1988–89 Brentford F.C. season

During the 1988–89 English football season, Brentford competed in the Football League Third Division. The gruelling 63-match season is best remembered for the Bees' run to the sixth round of the FA Cup. Brentford narrowly failed to qualify for the play-offs, but the club's final placing of 7th was its highest in the league pyramid since the 1964–65 season.

Brentford
1988–89 season
ChairmanMartin Lange
Player-managerSteve Perryman
StadiumGriffin Park
Third Division7th
FA CupSixth round
League CupSecond round
Football League TrophySemi-final
Top goalscorerLeague: Cadette (12)
All: Cadette (17)
Highest home attendance12,100
Lowest home attendance3,194
Average home league attendance5,682

Season summary

After a disappointing end to what was a positive first full season in charge, Brentford manager Steve Perryman identified that his principle starting XI would be complete with a creative winger and a reliable goalscoring forward.[1] Perryman broke the Bees' incoming transfer record in July 1988, after spending £77,500 on Sheffield United forward Richard Cadette.[2] Perryman brought experienced winger Neil Smillie back to Griffin Park, 11 years after Smillie had initially played for the Bees on loan.[3] Also arriving at Griffin Park was goalkeeper Tony Parks from Tottenham Hotspur for a £60,000 fee and replaced Gary Phillips, who joined Reading for £25,000.[2] On the eve of the season, right back Roger Joseph, who had been named in the 1987–88 Third Division PFA Team of the Year, joined Wimbledon for a new club record outgoing transfer fee of £150,000.[3]

Brentford enjoyed one of the most exciting seasons in years, producing some notable results in both the Third Division and the cup competitions.[4] The Bees trod water in mid-table for most of the season, before a run of eight wins and two draws from a 10-match spell in March and April 1989 raised the club to 7th position, one place outside the play-off zone,[5] despite the club record £350,000 sale of influential midfielder Andy Sinton to Queens Park Rangers.[2] Two consecutive defeats in early May left Brentford in 9th place, still with a chance of a play-off finish going into the final two matches of the season,[5] but a 1–1 draw with Swansea City at Griffin Park in the penultimate match of the season ended any mathematical chances.[6] Despite drawing the final match of the season, defeats for former play-off-contending rivals Chester City and Notts County raised Brentford to a credible 7th-place finish.[5]

In the cup competitions, Brentford advanced to the second round of the League Cup and the Southern Area semi-finals of the Football League Trophy.[5] Notably the Bees faced local rivals Fulham in both competitions and in the Third Division, winning two, drawing two and losing one of the five matches between the sides during the season.[5] In the FA Cup, Brentford advanced to the sixth round for the first time since the 1948–49 season.[7] Non-league club Halesowen Town were dispatched in the first round, but it took replays to see off Peterborough United and Walsall in the second and third rounds respectively.[5] The Bees faced high-flying Second Division club Manchester City in the fourth round at a sold-out Griffin Park and emerged 3–1 victors thanks to a Gary Blissett brace and one goal from Keith Jones.[8] Brentford also drew promotion-chasing Second Division opposition in the fifth round – Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park.[8] 3,000 travelling supporters watched Brentford hold Rovers at 0–0 until the 80th minute, when Gary Blissett scored the first of the only two goals of the match to put the Bees into the hat for the sixth round.[8] Brentford were drawn against First Division giants Liverpool at Anfield, for a match which would be one of the club's biggest occasions of the postwar era.[8] Steve McMahon opened the scoring after 15 minutes and the Bees held firm until midway through the second half, when three Liverpool goals in a 16-minute spell saw the match finish with an unflattering 4–0 scoreline.[8]

Centre back Terry Evans missed just one match during the season and finished with 62 appearances, the club record for a player in a single season.[9]

League table
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion or relegation
5 Bristol Rovers 46 19 17 10 67 51 +16 74 Participated in play-offs
6 Preston North End 46 19 15 12 79 60 +19 72
7 Brentford 46 18 14 14 66 61 +5 68
8 Chester City 46 19 11 16 64 61 +3 68
9 Notts County 46 18 13 15 64 54 +10 67
Source:

Results
Brentford's goal tally listed first.

