1944–45 Brentford F.C. season

During the 1944–45 English football season, Brentford competed in the Football League South, due to the cessation of competitive football for the duration of the Second World War. The Bees finished in a wartime-high of 3rd-place, scoring 100 goals in both the league and Football League War Cup, with forwards Len Townsend and Bob Thomas accounting for over half the team's total.

Brentford
1944–45 season
ChairmanFrank Davis
ManagerHarry Curtis
StadiumGriffin Park
Football League South3rd
Football League South War CupGroup stage
Top goalscorerLeague: Townsend (24)
All: Townsend (31)
Highest home attendance23,207
Lowest home attendance4,390
Average home league attendance25,768

Season summary
Former Brentford forward Ralph Shields died on 21 November 1944, while a prisoner of war.

The familiar pattern of player unavailability prevailed as Brentford entered the 1944–45 Football League South season, with 60 players eventually being used over the course of the league, cup and friendly matches during the campaign.[1] A number of the club's amateur players were pressed into service during the regular season, as were 30 guests, many of whom made three appearances or less.[2]

Aided by prolific scoring from forwards Len Townsend and Bob Thomas, Brentford rocketed along in the first half of the season, losing just four of 22 matches and posting big wins by margins of four, five and six goals.[2] The Bees' form evaporated when the Football League War Cup campaign got underway in February 1945, losing four of six matches to crash out in the group stage.[2] Brentford lost four of the remaining six league matches of the season, with the final match away to Watford (which had been postponed in January 1945) taking place after VE Day, which marked the end of the Second World War in Europe.[2]

On 21 November 1944, Ralph Shields became the second and final Brentford player to die while on service in the Second World War.[3] A forward between 1921 and 1922,[4] Shields had emigrated to Australia in 1927 and was serving as a private in the Australian Army Service Corps when he died as a prisoner of war in Sandakan Prisoner of War Camp, North Borneo on 21 November 1944.[5][6]

League table
Main article: 1944–45 in English football
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GR Pts
2 West Ham United 30 22 3 5 96 47 2.043 47
3 Brentford 30 17 4 9 87 57 1.526 38
4 Chelsea 30 16 5 9 100 55 1.818 37
Source: Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation

Results
Brentford's goal tally listed first.

Legend
Win Draw Loss

Football League South
No. DateOpponentVenueResult AttendanceScorer(s)
1 26 August 1944Brighton & Hove AlbionH6–2 6,000Townsend (2), Boulter, Hunt (2, 1 pen), Soo
2 2 September 1944PortsmouthA4–2 9,500Hunt, R. Thomas (2), Boulter
3 9 September 1944Chelsea H0–5 16,100
4 16 September 1944Luton TownA3–1 3,500Manley, Boulter, R. Thomas
5 23 September 1944Millwall H4–1 8,750Townsend (2), R. Thomas (2)
6 30 September 1944Aldershot H5–2 10,270Smith (2, 1 pen), Hunt, R. Thomas (2)
7 7 October 1944 Charlton Athletic A 4–0 7,143 Boulter (2), Townsend (2)
8 14 October 1944 Watford H 4–1 5,387 Townsend (2), R. Thomas (2), Hopkins
9 21 October 1944 Queens Park Rangers H 3–1 15,000 Rose (og), R. Thomas, Townsend
10 28 October 1944 Tottenham Hotspur H 2–2 23,207 R. Thomas, Soo
11 4 November 1944FulhamA2–0 25,000R. Thomas, Townsend
12 11 November 1944SouthamptonH0–1 11,080
13 18 November 1944Crystal PalaceH1–2 11,100Townsend
14 25 November 1944ReadingA4–4 6,000Hunt (2), Townsend (2)
15 2 December 1944Brighton & Hove AlbionA7–2 5,000Townsend (3), Smith, R. Thomas (2), Hunt
16 9 December 1944 Portsmouth H 7–1 9,550 C. Brown (2), Hunt (2, 1 pen), Townsend (2), Hopkins
17 16 December 1944 Chelsea A 2–0 24,500 Hunt, R. Thomas
18 23 December 1944Arsenal A2–5 18,527R. Thomas (2)
19 30 December 1944 Luton Town H 6–0 6,500 Townsend (4), R. Thomas, Smith
20 6 January 1945MillwallA0–0 5,438
21 13 January 1945 Aldershot A 1–0 4,000 Smith
22 20 January 1945Charlton AthleticH3–1 6,850Hunt, R. Thomas, Baynham
23 17 March 1945 Queens Park Rangers A 1–1 5,900 D. Thomas
24 24 March 1945Tottenham Hotspur H0–2 16,750
25 31 March 1945FulhamH2–3 8,780Hopkins, Smith
26 2 April 1945ArsenalH3–1 n/aR. Thomas (2), D. Thomas
27 14 April 1945 Southampton A 2–4 7,549 Hunt, Townsend
28 21 April 1945 Crystal Palace A 1–6 6,492 D. Thomas
29 28 April 1945ReadingH7–2 4,390R. Thomas (2), D. Thomas (2), Smith, Baynham (2)
30 19 May 1945 Watford A 1–5 2,563 Cheetham

