During the 1961–62 English football season, Brentford competed in the Football League Third Division. Financial cutbacks and a reduction in size of the playing squad led to Brentford's relegation to the Fourth Division for the first time in the club's history.
Season summary
Off-season After a number of seasons in which Brentford challenged and failed to win promotion from the Third Division with a wafer-thin squad, low attendances and a debt of over £50,000 meant that the 1961 off-season would be a period of turmoil. A threat of a players' strike in support of the removal of the maximum wage during the second half of the previous season was averted and it was revealed that the club had turned down £12,000 and £9,000 bids respectively for prolific strike partners Jim Towers and George Francis during the 1959–60 season – a period when the club was still confident of promotion from the Third Division. With those expectations dampened by mediocre performances in the 1960–61 season, up-and-coming outside left John Docherty was sold for £17,000 during the final months of the campaign. Towers and particularly Francis performed poorly by their standards during the 1960–61 season and consequently bids of a similar amount to that of the previous year failed to materialise.
Future Nottingham Central MP Jack Dunnett joined the board in July 1961 and took over as chairman from Frank Davis three months later. For the first time since relegation to the Third Division South in 1953, Brentford conducted an end-of-season clearout in a bid to reduce the squad size and wage bill. Ken Horne, Billy Goundry, George Bristow, Dennis Heath and Eric Parsons, who had each made over 100 appearances for the club, were released, as were five other bit-part players. Most galling for the Brentford supporters was the sale of forwards Jim Towers and George Francis (who had accounted for 299 goals between them since 1954) to divisional and local rivals Queens Park Rangers for a combined £8,000 fee. £6,000 Cardiff City forward Brian Edgley was signed as a replacement and Ray Reeves and Jimmy Belcher were brought in to strengthen the back lines. The signings took the squad size to just 16 players, six of whom held a part-time status (Cakebread, Dargie, Gelson, Gitsham, Reeves and Ryecraft) and of those, two (Gelson and Ryecraft) were juniors who had yet to make their senior debuts. In addition, assistant trainer Jack Holliday (the club's record goalscorer) was sacked and trainer Fred Monk resigned in April 1962.
Season Brentford had a dreadful start to the 1961–62 season, losing 8 of the first 9 matches in all competitions. The signing of £6,000 former England international forward Johnny Brooks in early September 1961 helped boost the team's morale enough for them to register their first point of the season on 9 September 1961, courtesy of a goalless draw with Southend United at Griffin Park. After another loss and the Bees' first two victories of the season, three successive defeats led manager Malky MacDonald to re-sign forward George Francis from Queens Park Rangers on 6 October. Francis' return helped inspire a victory over Swindon Town 24 hours later, courtesy of a Johnny Rainford goal. The FA Cup provided a welcome distraction from the league, in which Brentford were firmly rooted in the relegation zone. The Bees advanced to the third round of the FA Cup, taking high-flying Second Division club Leyton Orient to a replay before being knocked out. After the defeat, the board again reached for the chequebook and signed outside forward Micky Block from Chelsea for a £5,000 fee.
Poor form in the opening months of 1962 failed to avert the relegation threat and a bid to buy back Jim Towers from Queens Park Rangers failed, but a run of three wins and one draw in late March and early April lifted Brentford to 21st, the club's highest position of the season so far. Of the following four matches, a victory, a draw and two defeats left the Bees' in 23rd place, with their destiny out of their own hands. Victory for 21st-place Barnsley over 20th-place Torquay United on 2 May ended the Bees' hopes of survival. Brentford's 9-year stay in the Third Division officially ended the following day after a 2–0 defeat to Hull City at Boothferry Park. The relegation completed a drop from the First Division in 1947 to the Fourth Division in 1962, a 15-year fall from grace.
League table
Results Brentford's goal tally listed first.
