1900–01 Brentford F.C. season

During the 1900–01 English football season, Brentford competed in the Southern League Second Division. An unbeaten league season led to Brentford topping the division, before failing to beat Swindon Town in a promotion-relegation test match. Promotion was finally assured when the club was elected into the Southern League First Division in July 1901.

Brentford
1900–01 season
ChairmanWilliam Lewis
StadiumYork Road
Southern League Second Division1st (promoted)
FA CupFourth qualifying round
Top goalscorerLeague: Turnbull (15)
All: Turnbull (15)

Season summary

Despite the final implications of jumping the hurdle from amateur to professional status during the previous season, Brentford went into the 1900–01 Southern League Second Division campaign in a healthy state.[1] The club moved from Cross Roads (near South Ealing station) back to Brentford and would play their matches at Boston Park Cricket Club's ground York Road, a move which was beneficial for both clubs.[1] Harry Underwood, a member of the Brentford committee, also managed to persuade a number of local tradesmen, to whom the club owed over £100 (equivalent to £10,900 in 2021), to write off the debt.[1] Now under the charge of William Lewis as a team manager of sorts, Brentford trimmed down the playing staff and signed two new professional players – left back Harry Gilmour and inside forward Joe Turner.[1] Because of the reduction in size of the Southern League Second Division, Brentford also entered the London League to help generate revenue.[1]

Brentford began the Southern League season in fine form, but suffered a number of defeats in the early London League matches and consequently five new players were signed – goalkeeper Dave Clear, full back Jack Graham, half back William Hainsworth, inside right Roddy McLeod and centre forward Peter Turnbull.[1] McLeod and Turnbull proved to be master-stroke signings and along with existing forwards Ralph McElhaney, E. Andrews and Joe Turner, the quintet fired Brentford to an unbeaten Southern League season.[1] The Bees' 1st-place finish in the Second Division led to a test match at the end of the season versus Swindon Town, who had finished bottom of the First Division.[2] With Brentford needing to win to secure promotion and with the score at 0–0, the match at Elm Park went into extra time and was called off after 107 minutes due to bad light.[3]

In the aftermath of the abandoned test match, the Brentford committee resolved to apply for the place in the First Division left vacant by Bristol City, who had been elected into the Football League.[1] Brentford were passed over in favour of Northampton Town at the Southern League's AGM on 1 June, but Gravesend United's departure from the First Division due to financial problems in July led to Brentford's election into the First Division for the 1901–02 season.[1]

A number of club records were set during the season:[2]

  • Most Southern League away wins in a season: 7
  • Least Southern League home draws in a season: 1
  • Least Southern League defeats in a season: 0
  • Least Southern League home defeats in a season: 0
  • Least Southern League away defeats in a season: 0
  • Record Southern League win: 11–1 versus Wycombe Wanderers, 16 February 1901
  • Least goalscorers in all competitions in a Southern League season[3]

League table

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GR Pts Qualification or relegation
1 Brentford 16 14 2 0 63 11 5.727 30 Promotion test matches
2 Grays United 16 12 2 2 62 12 5.167 26
3 Sheppey United 16 8 1 7 44 26 1.692 17 Dropped into Kent League at end of season
4 Shepherds Bush 16 8 1 7 30 30 1.000 17
5 Fulham London 16 8 0 8 38 26 1.462 16
6 Chesham Town 16 5 1 10 26 39 0.667 11
7 Maidenhead 16 4 1 11 21 49 0.429 9
8 Wycombe Wanderers 16 4 1 11 23 68 0.338 9
9 Southall 16 4 1 11 22 68 0.324 9
Source:
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

No. DateOpponentVenueResultScorer(s)
1 29 September 1900FulhamA2–1Andrews, Turner
2 13 October 1900Chesham Town A3–0McLeod (2), Turner
3 20 October 1900SouthallH0–0
4 10 November 1900Shepherds BushH6–2Turnbull (2), Turner (2), McLeod (2)
5 24 November 1900Wycombe WanderersA4–1McElhaney, Turnbull (2), McLeod
6 22 December 1900MaidenheadA1–0McElhaney
7 29 December 1900 Sheppey United H 2–0 Harris, Turnbull
8 19 January 1901 Southall A 9–1 Turnbull (5), Andrews, McElhaney, Turner (2)
9 9 February 1901Grays UnitedA1–1Turnbull
10 16 February 1901Wycombe WanderersH11–1McElhaney (2), Andrews (2), Turner (3), Turnbull (2), McLeod (2)
11 2 March 1901FulhamH5–1Turner, Englefield (og), Andrews (2), McElhaney
12 9 March 1901Sheppey United A5–0Andrews, McElhaney, McLeod (2), Turnbull
13 18 March 1901Chesham Town H2–1Broughton, Andrews
14 30 March 1901Shepherds Bush A2–1McElhaney (2)
15 5 April 1901Maidenhead H8–0McLeod (3), McElhaney (2), Andrews (2), Turnbull
16 9 April 1901Grays United H2–1Turner, McLeod

