Wikipedia

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)
← 1895–96
1897–98 →

Season summary edit

 
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 edit

Main article: London League (football)
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 edit

Brentford's goal tally listed first.

Legend edit

Win Draw Loss

London League Second Division edit

No. Date Opponent Venue Result Scorer(s)
1 3 October 1896 Fulham H 6–1 Wade, Field (3), H. Williams, Hester
2 21 November 1896 Fulham A 2–0 Steers, Ingram
3 5 December 1896 Bromley A 2–2 A. Williams, Swann (pen)
4 12 December 1896 West Croydon A 2–2 Hudson, Bailey
5 20 February 1897 Bromley H 3–2 Untraced, Hudson, Swann (pen)
6 6 March 1897 Harrow Athletic A 2–2 Field, Ingram
7 18 March 1897 West Croydon H 4–0 Untraced
8 24 March 1897 Stanley A 2–1 Field (2)
9 27 March 1897 Forest Swifts A 1–1 Field
10 31 March 1897 Hammersmith Athletic A 3–0 Untraced
11 1 April 1897 Forest Swifts H 3–2 Untraced
12 3 April 1897 Harrow Athletic H 5–0 Hudson, Wade (2), Charlton (2)
13 10 April 1897 Queens Park Rangers H 2–2 Field, Hudson
14 16 April 1897 Hammersmith Athletic H 4–1 Untraced
15 17 April 1897 Stanley H 0–0
16 22 April 1897 Queens Park Rangers A 1–3 Untraced

London Senior Cup edit

Main article: London Senior Cup
Round Date Opponent Venue Result 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)
SF 8 April 1897 Old Carthusians N 1–5 Field [nb 1]

Middlesex Senior Cup edit

Main article: Middlesex Senior Cup
Round Date Opponent Venue Result Scorer(s)
1QR 10 October 1896 Bow H 8–0 A. Williams, untraced,[nb 2] Field (2), untraced (2 og),[nb 3] Charlton, Hester
2QR 14 November 1896 Royal Scots Greys A 0–1

West Middlesex Cup edit

Round Date Opponent Venue Result 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]
F 24 April 1897 Hanwell N 0–1 [nb 5]
  • Source: 100 Years of Brentford[3]

Playing squad edit

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 Jack Foster
— DF   ENG A. Collins
— DF   ENG Alfred Lugg
— DF    Shields
— DF   ENG Percy Swann
— DF   ENG Archie Williams
— MF   SCO Arthur Charlton (c)
— MF   ENG Richard Dailley
— MF   ENG Herbert Edney
— MF   ENG E. Osbourne
— MF   ENG Arthur Pring
— MF   ENG Billy Smith
— FW    A. Adams
No. Pos. Nation Player
— FW   ENG G. Bailey
— FW    Batchelor
— FW   ENG Fred Butcher
— FW   ENG Oakey Field
— FW   ENG George Hester
— FW   ENG Harold Hudson
— FW   ENG L. Ingram
— FW   ENG Hilton Saunders
— FW   ENG Billy Steers
— FW    J. Wade
— FW   MLT George Whitmarsh
— FW   ENG Harry Williams
  • Player of unknown position: Batchelor
  • Source: 100 Years of Brentford[3]

Statistics edit

Management edit

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

Summary edit

Games played 28 (16 London League Second Division, 7 London Senior Cup, 2 Middlesex Senior Cup, 3 West Middlesex Cup)
Games won 18 (9 London League Second Division, 6 London Senior Cup, 1 Middlesex Senior Cup, 2 West Middlesex Cup)
Games drawn 6 (6 London League Second Division, 0 London Senior Cup, 0 Middlesex Senior Cup, 0 West Middlesex Cup)
Games lost 4 (1 London League Second Division, 1 London Senior Cup, 1 Middlesex Senior Cup, 1 West Middlesex Cup)
Goals scored 74 (42 London League Second Division, 21 London Senior Cup, 8 Middlesex Senior Cup, 3 West Middlesex Cup)
Goals conceded 39 (19 London League Second Division, 11 London Senior Cup, 1 Middlesex Senior Cup, 8 West Middlesex Cup)
Clean sheets 7 (5 London League Second Division, 1 London Senior Cup, 1 Middlesex Senior Cup, 0 West Middlesex Cup)
Biggest league win 5–0 versus Harrow Athletic, 3 April 1897; 6–1 versus Fulham, 3 October 1896
Worst league defeat 3–1 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 edit

  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 edit

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