Legend
Win Draw Loss

Pre-season
DateOpponentVenueResult AttendanceScorer(s) Notes
23 July 1988Barreirense N1–2 n/aSinton [nb 1]
25 July 1988Estoril N0–1 n/a [nb 1]
27 July 1988Montijo N4–3 n/aPyle (2), Cockram, Obi [nb 1]
29 July 1988Estrela da Amadora N1–0 n/aCadette [nb 1]
13 August 1988OrientA4–1 n/aBirch (2), Sinton (pen), Jones
15 August 1988Maidenhead UnitedA3–0 612Cadette (2), Feeley
19 August 1988BournemouthH1–0 1,117Blissett

Football League Third Division
No. DateOpponentVenueResult AttendanceScorer(s)
1 27 August 1988Huddersfield TownH1–0 5,016Cockram
2 3 September 1988Northampton TownA0–1 4,488
3 10 September 1988Wigan AthleticH1–1 4,081Blissett
4 17 September 1988Swansea CityA1–1 5,015Millen
5 21 September 1988Bristol RoversA2–1 3,836Cadette (2)
6 24 September 1988Sheffield UnitedH1–4 6,577Sinton (pen)
7 1 October 1988GillinghamH1–0 4,839Sinton (pen)
8 5 October 1988Chester CityA2–3 1,999Blissett, Cadette
9 9 October 1988Southend United H4–0 5,016Evans, Sinton (2), Cockram
10 15 October 1988BuryA1–3 2,359Cockram
11 22 October 1988Preston North EndH0–2 5,584
12 25 October 1988ChesterfieldA2–2 1,876Cadette (2)
13 29 October 1988Port ValeH2–1 5,212Jones, Holdsworth
14 5 November 1988ReadingA2–2 7,974Sinton (2, 1 pen)
15 8 November 1988Notts CountyH2–1 4,013Cadette (2)
16 21 November 1988Mansfield TownA0–1 3,196
17 25 November 1988Cardiff City A0–1 3,405
18 3 December 1988Bolton WanderersH3–0 4,628Cadette (2), Evans
19 18 December 1988AldershotA0–0 4,012
20 26 December 1988Blackpool H1–0 6,021Sinton
21 31 December 1988Wolverhampton WanderersH2–2 8,020Godfrey, Jones
22 2 January 1989FulhamA3–3 8,120Sinton, Godfrey, Cadette
23 14 January 1989Northampton TownH2–0 6,043Cadette, Stanislaus
24 21 January 1989Wigan AthleticA1–1 2,514Sinton
25 4 February 1989GillinghamA0–0 4,002
26 11 February 1989Chester City H0–1 5,748
27 25 February 1989BuryH2–2 6,077Godfrey, Blissett
28 28 February 1989ChesterfieldH1–0 4,192Cadette
29 4 March 1989Preston North End A3–5 8,191Ratcliffe, Bates, Godfrey
30 11 March 1989ReadingH3–2 6,866Millen, Evans, Sinton (pen)
31 13 March 1989 Port Vale A 2–3 5,577 Godfrey, Millen
32 24 March 1989Fulham H0–1 10,851
33 27 March 1989 Blackpool A 3–0 3,305 Godfrey, Cockram (2, 1 pen)
28 1 April 1989 Aldershot H 2–1 5,200 Jones, Sealy
29 4 April 1989Bristol CityH3–0 4,627Sealy (2), Cockram (pen)
35 8 April 1989Wolverhampton WanderersA0–2 14,356
34 11 April 1989Bristol CityA1–0 4,339Evans
39 15 April 1989Bristol Rovers H2–1 7,558Blissett, Smillie
40 18 April 1989Southend United A1–1 4,194Smillie
41 22 April 1989 Sheffield United A 2–2 12,613 Sealy, Godfrey
36 25 April 1989Huddersfield TownA2–1 3,538Godfrey, Blissett
42 29 April 1989Mansfield TownH1–0 5,231Cockram
45 1 May 1989Notts CountyA0–3 4,989
46 6 May 1989Bolton WanderersA2–4 4,627Ansah (2)
43 9 May 1989Swansea City H1–1 4,415Blissett
44 13 May 1989Cardiff City H1–1 4,865Evans

