During the 1944–45 English football season, Brentford competed in the Football League South, due to the cessation of competitive football for the duration of the Second World War. The Bees finished in a wartime-high of 3rd-place, scoring 100 goals in both the league and Football League War Cup, with forwards Len Townsend and Bob Thomas accounting for over half the team's total.

Season summary

The familiar pattern of player unavailability prevailed as Brentford entered the 1944–45 Football League South season, with 60 players eventually being used over the course of the league, cup and friendly matches during the campaign. A number of the club's amateur players were pressed into service during the regular season, as were 30 guests, many of whom made three appearances or less.

Aided by prolific scoring from forwards Len Townsend and Bob Thomas, Brentford rocketed along in the first half of the season, losing just four of 22 matches and posting big wins by margins of four, five and six goals. The Bees' form evaporated when the Football League War Cup campaign got underway in February 1945, losing four of six matches to crash out in the group stage. Brentford lost four of the remaining six league matches of the season, with the final match away to Watford (which had been postponed in January 1945) taking place after VE Day, which marked the end of the Second World War in Europe.

Two former Brentford players died during the season:

Private Ralph Shields died as a prisoner of war in Sandakan Prisoner of War Camp, North Borneo on 21 November 1944. He had been serving in the Australian Army Service Corps and played for Brentford during the 1921–22 season. Sub-lieutenant Stan Cousins was killed when "his aircraft flew into a barrage balloon cable and lost a wing" during a glide bomb attack on the Soengi Gerong oil refinery, Sumatra on 29 January 1945. Formerly an employee of Glyn, Mills & Co, he had joined the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve and was serving on HMS Illustrious when he was killed. Cousins made a single Football League War Cup appearance during the 1940–41 season.

League table

Results Brentford's goal tally listed first.

Legend WinDrawLoss

Football League South No.DateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorer(s)126 August 1944Brighton & Hove AlbionH6–26,000Townsend (2), Boulter, Hunt (2, 1 pen), Soo22 September 1944PortsmouthA4–29,500Hunt, R. Thomas (2), Boulter39 September 1944ChelseaH0–516,100416 September 1944Luton TownA3–13,500Manley, Boulter, R. Thomas523 September 1944MillwallH4–18,750Townsend (2), R. Thomas (2)630 September 1944AldershotH5–210,270Smith (2, 1 pen), Hunt, R. Thomas (2)77 October 1944Charlton AthleticA4–07,143Boulter (2), Townsend (2)814 October 1944WatfordH4–15,387Townsend (2), R. Thomas (2), Hopkins921 October 1944Queens Park RangersH3–115,000Rose (og), R. Thomas, Townsend1028 October 1944Tottenham HotspurH2–223,207R. Thomas, Soo114 November 1944FulhamA2–025,000R. Thomas, Townsend1211 November 1944SouthamptonH0–111,0801318 November 1944Crystal PalaceH1–211,100Townsend1425 November 1944ReadingA4–46,000Hunt (2), Townsend (2)152 December 1944Brighton & Hove AlbionA7–25,000Townsend (3), Smith, R. Thomas (2), Hunt169 December 1944PortsmouthH7–19,550C. Brown (2), Hunt (2, 1 pen), Townsend (2), Hopkins1716 December 1944ChelseaA2–024,500Hunt, R. Thomas1823 December 1944ArsenalA2–518,527R. Thomas (2)1930 December 1944Luton TownH6–06,500Townsend (4), R. Thomas, Smith206 January 1945MillwallA0–05,4382113 January 1945AldershotA1–04,000Smith2220 January 1945Charlton AthleticH3–16,850Hunt, R. Thomas, Baynham2317 March 1945Queens Park RangersA1–15,900D. Thomas2424 March 1945Tottenham HotspurH0–216,7502531 March 1945FulhamH2–38,780Hopkins, Smith262 April 1945ArsenalH3–1n/aR. Thomas (2), D. Thomas2714 April 1945SouthamptonA2–47,549Hunt, Townsend2821 April 1945Crystal PalaceA1–66,492D. Thomas2928 April 1945ReadingH7–24,390R. Thomas (2), D. Thomas (2), Smith, Baynham (2)3019 May 1945WatfordA1–52,563Cheetham

Football League South War Cup RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorer(s)Grp3 February 1945Brighton & Hove AlbionH3–510,110Townsend (3)Grp10 February 1945MillwallA2–38,553R. Thomas, HuntGrp17 February 1945FulhamA0–115,000Grp24 February 1945Brighton & Hove AlbionA4–210,000Townsend (3), R. ThomasGrp3 March 1945MillwallH2–211,830Baynham, R. ThomasGrp10 March 1945FulhamH2–510,380Townsend, R. Thomas Source: 100 Years Of Brentford