Football League South War Cup
Round DateOpponentVenueResult AttendanceScorer(s)
Grp 3 February 1945Brighton & Hove AlbionH3–5 10,110Townsend (3)
Grp 10 February 1945MillwallA2–3 8,553R. Thomas, Hunt
Grp 17 February 1945FulhamA0–1 15,000
Grp 24 February 1945Brighton & Hove Albion A4–2 10,000Townsend (3), R. Thomas
Grp 3 March 1945MillwallH2–2 11,830Baynham, R. Thomas
Grp 10 March 1945FulhamH2–5 10,380Townsend, R. Thomas
  • Source: 100 Years Of Brentford[2]

Playing squad
Players' ages are as of the opening day of the 1944–45 season.
Pos. Name Nat. Date of birth (age) Signed from Signed in Notes
Goalkeepers
GK Reg Saunders (1920-07-29)29 July 1920 (aged 24) Uxbridge Town 1944 Amateur
Defenders
DF Buster Brown (1910-09-06)6 September 1910 (aged 33) Huddersfield Town 1937
DF Bill Gorman (1911-01-13)13 January 1911 (aged 33) Bury 1938
DF George Poyser (1910-02-06)6 February 1910 (aged 34) Port Vale 1934
Midfielders
HB Albert Ballard August 1923 (aged 20–21) Youth 1944
HB Ted Ballard (1920-06-16)16 June 1920 (aged 24) Hayes 1943 Amateur
HB Albert Hammond (1924-02-05)5 February 1924 (aged 20) Queens Park Rangers 1944 Amateur
HB Tom Manley (1912-10-07)7 October 1912 (aged 31) Manchester United 1939
HB Ernest Muttitt (1908-07-24)24 July 1908 (aged 36) Middlesbrough 1932 Guest for Chelsea
HB Billy Scott (1907-12-06)6 December 1907 (aged 36) Middlesbrough 1932
Forwards
FW Johnny Baynham (1918-04-21)21 April 1918 (aged 26) Youth 1939
FW Les Boulter (1913-08-31)31 August 1913 (aged 30) Charlton Athletic 1939
FW Cyril Brown (1918-05-25)25 May 1918 (aged 26) Felixstowe 1939
FW Tommy Cheetham (1910-10-11)11 October 1910 (aged 33) Queens Park Rangers 1939 Guest for Queens Park Rangers and West Ham United
FW Idris Hopkins (1910-10-11)11 October 1910 (aged 33) Crystal Palace 1932 Guest for West Ham United
FW Peter Sheldon April 1927 (aged 17) Youth 1944
FW Les Smith (1918-03-13)13 March 1918 (aged 26) Petersham 1934
FW Bob Thomas (1919-08-02)2 August 1919 (aged 25) Golders Green 1939 Guest for West Ham United
FW Len Townsend (1917-08-31)31 August 1917 (aged 26) Hayes 1937
Guest players
GK Johnny Boyd n/a Unattached 1945 Amateur, guest
GK Harry Brown (1924-04-09)9 April 1924 (aged 20) Queens Park Rangers 1944 Guest from Queens Park Rangers
GK John Jackson (1906-11-29)29 November 1906 (aged 37) Chelsea 1944 Guest from Chelsea
GK John Jones (1916-11-25)25 November 1916 (aged 27) Northampton Town 1944 Guest from Northampton Town
DF Arthur Banner (1918-06-28)28 June 1918 (aged 26) West Ham United 1945 Guest from West Ham United
DF Ralph Cowan n/a Rangers 1944 Guest from Rangers
