During the 1964–65 English football season, Brentford competed in the Football League Third Division. Despite topping the table between September and October 1964, the worst away record in the division and a change of managers in January 1965 derailed the club's promotion charge.
Season summary After a disappointing first season back in the Third Division, Brentford chairman Jack Dunnett allowed manager Malky MacDonald significant funds for new signings. £18,000 was spent on inside forward Jimmy Bloomfield (who returned to Griffin Park after a decade away) and Newport County's journeyman forward Joe Bonson. The team began the season in good form, winning six and drawing one of the first 9 matches to sit atop the Third Division table. The early season goalscoring form of Joe Bonson meant that Billy McAdams, previously a regular scorer for the team, became surplus to requirements and was sold to local rivals Queens Park Rangers for £5,000. While the club established itself in the promotion places, £29,000 was spent on forwards Billy Cobb and Ian Lawther in October and November 1964. As a sign of chairman Dunnett's aim to secure promotion at all costs, a massive £40,000 bid for Torino's Gerry Hitchens was tabled, but was unsuccessful.
Despite a solid home record and regular goals from front players Cobb, Bonson, Lazarus, Lawther and Fielding, a number of away defeats dropped the Bees back into 4th place by January 1965. The FA Cup was exited after a third round replay defeat at the hands of First Division Burnley and a matter of days later, manager Malky MacDonald revealed that he would leave Brentford at the end of the season to return to Kilmarnock. MacDonald intended to see out the remainder of his contract, which expired at the end of the season, but he was immediately placed on gardening leave by chairman Jack Dunnett. Trainer Tommy Cavanagh took over as interim manager. Cavanagh won four and drew two of his first 10 matches, but a 2–0 away defeat to Scunthorpe United on 26 March emphasised the team's poor away record and effectively ended any chances of promotion. Despite the blow, the team reacted positively, winning five and drawing two of the remaining eight matches of the season to secure a 5th-place finish.
Brentford's home record of 18 wins, 4 draws and 1 defeat was the best in the Third Division and promotion may have been attained had the team not lost five consecutive away matches in mid-season. Just one league win away from home equalled the club record. By 19 December 1964, Joe Bonson, Mark Lazarus and Billy Cobb had each reached 10 or more goals for the season, which was the second instance of three Brentford players reaching double-figures before Christmas Day.
The Brentford reserve team had a successful season and won the London Challenge Cup after a 2–1 victory over Chelsea, courtesy of goals from George Summers and Micky Block. In goal was Gerry Cakebread, who had dropped into the reserves for his final season at Griffin Park. Cakebread finished his Brentford career with 374 first team appearances, the most by any goalkeeper for the club.
League table
Results Brentford's goal tally listed first.
Legend WinDrawLoss
Football League Third Division No.DateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorer(s)122 August 1964Luton TownH2–210,883Bonson (2)224 August 1964Mansfield TownA1–411,326Fielding328 August 1964Carlisle UnitedA1–011,023Bonson431 August 1964Mansfield TownH1–010,592Lazarus55 September 1964Port ValeH4–08,397Summers, Dick (2, 1 pen), Bonson69 September 1964Grimsby TownA1–29,290Ward712 September 1964Colchester UnitedA3–03,977Fielding (2), Lazarus815 September 1964Grimsby TownH2–012,759Ward, Lazarus919 September 1964GillinghamH2–013,075Fielding, Bonson1026 September 1964Bristol RoversH1–114,208Summers1128 September 1964Peterborough UnitedA1–313,311Dick123 October 1964Oldham AthleticA1–111,886Fielding136 October 1964Peterborough UnitedH3–112,448Fielding (2), Cobb149 October 1964Queens Park RangersA3–111,063Bonson (2), Lazarus1514 October 1964Exeter CityA0–07,5001617 October 1964Shrewsbury TownH2–011,372Fielding, Bonson1720 October 1964Exeter CityH2–112,137Lazarus, Bloomfield1824 October 1964ReadingA1–112,127Lazarus1927 October 1964Hull CityH1–312,745Higginson2031 October 1964Southend UnitedH2–111,215Dick, Lazarus217 November 1964BarnsleyA1–34,067Bonson2221 November 1964WalsallA3–48,227Cobb (2), Bonson2328 November 1964WatfordH5–112,955Cobb (2), Lazarus (2, 1 pen), Bloomfield2412 December 1964Luton TownA2–46,014Lazarus, Lawther2519 December 1964Carlisle UnitedH6–18,383Cobb (3), Lawther, Lazarus (2)2626 December 1964Bristol CityH2–116,065Lawther, Bloomfield272 January 1965Port ValeA1–24,533Lawther2816 January 1965Colchester UnitedH1–09,049Gelson2923 January 1965GillinghamA0–114,474306 February 1965Bristol RoversA2–114,575Lawther, Lazarus3113 February 1965Oldham AthleticH2–210,306Lazarus, Lawther3220 February 1965Queens Park RangersH5–212,398Higginson, Cobb (3), Bedford (og)3327 February 1965Shrewsbury TownA0–15,564342 March 1965Bristol CityA2–311,152Cobb, Block (pen)3513 March 1965Southend UnitedA1–07,815Lawther3617 March 1965WorkingtonA1–13,747Cobb3720 March 1965BarnsleyH1–07,954Cobb3826 March 1965Scunthorpe UnitedA0–23,495393 April 1965WalsallH0–07,511407 April 1965WorkingtonH3–06,946Lawther (2), Cobb4110 April 1965WatfordA1–17,373Lawther4216 April 1965Bournemouth & Boscombe AthleticH2–110,519Fielding (2)4317 April 1965ReadingH2–18,929Evans (og), Block4419 April 1965Bournemouth & Boscombe AthleticA1–06,700Gater (og)4524 April 1965Hull CityA1–214,924Lawther4627 April 1965Scunthorpe UnitedH4–06,164Bonson (2), Block, Bloomfield
