Wikipedia

1943–44 Brentford F.C. season

During the 1943–44 English football season, Brentford competed in the Football League South, due to the cessation of competitive football for the duration of the Second World War. The Bees marginally improved on the previous season's 9th-place finish, ending in 7th.

Brentford
1943–44 season
ChairmanFrank Davis
ManagerHarry Curtis
StadiumGriffin Park
Football League South7th
Football League South War CupGroup stage
Top goalscorerLeague: Hunt (15)
All: Hunt (18)
Highest home attendance20,270
Lowest home attendance2,340
Average home league attendance25,768

Season summary

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Brentford returned for the 1943–44 Football League South season again with a shortage of first team players, with just 10 available who made a senior appearance for the club prior to the outbreak of the Second World War in September 1939.[1] The biggest boost for the squad came with the availability of goalkeeper Joe Crozier,[1] who had not appeared since 21 October 1939.[2] Reserve forwards Fred Durrant and Bob Thomas, signed before the war, would feature during the season, as would six junior and amateur players on the club's books.[1] A whopping 36 guest players would be used during the campaign.[1]

Despite an improved 7th-place finish in the Football League South,[3] 1943–44 proved to be as forgettable as the previous season, though there were a few memorable results – 7–2 versus Southampton on 18 December 1943, 4–1 versus Arsenal in front of 20,270 at Griffin Park on 4 February 1944 and 8–0 versus Brighton & Hove Albion a month later in the group stage of the Football League War Cup, from which Brentford failed to qualify for the knockout stages.[4] Three players won wartime international caps during the season – Les Smith for England,[5] Joe Crozier for Scotland and Idris Hopkins for Wales.[6][7] Though he finished the season as second-leading scorer behind guest Douglas Hunt,[4] Les Smith's 15 goals in 15 appearances led his case for a first international cap in over two years.[5]

The 1943–44 season ended with the retirements of two players who had contributed to Brentford's rise from the Third Division South to the First Division between 1932 and 1935. 34-year-old centre half Joe James elected to retire six months after failing to recover from a wrist injury suffered in the match versus Charlton Athletic on 26 February 1944.[8] He would return to football briefly with Colchester United in November 1945.[9] 35-year-old centre forward Jack Holliday, who moved to the half back line in his later years, retired at the end of the season, having scored 122 goals in 222 matches from his arrival in May 1932 to the outbreak of war in September 1939.[10] He remained on the club's books as assistant trainer of the reserve team.[10]

League table

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Main article: 1943–44 in English football
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GR Pts
6 Portsmouth 30 16 5 9 68 59 1.153 37
7 Brentford 30 14 7 9 71 51 1.392 35
8 Chelsea 30 16 2 12 79 55 1.436 34
Source: Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation

Results

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Brentford's goal tally listed first.

Legend

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Win Draw Loss

Football League South

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No. Date Opponent Venue Result Attendance Scorer(s)
1 28 August 1943 Clapton Orient H 4–2 4,820 Hunt, Smith (2), Stewart
2 4 September 1943 Fulham A 3–4 7,737 Stewart, Hunt (2)
3 11 September 1943 Brighton & Hove Albion H 2–3 5,310 Hopkins, Hunt
4 18 September 1943 Chelsea H 3–1 6,400 Smith, Hunt, Stewart
5 25 September 1943 Crystal Palace A 1–1 5,131 W. Watson
6 2 October 1943 Watford H 4–1 6,720 Durrant, Hunt (pen), McKennan (2)
7 9 October 1943 West Ham United A 0–0 12,000
8 16 October 1943 Arsenal A 3–3 17,658 McKennan, Townsend, Hunt
9 23 October 1943 Aldershot H 2–4 9,940 McKennan (2)
10 30 October 1943 Luton Town A 2–2 5,000 Driver, McKennan
11 6 November 1943 Tottenham Hotspur H 0–2 9,650
12 13 November 1943 Portsmouth H 2–0 6,880 Smith, Hunt (pen)
13 27 November 1943 Clapton Orient A 4–1 1,000 Smith (2), Little, McKennan
14 4 December 1943 Fulham H 0–0 7,510
15 11 December 1943 Brighton & Hove Albion A 2–0 2,500 Thomas, Stewart
16 18 December 1943 Southampton H 7–2 3,000 Smith (2), Hunt (2), McKennan (2), Stewart
17 25 December 1943 Queens Park Rangers H 2–5 11,200 Thomas, McKennan
18 27 December 1943 Queens Park Rangers A 2–3 8,900 Smith, Stewart
19 1 January 1944 Chelsea A 3–0 12,000 McKennan (2), Hunt
20 8 January 1944 Tottenham Hotspur A 0–1 16,917
21 22 January 1944 Watford A 4–4 2,759 Hunt (2, 1 pen), W. Watson, McKennan
22 29 January 1944 West Ham United H 2–1 11,220 Townsend, Hunt
23 5 February 1944 Arsenal H 4–1 20,270 Soo, Westcott, Townsend (2)
24 12 February 1944 Aldershot A 2–4 4,000 McKennan, Smith
25 1 April 1944 Luton Town H 2–0 2,340 Hopkins, Baynham
26 10 April 1944 Crystal Palace H 2–0 4,440 Stewart, Holliday
27 15 April 1944 Reading H 1–0 6,040 Smith
28 22 April 1944 Southampton A 2–2 9,000 Townsend, Stewart
29 29 April 1944 Portsmouth A 2–3 8,000 Baynham, Townsend
30 6 May 1944 Reading A 3–0 3,500 Townsend (2), Hunt

