During the 2010–11 English football season, Brentford competed in Football League One. The mid-table season was memorable for runs to the final of the Football League Trophy and the fourth round of the League Cup.
Season summary
After an impressive 9th-place finish at the end of the Brentford's first season in League One since 2006–07, manager Andy Scott signed almost an entirely new team. Released were centre back Mark Phillips and forward Steve Kabba and six players were transferred out during the off-season, with the most notable departures being left back Ryan Dickson to Championship club Southampton and captain Alan Bennett to League Two Wycombe Wanderers. 11 players were transferred in before the end of the summer transfer window, including two goalkeepers (Richard Lee, Simon Royce), four defenders (Pim Balkestein, David McCracken, Michael Spillane, Craig Woodman), two midfielders (Nicky Adams, Toumani Diagouraga) and forwards Gary Alexander and Kirk Hudson, with Nicky Forster returning to Griffin Park for the first time since his departure in 1997. Huddersfield Town forward Robbie Simpson was signed on a season-long loan.
Brentford opened the league season with a run of just two wins from the opening 11 matches, which left the club bottom of the table by late September 2010. However, some cheer was had in the League Cup, with the Bees progressing to the fourth round to equal the club record for its furthest progression in the competition. After seeing off League Two club Cheltenham Town in the first round, the Bees beat Championship side Hull City 2–1 at Griffin Park in the second round, clinching victory with an 88th-minute diving header from Marcus Bean. The victory set up a third round tie at with Premier League club Everton at Griffin Park. Gary Alexander cancelled out Séamus Coleman's early goal and the teams were locked together until full-time and through the extra time period. Goalkeeper Richard Lee was Brentford's hero in the penalty shootout, helping the club win the first of the four shootouts it would compete in during the season. The Bees took Premier League club Birmingham City to a shootout at St Andrew's in the fourth round after a 1–1 draw, but were knocked out.
Brentford recovered its form in League One between 2 October 2010 and 1 January 2011, winning 8 and losing just two matches of an 11-match spell, but manager Andy Scott was moved to complain to the press of the "negativity" surrounding the club, despite the run being achieved with players missing through injury and including a club-record equalling five consecutive away league wins. By early January the Bees had also progressed to the Southern Area finals of the Football League Trophy, but a draw in the first leg versus Exeter City was one of only two draws secured during an 8-match winless run which kicked off 2011. A 4–1 away defeat to bottom-place club Dagenham & Redbridge on 1 February led to calls from the Brentford supporters for the removal of Andy Scott as manager. Two days after the match, Scott and assistant manager Terry Bullivant were sacked. Captain Kevin O'Connor remarked that the blame led with the players, for "making far too many individual mistakes".
Forward Nicky Forster was named as caretaker manager on 3 February 2011 and Brentford owner Matthew Benham brought in Mark Warburton as first team coach. An unbeaten run in his first six matches in all competitions led to Forster being named as manager until the end of the season. The run included a 2–1 away victory over Exeter City in the Football League Trophy Southern Area final second leg, which set up a Wembley final versus Carlisle United on 3 April. The Bees won four and lost three of the seven league matches preceding the final, which included a 2–1 victory over Carlisle United at Griffin Park. Brentford's third Football League Trophy final appearance ended with a 1–0 defeat, in which the Bees' "domination failed to yield a single shot on target" and midfielder Toumani Diagouraga was sent off for two bookable offences. In the aftermath of the defeat, Brentford meandered through the remainder of the league season to finish in 11th place.
