1926–27 Brentford F.C. season

During the 1926–27 English football season, Brentford competed in the Football League Third Division South. In Harry Curtis' first season as manager, the club finished 11th and advanced to the fifth round of the FA Cup for the first time.

Brentford

1926–27 season
Chairman	W. Flewitt
Manager	Harry Curtis
Stadium	Griffin Park
Third Division South	11th
FA Cup	Fifth round
Top goalscorer	League: Watkins (20) All: Watkins (24)
Highest home attendance	20,799
Lowest home attendance	4,775
Average home league attendance	9,713
Home colours

Season summary

Brentford's 1926–27 team photograph.

After just one top-half finish in the Third Division South since entering the Football League in 1920, Brentford appointed former Gillingham manager Harry Curtis to the position on a one-year contract in May 1926.[1] The club was still seeking a winning formula, after generally poor league placings from previous managers Fred Halliday and Archie Mitchell.[2] The directors of the club cleared the decks and retained just 9 of the previous season's squad.[3] Curtis brought with him assistant trainer Jack Cartmell (an ex-Brentford player) and five Gillingham players – full backs Wally Barnard and Charlie Butler, half back Charlie Reddock and forwards Bill Berry and Joe Craddock.[4] Former Gillingham half back Frank Marshall later signed in January 1927.[5] Jim Ferguson replaced the departed John Thomson in goal and defenders John Hodgson, Ted Winship, half backs Bert Bellamy, Joe Hodnett and forwards George Anderson and Stephen Dearn were also signed.[3]

A 4–0 victory over Brighton & Hove Albion on the opening day put Brentford at the top of the Third Division South table, which was the first time since joining the Football League that the club had occupied the top spot in the division.[6] Defeat in the following match to Luton Town dropped the Bees back to 6th, but three successive wins in the following matches saw the club rise back to the top and they stayed there until 15 September.[6] 10 goals in the first 9 matches from Ernie Watkins was a factor in the bright start.[7] By early December, the team's league form was affected by a fixture pile-up, caused by a run to the fifth round of the FA Cup.[6] The 8 FA Cup matches played in a single season is the most ever by the club.[8] The run was a financial success and generated enough money for the club to build a new grandstand on the Braemar Road side of Griffin Park.[2]

Harry Curtis would go on to become Brentford's longest-serving and most successful manager.

A goal drought suffered by forwards Ernie Watkins, Jack Lane, Stephen Dearn and the departure of Jack Allen to The Wednesday in March 1927 saw Brentford limp through the final three months of the season.[7][9] The Bees finished the season in 11th place and had been rooted in mid-table since 5 February 1927.[6] Ernie Watkins top-scored with 24 goals, then the highest tally for a Brentford player since the club joined the Football League.[7] Four consecutive home league draws between 2 and 30 April 1927 equalled the club record.[10]

A notable departure after the season was that of 38-year old cricketer Patsy Hendren,[11] who had played intermittently as an outside forward for Brentford since 1907.[12] During the season he had become the first Bees player since the club joined the Football League to score four goals in a match (during a 7–3 rout of Coventry City on 23 October 1926) and an 11,000 crowd turned up to see his final match against Newport County on Easter Saturday 1927.[7][11] Upon his departure, Hendren's 400-plus Brentford appearances was then the club record and he was posthumously inducted into the club's Hall of Fame in May 2015.[13][14]

League table

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GAv	Pts
9	Newport County	42	19	6	17	57	71	0.803	44
10	Bristol Rovers	42	16	9	17	78	80	0.975	41
11	Brentford	42	13	14	15	70	61	1.148	40
12	Exeter City	42	15	10	17	76	73	1.041	40
13	Charlton Athletic	42	16	8	18	60	61	0.984	40

Source:

Results

Brentford's goal tally listed first.