Legend WinDrawLoss
Football League Third Division No.DateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorer(s)119 August 1961Queens Park RangersA0–316,790222 August 1961Halifax TownH0–27,509326 August 1961ReadingH1–29,630Spiers (og)428 August 1961Halifax TownA0–17,60352 September 1961Newport CountyA1–65,757Edgley65 September 1961Grimsby TownA0–18,80079 September 1961Southend UnitedH0–07,100816 September 1961Notts CountyA1–37,977Edgley919 September 1961Coventry CityH2–16,100Higginson, Belcher1023 September 1961Shrewsbury TownH4–07,000Edgley (2), Brooks, Rainford1125 September 1961Coventry CityA0–210,2431230 September 1961Peterborough UnitedA0–612,654133 October 1961Bristol CityA0–310,700147 October 1961Swindon TownH1–07,500Rainford1510 October 1961Bristol CityH0–28,5691614 October 1961Torquay UnitedA0–34,8361721 October 1961PortsmouthH3–29,600Brooks, Edgley, Francis1828 October 1961BarnsleyA2–26,478Summers, Edgley1911 November 1961WatfordA1–28,333Francis2018 November 1961Bournemouth & Boscombe AthleticH2–29,600Francis, Edgley212 December 1961Lincoln CityH1–07,980Summers229 December 1961Northampton TownA0–510,3392316 December 1961Queens Park RangersH1–411,800Francis2423 December 1961ReadingA0–47,2112526 December 1961Bradford Park AvenueH2–05,100Edgley (pen), Francis2613 January 1962Newport CountyH3–17,750Francis, Higginson, McLeod2720 January 1962Southend UnitedA0–06,8352827 January 1962Crystal PalaceA2–219,323Brooks, Block392 February 1962Notts CountyH0–19,2003010 February 1962Shrewsbury TownA3–16,037Brooks, Francis, McLeod3117 February 1962Peterborough UnitedH2–011,000Brooks (pen), McLeod3223 February 1962Swindon TownA2–57,089Summers, Francis333 March 1962Torquay UnitedH0–27,4503410 March 1962PortsmouthA0–415,2563517 March 1962BarnsleyH1–16,050Francis3624 March 1962Hull CityA0–33,4323730 March 1962WatfordH3–06,450Francis (2), Summers384 April 1962Bradford Park AvenueA2–14,812Francis, Summers397 April 1962Bournemouth & Boscombe AthleticA1–110,736Block4013 April 1962Crystal PalaceH4–29,900Brooks (2, 1 pen), Francis, Wood (og)4120 April 1962Port ValeH1–211,160Brooks (pen)4221 April 1962Lincoln CityA3–35,402Summers (2), Gelson4323 April 1962Port ValeA0–35,8714427 April 1962Northampton TownH3–06,750Francis, Brooks, Summers451 May 1962Grimsby TownH0–218,126463 May 1962Hull CityH0–23,600
FA Cup
RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorer(s)1R4 November 1961Oxford UnitedH3–013,500Summers, Edgley (2)2R25 November 1961AldershotA2–212,846Edgley, Francis2R (replay)28 November 1961AldershotH2–017,800Edgley, Brooks3R6 January 1962Leyton OrientH1–119,700Summers3R (replay)8 January 1962Leyton OrientA1–222,690Higginson
Football League Cup
RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorer1R13 September 1961Leeds UnitedA1–44,500McLeod
Sources: 100 Years Of Brentford, Statto
