During the 1939–40 English football season, Brentford competed in the Football League, playing three matches before competitive football was suspended due to the outbreak of the Second World War. The club played in three unofficial wartime competitions for the remainder of the season – groups B and C of the Football League South and the Football League War Cup.

Season summary

After narrowly avoiding relegation towards the end of the 1938–39 season, Brentford manager Harry Curtis allowed full back Joe Wilson and half backs Sam Briddon and Tally Sneddon to transfer away from the club. Curtis signed young Sunderland inside forward Percy Saunders and brought in former Manchester United wing half Tom Mansley as his new captain. The season opened with a heavy 5–1 Football League Jubilee Fund defeat to neighbours Chelsea on 19 August 1939. Brentford began the regular season with a win, a draw and a defeat, before competitive football was suspended following Britain's declaration of war on Germany on 3 September 1939. Percy Saunders, who had scored on his debut on the opening day, would be the only pre-war Brentford player to die on active service during the war, when his ship was torpedoed in the Indian Ocean in March 1942.

The cessation of competitive football was worrying for Brentford, with £12,000 having been spent on new players during the off-season (equivalent to £ in ) and there was little prospect of recouping it through the turnstiles. 23 of Brentford's 30-man squad were called to arms, into the War Police Reserve or into the munitions industry. Within two weeks of the declaration of war, the Football League agreed that football could continue, in order to keep clubs in business and to raise funds.

Brentford entered Group B of the new Football League South in October 1939. The squad was augmented by three guest players who had previously played for the club – Scottish half backs Duncan McKenzie and Archie Scott and inside forward Bert Stephens. 30-year old centre forward Jack Holliday (a prolific goalscorer in the Third and Second Divisions between 1932 and 1935) experienced a renaissance, with 14 goals in 16 appearances. Brentford finished the Group B campaign in mid-table.

A further 18-match campaign followed in Group C in the first six months of 1940, with 13 players guesting, including two former international Brentford players – Scotland's David McCulloch and the United States' Jim Brown. The Bees finished 4th in the 10-team group and exited the Football League War Cup in the first round.

League tables

Football League First Division

Football League South Group B

Football League South Group C

Results Brentford's goal tally listed first.

Legend WinDrawLoss

Football League First Division No.DateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorer126 August 1939EvertonA1–130,466Saunders228 August 1939BlackpoolA1–221,633Boulter32 September 1939Huddersfield TownH1–012,079Holliday

Football League South Group B No.DateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorer(s)121 October 1939ChelseaH2–26,628Holliday, Gorman228 October 1939PortsmouthA1–33,000Boulter34 November 1939SouthamptonH3–14,757Boulter (2), Manley411 November 1939Queens Park RangersA0–18,000518 November 1939Brighton & Hove AlbionH4–13,533Holliday (3), Townsend625 November 1939AldershotA0–14,00072 December 1939ReadingH3–04,077Smith, Holliday (2)89 December 1939Bournemouth & Boscombe AthleticH5–24,680Townsend (2), McKenzie, Hopkins, Boulter916 December 1939FulhamA4–25,000Holliday, Hopkins, Manley1025 December 1939PortsmouthH4–04,811Holliday (3), Manley1126 December 1939SouthamptonA3–26,000Holliday, Hopkins, Townsend1230 December 1939Queens Park RangersH0–73,942136 January 1940Brighton & Hove AlbionA2–32,071Manley (2)1413 January 1940AldershotH4–31,836Townsend (2), W. Brown, Hopkins1520 January 1940ReadingA1–31,900Hopkins1624 January 1940ChelseaA2–32,000Griffith (og), Holliday1727 January 1940Bournemouth & Boscombe AthleticA2–23,000James, Holliday1814 February 1940FulhamH2–51,885Wilkins, McKenzie