FA Cup
Main article: 1988–89 FA Cup
RoundDateOpponentVenueResult Attendance Scorer(s)
1R 19 November 1988 Halesowen Town H 2–0 4,514 Evans, Sinton
2R 10 December 1988 Peterborough United A 0–0 5,609
2R (replay) 14 December 1988 Peterborough United H 3–2 5,605 Cadette, Cockram, Smillie
3R 7 January 1989 Walsall A 1–1 5,375 Jones
3R (replay) 10 January 1989 Walsall H 1–0 8,163 Cockram
4R 28 January 1989 Manchester City H 3–1 12,100 Blissett (2), Jones
5R 18 February 1989 Blackburn Rovers A 2–0 15,280 Blissett (2)
6R18 March 1989Liverpool A0–4 42,376

Football League Cup
Main article: 1988–89 Football League Cup
RoundDateOpponentVenueResult Attendance Scorer(s)
R1 (1st leg) 30 August 1988 Fulham A 2–2 5,489 Sinton, Stanislaus
R1 (2nd leg) 6 September 1988 Fulham H 1–0 (won 3–2 on aggregate) 7,707 Blissett
R2 (1st leg) 27 September 1988 Blackburn Rovers A 1–3 4,606 Blissett
R2 (2nd leg) 12 October 1988 Blackburn Rovers H 4–3 (lost 5–6 on aggregate) 3,844 Cadette (2), Sinton, Jones

Football League Trophy
RoundDateOpponentVenueResult Attendance Scorer
SPR (match 1) 22 November 1988 Fulham A 2–0 2,376 Blissett, Cadette
SPR (match 2) 29 November 1988 Gillingham H 2–0 3,713 Blissett, Cockram
SR1 17 January 1989 Notts County H 2–0 3,194 Godfrey, Cadette
SQF 21 February 1989 Chesterfield A 1–0 4,207 Cadette
SSF 21 March 1989 Torquay United H 0–1 5,802
  • Sources: 100 Years of Brentford,[10] The Big Brentford Book of the Eighties,[8] Statto