Southern League Test Match

DateOpponentVenueResult Notes
29 April 1901 Swindon Town N0–0 (a.e.t.) [nb 1]

FA Cup

RoundDateOpponentVenueResult Scorer(s)
3QR 3 November 1900 Maidenhead A 3–1 Dailley, McLeod, Harris
4QR17 November 1900 Richmond Association A0–1
  • Source: 100 Years of Brentford[3]

Playing squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
GK  ENG Dave Clear
GK  ENG Louis Hare
DF  SCO Harry Gilmour
DF  ENG Jack Graham
DF  SCO John Haugh
DF  ENG Percy Swann
MF  ENG Frederick Broughton
MF  ENG William Hainsworth
MF  ENG Alfred Mattocks
MF  ENG W. Mayhew
MF  ENG Walter Neal
MF  ENG Billy Smith
No. Pos. Nation Player
FW  ENG E. Andrews
FW  ENG Henry Beagley
FW  ENG Richard Dailley
FW  ENG Harry Harris
FW  ENG W. Hickman
FW  ENG William Knight
MF  SCO Ralph McElhaney
FW  SCO Roddy McLeod
FW  ENG Alfred Townsend
FW  SCO Peter Turnbull
FW  ENG Joe Turner
  • Source: 100 Years of Brentford[3]

Statistics

Appearances

Clear
Gilmour
Broughton
Mattocks
Hainsworth
Turner
Andrews
Brentford's highest appearance-makers in each position during the Southern League season.

Goalscorers

Pos. Nat Player SL2 FAC TM Total
FW Peter Turnbull 15 0 0 15
FW Roddy McLeod 13 1 0 14
FW Ralph McElhaney 11 0 0 11
FW Joe Turner 11 0 0 11
FW E. Andrews 10 0 0 10
FW Harry Harris 1 1 0 2
HB Frederick Broughton10 01
Opponents 1 0 0 1
Total632 065
  • Players listed in italics left the club mid-season.
  • Source: 100 Years Of Brentford[3]

Management

Name From To Record All Comps Record League
PWDLW %PWDLW %
Committee 29 September 1900 29 April 1901 19 15 3 1 078.95 16 14 2 0 087.50

Summary

Games played19 (16 Southern League Second Division, 1 Southern League Test Match, 2 FA Cup)
Games won15 (14 Southern League Second Division, 0 Southern League Test Match, 1 FA Cup)
Games drawn3 (2 Southern League Second Division, 1 Southern League Test Match, 0 FA Cup)
Games lost1 (0 Southern League Second Division, 0 Southern League Test Match, 1 FA Cup)
Goals scored66 (63 Southern League Second Division, 0 Southern League Test Match, 3 FA Cup)
Goals conceded12 (11 Southern League Second Division, 0 Southern League Test Match, 1 FA Cup)
Clean sheets7 (6 Southern League Second Division, 1 Southern League Test Match, 0 FA Cup)
Biggest league win11–1 versus Wycombe Wanderers, 16 February 1901
Most appearances18, E. Andrews, Frederick Broughton, Ralph McElhaney, Joe Turner (16 Southern League Second Division, 1 Southern League Test Match, 1 FA Cup)
Top scorer (league)15, Peter Turnbull
Top scorer (all competitions)15, Peter Turnbull

Notes

  1. Match played at Elm Park, Reading. With the score at 0–0 after 107 minutes, the match was abandoned due to bad light.

References

  1. White, p. 74-76.
  2. Haynes, Graham (1998). A-Z Of Bees: Brentford Encyclopedia. Yore Publications. p. 119. ISBN 1 874427 57 7.
  3. White, Eric, ed. (1989). 100 Years Of Brentford. Brentford FC. pp. 355–365. ISBN 0951526200.
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