Football League South Group C No.DateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorer(s)110 February 1940ArsenalA1–35,000Boulter217 February 1940West Ham UnitedH4–31,885Smith, Boulter, McKenzie (pen), Wilkins324 February 1940Charlton AthleticA2–37,000Wilkins, McKenzie (pen)42 March 1940ChelseaH1–17,110McCulloch59 March 1940Tottenham HotspurA1–19,815Yorston616 March 1940SouthamptonH5–03,600Yorston (2), Hunt722 March 1940PortsmouthH3–16,500Wilkins, McKenzie (2)823 March 1940MillwallA1–414,490Hunt925 March 1940PortsmouthA3–18,000Holliday, Wilkins, Hunt1030 March 1940FulhamH5–06,956Hunt (2), Yorston, Wilkins, W. Brown116 April 1940ArsenalH2–48,000Yorston, Doherty1210 April 1940SouthamptonA1–44,000Wilkins1313 April 1940West Ham UnitedA1–18,000Hunt1417 April 1940MillwallH1–15,000Doherty154 May 1940Tottenham HotspurH2–35,521Wilkins, Hutchins (og)1611 May 1940ChelseaH2–03,168McKenzie (pen), Hopkins1718 May 1940Charlton AthleticH2–13,000Hunt, Hopkins183 June 1940FulhamA5–31,000Wilkins (2), Burgess (2), Holliday

Football League War Cup RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorer1R (1st leg)20 April 1940FulhamA1–412,000Smith1R (2nd leg)27 April 1940FulhamH1–2 (lost 6–2 on aggregate)7,695J. Brown Sources: A-Z Of Bees, Rothmans Book of Football League Records 1888–89 to 1978–79, 100 Years Of Brentford

Playing squad Players' ages are as of the opening day of the 1939–40 season. Pos. Name Nat. Date of birth (age) Signed from Signed in NotesGoalkeepersGKFrank ClackBirmingham1939GKJoe CrozierEast Fife1937Guest for AirdrieoniansGKTed GaskellBuxton1937DefendersDFJimmy AndersonQueen of the South1939Guest for Queen of the SouthDFBill GormanBury1938DFGeorge PoyserPort Vale1934MidfieldersHBVic AickenGlentoran1937HBBuster BrownHuddersfield Town1937HBJoe JamesBattersea Church1929HBTom Manley (c)Manchester United1939ForwardsFWLes BoulterCharlton Athletic1939FWTommy CheethamQueens Park Rangers1939FWFred DurrantFolkestone1938FWJack HollidayMiddlesbrough1932FWIdris HopkinsCrystal Palace1932FWJohnny Kayn/aUnattached1939AmateurFWErnest MuttittMiddlesbrough1932Guest for Fulham and Southend UnitedFWPercy SaundersSunderland1939FWBilly ScottMiddlesbrough1932Guest for Newcastle UnitedFWLes SmithPetersham1934FWBob ThomasGolders Green1939FWLen TownsendHayes1937Guest for Plymouth ArgyleFWGeorge WilkinsHayes1939Guest playersGKCharlie HillamSouthend United1940Guest from Southend UnitedGKJohn JacksonChelsea1940Guest from ChelseaGKBill MasonQueens Park Rangers1940Guest from Queens Park RangersGKVic WoodleyChelsea1940Guest from ChelseaDFTed ReayQueens Park Rangers1940Guest from Queens Park RangersDFHarold ShepherdsonMiddlesbrough1940Guest from MiddlesbroughHBAlec FarmerQueens Park Rangers1940Guest from Queens Park RangersHBDuncan McKenzieMiddlesbrough1939Guest from MiddlesbroughHBArchie ScottUnattached1939GuestFWJim BrownGuildford City1940Guest from Guildford CityFWHarry BurgessChelsea1940Guest from ChelseaFWPeter DohertyManchester City1940Guest from Manchester CityFWDouglas HuntSheffield Wednesday1940Guest from Sheffield WednesdayFWDavid McCullochDerby County1940Guest from Derby CountyFWBert StephensBrighton & Hove Albion1940Guest from Brighton & Hove AlbionFWBenny YorstonMiddlesbrough1940Guest from Middlesbrough Sources: Timeless Bees, Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939, 100 Years Of Brentford

