1896–97 Brentford F.C. season

During the 1896–97 English football season, Brentford competed in the London League Second Division. The club finished as runners-up to gain promotion to the First Division.

Brentford
1896–97 season
ChairmanBill Stephenson
StadiumShotter's Field
London League Second Division2nd (promoted)
London Senior CupSemi-final
Middlesex Senior CupSecond qualifying round
West Middlesex CupRunners-up
Top goalscorerLeague: Field (8)
All: Field (15)

Season summary

The goals of Oakey Field fired Brentford to promotion at the end of the season.

During the 1896 off-season, Brentford was elected into the Second Division of the newly-formed London League.[1] 1896–97 marked the club's first full season of competitive league play since 1892–93, when it finished as champions of the West London Alliance.[2] Long-serving half back Jimmy Ray and outside left Tommy Stevenson were released and transferred in were forwards Oakey Field, Harold Hudson, J. Wade and left half Billy Smith.[1]

Despite a failure to win either the London Senior Cup, Middlesex Senior Cup or the West Middlesex Cup, Brentford took the London League Second Division by storm, losing just one match all season to finish as runners-up to champions Bromley and gain promotion to the First Division.[2] Attendances at Shotter's Field were rarely below 1,500 and forward Oakey Field and captain Arthur Charlton scored many of the team's goals.[1]

League table

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GR Pts Promotion
1 Bromley 16 11 3 2 42 16 2.625 25 Promoted to the 1897–98 London League First Division
2 Brentford 16 9 6 1 42 19 2.211 24 Promoted to the 1897–98 London League First Division
3 Queens Park Rangers 16 10 1 5 31 14 2.214 21
4 Stanley 16 7 6 3 22 10 2.200 20
5 Hammersmith Athletic 16 5 3 8 18 25 0.720 13
6 Harrow Athletic 16 4 3 9 19 34 0.559 11
7 Forest Swifts 16 3 4 9 25 37 0.676 10
8 Fulham 16 3 4 9 17 40 0.425 10
9 West Croydon 16 3 4 9 12 33 0.364 10
Source: 100 Years of Brentford[3]

Results

Brentford's goal tally listed first.

Legend

Win Draw Loss

London League Second Division

No. DateOpponentVenueResultScorer(s)
1 3 October 1896FulhamH6–1Wade, Field (3), H. Williams, Hester
2 21 November 1896Fulham A2–0Steers, Ingram
3 5 December 1896BromleyA2–2A. Williams, Swann (pen)
4 12 December 1896West CroydonA2–2Hudson, Bailey
5 20 February 1897BromleyH3–2Untraced, Hudson, Swann (pen)
6 6 March 1897Harrow Athletic A2–2Field, Ingram
7 18 March 1897West CroydonH4–0Untraced
8 24 March 1897StanleyA2–1Field (2)
9 27 March 1897Forest Swifts A1–1Field
10 31 March 1897 Hammersmith Athletic A 3–0 Untraced
11 1 April 1897 Forest Swifts H 3–2 Untraced
12 3 April 1897Harrow AthleticH5–0Hudson, Wade (2), Charlton (2)
13 10 April 1897Queens Park Rangers H2–2Field, Hudson
14 16 April 1897Hammersmith AthleticH4–1Untraced
15 17 April 1897Stanley H0–0
16 22 April 1897Queens Park Rangers A1–3Untraced

London Senior Cup

RoundDateOpponentVenueResult Scorer(s) Notes
1QR 17 October 1896 Novocastrians H 3–1 Hudson, Charlton, Field
2QR 7 November 1896 Harrow Athletic A 3–0 Hudson, Charlton, Field
3QR 28 November 1896 Crescent H 5–1 Charlton (2), Hester (2), Bailey
4QR 19 December 1896 Old St. Mark's H 2–1 Charlton, Swann (pen)
1R 6 February 1897 Old Foresters H 4–2 Bailey (2), Hudson, H. Williams
2R 27 February 1897 Bromley H 3–1 Butcher, Batchelor, Swann (pen)
SF8 April 1897 Old Carthusians N1–5 Field [nb 1]

