Season summary
Having spent much of the previous season rebuilding the unbalanced squad left by his predecessor John Docherty, Brentford manager Bill Dodgin Jr. shrugged off the disappointment of failing to agree a fee with Bristol City for John Bain and Terry Johnson's refusal to sign a new contract by bringing in goalkeeper Len Bond for £8,000 and midfielders Barry Lloyd and Willie Graham.[1] Expectations were high going into the 1977–78 Fourth Division season, with Dodgin's attractive brand of attacking football having led to 14 wins from the final 18 matches of the previous season.[1]
After a what was then becoming traditional first round exit of the League Cup,[1] Brentford had a strong start to the league season, going top on 22 August 1977 after a 4–1 victory over Fourth Division newcomers Wimbledon.[2] The three-pronged attack of forwards Gordon Sweetzer, Andrew McCulloch and midfielder Steve Phillips proved fruitful after 10 league matches and Phillips and Sweetzer topped the Fourth Division goalscoring chart with eight apiece.[1] Injuries to Gordon Sweetzer, Dave Carlton, John Fraser,[3] captain Jackie Graham and a suspension suffered by Andrew McCulloch nullified Brentford's threat through the Christmas period and the club dropped back into the upper reaches of mid-table.[1][2]
By mid-January 1978, Brentford began to recover and the £10,000 signing of full back Barry Tucker would prove to be the final piece of the jigsaw in manager Bill Dodgin Jr.'s starting XI.[1] A 4–0 win over Rochdale at Griffin Park on 6 March put the Bees back on the cusp of the promotion places for the first time since mid-December,[2] but the shock transfer of forward Gordon Sweetzer to Cambridge United two days later for a £30,000 fee was seen as a massive risk.[1] Sweetzer had scored 40 goals from his 72 appearances for the club over 18 months, but manager Dodgin felt that with Steve Phillips having scored 16 goals from midfield so far in the season, Phillips could move up to the forward line to partner Andrew McCulloch.[1] The decision proved to be a masterstroke, with Phillips scoring 16 goals in the final 15 matches of the season and promotion to the Third Division was secured with two matches still to play, after a 2–0 victory over Darlington at Griffin Park on 22 April.[1] Phillips' 36 goals meant that he finished the season as the top scorer in English league football,[1] while Andrew McCulloch and the departed Gordon Sweetzer supported ably with 22 and 14 goals respectively.[2]
One club record was equalled during the season:
- Highest away Football League aggregate score: 10 (6–4 versus Crewe Alexandra, 3 September 1977)[4]
League table
P = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GD = Goal difference; Pts = Points
Key | |
|
Division Champions, promoted |
|
Promoted |
|
New club in the league |
|
Re-elected |
|
Failed re-election |
Results
- Brentford's goal tally listed first.
No. |
Date | Opponent | Venue | Result |
Attendance | Scorer(s) |
1 |
20 August 1977 | Northampton Town | H | 3–0 |
5,492 | Lloyd, McCulloch, Phillips |
2 |
22 August 1977 | Wimbledon | H | 4–1 |
11,001 | McCulloch, Phillips, Sweetzer, Lloyd |
3 |
27 August 1977 | Reading | H | 1–1 |
8,176 | Sweetzer (pen) |
4 |
3 September 1977 | Crewe Alexandra | A | 6–4 |
1,837 | Collier (og), Carlton (2), Sweetzer (3) |
5 |
10 September 1977 | Bournemouth | H | 1–1 |
7,702 | Phillips |
6 |
13 September 1977 | Rochdale | A | 2–1 |
1,164 | McCulloch, Kruse |
7 |
17 September 1977 | Doncaster Rovers | A | 1–3 |
3,044 | Phillips |
8 |
24 September 1977 | Scunthorpe United | H | 2–0 |
6,115 | McCulloch, Phillips |
9 |
26 September 1977 | Stockport County | A | 1–1 |
4,121 | Sweetzer |
10 |
1 October 1977 | Halifax Town |
H | 4–1 |
6,239 | Phillips (2, 1 pen), J. Graham, Lloyd |
11 |
3 October 1977 | Watford |
H | 0–3 |
14,496 | |
12 |
8 October 1977 | Torquay United | A | 1–2 |
2,538 | McCulloch |
13 |
15 October 1977 | Southport | H | 0–0 |
6,141 | |
14 |
22 October 1977 | Hartlepool United | A | 1–3 |
2,470 | Phillips |
15 |
29 October 1977 | Southend United | H | 1–0 |
7,435 | McCulloch |
16 |
5 November 1977 | York City | H | 1–0 |
5,985 | Phillips |
17 |
12 November 1977 | Barnsley | A | 0–0 |
4,209 | |
18 |
19 November 1977 | Swansea City | H | 0–2 |
6,337 | |
19 |
2 December 1977 | Darlington | A | 3–1 |
2,058 | McCulloch, Phillips, Rolph |
20 |
10 December 1977 | Grimsby Town | H | 3–1 |
5,762 | McCulloch (2), Phillips |
21 |
