wrexham | H | 1–1 | Docherty |
6 |
17 September 1966 | Southend United | A | 0–3 | |
7 |
24 September 1966 | Tranmere Rovers | H | 1–1 | Bedford |
8 |
27 September 1966 | Lincoln City | H | 2–2 | Grummett (og), Ross |
9 |
1 October 1966 | Bradford City | A | 0–2 | |
10 |
8 October 1966 | Chesterfield | A | 0–3 | |
11 |
11 October 1966 | Aldershot |
H | 1–0 | Lawther |
12 |
15 October 1966 | Stockport County | H | 2–1 | Curley, Docherty |
13 |
18 October 1966 | Halifax Town | H | 1–0 | Docherty (pen) |
14 |
22 October 1966 | Rochdale | A | 3–1 | Lawther (2), Ross |
15 |
29 October 1966 | Southport |
H | 2–1 | Ross, Higginson |
16 |
5 November 1966 | Notts County |
A | 2–3 | Bedford (2) |
17 |
12 November 1966 | Chester | H | 4–0 | Docherty, Lawther (2), Bedford |
18 |
15 November 1966 | Halifax Town | A | 2–3 | Jones, Curley |
19 |
19 November 1966 | Bradford Park Avenue | A | 2–2 | Docherty, Curley |
20 |
10 December 1966 | Barrow |
H | 0–3 | |
21 |
17 December 1966 | Barnsley | H | 3–1 | Lawther, Docherty, Bedford |
22 |
26 December 1966 | Hartlepools United | A | 2–2 | Scott, Docherty |
23 |
27 December 1966 | Hartlepools United | H | 1–2 | Docherty |
24 |
31 December 1966 | Luton Town |
A | 0–3 | |
25 |
14 January 1967 | Wrexham | A | 0–0 | |
26 |
21 January 1967 |
Southend United |
H |
1–1 |
Lawther |
27 |
3 February 1967 | Tranmere Rovers | A | 0–0 | |
28 |
11 February 1967 | Bradford City | H | 2–0 | Docherty, Ross |
29 |
18 February 1967 | York City | H | 1–1 | Lawther |
30 |
25 February 1967 | Chesterfield | H | 1–0 | Docherty |
31 |
3 March 1967 | Stockport County | A | 2–1 | Bedford, Docherty |
32 |
11 March 1967 |
York City |
A |
0–0 |
|
33 |
18 March 1967 | Rochdale | H | 4–0 | Docherty, Ross (2), Lawther |
34 |
25 March 1967 | Port Vale | A | 3–1 | Richardson, Lawther, Curley |
35 |
27 March 1967 | Newport County | H | 1–1 | Ross |
36 |
28 March 1967 | Newport County | A | 1–1 | Lawther |
37 |
1 April 1967 | Notts County |
H | 1–0 | Hooker |
38 |
8 April 1967 | Chester |
A | 2–1 | Bedford, Higginson |
39 |
11 April 1967 | Exeter City | H | 3–1 | Bedford (3) |
40 |
15 April 1967 |
Bradford Park Avenue |
H |
1–1 |
Ross |
41 |
22 April 1967 | Southport | A | 0–2 | |
42 |
25 April 1967 | Exeter City | A | 0–1 | |
43 |
29 April 1967 | Crewe Alexandra |
H | 0–2 | |
44 |
6 May 1967 | Barrow | A | 0–1 | |
45 |
10 May 1967 | Crewe Alexandra |
A | 0–1 | |
46 |
13 May 1967 |
Port Vale |
H |
2–0 |
James (og), Wilson |
Playing squad
- Players' ages are as of the opening day of the 1966–67 season.
Coaching staff
Billy Gray (20 August 1965 – March 1967)
Jimmy Sirrel (March – 13 May 1967)
Statistics
Appearances and goals
- Substitute appearances in brackets.
- Players listed in italics left the club mid-season.