Playing squad Players' ages are as of the opening day of the 1944–45 season. Pos. Name Nat. Date of birth (age) Signed from Signed in NotesGoalkeepersGKReg SaundersUxbridge Town1944AmateurDefendersDFBuster BrownHuddersfield Town1937DFBill GormanBury1938DFGeorge PoyserPort Vale1934MidfieldersHBAlbert BallardAugust 1923 (aged 20–21)Youth1944HBTed BallardHayes1943AmateurHBAlbert HammondQueens Park Rangers1944AmateurHBTom ManleyManchester United1939HBErnest MuttittMiddlesbrough1932Guest for Chelsea and FulhamHBBilly ScottMiddlesbrough1932ForwardsFWJohnny BaynhamYouth1939FWLes BoulterCharlton Athletic1939FWCyril BrownFelixstowe1939FWTommy CheethamQueens Park Rangers1939Guest for Queens Park Rangers and West Ham UnitedFWIdris HopkinsCrystal Palace1932Guest for West Ham UnitedFWPeter SheldonApril 1927 (aged 17)Youth1944FWLes SmithPetersham1934Guest for ChelseaFWBob ThomasGolders Green1939Guest for West Ham UnitedFWLen TownsendHayes1937Guest for Brighton & Hove Albion, Swansea Town and West Ham UnitedGuest playersGKJohnny Boydn/aUnattached1945Amateur, guestGKHarry BrownQueens Park Rangers1944Guest from Queens Park RangersGKJohn JacksonChelsea1944Guest from ChelseaGKJohn JonesNorthampton Town1944Guest from Northampton TownDFArthur BannerWest Ham United1945Guest from West Ham UnitedDFRalph Cowann/aRangers1944Guest from RangersDFPeter CrokerCharlton Athletic1945Guest from Charlton AthleticDFFred DawesCrystal Palace1945Guest from Crystal PalaceDFJames FullwoodReading1944Guest from ReadingDFLes GoldbergLeeds United1944Guest from Leeds UnitedDFDick JalesBradford City1945Guest from Bradford CityDFCliff LloydWrexham1944Guest from WrexhamDFReg MountfordHuddersfield Town1945Guest from Huddersfield TownHBSam BriddonSwansea Town1944Guest from Swansea TownHBMatt BusbyLiverpool1944Guest from LiverpoolHBErnie CollettArsenal1945Guest from ArsenalHBHarold HobbisCharlton Athletic1945Guest from Charlton AthleticHBJoe JoblingCharlton Athletic1945Guest from Charlton AthleticHBDuncan McKenzieMiddlesbrough1945Guest from MiddlesbroughHBJack OakesCharlton Athletic1945Guest from Charlton AthleticHBTaffy O'CallaghanFulham1945Guest from FulhamHBBobby RussellChelsea1945Guest from ChelseaHBFrank SooStoke City1944Guest from Stoke CityHBR. Tunnicliffen/aUnattached1945GuestHBBill F. WhittakerKingstonian1945Guest from KingstonianHBBill P. WhittakerCharlton Athletic1944Guest from Charlton AthleticFWMaurice EdelstonReading1944Amateur, guest from ReadingFWDouglas HuntSheffield Wednesday1944Guest from Sheffield WednesdayFWArchie LivingstoneBury1945Guest from BuryFWBert StephensBrighton & Hove Albion1945Guest from Brighton & Hove AlbionFWMaurice TadmanCharlton Athletic1945Guest from Charlton AthleticFWDave ThomasPlymouth Argyle1944Guest from Plymouth Argyle 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

PosNatNameLeagueFL War CupTotalAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsGKReg Saunders30—30DFBuster Brown29060350DFBill Gorman204060DFGeorge Poyser20060260HBAlbert Ballard10—10HBTed Ballard10—10HBAlbert Hammond10—10HBTom Manley131—131HBErnest Muttitt15030180HBBilly Scott201030FWJohnny Baynham8341124FWLes Boulter125—125FWCyril Brown222042FWTommy Cheetham21—21FWIdris Hopkins28360343FWPeter Sheldon10—10FWLes Smith20710217FWBob Thomas2823543327FWLen Townsend2324572831Players guested during the seasonGKJohnny Boyd101020GKHarry Brown10—10GKJohn Jackson16020180GKJohn Jones9030120DFArthur Banner101020DFRalph Cowan30—30DFPeter Croker10—10DFFred Dawes—1010DFJames Fullwood10—10DFLes Goldberg10—10DFDick Jales—1010DFCliff Lloyd20—20DFReg Mountford10—10HBSam Briddon50—50HBMatt Busby10—10HBErnie Collett60—60HBHarold Hobbis10—10HBJoe Jobling10—10HBDuncan McKenzie40—40HBJack Oakes20—20HBTaffy O'Callaghan10—10HBBobby Russell10—10HBFrank Soo9210102HBR. Tunnicliffe10—10HBBill F. Whittaker10—10HBBill P. Whittaker18040240FWMaurice Edelston10—10FWDouglas Hunt2112512613FWArchie Livingstone10—10FWBert Stephens10—10FWMaurice Tadman10—10FWDave Thomas6540105 Players listed in italics left the club mid-season. Source: 100 Years Of Brentford

Goalscorers Pos.NatPlayerFLSFLCTotalFWLen Townsend24731FWBob Thomas23427FWDouglas Hunt12113FWLes Smith707FWLes Boulter5—5FWDave Thomas505FWJohnny Baynham314FWIdris Hopkins303FWCyril Brown202HBFrank Soo202FWTommy Cheetham1—1HBTom Manley1—1Opponents101Total8713100 Players listed in italics left the club mid-season. Source: 100 Years Of Brentford

Wartime international caps Pos.NatPlayerCapsGoalsRefFWLes Smith52

Management NameNatFromToRecord All CompsRecord LeaguePWDLW %PWDLW %Harry Curtis26 August 194419 May 1945 |

Summary Games played 36 (30 Football League South, 6 Football League War Cup)Games won 18 (17 Football League South, 1 Football League War Cup)Games drawn 5 (4 Football League South, 1 Football League War Cup)Games lost 13 (9 Football League South, 4 Football League War Cup)Goals scored 100 (87 Football League South, 13 Football League War Cup)Goals conceded 75 (57 Football League South, 18 Football League War Cup)Clean sheets 7 (6 Football League South, 0 Football League War Cup)Biggest league win6–0 versus Luton Town, 30 December 1944; 7–1 versus Portsmouth, 9 December 1944Worst league defeat 5–0 versus Chelsea, 9 September 1944; 6–1 versus Crystal Palace, 21 April 1945Most appearances 35, Buster Brown (29 Football League South, 6 Football League War Cup)Top scorer (league)23, Len TownsendTop scorer (all competitions)30, Len Townsend

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