During the 1904–05 English football season, Brentford competed in the Southern League First Division. In its first season at Griffin Park, the club finished in 14th place.
Season summary
It was a summer of fundraising for the Brentford board during the 1904 off-season, with the club needing to raise money for the work being undertaken at its new Griffin Park ground.White, p. 82-85. £600 was raised (equivalent to £ in ) to pay summer wages for the squad and manager Dick Molyneux was once again able to sign new players soon after the end of the 1903–04 season, with goalkeeper Walter Whittaker, half back Jimmy Tomlinson and forwards John Boag, Fred Hobson, Frank Oliver, Alex Walker and Joe Warrington being signings of note. Molyneux's biggest transfer coup was that of forward Tommy Shanks, who returned to Brentford after 18 months away and off the back of a season in which he had scored 25 goals in Woolwich Arsenal's Football League Second Division triumph. The summer wages allowed full backs Jock Watson, Tommy Davidson and half backs James Bellingham, Jimmy Jay and George Parsonage to be retained, which on paper made the Bees' 1904–05 Southern League First Division squad arguably the club's strongest yet.
Though the season proved to be a slight improvement on the previous one, with two more points won, but finishing one place lower in 14th, Brentford's first season at Griffin Park was a disappointment. Though he finished the season as top scorer and became Brentford's second international player, forward Tommy Shanks could not recreate his prolific form of the previous season and scored just seven goals. The Bees reached the intermediate round of the FA Cup for the third successive season, but could not find a way past fellow First Division club Reading.
Two club records were set during the season: Most Southern League draws in a season: 9 Most Southern League home draws in a season: 7
League table
Results Brentford's goal tally listed first.
Legend WinDrawLoss
Southern League First Division No.DateOpponentVenueResultScorer(s)13 September 1904West Ham UnitedH0–0210 September 1904ReadingA0–1317 September 1904Bristol RoversH0–1424 September 1904Northampton TownA2–3Warrington, Boag51 October 1904PortsmouthH1–3Warrington68 October 1904Brighton & Hove AlbionA1–0Shanks (pen)715 October 1904Queens Park RangersA2–3Shanks, Gates822 October 1904MillwallH2–0Hobson (2)929 October 1904Tottenham HotspurA1–1Shanks105 November 1904Luton TownH3–0Shanks (3)1112 November 1904Swindon TownA3–1Oliver (2), Hobson1219 November 1904New BromptonH0–2133 December 1904SouthamptonH0–11417 December 1904WatfordH1–1Jay1524 December 1904Plymouth ArgyleA0–11631 December 1904West Ham UnitedA1–0Oliver177 January 1905ReadingH0–01821 January 1905Northampton TownH3–4Jay, Fletcher (2)1928 January 1905PortsmouthA0–5204 February 1905Brighton & Hove AlbionH1–0Shinner2111 February 1905Queens Park RangersH0–02218 February 1905MillwallA1–1Parsonage2325 February 1905Tottenham HotspurH0–0244 March 1905Luton TownA0–12511 March 1905Swindon TownH1–1Warrington2618 March 1905New BromptonA1–0Gates2725 March 1905WellingboroughH3–0Parsonage, Fletcher, Warrington2827 March 1905WellingboroughA4–0Hobson (3), Shinner291 April 1905SouthamptonA0–2308 April 1905FulhamH1–1Gates3115 April 1905WatfordA0–13222 April 1905Plymouth ArgyleH1–0Shanks (pen)3325 April 1905Bristol RoversA0–33429 April 1905FulhamA0–1
FA Cup
RoundDateOpponentVenueResultScorer(s)6QR10 December 1904Queens Park RangersA2–1Archer (og), SwarbrickIR14 January 1905ReadingH1–1WarringtonIR (replay)18 January 1905ReadingA0–2 Source: 100 Years of Brentford
Playing squad
Source: 100 Years of Brentford
Coaching staff NameRole Dick MolyneuxSecretary Manager Bob CroneTrainer
Statistics Appearances
Goalscorers Pos.NatPlayerSL1FACTotalFWTommy Shanks707FWFred Hobson606HBJoe Warrington415FWHarry Fletcher303FWGeorge Gates303FWFrank Oliver303FWJames Shinner2—2HBJimmy Jay202HBGeorge Parsonage202FWJohn Boag101FWJames Swarbrick011Opponents011Total33336 Players listed in italics left the club mid-season. Source: 100 Years Of Brentford
International caps Pos.NatPlayerCapsGoalsRefFWTommy Shanks10
Management NameNatFromToRecord All CompsRecord LeaguePWDLW %PWDLW %Dick Molyneux3 September 190429 April 1905
Summary Games played 37 (34 Southern League First Division, 3 FA Cup)Games won 11 (10 Southern League First Division, 1 FA Cup)Games drawn 10 (9 Southern League First Division, 1 FA Cup)Games lost 16 (15 Southern League First Division, 1 FA Cup)Goals scored 36 (33 Southern League First Division, 3 FA Cup)Goals conceded 42 (38 Southern League First Division, 4 FA Cup)Clean sheets 13 (13 Southern League First Division, 0 FA Cup)Biggest league win 4–0 versus Wellingborough, 27 March 1905Worst league defeat5–0 versus Portsmouth, 28 January 1905Most appearances 37, George Parsonage (34 Southern League First Division, 3 FA Cup)Top scorer (league) 7, Tommy ShanksTop scorer (all competitions) 7, Tommy Shanks
References