- Source: 100 Years Of Brentford[6]
Goalscorers
- Players listed in italics left the club mid-season.
- Source: 100 Years Of Brentford[6]
Management
Name |
Nat |
From |
To |
Record All Comps |
Record League |
P | W | D | L | W % | P | W | D | L | W % |
Billy Gray |
|
20 August 1966 |
25 February 1967 |
7001370000000000000♠37 |
7001140000000000000♠14 |
7001110000000000000♠11 |
7001120000000000000♠12 |
07001378400000000000♠37.84 |
7001300000000000000♠30 |
7001110000000000000♠11 |
7000900000000000000♠9 |
7001100000000000000♠10 |
07001366700000000000♠36.67 |
Jimmy Sirrel |
|
3 March 1967 |
13 May 1967 |
7001160000000000000♠16 |
7000700000000000000♠7 |
7000400000000000000♠4 |
7000500000000000000♠5 |
07001437500000000000♠43.75 |
7001160000000000000♠16 |
7000700000000000000♠7 |
7000400000000000000♠4 |
7000500000000000000♠5 |
07001437500000000000♠43.75 |
Summary
Games played | 53 (46 Fourth Division, 4 FA Cup, 3 League Cup) |
Games won | 21 (18 Fourth Division, 2 FA Cup, 1 League Cup) |
Games drawn | 15 (13 Fourth Division, 1 FA Cup, 1 League Cup) |
Games lost | 17 (15 Fourth Division, 1 FA Cup, 1 League Cup) |
Goals scored | 67 (58 Fourth Division, 6 FA Cup, 3 League Cup) |
Goals conceded | 66 (56 Fourth Division, 6 FA Cup, 4 League Cup) |
Clean sheets | 17 (13 Fourth Division, 2 FA Cup, 2 League Cup) |
Biggest league win | 4–0 on two occasions |
Worst league defeat | 3–0 on four occasions |
Most appearances | 52, Peter Gelson (45 Fourth Division, 4 FA Cup, 3 League Cup) |
Top scorer (league) | 13, John Docherty |
Top scorer (all competitions) | 19, John Docherty |
References
|
---|
|
General | |
---|
History | |
---|
Grounds | |
---|
Affiliated clubs | |
---|
Players | |
---|
Rivalries | |
---|
|
---|
|
FA competitions | |
---|
Football League | |
---|
Lower leagues | |
---|
European competitions | |
---|
Related to national team | |
---|
Club seasons | First Division | |
---|
Second Division |
- Birmingham City
- Blackburn Rovers
- Bolton Wanderers
- Bristol City
- Bury
- Cardiff City
- Carlisle United
- Charlton Athletic
- Coventry City
- Crystal Palace
- Derby County
- Huddersfield Town
- Hull City
- Ipswich Town
- Millwall
- Northampton Town
- Norwich City
- Plymouth Argyle
- Portsmouth
- Preston North End
- Rotherham United
- Wolverhampton Wanderers
|
---|
Third Division |
- Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic
- Brighton & Hove Albion
- Bristol Rovers
- Colchester United
- Darlington
- Doncaster Rovers
- Gillingham
- Grimsby Town
- Mansfield Town
- Middlesbrough
- Oldham Athletic
- Orient
- Oxford United
- Peterborough United
- Queens Park Rangers
- Reading
- Scunthorpe United
- Shrewsbury Town
- Swansea City
- Swindon Town
- Torquay United
- Walsall
- Watford
- Workington
|
---|
Fourth Division |
- Aldershot
- Chesterfield
- Barrow
- Bradford City
- Bradford Park Avenue
- Brentford
- Chester City
- Chesterfield
- Crewe Alexandra
- Exeter City
- Halifax Town
- Hartlepools United
- Lincoln City
- Luton Town
- Newport County
- Notts County
- Port Vale
- Rochdale
- Southend United
- Southport
- Stockport County
- Tranmere Rovers
- Wrexham
- York City
|
---|
|