During the 1988–89 English football season, Brentford competed in the Football League Third Division. The gruelling 63-match season is best remembered for the Bees' run to the sixth round of the FA Cup. Brentford narrowly failed to qualify for the play-offs, but the club's final placing of 7th was its highest in the league pyramid since the 1964–65 season.
Season summary
After a disappointing end to what was a positive first full season in charge, Brentford manager Steve Perryman identified that his principle starting XI would be complete with a creative winger and a reliable goalscoring forward.White, p. 337. Perryman broke the Bees' incoming transfer record by spending £77,500 on Sheffield United forward Richard Cadette in July 1988. Perryman brought experienced winger Neil Smillie back to Griffin Park, 11 years after Smillie had initially played for the Bees on loan.White, p. 338-345. Also arriving at Griffin Park was goalkeeper Tony Parks from Tottenham Hotspur for a £60,000 fee and replaced Gary Phillips, who joined Reading for £25,000. On the eve of the season, right back Roger Joseph, who had been named in the 1987–88 Third Division PFA Team of the Year, joined Wimbledon for a new club record outgoing transfer fee of £150,000.
Brentford enjoyed one of the most exciting seasons in years, producing some notable results in both the Third Division and the cup competitions.Croxford, Lane & Waterman, p. 226. The Bees trod water in mid-table for most of the season, before a run of eight wins and two draws from a 10-match spell in March and April 1989 raised the club to 7th position, one place outside the play-off zone, despite the club record £350,000 sale of influential midfielder Andy Sinton to Queens Park Rangers. Two consecutive defeats in early May left Brentford in 9th place, still with a chance of a play-off finish going into the final two matches of the season, but a 1–1 draw with Swansea City at Griffin Park in the penultimate match of the season ended any mathematical chances. Despite drawing the final match of the season, defeats for former play-off-contending rivals Chester City and Notts County raised Brentford to a credible 7th-place finish.
In the cup competitions, Brentford advanced to the second round of the League Cup and the Southern Area semi-finals of the Football League Trophy. Notably the Bees faced local rivals Fulham in both competitions and in the Third Division, winning two, drawing two and losing one of the five matches between the sides during the season. In the FA Cup, Brentford advanced to the sixth round for the first time since the 1948–49 season. Non-league club Halesowen Town were dispatched in the first round, but it took replays to see off Peterborough United and Walsall in the second and third rounds respectively. The Bees faced high-flying Second Division club Manchester City in the fourth round at a sold-out Griffin Park and emerged 3–1 victors thanks to a Gary Blissett brace and one goal from Keith Jones. Brentford also drew promotion-chasing Second Division opposition in the fifth round – Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park. 3,000 travelling supporters watched Brentford hold Rovers at 0–0 until the 80th minute, when Gary Blissett scored the first of the only two goals of the match to put the Bees into the hat for the sixth round. Brentford were drawn against First Division giants Liverpool at Anfield, for a match which would be one of the club's biggest occasions of the postwar era. Steve McMahon opened the scoring after 15 minutes and the Bees held firm until midway through the second half, when three Liverpool goals in a 16-minute spell saw the match finish with an unflattering 4–0 scoreline.
Central defender Terry Evans missed just one match during the season and finished with 62 appearances, the club record for a player in a single season.
League table
Results Brentford's goal tally listed first.