Legend

Win

Draw

Loss

Football League Third Division South

No.	Date	Opponent	Venue	Result	Attendance	Scorer(s)
1	28 August 1926	Brighton & Hove Albion	H	4–0	12,057	Rae (pen), Berry, Watkins (2)
2	30 August 1926	Luton Town	A	1–2	9,090	Dearn
3	4 September 1926	Northampton Town	A	3–2	10,082	Berry (2), Douglas
4	6 September 1926	Southend United	H	3–1	7,996	Watkins (2), Dearn
5	11 September 1926	Queens Park Rangers	H	4–2	17,380	Lane, Watkins (2), Douglas
6	15 September 1926	Southend United	A	1–3	6,512	Dearn
7	18 September 1926	Millwall	H	0–0	14,125
8	25 September 1926	Bristol Rovers	A	3–1	8,311	Lane, Watkins (2)
9	2 October 1926	Swindon Town	H	2–2	15,404	Watkins (2)
10	9 October 1926	Exeter City	A	1–3	7,152	Lane
11	16 October 1926	Crystal Palace	A	3–4	14,860	Berry (2), Lane
12	23 October 1926	Coventry City	H	7–3	9,099	Hendren (4, 2 pens), Watkins, Dearn (2)
13	30 October 1926	Charlton Athletic	A	1–1	8,058	Rae
14	6 November 1926	Bristol City	H	3–0	11,457	Anderson (2), Dearn
15	20 November 1926	Plymouth Argyle	H	0–0	8,481
16	4 December 1926	Aberdare Athletic	H	1–4	9,485	Baynham (og)
17	18 December 1926	Watford	H	3–0	9,631	Watkins, Dearn, Douglas
18	25 December 1926	Norwich City	A	1–2	10,743	Hendren
19	27 December 1926	Norwich City	H	3–0	17,002	Allen, Watkins, Douglas
20	1 January 1927	Luton Town	H	2–2	9,116	Lane, Dearn
21	15 January 1927	Brighton & Hove Albion	A	1–1	9,517	Hendren
22	22 January 1927	Northampton Town	H	1–1	4,775	Allen
23	5 February 1927	Millwall	A	0–3	19,178
24	12 February 1927	Bristol Rovers	H	0–2	6,630
25	26 February 1927	Exeter City	H	6–1	6,986	Watkins (2), Lane (2), Craddock, Douglas
26	5 March 1927	Crystal Palace	H	3–0	8,205	Watkins, Allen, Lane
27	9 March 1927	Swindon Town	A	2–4	4,659	Craddock, Hendren
28	12 March 1927	Coventry City	A	1–3	11,910	Watkins
29	16 March 1927	Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic	A	1–3	3,195	Watkins
30	19 March 1927	Charlton Athletic	H	2–0	6,755	Donnelly (pen), Craddock
31	26 March 1927	Bristol City	A	0–1	14,062
32	30 March 1927	Gillingham	A	2–1	2,947	Watkins, Lawson
33	2 April 1927	Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic	H	0–0	6,766
34	9 April 1927	Plymouth Argyle	A	1–2	9,556	Craddock
35	15 April 1927	Merthyr Town	H	1–1	9,031	Lane
36	16 April 1927	Newport County	H	1–1	7,801	Watkins
37	19 April 1927	Merthyr Town	A	0–1	3,910
38	23 April 1927	Aberdare Athletic	A	1–3	1,227	Craddock
39	25 April 1927	Newport County	A	0–0	1,721
40	30 April 1927	Gillingham	H	0–0	5,793
41	5 May 1927	Queens Park Rangers	A	1–1	11,355	Lawson
42	7 May 1927	Watford	A	0–0	4,999

FA Cup

Round	Date	Opponent	Venue	Result	Attendance	Scorer(s)
1R	27 November 1926	Clapton	A	1–1	4,412	Anderson
1R (replay)	1 December 1926	Clapton	H	7–3	5,936	Lane (2), Watkins (3), Hendren (2)
2R	11 December 1926	Gillingham	A	1–1	10,076	Hendren
2R (replay)	15 December 1926	Gillingham	H	1–0	6,695	Dearn
3R	10 January 1927	Oldham Athletic	A	4–2	10,670	Allen (3), Watkins
4R	29 January 1927	West Ham United	A	1–1	35,000	Lane
4R (replay)	2 February 1927	West Ham United	H	2–0	20,799	Lane, Allen
5R	19 February 1927	Reading	A	0–1	33,042

• Sources: Statto, 11v11, 100 Years of Brentford[7]

Playing squad

Players' ages are as of the opening day of the 1926–27 season.