Playing squad
Players' ages are as of the opening day of the 1988–89 season.
Pos. Name Nat. Date of birth (age) Signed from Signed in Notes
Goalkeepers
GK Tony Parks (1963-01-26)26 January 1963 (aged 25) Tottenham Hotspur 1988
GK Jeremy Roberts (1966-11-24)24 November 1966 (aged 21) Darlington 1988
Defenders
DF Jamie Bates (1968-02-24)24 February 1968 (aged 20) Youth 1986
DF John Buttigieg (1963-10-05)5 October 1963 (aged 24) Sliema Wanderers 1988
DF Jason Cousins (1970-10-04)4 October 1970 (aged 17) Youth 1989
DF Terry Evans (1965-04-12)12 April 1965 (aged 23) Hillingdon 1985
DF Andy Feeley (1961-09-30)30 September 1961 (aged 26) Leicester City 1987
DF Marcus Gayle (1970-09-27)27 September 1970 (aged 17) Youth 1988
DF Colin Lee (1956-06-12)12 June 1956 (aged 32) Chelsea 1987 Youth Development Officer
DF Keith Millen (1966-09-26)26 September 1966 (aged 21) Youth 1985
DF Graham Pearce (1959-07-08)8 July 1959 (aged 29) Farnborough Town 1988
DF Roger Stanislaus (1968-11-02)2 November 1968 (aged 19) Arsenal 1987
Midfielders
MF Allan Cockram (1963-10-08)8 October 1963 (aged 24) St Albans City 1988
MF Andy Driscoll (1971-10-21)21 October 1971 (aged 16) Youth 1989
MF Kevin Godfrey (1960-02-24)24 February 1960 (aged 28) Leyton Orient 1988
MF Keith Jones (c) (1965-10-14)14 October 1965 (aged 22) Chelsea 1987
MF Steve Perryman (1951-12-21)21 December 1951 (aged 36) Oxford United 1986 Manager
MF Simon Ratcliffe (1967-02-08)8 February 1967 (aged 21) Norwich City 1989
MF Neil Smillie (1958-07-19)19 July 1958 (aged 30) Reading 1988
Forwards
FW Andy Ansah (1969-03-19)19 March 1969 (aged 19) Dorking 1989
FW Gary Blissett (1964-05-29)29 May 1964 (aged 24) Crewe Alexandra 1987
FW Richard Cadette (1965-03-21)21 March 1965 (aged 23) Sheffield United 1988
FW Jon Purdie (1967-02-22)22 February 1967 (aged 21) Oxford United 1989 Loaned from Oxford United before transferring permanently
FW Tony Sealy (1959-05-07)7 May 1959 (aged 29) Unattached 1989
Players who left the club mid-season
GK John Smeulders (1957-03-28)28 March 1957 (aged 31) Bournemouth 1988 Returned to Bournemouth after loan
MF Bob Booker (1958-01-25)25 January 1958 (aged 30) Bedmond Sports & Social 1978 Transferred to Sheffield United
MF Andy Sinton (1966-03-19)19 March 1966 (aged 22) Cambridge United 1985 Transferred to Queens Park Rangers
FW Paul Birch (1968-12-03)3 December 1968 (aged 19) Portsmouth 1987 Retired
FW Dean Holdsworth (1968-11-08)8 November 1968 (aged 19) Watford 1988 Returned to Watford after loan
  • Sources: The Big Brentford Book of the Eighties,[11] Timeless Bees[12]

Coaching staff
Name Role
Steve Perryman Manager
Phil Holder Assistant Manager
Roy Clare Physiotherapist

Statistics

Appearances and goals
Substitute appearances in brackets.
Pos Nat Name League FA Cup League Cup FL Trophy Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
GK Tony Parks 33 0 7 0 3 0 2 0 45 0
GK Jeremy Roberts 5 0 1 0 0 0 3 0 9 0
DF Jamie Bates 31 (5) 1 1 (1) 0 2 (1) 0 2 0 36 (7) 1
DF John Buttigieg 12 (6) 0 0 (1) 0 — 0 0 12 (7) 0
DF Terry Evans 45 5 8 1 4 0 5 0 62 6
DF Andy Feeley 30 (3) 0 8 0 2 (1) 0 5 0 45 (4) 0
DF Marcus Gayle 0 (3) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 (3) 0
DF Colin Lee 1 (1) 0 0 0 0 0 0 (1) 0 1 (2) 0
DF Keith Millen 36 3 8 0 4 0 5 0 53 3
DF Graham Pearce 11 (7) 0 2 (1) 0 — 1 0 14 (8) 0
DF Roger Stanislaus 42 (1) 1 6 0 4 1 2 0 55 (1) 2
MF Bob Booker 5 (3) 0 — 1 (1) 0 — 6 (4) 0
MF Allan Cockram 31 (6) 7 6 (1) 2 3 0 3 (1) 1 43 (8) 10
MF Andy Driscoll 0 (1) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 (1) 0
MF Kevin Godfrey 24 (5) 8 5 (2) 0 — 4 (1) 1 33 (8) 9
MF Keith Jones 40 3 8 2 4 1 4 0 56 6
MF Steve Perryman 2 (3) 0 0 (2) 0 0 (1) 0 1 0 3 (6) 0
MF Simon Ratcliffe 7 (2) 1 1 (1) 0 — 1 (1) 0 9 (4) 1
MF Andy Sinton 31 10 7 1 4 2 5 0 47 13
MF Neil Smillie 25 (3) 2 6 1 4 0 2 0 37 (3) 3
FW Andy Ansah 3 (4) 2 — — — 3 (4) 2
FW Paul Birch 0 (2) 0 — 0 (1) 0 — 0 (3) 0
FW Gary Blissett 35 (1) 6 6 4 4 2 4 3 49 (1) 15
FW Richard Cadette 31 (1) 12 8 1 4 2 5 2 48 (1) 17
FW Jon Purdie 5 (1) 0 — — — 5 (1) 0
FW Tony Sealy 11 (1) 4 0 (1) 0 — 0 (1) 0 11 (3) 4
Players loaned in during the season
GK John Smeulders 8 0 — 1 0 — 9 0
FW Dean Holdsworth 2 (5) 1 — — — 2 (5) 1
  • Players listed in italics left the club mid-season.
  • Source: The Big Brentford Book of the Eighties[13]