Coaching staff NameRole Harry CurtisManager Jimmy BainAssistant manager Bob KaneTrainer Jack CartmellAssistant trainer

Statistics

Appearances and goals

PosNatNameLeagueLeague S BLeague S CL War CupTotalAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsGKFrank Clack—20102050GKJoe Crozier3010——40GKTed Gaskell—15050—200DFJimmy Anderson30———30DFBill Gorman3017117020391DFGeorge Poyser—16016020340HBVic Aicken—10——10HBBuster Brown2015112110302HBJoe James3016114010341HBTom Manley30155—10195FWLes Boulter319421—146FWTommy Cheetham20—10—30FWFred Durrant———1010FWJack Holliday11161492102717FWIdris Hopkins3016517220387FWJohnny Kay——30—30FWErnest Muttitt—10501070FWPercy Saunders2150——71FWBilly Scott2010202070FWLes Smith301529121294FWBob Thomas—2010—30FWLen Townsend—6520—85FWGeorge Wilkins—9118620297Players guested during the seasonGKCharlie Hillam——10—10GKJohn Jackson——60—60GKBill Mason——10—10GKVic Woodley——30—30DFTed Reay—1010—20DFHarold Shepherdson——10—10HBAlec Farmer———1010HBDuncan McKenzie—162185—347HBArchie Scott——10—10FWJim Brown———1111FWHarry Burgess——12—12FWPeter Doherty——32—32FWDouglas Hunt——109—109FWDavid McCulloch——52—52FWBert Stephens—11——11FWBenny Yorston——85—85 Players listed in italics left the club mid-season. Source: 100 Years Of Brentford

Goalscorers Pos.NatPlayerFL1FLBFLCLWCTotalFWJack Holliday1142017FWDouglas Hunt——9—9FWIdris Hopkins05207HBDuncan McKenzie—25—7FWGeorge Wilkins—1607FWLes Boulter141—6HBTom Manley05—05FWLen Townsend—50—5FWBenny Yorston——5—5FWLes Smith02114HBBuster Brown01102FWHarry Burgess——2—2FWPeter Doherty——2—2FWDavid McCulloch——2—2FWPercy Saunders10——1FWJim Brown———11FWBert Stephens—1——1DFBill Gorman01001HBJoe James01001Opponents01101Total34242289 Players listed in italics left the club mid-season. Source: 100 Years Of Brentford

Wartime international caps Pos.NatPlayerCapsGoalsRefFWIdris Hopkins30FWLes Smith10

Management NameNatFromToRecord All CompsPWDLW %Harry Curtis26 August 19393 June 1940

Summary Games played 41 (3 Football League, 18 Football League South Group B, 18 Football League South Group C, 2 Football League War Cup)Games won 17 (1 Football League, 8 Football League South Group B, 8 Football League South Group C, 0 Football League War Cup)Games drawn 7 (1 Football League, 2 Football League South Group B, 4 Football League South Group C, 0 Football League War Cup)Games lost 17 (1 Football League, 8 Football League South Group B, 6 Football League South Group C, 2 Football League War Cup)Goals scored 89 (3 Football League, 42 Football League South Group B, 42 Football League South Group C, 2 Football League War Cup)Goals conceded 84 (3 Football League, 41 Football League South Group B, 34 Football League South Group C, 6 Football League War Cup)Clean sheets 6 (1 Football League, 2 Football League South Group B, 3 Football League South Group C, 0 Football League War Cup)Biggest league win5–0 on two occasionsWorst league defeat 7–0 versus Queens Park Rangers, 30 December 1939Most appearances 39, Bill Gorman (3 Football League, 17 Football League South Group B, 17 Football League South Group C, 2 Football League War Cup)Top scorer (league)17, Jack HollidayTop scorer (all competitions)17, Jack Holliday

Transfers & loans Guest players' arrival and departure dates correspond to their first and last appearances of the season.