League table
Results
Pre-season
League One
Results by round
Results summary
League position graph
Matches
FA Cup
Football League Cup
Football League Trophy
Playing squad Players' ages are as of the opening day of the 2010–11 season. NoPositionNameNationalityDate of birth (age)Signed fromSigned inNotesGoalkeepers1GKRichard LeeWatford201021GKSimon RoyceGillingham201031GKSimon MooreFarnborough2009Loaned to Basingstoke TownDefenders3DFCraig WoodmanWycombe Wanderers20105DFDavid McCrackenMilton Keynes Dons2010Loaned to Bristol Rovers6DFPim BalkesteinIpswich Town201012DFMichael SpillaneNorwich City201017DFRyan BlakeYouth2009Loaned to Woking & Ebbsfleet United22DFKarleigh OsborneYouth200424DFStephen WrightUnattached201025DFChris BushYouth2010Loaned to Woking, AFC Wimbledon and Thurrock27DFRobbie NeilsonLeicester City2011On loan from Leicester City32DFLeon LeggeTonbridge Angels200933DFNathan ByrneTottenham Hotspur2011On loan from Tottenham HotspurMidfielders2MFKevin O'Connor (c)Youth20004MFMarcus BeanBlackpool20087MFSam SaundersDagenham & Redbridge200911MFMyles WestonNotts County200913MFDavid HuntShrewsbury Town2009Loaned to Crawley Town16MFSam WoodBromley200820MFToumani DiagouragaPeterborough United201026MFAdam ReedSunderland2011On loan from Sunderland34MFJake ReevesYouth2011Loaned to St Albans City36MFCharlie AdamsYouth201137MFManny OyelekeYouth2011Forwards8FWNicky ForsterBrighton & Hove Albion2010Manager10FWCharlie MacDonaldSouthend United200814FWKirk HudsonAldershot Town2010Loaned to AFC Wimbledon19FWLewis GrabbanMillwall2009Loaned from Millwall before transferring permanently23FWRobbie SimpsonHuddersfield Town2010On loan from Huddersfield Town29FWGary AlexanderMillwall201030FWJeffrey SchluppLeicester City2011On loan from Leicester City35FWLuke HackerYouth2011Players who left the club mid-season9FWCarl CortNorwich City2009Retired18MFNicky AdamsLeicester City2010Loaned to Rochdale, transferred to Rochdale18FWNicholas BignallReading2011Returned to Reading after loan27MFMarc LairdMillwall2011Returned to Millwall after loan27FWRowan VineQueens Park Rangers2010Returned to Queens Park Rangers after loan28MFOwain Tudur JonesNorwich City2011Returned to Norwich City after loan41GKTrevor CarsonSunderland2011Returned to Sunderland after loan41GKAlex McCarthyReading2010Returned to Reading after loan51GKBen HamerReading2010Returned to Reading after loan Source: Soccerbase
Coaching staff
Andy Scott (7 August 2010 – 3 February 2011) NameRole Andy ScottManager Terry BullivantAssistant Manager Simon RoyceGoalkeeping Coach
Nicky Forster (3 February – 7 May 2011) NameRole Nicky ForsterManager Mark WarburtonFirst Team Coach Simon RoyceGoalkeeping Coach Statistics Appearances and goals Substitute appearances in brackets. NoPosNatNameLeagueFA CupLeague CupFL TrophyTotalAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals1GKRichard Lee2202030603302MFKevin O'Connor39 (2)21 (1)0405 (1)049 (4)23DFCraig Woodman40 (1)120417053 (1)24MFMarcus Bean32 (5)3103 (1)14 (1)040 (7)45DFDavid McCracken1 (1)00000102 (1)06DFPim Balkestein17 (3)110204024 (3)17MFSam Saunders18 (3)2100 (1)03 (1)122 (5)38FWNicky Forster6 (12)11 (1)01 (1)04012 (14)19FWCarl Cort0 (3)000000 (1)00 (4)010FWCharlie MacDonald28 (2)9213 (1)02 (1)035 (4)1011MFMyles Weston33 (9)31 (1)0304 (1)041 (11)312DFMichael Spillane18 (6)110203 (1)024 (7)113MFDavid Hunt0 (3)0000 (1)00 (1)00 (5)014FWKirk Hudson0 (2)00 (1)0000 (1)00 (4)016MFSam Wood13 (7)110212 (2)018 (9)218MFNicky Adams3 (4)0—10206 (4)019FWLewis Grabban13 (9)5—0 (1)00 (2)013 (12)520MFToumani Diagouraga32120206 (1)042 (1)121GKSimon Royce1 (1)00000001 (1)022DFKarleigh Osborne41 (1)110404050 (1)124DFStephen Wright9 (2)020—1012 (2)029FWGary Alexander37 (1)900415246 (1)1231GKSimon Moore9 (1)0—101011 (1)032DFLeon Legge27 (3)310306037 (3)334MFJake Reeves0 (1)00000000 (1)035FWLuke Hacker0 (1)00000000 (1)0Players loaned in during the season18MFNicholas Bignall1 (5)0——0 (1)01 (6)023FWRobbie Simpson11 (16)4202 (1)23 (1)218 (18)826MFAdam Reed8 (3)0——109 (3)027MFMarc Laird41——105127DFRobbie Neilson150——1016028MFOwain Tudur Jones4 (2)0——004 (2)030FWJeffrey Schlupp6 (3)6——107 (3)633DFNathan Byrne4 (7)0——004 (7)041GKTrevor Carson10——001041GKAlex McCarthy30———3051GKBen Hamer100000000100 Players listed in italics left the club mid-season. Source: Soccerbase
Goalscorers NoPosNatPlayerFL1FACFLCFLTTotal29FWGary Alexander90121210FWCharlie MacDonald91001023FWRobbie Simpson4022830FWJeffrey Schlupp6——0619FWLewis Grabban5—0054MFMarcus Bean3010432DFLeon Legge3000311MFMyles Weston300037MFSam Saunders200132MFKevin O'Connor2000216MFSam Wood101023DFCraig Woodman1010227MFMarc Laird1——016DFPim Balkestein1000120MFToumani Diagouraga100018FWNicky Forster1000122DFKarleigh Osborne1000112DFMichael Spillane10001Total5516567 Players listed in italics left the club mid-season. Source: Soccerbase
Discipline NoPosNatPlayerFL1FACFLCFLTTotalPts4MFMarcus Bean6000101080832DFLeon Legge5010002080820MFToumani Diagouraga2010002151822DFKarleigh Osborne5000100060612DFMichael Spillane500000005053DFCraig Woodman5000000050529FWGary Alexander300000205056DFPim Balkestein110000001141GKRichard Lee0100100011426MFAdam Reed20——1030316MFSam Wood200000103037MFSam Saunders2000000020223FWRobbie Simpson2000000020224DFStephen Wright1000—1020210FWCharlie MacDonald100010002022MFKevin O'Connor1000001020211MFMyles Weston1010000020233DFNathan Byrne10——0010127MFMarc Laird10——0010127DFRobbie Neilson10——0010119FWLewis Grabban10—000010131GKSimon Moore10—00001018FWNicky Forster1000000010151GKBen Hamer1000000010118MFNicholas Bignall00——10101Total512304012170382 Players listed in italics left the club mid-season. Source: ESPN FC
Management NameNatFromToRecord All CompsRecord LeaguePWDLW %PWDLW %Andy Scott11 August 201219 May 2013Nicky Forster3 February 20117 May 2011
Summary Games played59 (46 League One, 2 FA Cup, 4 League Cup, 7 Football League Trophy)Games won21 (17 League One, 0 FA Cup, 2 League Cup, 2 Football League Trophy)Games drawn17 (10 League One, 1 FA Cup, 2 League Cup, 4 Football League Trophy)Games lost21 (19 League One, 1 FA Cup, 0 League Cup, 1 Football League Trophy)Goals scored67 (55 League One, 1 FA Cup, 6 League Cup, 5 Football League Trophy)Goals conceded72 (62 League One, 2 FA Cup, 4 League Cup, 4 Football League Trophy)Clean sheets13 (10 League One, 0 FA Cup, 0 League Cup, 3 Football League Trophy)Biggest league win3–0 versus Tranmere Rovers, 16 October 2010Worst league defeat3–0 on two occasionsMost appearances53, Kevin O'Connor (41 League One, 2 FA Cup, 4 League Cup, 6 Football League Trophy)Top scorer (league)9, Gary Alexander, Charlie MacDonaldTop scorer (all competitions)12, Gary Alexander Transfers & loans