Playing squad Players' ages are as of the opening day of the 1961–62 season. Pos. Name Nat. Date of birth (age) Signed from Signed in NotesGoalkeepersGKGerry CakebreadYouth1954DefendersDFKen Coote (c)Wembley1949DFJimmy GitshamYouth1959DFRay ReevesReading1961DFTom WilsonFulham1957MidfieldersHBJimmy BelcherIpswich Town1961HBIan DargieTonbridge1952HBPeter GelsonYouth1961HBTommy HigginsonKilmarnock1959ForwardsFWMicky BlockChelsea1962FWJohnny BrooksChelsea1961FWBrian EdgleyCardiff City1961FWGeorge FrancisQueens Park Rangers1961FWJohnny HalesSt Roch's1958FWGeorge McLeodLuton Town1958FWDanny O'DonnellKirkintilloch Rob Roy1960FWGeorge SummersShawfield1959Players who left the club mid-seasonFWJohnny RainfordCardiff City1953Transferred to Tonbridge Sources: 100 Years Of Brentford, Timeless Bees
Coaching staff NameRole Malky MacDonaldManager Fred MonkTrainer
Statistics
Appearances and goals
PosNatNameLeagueFA CupLeague CupTotalAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsGKGerry Cakebread4605010520DFKen Coote4505010510DFJimmy Gitsham3405000390DFRay Reeves50000050DFTom Wilson1600010170HBJimmy Belcher3015010361HBIan Dargie3501010370HBPeter Gelson2414000281HBTommy Higginson4625110523FWMicky Block202——202FWJohnny Brooks381051004311FWBrian Edgley27854103312FWGeorge Francis321451—3715FWJohnny Hales80001090FWGeorge McLeod4635011524FWDanny O'Donnell90000090FWJohnny Rainford1521010172FWGeorge Summers30842103510 Players listed in italics left the club mid-season. Source: 100 Years Of Brentford
Goalscorers Pos.NatPlayerFL3FACFLCTotalFWGeorge Francis141—15FWBrian Edgley84012FWJohnny Brooks101011FWGeorge Summers82010FWGeorge McLeod3014HBTommy Higginson2103FWMicky Block2——2FWJohnny Rainford2002HBJimmy Belcher1001HBPeter Gelson1001Opponents2002Total539163 Players listed in italics left the club mid-season. Source: 100 Years Of Brentford
Management NameNatFromToRecord All CompsRecord LeaguePWDLW %PWDLW %Malky MacDonald19 August 19613 May 1962
Summary Games played 52 (46 Third Division, 5 FA Cup, 1 League Cup)Games won 15 (13 Third Division, 2 FA Cup, 0 League Cup)Games drawn 10 (8 Third Division, 2 FA Cup, 0 League Cup)Games lost 27 (25 Third Division, 1 FA Cup, 1 League Cup)Goals scored 63 (53 Third Division, 9 FA Cup, 1 League Cup)Goals conceded 102 (93 Third Division, 5 FA Cup, 4 League Cup)Clean sheets 12 (10 Third Division, 2 FA Cup, 0 League Cup)Biggest league win 4–0 versus Shrewsbury Town, 23 September 1961Worst league defeat 6–0 versus Peterborough United, 30 September 1961Most appearances 52, Gerry Cakebread, Tommy Higginson, George McLeod (46 Third Division, 2 FA Cup, 3 League Cup)Top scorer (league) 14, George FrancisTop scorer (all competitions) 15, George Francis
Transfers & loans Players transferred inDatePos.NamePrevious clubFeeRef.5 June 1961FW Brian Edgley Cardiff City£6,000July 1961HB Jimmy Belcher Ipswich Townn/aJuly 1961DF Ray Reeves Readingn/a2 September 1961FW Dick Lowrie St Roch'sn/a2 September 1961FW Hugh McLaughlin St Roch'sn/aSeptember 1961FW Johnny Brooks Chelsea£6,0006 October 1961FW George Francis Queens Park Rangersn/aDecember 1961DF Tom Anthonyn/an/a1961DF Tim Soutarn/an/aJanuary 1962FW Micky Block Chelsea£5,000Players transferred outDatePos.NameSubsequent clubFeeRef.31 May 1961FW George Francis Queens Park Rangers£4,00031 May 1961FW Jim Towers Queens Park Rangers£4,0001962FW Johnny Rainford TonbridgeFreePlayers releasedDatePos.NameSubsequent clubJoin dateRef.May 1962HB Jimmy Belcher Margate1962May 1962DF Ray Reeves Dover1962May 1962DF Tom Wilson Folkestone Town1962
Awards Supporters' Player of the Year: Ken Coote
References