Pos.	Name	Nat.	Date of birth (age)	Signed from	Signed in	Notes
Goalkeepers
GK	Arthur Collins		16 September 1902 (aged 23)	Derby County	1926
GK	Jim Ferguson		30 August 1896 (aged 29)	St Roch's	1926
Defenders
DF	Charlie Butler		10 October 1897 (aged 28)	Gillingham	1926
DF	James Donnelly		18 December 1893 (aged 32)	Southend United	1925
DF	John Hodgson		28 September 1900 (aged 25)	Sunderland	1926
DF	Ted Winship		1900 (aged 25–26)	Kidderminster Harriers	1926
Midfielders
HB	Jack Beacham		15 August 1902 (aged 24)	Weymouth	1925
HB	Bert Bellamy		7 April 1896 (aged 30)	Swansea Town	1926
HB	Archie Clark		4 April 1902 (aged 24)	Aylesford Paper Mills	1927
HB	Joe Hodnett		18 July 1896 (aged 30)	Merthyr Town	1926
HB	Frank Marshall		1904 (aged 21–22)	Gillingham	1927
HB	Alan Noble		19 June 1900 (aged 26)	Leeds United	1925
HB	Harry Rae		22 October 1895 (aged 30)	Clyde	1925
HB	Charlie Reddock		1902 (aged 23–24)	Gillingham	1926
Forwards
FW	George Anderson		24 October 1904 (aged 21)	Airdrieonians	1926
FW	Bill Berry		18 August 1904 (aged 22)	Gillingham	1926
FW	Joe Craddock		3 August 1902 (aged 24)	Gillingham	1926
FW	Stephen Dearn		March 1901 (aged 25)	Portsmouth	1926
FW	Alfred Douglas		26 March 1899 (aged 27)	Washington Colliery	1925
FW	Patsy Hendren		5 February 1889 (aged 37)	Queens Park Rangers	1911	Played when his cricket commitments allowed
FW	Jack Lane (c)		29 May 1898 (aged 28)	Chesterfield	1925
FW	Herbert Lawson		12 April 1905 (aged 21)	Arsenal	1927
FW	Ernie Watkins		3 April 1898 (aged 28)	Southend United	1926
Players who left the club mid-season
FW	Jack Allen		31 January 1903 (aged 23)	Leeds United	1924	Transferred to The Wednesday

• Sources: 100 Years of Brentford,[7] Timeless Bees,[15] Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939[16]

Coaching staff

Name	Role
Harry Curtis	Manager
Tom Ratcliff	Trainer
Jack Cartmell	Assistant Trainer

Statistics

Appearances and goals

Ferguson

Donnelly

Butler

Rae

Marshall

Bellamy

Lane (C)

Dearn

Watkins

Hendren

Douglas

Brentford's highest appearance-makers in each position during the Football League season.

Pos	Nat	Name	League		FA Cup		Total
			Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
GK		Arthur Collins	4	0	0	0	4	0
GK		Jim Ferguson	38	0	8	0	46	0
DF		Charlie Butler	27	0	8	0	35	0
DF		James Donnelly	39	1	5	0	44	1
DF		John Hodgson	4	0	0	0	4	0
DF		Ted Winship	11	0	3	0	14	0
HB		Jack Beacham	14	0	6	0	20	0
HB		Bert Bellamy	33	0	6	0	39	0
HB		Archie Clark	1	0	—		1	0
HB		Joe Hodnett	9	0	0	0	9	0
HB		Frank Marshall	21	0	—		21	0
HB		Alan Noble	10	0	2	0	12	0
HB		Harry Rae	30	2	8	0	38	2
HB		Charlie Reddock	6	0	0	0	6	0
FW		Jack Allen	7	3	4	4	11	7
FW		George Anderson	8	2	1	1	9	3
FW		Bill Berry	22	5	2	0	24	5
FW		Joe Craddock	12	5	0	0	12	5
FW		Stephen Dearn	30	8	6	1	36	9
FW		Alfred Douglas	26	5	6	0	32	5
FW		Patsy Hendren	21	7	8	3	29	10
FW		Jack Lane	41	9	8	4	49	13
FW		Herbert Lawson	13	2	—		13	2
FW		Ernie Watkins	35	20	7	4	42	24

