1914–15_Brentford_F.C._season

1914–15 Brentford F.C. season

1914–15 Brentford F.C. season

1914–15 season of Brentford F.C.

During the 1914–15 English football season, Brentford competed in the Southern League Second Division. The season began one month after Britain entered the First World War, which unsettled the squad as players left to undertake military or munitions duties. The Bees finished in mid-table in what would be the club's last season of competitive football until 1919–20.

Quick Facts Chairman, Manager ...

Season summary

Player-manager Dusty Rhodes stood down at the end of the season to serve in the Royal Army Pay Corps.[1]

Brentford's players were due to report back for pre-season training during the week beginning 3 August 1914, but those preparations were disrupted by Britain's declaration of war on Germany on 4 August.[2] Just two players had been signed, forwards Jack Curtis and Stephen Stonley.[2] As the season got underway, Brentford lost just two of the first 10 Southern League Second Division matches,[3] but by that point it had become obvious that the war would not be over by Christmas as predicted.[2] Beginning in mid-October 1914, the squad was decimated by departures to serve in the army (Kent, Sloley, Hendren, Amos), work in munitions at the Royal Arsenal (McGovern, Johnson, Stonley) or on transfers (J. Curtis, Spratt).[2][4] Reserves, guest players, free transfers and local amateurs were brought in to plug gaps in the squad, with full back Fred Price, half backs Mick O'Brien, Charles Allwright and forwards Michael Donaghy, Walter Chalk, F. Arnold and Charles Hibbert making up for the departures of the professionals in the second half of the season.[3] Amateur Walter Chalk would become something of a minor success, scoring six goals in 9 appearances.[3]

Notably, a 10–0 win over Abertillery on 28 November 1914 set a new club record, but the result was declared void two days later when Abertillery resigned from the Southern League.[2] Earlier wins over Leyton and Mardy were also chalked off when those clubs also left the league.[3] Brentford won just three of the final 15 matches of the season, with the one bright spot being the emergence of inside right Henry White.[3] Low attendances meant the Bees finished a mid-table season £7,000 in debt (equivalent to £596,800 in 2024) and 1914–15 would become the final season of competitive football until 1919–20, after the war ended in November 1918.[2]

Three former Brentford players died during the season:

League table

Main article: 1914–15 Southern Football League § Division Two

More information Pos, Pld ...
Source: [citation needed]
Rules for classification: The system of using goal average to separate two teams tied on points was used up 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 Second Division

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FA Cup

Main article: 1914–15 FA Cup
More information Round, Date ...
  • Source: 100 Years Of Brentford[3]

Playing squad

Players' ages are as of the opening day of the 1914–15 season.
More information Pos., Name ...
  • Sources: 100 Years of Brentford,[3] Timeless Bees,[9] Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939,[10] Bees Review[4]

Coaching staff

More information Name, Role ...

Statistics

Appearances and goals

Rhodes (c)
Barclay
Arnold
Brentford's highest appearance-makers in each position during the Southern League season.
More information Pos, Nat ...
  • Players listed in italics left the club mid-season.
  • Source: 100 Years of Brentford[3]

Goalscorers

More information Pos., Nat ...
  • Players listed in italics left the club mid-season.
  • Source: 100 Years of Brentford[3]

Management

More information Name, Nat ...

Summary

Games played27 (24 Southern League Second Division, 3 FA Cup)
Games won9 (8 Southern League Second Division, 1 FA Cup)
Games drawn8 (7 Southern League Second Division, 1 FA Cup)
Games lost10 (9 Southern League Second Division, 1 FA Cup)
Goals scored36 (35 Southern League Second Division, 1 FA Cup)
Goals conceded46 (45 Southern League Second Division, 1 FA Cup)
Clean sheets9 (8 Southern League Second Division, 1 FA Cup)
Biggest league win6–0 versus Pontypridd, 10 April 1915
Worst league defeat8–0 versus Swansea Town, 3 April 1915
Most appearances26, Alf Amos (23 Southern League Second Division, 3 FA Cup)
Top scorer (league)7, Henry White
Top scorer (all competitions)7, Henry White

Transfers & loans

Guest players' arrival and departure dates correspond to their first and last appearances of the season.
More information Players transferred in, Date ...

References

  1. [1]
    Haynes & Coumbe 2006, p. 175.
  2. [2]
    White 1989, p. 104-106.
  3. [3]
    White, Eric, ed. (1989). 100 Years Of Brentford. Brentford FC. p. 363. ISBN 0951526200.
  4. [4]
    Bees Review: Brentford Official Matchday Programme vs Hull City. Milton Keynes: Regal Sports Press. 3 November 2015. pp. 61–67.
  5. [5]
    "Casualty Details: Harry Gould". Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Retrieved 2 October 2017.
  6. [6]
    "Brentford Remembers three more players that made the ultimate sacrifice". www.brentfordfc.com. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  7. [7]
    "England Matches – The Amateurs 1906–1939". www.englandfootballonline.com. Retrieved 15 November 2016.
  8. [8]
    "Casualty Details: George Albert Littler". Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Retrieved 15 November 2016.
  9. [9]
    Haynes, Graham; Coumbe, Frank (2006). Timeless Bees: Brentford F.C. Who's Who 1920–2006. Yore Publications. ISBN 978-0955294914.
  10. [10]
    Joyce, Michael (2012). Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939. Nottingham: Tony Brown. ISBN 190589161X.
  11. [11]
    The Southern Football League – Season 1914–15 – Players Registered or Transferred from June 1st to June 30th 1914. 1915.
  12. [12]
    The Southern Football League – Season 1914–15 – Players Registered or Transferred from July 1st to July 31st 1914. 1915.
  13. [13]
    The Southern Football League – Season 1914–15 – Players Registered or Transferred from August 1st to August 31st 1914. 1915.
  14. [14]
    The Southern Football League – Season 1914–15 – Players Registered or Transferred from September 1st to September 30th 1914. 1915.
  15. [15]
    "The Football Association – Season 1914–15 – Summary Of Professional Registrations". Sky is Blue – The Chesterfield FC history resource. Archived from the original on 29 June 2021. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  16. [16]
    The Southern Football League – Season 1914–15 – Players Registered or Transferred from October 1st to October 31st 1914. 1915.
  17. [17]
    The Southern Football League – Season 1914–15 – Players Registered or Transferred from November 1st to November 30th 1914. 1915.
  18. [18]
    The Southern Football League – Season 1914–15 – Players Registered or Transferred from January 1st to February 28th 1915. 1915.
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