FA Cup
RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorer(s)1R14 November 1964Wisbech TownA2–03,473Bonson, Cobb2R5 December 1964Notts CountyH4–09,400Bonson, Fielding, Cobb (2)3R9 January 1965BurnleyA1–115,100Lazarus3R (replay)12 January 1965BurnleyH0–230,448
Football League Cup
RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendance1R2 September 1964Southend UnitedH0–25,380 Sources: 100 Years Of Brentford, Statto
Playing squad Players' ages are as of the opening day of the 1964–65 season. Pos. Name Nat. Date of birth (age) Signed from Signed in NotesGoalkeepersGKChic BrodieNorthampton Town1963GKGordon PhillipsHayes1963DefendersDFAlan HawleyYouth1962DFAllan JonesLiverpool1963DFGeorge ThomsonEverton1963MidfieldersHBPeter GelsonYouth1961HBTommy HigginsonKilmarnock1959HBHamish MacKenzieDunfermline Athletic1964HBHugh McLaughlinSt Roch's1961HBMel Scott (c)Chelsea1963HBWillie SmithCeltic1963ForwardsFWMicky BlockChelsea1962FWJimmy BloomfieldBirmingham City1964FWJoe BonsonNewport County1964FWBilly CobbPlymouth Argyle1964FWJohn DickWest Ham United1962FWJohn FieldingSouthport1963FWIan LawtherScunthorpe United1964FWMark LazarusQueens Park Rangers1964FWDai WardWatford1963Players who left the club mid-seasonFWBilly McAdamsLeeds United1962Transferred to Queens Park RangersFWGeorge SummersShawfield1959Transferred to Port Elizabeth City Sources: 100 Years Of Brentford, Timeless Bees
Coaching staff
Malky MacDonald (22 August 1964 – 16 January 1965) NameRole Malky MacDonaldManager Tommy CavanaghTrainer
Tommy Cavanagh (17 January – 27 April 1965) NameRole Tommy CavanaghManager Jimmy SirrelTrainer Eddie LyonsPhysiotherapist
Statistics
Appearances and goals
PosNatNameLeagueFA CupLeague CupTotalAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsGKChic Brodie4504010500GKGordon Phillips10000010DFAllan Jones3704010420DFAlan Hawley1801000190DFGeorge Thomson4104010460HBPeter Gelson4214000461HBTommy Higginson3123010352HBHamish MacKenzie00001010HBHugh McLaughlin20000020HBMel Scott4604010510HBWillie Smith70000070FWMicky Block2030010213FWJimmy Bloomfield4244010474FWJoe Bonson231242102814FWBilly Cobb351543003918FWJohn Dick44000044FWJohn Fielding381041004211FWIan Lawther2311——2311FWMark Lazarus331441103815FWBilly McAdams20—0020FWGeorge Summers22000022FWDai Ward1420010152 Players listed in italics left the club mid-season. Source: 100 Years Of Brentford
Goalscorers Pos.NatPlayerFL3FACFLCTotalFWBilly Cobb153018FWMark Lazarus141015FWJoe Bonson122014FWIan Lawther11——11FWJohn Fielding101011FWJimmy Bloomfield4004FWJohn Dick4004FWMicky Block3003HBTommy Higginson2002FWGeorge Summers2002FWDai Ward2002HBPeter Gelson1001Opponents3003Total837090 Players listed in italics left the club mid-season. Source: 100 Years Of Brentford
Management NameNatFromToRecord All CompsRecord LeaguePWDLW %PWDLW %Malky MacDonald22 August 196416 January 1965Tommy Cavanagh23 January 196527 April 1965
Summary Games played 51 (46 Third Division, 4 FA Cup, 1 League Cup)Games won 26 (24 Third Division, 2 FA Cup, 0 League Cup)Games drawn 10 (9 Third Division, 1 FA Cup, 0 League Cup)Games lost 15 (13 Third Division, 1 FA Cup, 1 League Cup)Goals scored 90 (83 Third Division, 7 FA Cup, 0 League Cup)Goals conceded 60 (55 Third Division, 3 FA Cup, 2 League Cup)Clean sheets 16 (15 Third Division, 1 FA Cup, 0 League Cup)Biggest league win 6–1 versus Carlisle United, 19 December 1964Worst league defeat 4–1 versus Mansfield Town, 24 August 1964Most appearances 50, Chic Brodie (45 Third Division, 4 FA Cup, 1 League Cup)Top scorer (league) 15, Billy CobbTop scorer (all competitions) 18, Billy Cobb
Transfers & loans Players transferred inDatePos.NamePrevious clubFeeRef.June 1964DF Jimmy Bloomfield Birmingham City£12,000June 1964FW Joe Bonson Newport County£6,000August 1964FW Joe Gadston West Ham Unitedn/aAugust 1964HB Hamish MacKenzie Dunfermline AthleticFreeOctober 1964FW Billy Cobb Plymouth Argyle£12,000November 1964FW Ian Lawther Scunthorpe United£17,0001964HB Eddie Reeven/an/a1964FW Phil Baseyn/aFreePlayers transferred outDatePos.NameSubsequent clubFeeRef.22 September 1964FW Billy McAdams Queens Park Rangers£5,000Players releasedDatePos.NameSubsequent clubJoin dateRef.1965FW George Summers Port Elizabeth City1965April 1965DF Tom Anthony Guildford City1966April 1965GK Gerry Cakebread Hillingdon Borough1965April 1965FW John Dick Gravesend & Northfleet1965
Awards Evening Standard Player of the Month: Jimmy Bloomfield (October 1964)
References