• Players listed in italics left the club mid-season.
• Source: 100 Years of Brentford[7]

Goalscorers

Pos.	Nat	Player	FL3	FAC	Total
FW		Ernie Watkins	20	4	24
FW		Jack Lane	9	4	13
FW		Patsy Hendren	7	3	10
FW		Stephen Dearn	8	1	9
FW		Jack Allen	3	4	7
FW		Bill Berry	5	0	5
FW		Joe Craddock	5	0	5
FW		Alfred Douglas	5	0	5
FW		George Anderson	2	1	3
FW		Herbert Lawson	2	0	2
HB		Harry Rae	2	0	2
DF		James Donnelly	1	0	1
Opponent			1	0	1
Total			70	17	87

• Players listed in italics left the club mid-season.
• Source: 100 Years of Brentford[7]

Management

Name	Nat	From	To	Record All Comps					Record League
				P	W	D	L	W %	P	W	D	L	W %
Harry Curtis		28 August 1926	7 May 1927	50	17	17	16	034.00|	42	13	14	15	030.95

Summary

Games played	50 (42 Third Division South, 8 FA Cup)
Games won	17 (13 Third Division South, 4 FA Cup)
Games drawn	17 (14 Third Division South, 3 FA Cup)
Games lost	16 (15 Third Division South, 1 FA Cup)
Goals scored	87 (70 Third Division South, 17 FA Cup)
Goals conceded	70 (61 Third Division South, 9 FA Cup)
Clean sheets	14 (12 Third Division South, 2 FA Cup)
Biggest league win	6–1 versus Exeter City, 26 February 1927
Worst league defeat	3–0 versus Millwall, 5 February 1927; 4–1 versus Aberdare Athletic, 4 December 1926
Most appearances	48, Jim Ferguson (38 Third Division South, 8 FA Cup)
Top scorer (league)	20, Ernie Watkins
Top scorer (all competitions)	24, Ernie Watkins

Transfers & loans

Cricketers are not included in this list.

Players transferred in
Date	Pos.	Name	Previous Club	Fee	Ref.
May 1926	HB	Bert Bellamy	Swansea Town	Free	[17]
May 1926	GK	Arthur Collins	Derby County	Free	[18]
June 1926	DF	Wally Barnard	Gillingham	Free	[19]
June 1926	FW	Bill Berry	Gillingham	Free	[20]
June 1926	GK	Jim Ferguson	St Roch's	Free	[20]
June 1926	DF	John Hodgson	Sunderland	Free	[20]
June 1926	HB	Charlie Reddock	Gillingham	Free	[20]
August 1926	DF	Ted Winship	Kidderminster Harriers	Free	[21]
September 1926	DF	Charlie Butler	Gillingham	Free	[22]
1926	FW	George Anderson	Airdrieonians	Free	[23]
1926	FW	James Birch	Queens Park Rangers	Free	[24]
1926	FW	Joe Craddock	Gillingham	Free	[25]
1926	FW	Stephen Dearn	Portsmouth	Free	[26]
1926	HB	Joe Hodnett	Merthyr Town	Free	[27]
January 1927	HB	Frank Marshall	Gillingham	£500	[5]
March 1927	HB	Archie Clark	Aylesford Paper Mills	Free	[28]
March 1927	FW	Herbert Lawson	Arsenal	Free	[29]
Players transferred out
Date	Pos.	Name	Subsequent club	Fee	Ref.
March 1927	FW	Jack Allen	The Wednesday	n/a	[30]
Players loaned out
Date	Pos.	Name	To	Date to	Ref.
n/a	FW	Bert Young	Bangor City	n/a	[30]
Players released
Date	Pos.	Name	Subsequent club	Join date	Ref.
September 1926	FW	Bill Finlayson	Springfield Babes	1926	[31]
May 1927	DF	Wally Barnard	Retired		[32]
May 1927	HB	Bert Bellamy	Wellingborough Town	May 1927	[17]
May 1927	GK	Arthur Collins	Scarborough	August 1927	[18]
May 1927	HB	Jimmy Elliott	Retired		[33]
May 1927	DF	John Hodgson	Hartlepools United	1927	[27]
May 1927	HB	Joe Hodnett	Gillingham	August 1927	[34]
May 1927	HB	Alan Noble	Millwall	May 1927	[35]
May 1927	DF	Jack Price	Torquay United	1927	[36]
May 1927	DF	Percival Whitton	Retired		[32]
May 1927	FW	Bert Young	Newport County	1927	[37]

