During the 1955–56 English football season, Brentford competed in the Football League Third Division South. A promising 6th-place finish was achieved with a squad mainly drawn from the club's youth system.

Season summary After finishing the previous season strongly, Brentford went into the 1955–56 Third Division South season full of optimism. Youth products Jim Towers and Dennis Heath had established themselves in the first team, while George Francis and Gerry Cakebread had also made their debuts. Full backs Alan Bassham, George Lowden and half backs Wally Bragg and George Bristow also made up the ranks of home-grown players in the first team squad and forward John Pearson was another to graduate from the youth team during the 1955–56 season. Chelsea full back Sid Tickridge was manager Bill Dodgin Sr.'s only major signing of the off-season and he replaced Frank Latimer as club captain.

Despite winning more games than they had lost, Brentford hovered in mid-table during the opening three months of the season. Forward Jeff Taylor led the attack and scored 11 goals in as many matches during a five-week period in September and October 1955. Buoyed by four goals in five league matches by Wendell Morgan and news from the boardroom that a £9,000 profit had been made on the year ending in May 1955 (equivalent to £ in ), the Bees moved as high as 8th-place in early December, before losing form again later in the month.

Victory over Exeter City on 4 February 1956 was the first win of a strong run which lasted for the remainder of the season and resulted in a 6th-place finish, 11 points behind the top-three clubs. During the season, 22-goal forward Jim Towers and goalkeeper Gerry Cakebread established themselves as two of the best players in the Third Division South. After nearly 27 years as a player, assistant manager and caretaker manager at Griffin Park, long-serving Jimmy Bain retired in May 1956. He received a Long Service Medal from the Football League in recognition and was awarded a testimonial match to be played in October 1956.

Brentford's 4–0 defeat at the hands of Millwall on 5 September 1955 ended an 11-match unbeaten run in League London derbies, a club record which stretched back to February 1954. The record was equalled in August 2023.

League table

Results Brentford's goal tally listed first.

Legend WinDrawLoss

Football League Third Division South No.DateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorer(s)120 August 1955GillinghamH1–412,247Towers (pen)222 August 1955Queens Park RangersA1–111,688Stobbart327 August 1955Bournemouth & Boscombe AthleticA0–010,451430 August 1955Queens Park RangersH2–012,947Towers, Taylor53 September 1955Norwich CityH1–212,565Dudley65 September 1955MillwallA0–46,911710 September 1955Colchester UnitedA3–07,843Towers (2), Taylor812 September 1955MillwallH2–27,597Taylor, Stobbart917 September 1955Leyton OrientH1–017,847Taylor1019 September 1955WatfordH0–06,8641124 September 1955Exeter CityA3–29,454Taylor (3)1226 September 1955Coventry CityA1–212,584Taylor131 October 1955Southend UnitedH2–114,329Taylor, Towers148 October 1955AldershotA1–47,395Towers1515 October 1955Crystal PalaceH3–013,636Taylor (2), Towers1622 October 1955Brighton & Hove AlbionA0–312,7711729 October 1955SouthamptonH2–112,300Morgan, Rainford185 November 1955Shrewsbury TownA1–110,551Morgan1912 November 1955Ipswich TownH3–214,795Francis, Morgan, Towers2026 November 1955Torquay UnitedH1–311,547Heath213 December 1955Newport CountyA2–18,035Morgan, Dudley2217 December 1955GillinghamA2–15,867Francis, Bristow2324 December 1955Bournemouth & Boscombe AthleticH2–18,592Coote, Taylor2426 December 1955ReadingH2–212,556Robertson, Rainford2527 December 1955ReadingA2–511,910Bragg (pen), Francis2631 December 1955Norwich CityA0–118,5422714 January 1956Colchester UnitedH2–28,492Rainford, Taylor2821 January 1956Leyton OrientA1–214,009Morgan294 February 1956Exeter CityH2–06,309Francis (2)3011 February 1956Southend UnitedA2–25,124Towers, Stirling (og)3118 February 1956AldershotH2–07,026Towers (2)3225 February 1956Crystal PalaceA2–010,054Towers (2)333 March 1956Brighton & Hove AlbionH4–211,061Robertson (2), Goundry, Francis3410 March 1956SouthamptonA1–111,678Towers3512 March 1956Swindon TownH1–27,249Towers3617 March 1956Shrewsbury TownH1–19,156Towers3724 March 1956Ipswich TownA1–113,672Towers3831 March 1956WalsallH2–28,933Towers, Coote392 April 1956Northampton TownH2–19,527Towers (2)403 April 1956Northampton TownA0–18,248417 April 1956Torquay UnitedA1–35,574Taylor4214 April 1956Newport CountyH1–15,291Towers4321 April 1956Swindon TownA1–05,790Peplow4423 April 1956Coventry CityH1–16,078Bragg (pen)4528 April 1956WatfordA2–07,192Robinson, Francis463 May 1956WalsallA2–19,033Taylor, Newcombe

FA Cup

RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorer(s)1R19 November 1955March Town UnitedH4–013,300Stobbart (2), Towers (pen), Francis2R10 December 1955Leyton OrientA1–417,490Taylor