DF Peter Croker (1921-12-21)21 December 1921 (aged 22) Charlton Athletic 1945 Guest from Charlton Athletic
DF Fred Dawes (1911-05-02)2 May 1911 (aged 33) Crystal Palace 1945 Guest from Crystal Palace
DF James Fullwood (1911-02-17)17 February 1911 (aged 33) Reading 1944 Guest from Reading
DF Les Goldberg (1918-01-03)3 January 1918 (aged 26) Leeds United 1944 Guest from Leeds United
DF Dick Jales (1922-04-03)3 April 1922 (aged 22) Bradford City 1945 Guest from Bradford City
DF Cliff Lloyd (1916-11-14)14 November 1916 (aged 27) Wrexham 1944 Guest from Wrexham
DF Reg Mountford (1908-07-16)16 July 1908 (aged 36) Huddersfield Town 1945 Guest from Huddersfield Town
HB Sam Briddon (1915-07-26)26 July 1915 (aged 29) Swansea Town 1944 Guest from Swansea Town
HB Matt Busby (1909-05-26)26 May 1909 (aged 35) Liverpool 1944 Guest from Liverpool
HB Ernie Collett (1914-11-17)17 November 1914 (aged 29) Arsenal 1945 Guest from Arsenal
HB Harold Hobbis (1913-03-09)9 March 1913 (aged 31) Charlton Athletic 1945 Guest from Charlton Athletic
HB Joe Jobling (1906-07-29)29 July 1906 (aged 38) Charlton Athletic 1945 Guest from Charlton Athletic
HB Duncan McKenzie (1912-08-10)10 August 1912 (aged 32) Middlesbrough 1945 Guest from Middlesbrough
HB Jack Oakes (1905-09-13)13 September 1905 (aged 38) Charlton Athletic 1945 Guest from Charlton Athletic
HB Taffy O'Callaghan (1906-10-06)6 October 1906 (aged 37) Fulham 1945 Guest from Fulham
HB Bobby Russell (1919-12-27)27 December 1919 (aged 24) Chelsea 1945 Guest from Chelsea
HB Frank Soo (1914-03-12)12 March 1914 (aged 30) Stoke City 1944 Guest from Stoke City
HB R. Tunnicliffe n/a Unattached 1945 Guest
HB Bill F. Whittaker (1911-04-18)18 April 1911 (aged 33) Kingstonian 1945 Guest from Kingstonian
HB Bill P. Whittaker (1922-12-20)20 December 1922 (aged 21) Charlton Athletic 1944 Guest from Charlton Athletic
FW Maurice Edelston (1918-04-27)27 April 1918 (aged 26) Reading 1944 Amateur, guest from Reading
FW Douglas Hunt (1914-05-19)19 May 1914 (aged 30) Sheffield Wednesday 1944 Guest from Sheffield Wednesday
FW Archie Livingstone (1915-11-15)15 November 1915 (aged 28) Bury 1945 Guest from Bury
FW Bert Stephens (1909-05-13)13 May 1909 (aged 35) Brighton & Hove Albion 1945 Guest from Brighton & Hove Albion
FW Maurice Tadman (1921-06-28)28 June 1921 (aged 23) Charlton Athletic 1945 Guest from Charlton Athletic
FW Dave Thomas (1917-07-06)6 July 1917 (aged 27) Plymouth Argyle 1944 Guest from Plymouth Argyle
  • Sources: Timeless Bees,[7] Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939,[8] 100 Years Of Brentford[2]

