Brentford F.C. Reserves was the reserve team of Brentford. The reserve team played at varying times from 1900 until 2011. During the 2012 off-season, the English reserve football pyramid and youth system was overhauled under the Elite Player Performance Plan and replaced with a new Academy system and development leagues. Brentford's reserve team was relaunched as the Brentford Development Squad in 2011 and in 2012 it began competing in Professional Development League 2 South. After closing the academy in May 2016, the club withdrew from the Elite Player Performance Plan and Professional Development League and launched a new Brentford B team. Following the first team's promotion to the Premier League in 2021, the club reopened its academy in time for the start of the 2022–23 season, under the Elite Player Performance Plan, while retaining the B team.
Reserve team
Background Brentford Reserves was formed to give young players and first team players returning from injury game time in a competitive environment. The ever-changing structure of the game in England in the late 19th and early 20th centuries saw the Brentford reserve team included in leagues competing against the first teams of amateur clubs. On occasion, the reserve team would compete in two leagues simultaneously. Upon the Football League's acceptance of the Premier League's Elite Player Performance Plan in 2011, which replaced reserve teams with U21 Development Squads, the reserve team was permanently disbanded. Winger Micky Ball made the most appearances for the reserve team, 159, without having ever made a first team appearance. Two other players made more than 150 reserve team appearances – Fred Ryecraft and Johnny Hales.
London League (1900–1914) The reserve team entered the London League First Division in the 1900–01 season and finished 8th out of 11. Following a demotion, the reserves were London League Second Division champions in 1902–03 and earned promotion back to the First Division. They finished third in the First Division in the 1903–04 season and were promoted to the Premier Division for 1904–05, finishing in 8th place. Bottom and second-from-bottom finishes saw the team back in the First Division for the 1908–09 season, which saw the reserves promoted back to the Premier Division as champions. They achieved their highest Premier Division placing in 1909–10, finishing fifth. Mid-table finishes followed in the Premier Division until 1913–14 when, competing for the first time in an all-professional reserve league, Brentford Reserves finished bottom in their final season in the league before the outbreak of the First World War.
Great Western Suburban League (1905–1911) The reserve team entered the Great Western Suburban League for the 1905–06 season and finished as champions in 1907–08, 1908–09 and 1910–11 and runners up in 1905–06, 1906–07 and 1909–10. Their main rivals during those years were Reading Reserves, Hounslow and Shepherd's Bush. The 1910–11 title win (in which the team failed to win only two of its games and was unbeaten during the season) forced the league's management to ban professional clubs from competing, which caused Brentford's departure from the league.
South Eastern League (1914–1915) Brentford Reserves competed in the South Eastern League during the 1914–15 season, but due to falling attendances brought on by the First World War, the team was withdrawn from the league in January 1915 and its record was expunged.
Football Combination (1919–1967, 1998–1999, 2000–2004, 2009–2011) The reserve team spent much of its existence competing in the Football Combination. Brentford Reserves were London Combination (as the Football Combination was known then) champions in 1931–32 and 1932–33. The title-clinching game on 6 May 1933, against Aldershot Reserves was watched by a crowd of over 9,000 at Griffin Park, the club record for a reserve team fixture. A notable achievement was 43-game winning run at Griffin Park between November 1931 and November 1933. Much of the success in those two seasons was down to the prolific goalscoring of Ralph Allen. Overspending and the subsequent cutting of costs forced the club to disband the reserve team and quit the Football Combination in 1967. The reserves re-joined the Football Combination for the 1998–99 season, but withdrew at the end of the 1999–2000 season. The team rejoined for the 2000–01 season and a notable third-place finish was achieved in 2001–02. The reserve team was withdrawn from competition in 2004, but was revived and won election to the Football Combination Central Division in 2009. The team played for two seasons before being replaced by the Brentford Development Squad in 2011. During its final two seasons, the reserve team played its home games at Griffin Park.
London Midweek League (1938–1939, 1974–1985) A Brentford reserve team was entered into the London Midweek League for the 1938–39 season. The entry into the league was "to give promising young professionals, amateurs and any “finds” a test and to build up the playing strength". After the Brentford Reserve team was revived in 1974, the team re-entered the London Midweek League. The team's best finish was as runners-up in 1982–83.
Capital League (1984–1998) A reserve team was entered into the Capital League as founding members in 1984. Throughout its time in the league, the reserve team was competitive and won the title in 1987–88 and 1995–96. The team won the Capital League Cup in 1987–88, 1990–91, 1991–92 and 1994–95.