Sources: 100 Years Of Brentford, Statto, 11v11

Playing squad Players' ages are as of the opening day of the 1955–56 season. Pos. Name Nat. Date of birth (age) Signed from Signed in NotesGoalkeepersGKGerry CakebreadYouth1954GKReg NewtonLeyton Orient1949DefendersDFAlan BasshamYouth1953DFKen HorneBlackpool1950DFGeorge LowdenUnattached1951DFSid Tickridge (c)Chelsea1955MidfieldersHBWally BraggTwickenham Celtic1946HBGeorge BristowYouth1950HBKen CooteWembley1949HBIan DargieTonbridge1952HBLeonard GeardFulham1953HBFrank LatimerSnowdown Colliery Welfare1945HBJohnny RainfordCardiff City1953HBTerry RobinsonLoughborough College1954AmateurHBLen RoeRuislip Manor1951ForwardsFWFrank DudleyCardiff City1953FWGeorge FrancisYouth1955FWBilly GoundryHuddersfield Town1955FWDennis HeathYouth1954FWWendell MorganCardiff City1954FWLen NewcombeFulham1956FWJohn PearsonYouth1955FWRon PeplowSouthall1955FWJames RobertsonArsenal1953FWBilly SperrinGuildford City1949FWGeorge StobbartMillwall1954FWJeff TaylorFulham1954FWJim TowersYouth1954 Sources: 100 Years Of Brentford, Timeless Bees

Coaching staff NameRole Bill Dodgin Sr.Manager Jimmy BainAssistant manager Tommy EgglestonTrainer Jack HollidayAssistant trainer

Statistics

Appearances and goals

PosNatNameLeagueFA CupTotalAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsGKGerry Cakebread45020470GKReg Newton100010DFAlan Bassham10000100DFKen Horne700070DFGeorge Lowden15000150DFSid Tickridge39020410HBWally Bragg29200292HBGeorge Bristow27110281HBKen Coote45220472HBIan Dargie400040HBLeonard Geard300030HBFrank Latimer10010110HBJohnny Rainford37320393HBTerry Robinson15120171HBLen Roe401050FWFrank Dudley14210152FWGeorge Francis17711188FWBilly Goundry23100231FWDennis Heath17110181FWWendell Morgan16510175FWLen Newcombe31—31FWJohn Pearson400040FWRon Peplow310031FWJames Robertson22300223FWBilly Sperrin200020FWGeorge Stobbart12212134FWJeff Taylor4315214516FWJim Towers3921214122 Players listed in italics left the club mid-season. Source: 100 Years Of Brentford

Goalscorers Pos.NatPlayerFL3FACTotalFWJim Towers21122FWJeff Taylor15116FWGeorge Francis718FWWendell Morgan505FWGeorge Stobbart224HBJohnny Rainford303FWJames Robertson303HBWally Bragg202HBKen Coote202FWFrank Dudley202FWLen Newcombe1—1HBGeorge Bristow101FWBilly Goundry101FWDennis Heath101FWRon Peplow101HBTerry Robinson101Opponents101Total69574 Players listed in italics left the club mid-season. Source: 100 Years Of Brentford

Amateur international caps Pos.NatPlayerCapsGoalsRefHBTerry Robinson20

Management NameNatFromToRecord All CompsRecord LeaguePWDLW %PWDLW %Bill Dodgin Sr.20 August 19553 May 1956

Summary Games played 48 (46 Third Division South, 2 FA Cup)Games won 20 (19 Third Division South, 1 FA Cup)Games drawn 14 (14 Third Division South, 0 FA Cup)Games lost 14 (13 Third Division South, 1 FA Cup)Goals scored 74 (69 Third Division South, 5 FA Cup)Goals conceded 70 (66 Third Division South, 4 FA Cup)Clean sheets 12 (11 Third Division South, 1 FA Cup)Biggest league win 3–0 on two occasionsWorst league defeat 4–0 versus Millwall, 5 September 1955Most appearances 47, Gerry Cakebread, Ken Coote (45 Third Division South, 2 FA Cup)Top scorer (league) 21, Jim TowersTop scorer (all competitions) 22, Jim Towers

Transfers & loans Players transferred inDatePos.NamePrevious clubFeeRef.May 1955FW Billy Goundry Huddersfield TownFreeJuly 1955DF Sid Tickridge Chelsean/aAugust 1955FW Ken Morgan Northampton Townn/aAugust 1955FW Ron Peplow Southalln/aApril 1956FW Len Newcombe Fulhamn/aPlayers transferred outDatePos.NameSubsequent clubFeeRef.October 1955FW Ken Morgan Crystal Palacen/aApril 1956DF Ken Moffitt Berwick Rangersn/aPlayers releasedDatePos.NameSubsequent clubJoin dateRef.May 1956HB Leonard Geard Kettering TownAugust 1956May 1956HB Frank Latimer Gravesend & NorthfleetJuly 1956May 1956FW James Robertson Gravesend & NorthfleetJuly 1956May 1956FW Billy Sperrin Tunbridge Wells United1956May 1956FW George Stobbart Bedford Town1956

References