Coaching staff
Name Role
Harry Curtis Manager
Jimmy Bain Assistant Manager
Bob Kane Trainer
Jack Cartmell Assistant Trainer

Statistics

Appearances and goals
Brentford's highest appearance-makers in each position during the Football League South season.
Pos Nat Name League FL War Cup Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
GK Reg Saunders 3 0 — 3 0
DF Buster Brown29 0 6 0 35 0
DF Bill Gorman 2 0 4 0 6 0
DF George Poyser 20 0 6 0 26 0
HB Albert Ballard 1 0 — 1 0
HB Ted Ballard 1 0 — 1 0
HB Albert Hammond 1 0 — 1 0
HB Tom Manley 13 1 — 13 1
HB Ernest Muttitt 15 0 3 0 18 0
HB Billy Scott 2 0 1 0 3 0
FW Johnny Baynham 8 3 4 1 12 4
FW Les Boulter 12 5 — 12 5
FW Cyril Brown 2 2 2 0 4 2
FW Tommy Cheetham 2 1 — 2 1
FW Idris Hopkins 28 3 6 0 34 3
FW Peter Sheldon 1 0 — 1 0
FW Les Smith 20 7 1 0 21 7
FW Bob Thomas 28 23 5 4 33 27
FW Len Townsend 23 24 5 7 28 31
Players guested during the season
GK Johnny Boyd 1 0 1 0 2 0
GK Harry Brown 1 0 — 1 0
GK John Jackson 16 0 2 0 18 0
GK John Jones 9 0 3 0 12 0
DF Arthur Banner 1 0 1 0 2 0
DF Ralph Cowan 3 0 — 3 0
DF Peter Croker 1 0 — 1 0
DF Fred Dawes — 1 0 1 0
DF James Fullwood 1 0 — 1 0
DF Les Goldberg 1 0 — 1 0
DF Dick Jales — 1 0 1 0
DF Cliff Lloyd 2 0 — 2 0
DF Reg Mountford 1 0 — 1 0
HB Sam Briddon 5 0 — 5 0
HB Matt Busby 1 0 — 1 0
HB Ernie Collett 6 0 — 6 0
HB Harold Hobbis 1 0 — 1 0
HB Joe Jobling 1 0 — 1 0
HB Duncan McKenzie 4 0 — 4 0
HB Jack Oakes 2 0 — 2 0
HB Taffy O'Callaghan 1 0 — 1 0
HB Bobby Russell 1 0 — 1 0
HB Frank Soo 9 2 1 0 10 2
HB R. Tunnicliffe 1 0 — 1 0
HB Bill F. Whittaker 1 0 — 1 0
HB Bill P. Whittaker 18 0 4 0 24 0
FW Maurice Edelston 1 0 — 1 0
FW Douglas Hunt 21 12 5 1 26 13
FW Archie Livingstone 1 0 — 1 0
FW Bert Stephens 1 0 — 1 0
FW Maurice Tadman 1 0 — 1 0
FW Dave Thomas 6 5 4 0 10 5
  • Players listed in italics left the club mid-season.
  • Source: 100 Years Of Brentford[2]

Goalscorers
Pos. Nat Player FLS FLC Total
FW Len Townsend 24 7 31
FW Bob Thomas 23 4 27
FW Douglas Hunt 12 1 13
FW Les Smith 7 0 7
FW Les Boulter 5 — 5
FW Dave Thomas 5 0 5
FW Johnny Baynham 3 1 4
FW Idris Hopkins 3 0 3
FW Cyril Brown 2 0 2
HB Frank Soo 2 0 2
FW Tommy Cheetham 1 — 1
HB Tom Manley 1 — 1
Opponents 1 0 1
Total87 13 100
  • Players listed in italics left the club mid-season.
  • Source: 100 Years Of Brentford[2]

Wartime international caps
Pos. Nat Player Caps Goals Ref
FW Les Smith 5 2 [9]

Management
Name Nat From To Record All Comps Record League
PWDLW %PWDLW %
Harry Curtis 26 August 1944 19 May 1945 36 18 5 13 050.00|30 17 4 9 056.67

Summary
Games played36 (30 Football League South, 6 Football League War Cup)
Games won18 (17 Football League South, 1 Football League War Cup)
Games drawn5 (4 Football League South, 1 Football League War Cup)
Games lost13 (9 Football League South, 4 Football League War Cup)
Goals scored100 (87 Football League South, 13 Football League War Cup)
Goals conceded75 (57 Football League South, 18 Football League War Cup)
Clean sheets7 (6 Football League South, 0 Football League War Cup)
Biggest league win6–0 versus Luton Town, 30 December 1944; 7–1 versus Portsmouth, 9 December 1944
Worst league defeat5–0 versus Chelsea, 9 September 1944; 6–1 versus Crystal Palace, 21 April 1945
Most appearances35, Buster Brown (29 Football League South, 6 Football League War Cup)
Top scorer (league)23, Len Townsend
Top scorer (all competitions) 30, Len Townsend