References

1. Chapman, Mark. "Remembering The Guvnor: Harry Curtis". www.brentfordfc.co.uk. Retrieved 22 May 2016.
2. Haynes & Coumbe 2006, p. 175-176.
3. White, Eric, ed. (1989). 100 Years Of Brentford. Brentford FC. pp. 121–123. ISBN 0951526200.
4. Haynes, Graham (1998). A-Z Of Bees: Brentford Encyclopedia. Harefield, Middlesex: Yore Publications. p. 100. ISBN 1 874427 57 7.
5. Haynes & Coumbe 2006, p. 100-101.
6. Ltd, Statto Organisation. "Brentford results for the 1926-1927 season - Statto.com". Statto.com. Archived from the original on 22 March 2016. Retrieved 14 May 2016.
7. White 1989, p. 369.
8. Haynes 1998, p. 49.
9. Haynes & Coumbe 2006, p. 9.
10. Ltd, Statto Organisation. "Brentford scoring and sequence records - Statto.com". Statto.com. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 17 May 2016.
11. Haynes & Coumbe 2006, p. 74-75.
12. Joyce 2012, p. 135.
13. Haynes 1998, p. 38.
14. Wickham, Chris. "Kevin O'Connor and Marcus Gayle join others in being added to Brentford FC Hall of Fame". www.brentfordfc.co.uk. Retrieved 14 May 2016.
15. Haynes, Graham; Coumbe, Frank (2006). Timeless Bees: Brentford F.C. Who's Who 1920–2006. Yore Publications. ISBN 978-0955294914.
16. Joyce, Michael (2012). Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939. Nottingham: Tony Brown. ISBN 190589161X.
17. "Watford Football Club archive 1881–2016: Players – Battocchio to Bolton" (PDF). Retrieved 9 May 2018.
18. Haynes & Coumbe 2006, p. 39.
19. "Barnard Wally Image 1 Clapton 1922". Vintage Footballers. Retrieved 7 July 2019.
20. "More New Players for Brentford. NUMBER SIGNED NOW TOTALS NINETEEN. GOALKEEPER AND BACKS STILL WANTED". Chiswick Times. 11 June 1926.
21. "Winship in Brentford Hospital. Recovering from Serious Illness". County of Middlesex Independent. 6 July 1929.
22. "Brentford secured the signature of C. J. Butler, the Gillingham left back, in time to turn out at Bristol on Saturday". The Athletic News. 27 September 1926.
23. Haynes & Coumbe 2006, p. 11.
24. "Birch Jimmy Image 1 Queens Park Rangers 1923". Vintage Footballers. Retrieved 23 December 2018.
25. Haynes & Coumbe 2006, p. 42.
26. Haynes & Coumbe 2006, p. 47.
27. Haynes & Coumbe 2006, p. 77.
28. "Brentford have signed as a professional A. Clarke, centre half back, from Aylesford (Kent) Paper Mills F.C.". The Athletic News. 21 March 1927.
29. Haynes & Coumbe 2006, p. 95.
30. Haynes & Coumbe 2006, p. 120.
31. Haynes & Coumbe 2006, p. 56.
32. Dorey, F.W. (1926). Brentford Football Club Season 1926–27 Official Handbook. p. 9.
33. Haynes & Coumbe 2006, p. 53.
34. "Hodnett Joe Image 1 Wolverhampton Wanderers 1923". Vintage Footballers. Retrieved 7 July 2019.
35. "Noble Alan Image 1 Leeds United 1922". Vintage Footballers. Retrieved 7 July 2019.
36. Haynes & Coumbe 2006, p. 127-128.
37. "BRENTFORD'S BRIGHT PROSPECTS. A BIG BID FOR PROMOTION IN THE COMING SEASON. FULL LIST OF PLAYERS. ILLNESS OF MARSHALL: COMPETITION FOR FORWARD POSITIONS". The Brentford & Chiswick Times. 12 August 1927.