Goalscorers
Pos. Nat Player FL3 FAC FLC FLT Total
FW Richard Cadette 12 1 2 2 17
FW Gary Blissett 6 4 2 3 15
MF Andy Sinton 10 1 2 0 13
MF Allan Cockram 7 2 0 1 10
MF Kevin Godfrey 8 0 — 1 9
DF Terry Evans 5 1 0 0 6
MF Keith Jones 3 2 1 0 6
FW Tony Sealy 4 0 — 0 4
DF Keith Millen 3 0 0 0 3
MF Neil Smillie 2 1 0 0 3
FW Andy Ansah 2 — — — 2
DF Roger Stanislaus 1 0 1 0 2
FW Dean Holdsworth 1 — — — 1
MF Simon Ratcliffe 1 0 — 0 1
DF Jamie Bates 1 0 0 0 1
Total6612 8 793
  • Players listed in italics left the club mid-season.
  • Source: The Big Brentford Book of the Eighties[13]

Management
Name Nat From To Record All Comps Record League
PWDLW %PWDLW %
Steve Perryman 27 August 1988 13 May 1989 63 29 17 17 046.03 46 18 14 14 039.13

Summary
Games played63 (46 Third Division, 8 FA Cup, 4 League Cup, 5 Football League Trophy)
Games won29 (18 Third Division, 5 FA Cup, 2 League Cup, 4 Football League Trophy)
Games drawn17 (14 Third Division, 2 FA Cup, 1 League Cup, 0 Football League Trophy)
Games lost17 (14 Third Division, 1 FA Cup, 1 League Cup, 1 Football League Trophy)
Goals scored93 (66 Third Division, 12 FA Cup, 8 League Cup, 7 Football League Trophy)
Goals conceded84 (61 Third Division, 8 FA Cup, 8 League Cup, 7 Football League Trophy)
Clean sheets22 (13 Third Division, 4 FA Cup, 1 League Cup, 4 Football League Trophy)
Biggest league win4–0 versus Southend United, 9 October 1988
Worst league defeat3–0 versus Notts County, 1 May 1989; 4–1 versus Sheffield United, 24 September 1988; 5–3 versus Preston North End, 4 March 1989
Most appearances62, Terry Evans (45 Third Division, 8 FA Cup, 4 League Cup, 5 Football League Trophy)
Top scorer (league)12, Richard Cadette
Top scorer (all competitions)17, Richard Cadette