26 December 1977 | Aldershot | A | 0–1 |
8,175 | |
22 |
27 December 1977 |
Newport County |
H |
3–3 |
8,972 |
Phillips (pen), Allder, Baldwin |
23 |
31 December 1977 | York City | A | 2–3 |
2,329 | McCulloch, Phillips |
24 |
2 January 1978 | Huddersfield Town |
H | 1–1 |
9,475 | Shrubb |
25 |
7 January 1978 | Wimbledon | A | 1–1 |
5,411 | Sweetzer |
26 |
14 January 1978 | Northampton Town | A | 2–2 |
4,050 | McCulloch (2) |
27 |
28 January 1978 | Crewe Alexandra |
H | 5–1 |
6,871 | McCulloch, Phillips (2, 1 pen), W. Graham, Sweetzer |
28 |
4 February 1978 | Bournemouth |
A | 2–3 |
3,417 | McCulloch, Sweetzer |
29 |
25 February 1978 | Halifax Town |
A | 1–1 |
1,764 | Carlton |
30 |
4 March 1978 |
Torquay United |
H |
3–0 |
6,551 |
Sweetzer (2, 1 pen), Darke (og) |
31 |
6 March 1978 | Rochdale | H | 4–0 |
7,215 | McCulloch, Phillips (2, 1 pen), Sweetzer, Lloyd |
32 |
11 March 1978 | Southport | A | 3–1 |
1,691 | Phillips (2), McCulloch |
33 |
14 March 1978 | Scunthorpe United |
A | 1–1 |
3,053 | Murray |
34 |
18 March 1978 | Hartlepool United | H | 2–0 |
7,499 | McCulloch, Phillips |
35 |
24 March 1978 | Southend United | A | 1–2 |
11,810 | Phillips |
36 |
25 March 1978 | Newport County | A | 2–1 |
4,953 | J. Graham, McCulloch |
37 |
27 March 1978 |
Aldershot |
H |
2–0 |
12,579 |
Phillips (2, 1 pen) |
38 |
1 April 1978 | Huddersfield Town | A | 3–1 |
6,345 | Phillips (3) |
39 |
3 April 1978 | Stockport County | H | 4–0 |
11,674 | Phillips (2), McCulloch (2) |
40 |
8 April 1978 | Barnsley | H | 2–0 |
12,139 | Allder, Phillips (pen) |
41 |
12 April 1978 | Reading | A | 0–0 |
7,384 | |
42 |
15 April 1978 | Swansea City | A | 1–2 |
16,152 | W. Graham |
43 |
18 April 1978 | Doncaster Rovers |
H | 2–2 |
11,512 | Phillips (2) |
44 |
22 April 1978 | Darlington |
H | 2–0 |
11,934 | McCulloch, Phillips (pen) |
45 |
25 April 1978 |
Watford |
A |
1–1 |
16,544 |
McCulloch |
46 |
29 April 1978 | Grimsby Town |
A | 1–2 |
4,712 | Phillips |
- Sources: 100 Years of Brentford,[5] The Big Brentford Book of the Seventies,[6] Statto
Playing squad
- Players' ages are as of the opening day of the 1977–78 season.
Statistics
Appearances and goals
- Substitute appearances in brackets.
- Players listed in italics left the club mid-season.
- Source: 100 Years of Brentford[5]
Goalscorers
- Players listed in italics left the club mid-season.
- Source: 100 Years of Brentford[5]
Management
Name |
Nat |
From |
To |
Record All Comps |
Record League |
P | W | D | L | W % | P | W | D | L | W % |
Bill Dodgin, Jr. |
|
13 August 1977 |
29 April 1978 |
7001500000000000000♠50 |
7001230000000000000♠23 |
7001140000000000000♠14 |
7001130000000000000♠13 |
07001460000000000000♠46.00 |
7001460000000000000♠46 |
7001210000000000000♠21 |
7001140000000000000♠14 |
7001110000000000000♠11 |
07001456500000000000♠45.65 |
Summary
Games played | 50 (46 Fourth Division, 2 FA Cup, 2 League Cup) |
Games won | 23 (21 Fourth Division, 1 FA Cup, 1 League Cup) |
Games drawn | 14 (14 Fourth Division, 0 FA Cup, 0 League Cup) |
Games lost | 13 (11 Fourth Division, 1 FA Cup, 1 League Cup) |
Goals scored | 92 (86 Fourth Division, 3 FA Cup, 3 League Cup) |
Goals conceded | 62 (54 Fourth Division, 2 FA Cup, 6 League Cup) |
Clean sheets | 15 (14 Fourth Division, 1 FA Cup, 0 League Cup) |
Biggest league win | 4–0 on two occasions; 5–1 versus Crewe Alexandra, 28 January 1978 |
Worst league defeat | 3–0 versus Watford, 3 October 1977 |
Most appearances | 50, Steve Phillips (42 Fourth Division, 2 FA Cup, 2 League Cup) |
Top scorer (league) | 32, Steve Phillips |
Top scorer (all competitions) | 36, Steve Phillips |
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 White, p. 305-308.
- 1 2 3 4 "Brentford results for the 1977-1978 season - Statto.com". Retrieved 11 February 2017.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Croxford, Lane & Waterman, p. 170-175.
- ↑ "Brentford scoring and sequence records - Statto.com". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 11 February 2017.
- 1 2 3 White, Eric, ed. (1989). 100 Years Of Brentford. Brentford FC. p. 394. ISBN 0951526200.
- ↑ Croxford, Lane & Waterman, p. 158-169.
- ↑ 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.
- 1 2 Haynes & Coumbe, p. 108.
- ↑ Croxford, Lane & Waterman, p. 190.
- ↑ Haynes & Coumbe, p. 97-98.
- 1 2 Croxford, Lane & Waterman, p. 295.
- ↑ Haynes, Graham (1998). A-Z Of Bees: Brentford Encyclopedia. Yore Publications. p. 16. ISBN 1 874427 57 7.
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