Middlesex Senior Cup

RoundDateOpponentVenueResult Scorer(s)
1QR 10 October 1896 Bow H 8–0 A. Williams, untraced,[nb 2] Field (2), untraced (2 og),[nb 3] Charlton, Hester
2QR14 November 1896Royal Scots Greys A0–1

West Middlesex Cup

RoundDateOpponentVenueResult Scorer(s) Notes
1R 13 February 1897 Southall A 3–1 Charlton, Wade (2)
SF 13 March 1897 Harrow Athletic N 5–2 Hudson, Field (2), Salt (og), untraced [nb 4]
F24 April 1897Hanwell N0–1 [nb 5]
  • 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 England ENG Jack Foster
DF England ENG A. Collins
DF England ENG Alfred Lugg
DF   Shields
DF England ENG Percy Swann
DF England ENG Archie Williams
MF Scotland SCO Arthur Charlton (c)
MF England ENG Richard Dailley
MF England ENG Herbert Edney
MF England ENG E. Osbourne
MF England ENG Arthur Pring
MF England ENG Billy Smith
FW   A. Adams
No. Pos. Nation Player
FW England ENG G. Bailey
FW   Batchelor
FW England ENG Fred Butcher
FW England ENG Oakey Field
FW England ENG George Hester
FW England ENG Harold Hudson
FW England ENG L. Ingram
FW England ENG Hilton Saunders
FW England ENG Billy Steers
FW   J. Wade
FW Malta MLT George Whitmarsh
FW England ENG Harry Williams
  • Player of unknown position: Batchelor
  • Source: 100 Years of Brentford[3]

Statistics

Management

Name From To Record All Comps Record League
PWDLW %PWDLW %
Committee 3 October 1896 24 April 1897 28 18 6 4 064.29 16 9 6 1 056.25

Summary

Games played28 (16 London League Second Division, 7 London Senior Cup, 2 Middlesex Senior Cup, 3 West Middlesex Cup)
Games won18 (9 London League Second Division, 6 London Senior Cup, 1 Middlesex Senior Cup, 2 West Middlesex Cup)
Games drawn6 (6 London League Second Division, 0 London Senior Cup, 0 Middlesex Senior Cup, 0 West Middlesex Cup)
Games lost4 (1 London League Second Division, 1 London Senior Cup, 1 Middlesex Senior Cup, 1 West Middlesex Cup)
Goals scored74 (42 London League Second Division, 21 London Senior Cup, 8 Middlesex Senior Cup, 3 West Middlesex Cup)
Goals conceded39 (19 London League Second Division, 11 London Senior Cup, 1 Middlesex Senior Cup, 8 West Middlesex Cup)
Clean sheets7 (5 London League Second Division, 1 London Senior Cup, 1 Middlesex Senior Cup, 0 West Middlesex Cup)
Biggest league win5–0 versus Harrow Athletic, 3 April 1897; 6–1 versus Fulham, 3 October 1896
Worst league defeat3–1 versus Queens Park Rangers, 22 April 1897
Most appearances (where traced)17, Arthur Charlton, Richard Dailley, Jack Foster (7 London League Second Division, 6 London Senior Cup, 2 Middlesex Senior Cup, 2 West Middlesex Cup)
Top scorer (league, where traced)8, Oakey Field
Top scorer (all competitions, where traced)15, Oakey Field

Notes

  1. Match played at Essex County Ground, Leyton.
  2. Goal was described thus; "forced into goal by several Bs". Middlesex Independent, p. 4, 14 October 1896
  3. First own goal was described thus; "one of the Bows backs tried to head it away but failed, the ball passing into the net", second own goal; "the back in trying to relieve, mis-kicked and permitted the ball to roll into his own goal". Middlesex Independent, p. 4, 14 October 1896
  4. Match played at unknown venue, Hanwell.
  5. Match played at White Hart Field, Southall.

References

  1. White, p. 67.
  2. White, p. 60.
  3. White, Eric, ed. (1989). 100 Years Of Brentford. Brentford FC. p. 354. ISBN 0951526200.
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