Transfers & loans
Players transferred in
Date Pos. Name Previous Club Fee Ref.
July 1988 FW Richard Cadette Sheffield United £77,500 [2]
August 1988 GK Tony Parks Tottenham Hotspur £60,000 [2]
August 1988 MF Neil Smillie Reading Free [2]
September 1988 GK Jeremy Roberts Darlington Non-contract [2]
October 1988 MF Kevin Godfrey Leyton Orient Non-contract [2]
October 1988 FW Graham Pearce Farnborough Town Non-contract [2]
2 November 1988 DF John Buttigieg Sliema Wanderers £40,000 [2]
1988 GK Ashley Bayes n/a n/a [14]
1988 FW Kelly Haag n/a n/a [15]
1988 MF Khotso Moabi n/a n/a [16]
January 1989 MF Simon Ratcliffe Norwich City £100,000 [2]
March 1989 FW Andy Ansah Dorking n/a [2]
March 1989 FW Tony Sealy Unattached Free [2]
April 1989 FW Jon Purdie Oxford United n/a [2]
Players loaned in
Date from Pos. Name From Date to Ref.
October 1988 FW Dean Holdsworth Watford November 1988 [2]
October 1988 GK John Smeulders Bournemouth November 1988 [2]
March 1989 MF Jon Purdie Oxford United April 1989 [2]
Players transferred out
Date Pos. Name Subsequent club Fee Ref.
August 1988 DF Roger Joseph Wimbledon £150,000 [2]
August 1988 GK Gary Phillips Reading £25,000 [2]
November 1988 MF Bob Booker Sheffield United Free [2]
March 1989 MF Andy Sinton Queens Park Rangers £350,000 [2]
Players released
Date Pos. Name Subsequent club Join date Ref.
August 1988 MF Wayne Turner Barnet 1988 [2]
October 1988 FW Paul Birch Retired [2]
1988 MF Robbie Carroll Fareham Town 1988 [2]
1988 GK Tony Oliver Weymouth 1988 [2]
May 1989 DF Andy Feeley Bury July 1989 [17]
May 1989 DF Colin Lee Retired [2]
May 1989 FW Graham Pearce Maidstone United 1989 [2]
May 1989 FW Jon Purdie Shrewsbury Town June 1989 [2]
May 1989 GK Jeremy Roberts Maidenhead United 1989 [2]
May 1989 FW Tony Sealy Swindon Town 1989 [17]

Kit

Supplier: Hobot
Sponsor(s): KLM

Home
Away

Source: Brentford F.C.

Awards

Notes
  1. Alliance Cup.

References
  1. White, p. 337.
  2. Croxford, Lane & Waterman, p. 248-257.
  3. White, p. 338-345.
  4. Croxford, Lane & Waterman, p. 226.
  5. Ltd, Statto Organisation. "Brentford results for the 1988-1989 season - Statto.com". Statto.com. Archived from the original on 29 November 2016. Retrieved 24 February 2017.
  6. Ltd, Statto Organisation. "Brentford Table on Saturday 6th May 1989 - Statto.com". Statto.com. Archived from the original on 24 February 2017. Retrieved 24 February 2017.
  7. Brentford F.C. at the Football Club History Database
  8. Croxford, Lane & Waterman, p. 228-247.
  9. Haynes, Graham (1998). A-Z Of Bees: Brentford Encyclopedia. Yore Publications. p. 12. ISBN 1 874427 57 7.
  10. White, Eric, ed. (1989). 100 Years Of Brentford. Brentford FC. p. 400. ISBN 0951526200.
  11. Croxford, Mark; Lane, David; Waterman, Greville (2011). The Big Brentford Book of the Eighties. Sunbury, Middlesex: Legends Publishing. ISBN 978-1906796716.
  12. Haynes, Graham; Coumbe, Frank (2006). Timeless Bees: Brentford F.C. Who's Who 1920–2006. Yore Publications. ISBN 978-0955294914.
  13. Croxford, Lane & Waterman, p. 430.
  14. Haynes & Coumbe, p. 18.
  15. Haynes & Coumbe, p. 71.
  16. Croxford, Lane & Waterman, p. 465.
  17. Croxford, Lane & Waterman, p. 276.
  18. Croxford, Lane & Waterman, p. 383.
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