1915–16 season of Brentford F.C.
Brentford 1915–16 football season
Brentford 1915–16 season Chairman H. Jason-Saunders Secretary-Manager Fred Halliday Stadium Griffin Park London Combination Principle Tournament7th London Combination Supplementary Tournament 8th Top goalscorer League: White (13) All: White (13) Highest home attendance 5,000 Lowest home attendance 1,000
During the 1915–16 English football season, Brentford competed in the London Combination . In the first season of non-competitive wartime football during the First World War , the Bees finished in mid-table in each of the leagues run by the London Combination.
Season summary
Future Cardiff City captain Fred Keenor guested for Brentford in each wartime season.
Having ended the 1914–15 Southern League Second Division season £7,000 in debt (equivalent to £708,500 in 2024), the suspension of competitive football due to the ongoing First World War proved to be a blessing for Brentford , who were given the chance to face Football League clubs Chelsea , Tottenham Hotspur , Arsenal , Clapton Orient and Fulham in the wartime London Combination . Professionalism had also been abolished, meaning that the club needed only to pay its players expenses and in addition, the clubs of the London Combination were predominantly London -based, meaning those expenses would be lower than that of previous seasons. The squad had been decimated by the entry of players into the Army or munitions work, which meant that only goalkeeper Ted Price , full backs Dusty Rhodes and Bertie Rosier , half back Alf Amos and forwards Patsy Hendren and Henry White would play in the majority of Brentford's matches during the season.[ 2] White would top-score with 13 goals.[ 2]
Brentford began the London Combination's Principle Tournament strongly, losing just one of the first 10 matches, but the departure of the locally based Football Battalion to the Western Front robbed the club of a source of quality guest players. Local amateurs, guests and soldiers were brought in to plug gaps in the team, though a few guests did make notable contributions during the season – Swindon Town 's Bertie Denyer (9 goals in 9 appearances) and Middlesbrough 's Dick Wynn (8 goals in 20 appearances).[ 2] Middlesbrough proved to be a ready source of players, with former Brentford full back Joe Hisbent , half backs Henry Cook , George Malcolm and forward Harry Chapelhow also guesting.[ 2] Brentford finished the London Combination's two league competitions in mid-table, with the highlights being two West London derby wins versus Queens Park Rangers and wins over Football League clubs Clapton Orient, Arsenal and neighbours Fulham.[ 2]
Two former Brentford players died during the season:
League tables
London Combination Principle Tournament
London Combination Supplementary Tournament
Results
Brentford's goal tally listed first.
Legend
London Combination Principle Tournament
No.
Date
Opponent
Venue
Result
Scorer(s)
1
4 September 1915
West Ham United
H
2–1
Powell , F. Price
2
11 September 1915
Tottenham Hotspur
A
1–1
Sloley
3
18 September 1915
Crystal Palace
H
1–0
Keenor
4
25 September 1915
Queens Park Rangers
A
2–1
F. Price, Gregson
5
2 October 1915
Fulham
H
2–2
White , Sloley
6
9 October 1915
Clapton Orient
A
3–1
Sloley (3)
7
16 October 1915
Watford
H
1–2
Sloley (pen )
8
23 October 1915
Millwall
A
3–3
Gregson , White , Wynn
9
30 October 1915
Croydon Common
H
2–1
Allman (og ), Sloley
10
6 November 1915
Arsenal
A
1–3
Shaw (og )
11
13 November 1915
West Ham United
A
1–4
Hooper
12
20 November 1915
Tottenham Hotspur
H
1–1
Wynn
13
27 November 1915
Crystal Palace
A
0–1
14
4 December 1915
Queens Park Rangers
H
4–0
White , Hendren (2), Wynn
15
11 December 1915
Fulham
A
3–4
White (2), Wynn
16
18 December 1915
Clapton Orient
H
1–1
Denyer
17
25 December 1915
Chelsea
H
1–2
G. Curtis
18
27 December 1915
Chelsea
A
1–4
Malcolm
19
1 January 1916
Watford
A
1–3
Denyer
20
8 January 1916
Millwall
H
1–1
Wynn
21
15 January 1916
Croydon Common
A
2–2
Denyer (2)
22
22 January 1916
Arsenal
H
2–2
Chapelhow , Denyer
London Combination Supplementary Tournament
No.
Date
Opponent
Venue
Result
Scorer(s)
1
5 February 1916
Luton Town
A
3–4
White (2), Hendren
2
12 February 1916
Arsenal
H
2–1
Denyer , White
3
19 February 1916
Queens Park Rangers
A
1–1
Wynn
4
4 March 1916
West Ham United
A
2–4
Denyer (2)
5
11 March 1916
Croydon Common
H
3–1
Amos , Gordon, Hooper
6
18 March 1916
Arsenal
A
2–5
Denyer , Hooper
7
25 March 1916
Queens Park Rangers
H
4–0
Wynn , Hooper (2), Sloley
8
1 April 1916
Crystal Palace
A
3–6
Sloley (2), Hendren
9
8 April 1916
West Ham United
H
1–3
White
10
15 April 1916
Croydon Common
A
0–0
11
21 April 1916
Fulham
H
2–1
White , Wynn , (pen )
12
24 April 1916
Fulham
A
0–1
13
29 April 1916
Luton Town
H
0–3
14
6 May 1916
Crystal Palace
H
6–3
Knight (2, 1 pen ), White (3), Trumper
Source: 100 Years Of Brentford [ 2]
Playing squad
Players' ages are as of the opening day of the 1915–16 season.
Sources: 100 Years of Brentford,[ 2] Timeless Bees,[ 5] Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939[ 6]
Coaching staff
Statistics
Appearances and goals
Brentford's highest appearance-makers in each position during the London Combination season.
Players listed in italics left the club mid-season.
Source: 100 Years of Brentford [ 2]
Goalscorers
Players listed in italics left the club mid-season.
Source: 100 Years of Brentford [ 2]
Management
Name
Nat
From
To
Record All Comps
Record League (Principle)
Record League (Suppl.)
P
W
D
L
W %
P
W
D
L
W %
P
W
D
L
W %
Fred Halliday
4 September 1915
6 May 1916
36
11
10
15
0 30.56
14
5
2
7
0 35.71
22
6
8
8
0 27.27
Summary
Games played
36 (22 London Combination Principle Tournament, 14 London Combination Supplementary Tournament)
Games won
11 (5 London Combination Principle Tournament, 6 London Combination Supplementary Tournament)
Games drawn
10 (2 London Combination Principle Tournament, 8 London Combination Supplementary Tournament)
Games lost
15 (7 London Combination Principle Tournament, 8 London Combination Supplementary Tournament)
Goals scored
65 (36 London Combination Principle Tournament, 29 London Combination Supplementary Tournament)
Goals conceded
73 (40 London Combination Principle Tournament, 33 London Combination Supplementary Tournament)
Clean sheets
4 (2 London Combination Principle Tournament, 2 London Combination Supplementary Tournament)
Biggest win
4–0 on two occasions
Worst defeat
3–0 versus Luton Town , 29 April 1916; 4–1 on two occasions; 5–2 versus Arsenal , 18 March 1916; 6–3 versus Crystal Palace , 1 April 1916
Most appearances
35, Ted Price (22 London Combination Principle Tournament, 13 London Combination Supplementary Tournament)
Top scorer
13, Henry White
Transfers & loans
Guest players' arrival and departure dates correspond to their first and last appearances of the season.
References