Development squad
Background The Brentford Development Squad was launched in May 2011. The Development Squad played its home matches at the club's training ground at Jersey Road, Osterley and a limited number of fixtures were played at Griffin Park. The team was made up of U21 players and was allowed to field three overage outfield players and one overage goalkeeper, which enabled first team fringe players to get game time. Scholars were also eligible to play for the Development Squad. After impressing during the 2011–12 pre-season, Jake Reeves became the first Development Squad player to be promoted into the first team squad. Charlie Adams, Josh Clarke and Mark Smith also graduated from the team. Josh Clarke made the most competitive appearances for the team during its existence (64) and Jan Holldack, Luke Norris and Jermaine Udumaga tied as top scorers with 14 goals each.
The Development Squad model was abandoned in May 2016. Speaking about the shortcomings of Professional Development League football, then-academy conditioning coach James Purdue stated in October 2020 that "one of the big things for us was that, physically, the players weren’t challenged enough to put them in a place where they were ready to step into first team football. We looked a lot at data from U23 games and it wasn’t comparable to first team football".
History (2011–2016) The Development Squad played friendly matches during the 2011–12 season. It won its first silverware in August 2011, with a 3–2 victory over Bedfont Sports claiming the Hounslow Borough Cup. The team entered the Professional U21 Development League 2 South for the 2012–13 season and finished fourth, two places away from qualifying for the knockout stage. The 2013–14, 2014–15 and 2015–16 seasons yielded poor finishes near the bottom of the table. The team entered the Premier League Cup for only time in the 2015–16 season and reached the quarter-finals.
Brentford B
Original incarnation (1890s) The original Brentford B team was active during the 1890s and functioned as the third XI, below the first team and reserve team. From the beginning of the 1899–1900 season, the B team was renamed Brentford Thursday.
Relaunch (2016–present)
Background After the Brentford Academy was closed at the end of the 2015–16 season, the Development Squad was renamed Brentford B. The team plays friendly matches against senior, U23, U21 and academy teams, with a squad of players aged from 17 to 21. In addition, the team plays in friendly cup competitions and entered competitive cups for the first time during the 2018–19 season. The players and staff are part of an ongoing exchange of information with Brentford's partner club FC Midtjylland. Owner Matthew Benham revealed in July 2016 that, with the club needing to focus on the first team and its new stadium, "the B team seemed like a simpler and more attractive option".
Then-Head of Football Operations Robert Rowan stated that the team's initial objective was to promote at least one player into the first team squad by the end of the 2016–17 season, which was achieved when left back Tom Field was promoted in December 2016. By September 2023, 28 B team contracted and loan players had made a first team appearance. As of , right back David Titov has made the most B team appearances, with 103. In January 2019, Icelandic winger Kolbeinn Finnsson become the first B team player to win a full international cap while contracted to the team. In December 2023, right back Mads Roerslev became the first B team graduate to make 100 first team appearances. In December 2024, the number of first team appearances made by B team graduates passed 500.
Robert Rowan described the recruitment process as being to identify "different leagues where the physical qualities are often overlooked in favour of the tactical qualities, whereas in England if you are physical you have a good chance of being a good player. The tactical side of things can be taught" and that "there isn’t much point in us going to scout young talent in lower league clubs as every Premier League club can out-spend and out-resource us". A 2022 article in The Athletic stated that "Brentford often sign players for their B team who have fallen out of favour or been released from Premier League academies. Non-League sides have proven to be a fertile hunting ground too". Following the reopening of the Brentford academy in July 2022, the club's new U18 team fed into the B team.
Speaking about the benefits of the B team for the players, strength and conditioning coach James Purdue stated in October 2020 that "the games programme tests them more physically and better prepares them for first team football. It’s also treated a lot more like a first team so the environment that they’re used to is not dissimilar when they step up, as we’ve seen with our players over the course of the last four years, the transition becomes easier. It doesn’t mean they’re ready to slot straight in all the time, but it means that they understand the requirements".
Home stadiums In October 2023, Brentford took over the use of the vacant Wheatsheaf Park for B team home fixtures. Prior to that, the B team played the majority of its home matches at the club's Jersey Road training ground. Prior to the club moving out of Griffin Park in 2020, the B team played occasional home matches at the ground. The team's first fixture at the Brentford Community Stadium was the 2022–23 Premier League Cup Final, which was won 2–1 over Blackburn Rovers. The grounds of AFC Wimbledon, Hanwell Town, Metropolitan Police, Bedfont Sports, Woking, Stevenage and Sutton United have also been utilised for home fixtures.
Matches, leagues, cup competitions and tours