1941–42_Brentford_F.C._season

1941–42 Brentford F.C. season

1941–42 Brentford F.C. season

1941–42 season of Brentford F.C.

During the 1941–42 English football season, Brentford competed in the London League, due to the cessation of competitive football for the duration of the Second World War. Despite scoring over 80 goals in what proved to be a forgettable league season, the Bees won the London War Cup with what was the club's only victory at the old Wembley Stadium.

Quick Facts Chairman, Manager ...

Season summary

Pre-war Brentford wing half Tally Sneddon returned to the club as a guest from Swansea Town in January 1942.

With the Second World War in full swing, the Football League's London clubs took a stand against the Football League and its upcoming regional competition for the 1941–42 season, citing the financial difficulties of raising a team during wartime and having to travel long distances to away matches.[1] The rebel clubs broke away and competed in the London League during the 1941–42 season,[1] which led to their expulsion from the Football League.[2] Brentford began the season with a heavily depleted squad, with no goalkeeper available for the entirety of the season and just five of the club's 12 available outfield players made over 30 appearances during the 40-match campaign.[3] Despite 16 goals in 19 appearances and 14 in 24 from returning guest forwards Eddie Perry and Douglas Hunt respectively,[3] Brentford finished 9th of 16 teams in the London League.[4] The team scored 80 goals, but the lack of a first team goalkeeper saw eight guests wear the jersey and concede 76 goals between them.[4]

After finishing as runners-up in the previous season's London War Cup,[5] attentions turned to the 1941–42 edition of the competition when the group stage kicked off on 21 March 1942.[3] Aided by goals from all across the forward line,[3] Brentford finished the group stage as unbeaten leaders.[6] The Bees faced Arsenal in the semi-final at Stamford Bridge and drew 0–0.[3] The two teams met again for the replay White Hart Lane a fortnight later, with goals from George Wilkins, Douglas Hunt and a late penalty save from John Jackson ensuring Brentford's passage through to the final versus Portsmouth.[1] The two clubs faced off at Wembley Stadium on 30 May and a brace from Les Smith saw the Bees run out 2–0 winners, in what was the Bees' only victory at the old Wembley Stadium.[7] The 69,792 crowd is still the largest attendance at any Brentford match.[8] Brentford and Wolverhampton Wanderers met in a North versus South cup winners' charity match a week later, with the 1–1 draw at Stamford Bridge bringing an end to the 1941–42 season.[3]

On the night of 1/2 March 1942, Percy Saunders, a pre-war Brentford player, was killed when his ship was torpedoed in the Indian Ocean.[9] The inside forward had made his final appearance for the club in January 1940 and was serving as a sergeant in the 18th Divisional Workshops of the Royal Army Ordnance Corps.[10] Saunders was the only former Brentford player to be killed in action during the Second World War.[10]

League tables

London League

Main article: 1942–43 in English football
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Source: Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation

London War Cup Group 2

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Source: A Record Of British Wartime Football[6]

Results

Brentford's goal tally listed first.

Legend

Win Draw Loss

London League

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London War Cup

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War Cup Winners' Match

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  • Source: 100 Years Of Brentford[3]

Playing squad

Players' ages are as of the opening day of the 1941–42 season.
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  • Sources: Timeless Bees,[11] Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939,[12] 100 Years Of Brentford[3]

Coaching staff

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Statistics

Appearances and goals

Brentford's highest appearance-makers in each position during the Football League South season.
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  • 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]

Wartime international caps

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Management

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Summary

Games played40 (30 London League, 9 London War Cup, 1 War Cup Winners' Match)
Games won20 (14 London League, 6 London War Cup, 0 War Cup Winners' Match)
Games drawn6 (2 London League, 3 London War Cup, 1 War Cup Winners' Match)
Games lost14 (14 London League, 0 London War Cup, 0 War Cup Winners' Match)
Goals scored102 (80 London League, 21 London War Cup, 1 War Cup Winners' Match)
Goals conceded87 (76 London League, 10 London War Cup, 1 War Cup Winners' Match)
Clean sheets3 (0 London League, 3 London War Cup, 0 War Cup Winners' Match)
Biggest league win6–1 versus Watford, 22 November 1941
Worst league defeat5–0 versus West Ham United, 15 November 1941
Most appearances40, Buster Brown (29 London League, 9 London War Cup, 1 War Cup Winners' Match)
Top scorer (league)16, Eddie Perry
Top scorer (all competitions) 20, Eddie Perry

Transfers & loans

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

Notes

  1. [N 1]
    Match played at Stamford Bridge, London.
  2. [N 2]
    Match played at White Hart Lane, London.
  3. [N 3]
    Match played at Wembley Stadium, London.

References

  1. [1]
    White 1989, p. 171-173.
  2. [2]
    "On This Day in History: Brentford joins the Football League". www.brentfordfc.com. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
  3. [3]
    White, Eric, ed. (1989). 100 Years Of Brentford. Brentford FC. p. 376. ISBN 0951526200.
  4. [4]
    "England 1941/42". RSSSF. Retrieved 21 June 2016.
  5. [5]
    White 1989, p. 169-170.
  6. [6]
    McColl, Brian (2014). A Record of British Wartime Football. lulu.com. p. 149. ISBN 1291840893.
  7. [7]
    "Brentford FC History". www.brentfordfc.co.uk. Retrieved 21 June 2016.
  8. [8]
    Haynes, Graham (1998). A-Z Of Bees: Brentford Encyclopedia. Harefield, Middlesex: Yore Publications. p. 84. ISBN 1 874427 57 7.
  9. [9]
    Haynes & Coumbe 2006, p. 141.
  10. [10]
    White 1989, p. 375.
  11. [11]
    Haynes, Graham; Coumbe, Frank (2006). Timeless Bees: Brentford F.C. Who's Who 1920–2006. Yore Publications. ISBN 978-0955294914.
  12. [12]
    Joyce, Michael (2012). Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939. Nottingham: Tony Brown. ISBN 190589161X.
  13. [13]
    "Dai Hopkins". 11v11.com. Retrieved 23 May 2016.
  14. [14]
    "Les Smith". 11v11.com. Retrieved 20 June 2016.
  15. [15]
    "Hibernian Player Joseph Crozier, Games Played". www.fitbastats.com. Retrieved 26 June 2016.
  16. [16]
    Vickers, John. "Tommy Cheetham". The Lincoln City FC Archive. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 26 June 2016.
  17. [17]
    "Seasonal Stats – Files – 1941–42". QPRnet. Retrieved 14 May 2019.
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