Legend WinDrawLoss
Pre-season DateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorer(s)Notes23 July 1988BarreirenseN1–2n/aSintonAlliance Cup.25 July 1988EstorilN0–1n/a27 July 1988MontijoN4–3n/aPyle (2), Cockram, Obi29 July 1988Estrela da AmadoraN1–0n/aCadette13 August 1988OrientA4–1n/aBirch (2), Sinton (pen), Jones15 August 1988Maidenhead UnitedA3–0612Cadette (2), Feeley19 August 1988BournemouthH1–01,117Blissett
Football League Third Division No.DateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorer(s)127 August 1988Huddersfield TownH1–05,016Cockram23 September 1988Northampton TownA0–14,488310 September 1988Wigan AthleticH1–14,081Blissett417 September 1988Swansea CityA1–15,015Millen521 September 1988Bristol RoversA2–13,836Cadette (2)624 September 1988Sheffield UnitedH1–46,577Sinton (pen)71 October 1988GillinghamH1–04,839Sinton (pen)85 October 1988Chester CityA2–31,999Blissett, Cadette99 October 1988Southend UnitedH4–05,016Evans, Sinton (2), Cockram1015 October 1988BuryA1–32,359Cockram1122 October 1988Preston North EndH0–25,5841225 October 1988ChesterfieldA2–21,876Cadette (2)1329 October 1988Port ValeH2–15,212Jones, Holdsworth145 November 1988ReadingA2–27,974Sinton (2, 1 pen)158 November 1988Notts CountyH2–14,013Cadette (2)1621 November 1988Mansfield TownA0–13,1961725 November 1988Cardiff CityA0–13,405183 December 1988Bolton WanderersH3–04,628Cadette (2), Evans1918 December 1988AldershotA0–04,0122026 December 1988BlackpoolH1–06,021Sinton2131 December 1988Wolverhampton WanderersH2–28,020Godfrey, Jones222 January 1989FulhamA3–38,120Sinton, Godfrey, Cadette2314 January 1989Northampton TownH2–06,043Cadette, Stanislaus2421 January 1989Wigan AthleticA1–12,514Sinton254 February 1989GillinghamA0–04,0022611 February 1989Chester CityH0–15,7482725 February 1989BuryH2–26,077Godfrey, Blissett2828 February 1989ChesterfieldH1–04,192Cadette294 March 1989Preston North EndA3–58,191Ratcliffe, Bates, Godfrey3011 March 1989ReadingH3–26,866Millen, Evans, Sinton (pen)3113 March 1989Port ValeA2–35,577Godfrey, Millen3224 March 1989FulhamH0–110,8513327 March 1989BlackpoolA3–03,305Godfrey, Cockram (2, 1 pen)341 April 1989AldershotH2–15,200Jones, Sealy354 April 1989Bristol CityH3–04,627Sealy (2), Cockram (pen)368 April 1989Wolverhampton WanderersA0–214,3563711 April 1989Bristol CityA1–04,339Evans3815 April 1989Bristol RoversH2–17,558Blissett, Smillie3918 April 1989Southend UnitedA1–14,194Smillie4022 April 1989Sheffield UnitedA2–212,613Sealy, Godfrey4125 April 1989Huddersfield TownA2–13,538Godfrey, Blissett4229 April 1989Mansfield TownH1–05,231Cockram431 May 1989Notts CountyA0–34,989446 May 1989Bolton WanderersA2–44,627Ansah (2)459 May 1989Swansea CityH1–14,415Blissett4613 May 1989Cardiff CityH1–14,865Evans
FA Cup
RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorer(s)1R19 November 1988Halesowen TownH2–04,514Evans, Sinton2R10 December 1988Peterborough UnitedA0–05,6092R (replay)14 December 1988Peterborough UnitedH3–25,605Cadette, Cockram, Smillie3R7 January 1989WalsallA1–15,375Jones3R (replay)10 January 1989WalsallH1–08,163Cockram4R28 January 1989Manchester CityH3–112,100Blissett (2), Jones5R18 February 1989Blackburn RoversA2–015,280Blissett (2)6R18 March 1989LiverpoolA0–442,376
Football League Cup
RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorer(s)R1 (1st leg)30 August 1988FulhamA2–25,489Sinton, StanislausR1 (2nd leg)6 September 1988FulhamH1–0 (won 3–2 on aggregate)7,707BlissettR2 (1st leg)27 September 1988Blackburn RoversA1–34,606BlissettR2 (2nd leg)12 October 1988Blackburn RoversH4–3 (lost 5–6 on aggregate)3,844Cadette (2), Sinton, Jones
Football League Trophy
RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorerSPR (match 1)22 November 1988FulhamA2–02,376Blissett, CadetteSPR (match 2)29 November 1988GillinghamH2–03,713Blissett, CockramSR117 January 1989Notts CountyH2–03,194Godfrey, CadetteSQF21 February 1989ChesterfieldA1–04,207CadetteSSF21 March 1989Torquay UnitedH0–15,802 Sources: 100 Years of Brentford, The Big Brentford Book of the Eighties,Croxford, Lane & Waterman, p. 228-247. Statto
Playing squad Players' ages are as of the opening day of the 1988–89 season. Pos.NameNat.Date of birth (age)Signed fromSigned inNotesGoalkeepersGKTony ParksTottenham Hotspur1988GKJeremy RobertsDarlington1988DefendersDFJamie BatesYouth1986DFJohn ButtigiegSliema Wanderers1988DFJason CousinsYouth1989DFTerry EvansHillingdon1985DFAndy FeeleyLeicester City1987DFMarcus GayleYouth1988DFColin LeeChelsea1987Youth Development OfficerDFKeith MillenYouth1985DFGraham PearceFarnborough Town1988DFRoger StanislausArsenal1987MidfieldersMFAllan CockramSt Albans City1988MFAndy DriscollYouth1989MFKevin GodfreyLeyton Orient1988MFKeith Jones (c)Chelsea1987MFSteve PerrymanOxford United1986ManagerMFSimon RatcliffeNorwich City1989MFNeil SmillieReading1988ForwardsFWAndy AnsahDorking1989FWGary BlissettCrewe Alexandra1987FWRichard CadetteSheffield United1988FWJon PurdieOxford United1989Loaned from Oxford United before transferring permanentlyFWTony SealyUnattached1989Players who left the club mid-seasonGKJohn SmeuldersBournemouth1988Returned to Bournemouth after loanMFBob BookerBedmond Sports & Social1978Transferred to Sheffield UnitedMFAndy SintonCambridge United1985Transferred to Queens Park RangersFWPaul BirchPortsmouth1987RetiredFWDean HoldsworthWatford1988Returned to Watford after loan Sources: The Big Brentford Book of the Eighties, Timeless Bees
Coaching staff NameRole Steve PerrymanManager Phil HolderAssistant manager Roy ClarePhysiotherapist
Statistics
Appearances and goals Substitute appearances in brackets. PosNatNameLeagueFA CupLeague CupFL TrophyTotalAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsGKTony Parks330703020450GKJeremy Roberts5010003090DFJamie Bates31 (5)11 (1)02 (1)02036 (7)1DFJohn Buttigieg12 (6)00 (1)0—0012 (7)0DFTerry Evans455814050626DFAndy Feeley30 (3)0802 (1)05045 (4)0DFMarcus Gayle0 (3)00000000 (3)0DFColin Lee1 (1)000000 (1)01 (2)0DFKeith Millen363804050533DFGraham Pearce11 (7)02 (1)0—1014 (8)0DFRoger Stanislaus42 (1)160412055 (1)2MFBob Booker5 (3)0—1 (1)0—6 (4)0MFAllan Cockram31 (6)76 (1)2303 (1)143 (8)10MFAndy Driscoll0 (1)00000000 (1)0MFKevin Godfrey24 (5)85 (2)0—4 (1)133 (8)9MFKeith Jones403824140566MFSteve Perryman2 (3)00 (2)00 (1)0103 (6)0MFSimon Ratcliffe7 (2)11 (1)0—1 (1)09 (4)1MFAndy Sinton31107142504713MFNeil Smillie25 (3)261402037 (3)3FWAndy Ansah3 (4)2———3 (4)2FWPaul Birch0 (2)0—0 (1)0—0 (3)0FWGary Blissett35 (1)664424349 (1)15FWRichard Cadette31 (1)1281425248 (1)17FWJon Purdie5 (1)0———5 (1)0FWTony Sealy11 (1)40 (1)0—0 (1)011 (3)4Players loaned in during the seasonGKJohn Smeulders80—10—90FWDean Holdsworth2 (5)1———2 (5)1 Players listed in italics left the club mid-season. Source: The Big Brentford Book of the EightiesCroxford, Lane & Waterman, p. 430.
Goalscorers Pos.NatPlayerFL3FACFLCFLTTotalFWRichard Cadette1212217FWGary Blissett642315MFAndy Sinton1012013MFAllan Cockram720110MFKevin Godfrey80—19DFTerry Evans51006MFKeith Jones32106FWTony Sealy40—04DFKeith Millen30003MFNeil Smillie21003FWAndy Ansah2———2DFRoger Stanislaus10102FWDean Holdsworth1———1MFSimon Ratcliffe10—01DFJamie Bates10001Total66128793 Players listed in italics left the club mid-season. Source: The Big Brentford Book of the Eighties
Management NameNatFromToRecord All CompsRecord LeaguePWDLW %PWDLW %Steve Perryman27 August 198813 May 1989
Summary