Transfers & loans
Guest players' arrival and departure dates correspond to their first and last appearances of the season.
Players transferred in
Date Pos. Name Previous Club Fee Ref.
1944 HB Albert Hammond Queens Park Rangers Amateur [10]
Guest players in
Date from Pos. Name Previous Club Date to Ref.
26 August 1944 FW Douglas Hunt Sheffield Wednesday 28 April 1945 [2]
26 August 1944 HB Frank Soo Stoke City 10 February 1945 [2]
26 August 1944 HB Bill P. Whittaker Charlton Athletic 21 April 1945 [2]
2 September 1944 HB Sam Briddon Swansea Town 7 October 1944 [2]
16 September 1944 GK John Jones Northampton Town 17 February 1945 [2]
14 October 1944 GK Harry Brown Queens Park Rangers 14 October 1944 [2]
14 October 1944 DF Cliff Lloyd Wrexham 28 October 1944 [2]
21 October 1944 GK John Jackson Chelsea End of season [2]
23 December 1944 HB Matt Busby Liverpool 23 December 1944 [2]
23 December 1944 FW Maurice Edelston Reading 23 December 1944 [2]
23 December 1944 DF James Fullwood Reading 23 December 1944 [2]
23 December 1944 DF Les Goldberg Leeds United 23 December 1944 [2]
30 December 1944 DF Ralph Cowan Rangers 20 January 1945 [2]
13 January 1945 DF Reg Mountford Huddersfield Town 13 January 1945 [2]
17 February 1945 DF Arthur Banner West Ham United 24 March 1945 [2]
17 February 1945 FW Dave Thomas Plymouth Argyle End of season [2]
24 February 1945 DF Fred Dawes Crystal Palace 24 February 1945 [2]
10 March 1945 GK Johnny Boyd Unattached 28 April 1945 [2]
10 March 1945 DF Dick Jales Bradford City 10 March 1945 [2]
17 March 1945 DF Peter Croker Charlton Athletic 17 March 1945 [2]
17 March 1945 FW Archie Livingstone Bury 17 March 1945 [2]
17 March 1945 HB Jack Oakes Charlton Athletic 2 April 1945 [2]
24 March 1945 HB Bobby Russell Chelsea 24 March 1945 [2]
24 March 1945 HB R. Tunnicliffe Unattached 28 April 1945 [2]
31 March 1945 HB Harold Hobbis Charlton Athletic 31 March 1945 [2]
2 April 1945 HB Duncan McKenzie Middlesbrough 2 April 1945 [2]
14 April 1945 HB Taffy O'Callaghan Fulham End of season [2]
9 May 1945 HB Joe Jobling Charlton Athletic End of season [2]
9 May 1945 FW Bert Stephens Brighton & Hove Albion End of season [2]
9 May 1945 FW Maurice Tadman Charlton Athletic End of season [2]
9 May 1945 HB Bill F. Whittaker Kingstonian End of season [2]
Guest players out
Date from Pos. Name To Date to Ref.
26 August 1944 FW Bob Thomas West Ham United 26 August 1944 [11]
7 October 1944 FW Tommy Cheetham Queens Park Rangers 17 March 1945 [12]
5 May 1945 FW Idris Hopkins West Ham United 5 May 1945 [13]
12 May 1945 FW Tommy Cheetham West Ham United 12 May 1945 [14]
n/a DF Jimmy Anderson Hamilton Academical n/a [15]
n/a FW Fred Durrant Blackburn Rovers n/a [16]
n/a FW Ernest Muttitt Chelsea n/a [1]

References
  1. White 1989, p. 177.
  2. White, Eric, ed. (1989). 100 Years Of Brentford. Brentford FC. p. 378. ISBN 0951526200.
  3. Chapman, Mark; Briers, Paul. "BRENTFORD REMEMBERS WAR DEAD". www.brentfordfc.co.uk. Retrieved 25 June 2016.
  4. Haynes & Coumbe 2006, p. 144.
  5. "NSW. Paybook photograph, taken on enlistment, of NX57251 Private Ralph Shields, No. 2 Company, Australian Army Service Corps. He was one of over 2000 Allied prisoners of war (POW) held in the ..." Retrieved 25 June 2016.
  6. "Casualty Details: Ralph Shields". Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Retrieved 24 November 2017.
  7. Haynes, Graham; Coumbe, Frank (2006). Timeless Bees: Brentford F.C. Who's Who 1920–2006. Yore Publications. ISBN 978-0955294914.
  8. Joyce, Michael (2012). Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939. Nottingham: Tony Brown. ISBN 190589161X.
  9. "Les Smith". 11v11.com. Retrieved 23 June 2016.
  10. "Captures". The Brentford & Chiswick Times. 10 May 1946.
  11. "Robert [ww 2] Thomas". www.westhamstats.info. Retrieved 27 June 2016.
  12. "Seasonal Stats – Files – QPRnet – 1944–45". Retrieved 14 May 2019.
  13. "Idris [ww 2] Hopkins". www.westhamstats.info. Retrieved 26 June 2016.
  14. "Tom [ww 2] Cheetham". www.westhamstats.info. Retrieved 26 June 2016.
  15. Litster, John. Record of Pre-War Scottish League Players. Norwich: PM Publications.
  16. Haynes & Coumbe 2006, p. 51.
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