Football League South War Cup

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Round Date Opponent Venue Result Attendance Scorer(s)
Grp 19 February 1944 Crystal Palace H 3–4 4,110 Townsend, Stevens
Grp 26 February 1944 Charlton Athletic A 3–5 5,023 Townsend, Hunt (2)
Grp 4 March 1944 Brighton & Hove Albion H 8–0 5,020 Westcott (4), Townsend (3), Hunt
Grp 11 March 1944 Crystal Palace A 2–1 8,659 Westcott, Shepherd
Grp 18 March 1944 Charlton Athletic H 2–2 10,000 Townsend, Smith
Grp 25 March 1944 Brighton & Hove Albion A 0–5 3,000
  • Source: 100 Years Of Brentford[4]

Playing squad

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Players' ages are as of the opening day of the 1943–44 season.
Pos. Name Nat. Date of birth (age) Signed from Signed in Notes
Goalkeepers
GK Joe Crozier   (1914-12-02)2 December 1914 (aged 28) East Fife 1937
GK Reg Saunders   (1920-07-29)29 July 1920 (aged 23) Uxbridge Town 1944 Amateur
Defenders
DF Buster Brown   (1910-09-06)6 September 1910 (aged 32) Huddersfield Town 1937
DF Bernard Floodgate   (1922-07-22)22 July 1922 (aged 21) Youth 1943
DF George Poyser   (1910-02-06)6 February 1910 (aged 33) Port Vale 1934
Midfielders
HB Jack Holliday   (1908-12-19)19 December 1908 (aged 34) Middlesbrough 1932
HB Joe James   (1910-01-13)13 January 1910 (aged 33) Battersea Church 1929
HB Tom Manley   (1912-10-07)7 October 1912 (aged 30) Manchester United 1939 Guest for Tottenham Hotspur
HB Ernest Muttitt   (1908-07-24)24 July 1908 (aged 35) Middlesbrough 1932 Guest for Chelsea, Watford, West Ham United
Forwards
FW Johnny Baynham   (1918-04-21)21 April 1918 (aged 25) Youth 1944
FW Fred Durrant   (1921-06-19)19 June 1921 (aged 22) Folkestone 1938
FW Idris Hopkins   (1910-10-11)11 October 1910 (aged 32) Crystal Palace 1932
FW Maurice Richfield   October 1921 (aged 21) Youth 1944
FW Les Smith   (1918-03-13)13 March 1918 (aged 25) Petersham 1934
FW Bob Thomas   (1919-08-02)2 August 1919 (aged 24) Golders Green 1939
FW Len Townsend   (1917-08-31)31 August 1917 (aged 25) Hayes 1937
Guest players
GK Gordon Bentley   October 1920 (aged 22) Burnley 1944 Guest from Burnley
GK Charlie Briggs   (1911-04-04)4 April 1911 (aged 32) Halifax Town 1943 Guest from Halifax Town
GK Harry Dukes   (1912-03-31)31 March 1912 (aged 31) Norwich City 1943 Guest from Norwich City
GK Freddie Houldsworth   (1911-05-29)29 May 1911 (aged 32) Reading 1944 Guest from Reading
GK John Jones   (1916-11-25)25 November 1916 (aged 26) Northampton Town 1943 Guest from Northampton Town
GK Bill Mason   (1908-10-31)31 October 1908 (aged 34) Queens Park Rangers 1944 Guest from Queens Park Rangers
GK Alec Roxburgh   (1910-09-19)19 September 1910 (aged 32) Blackpool 1944 Guest from Blackpool
DF Ralph Cowan   n/a Rangers 1944 Guest from Rangers
DF Frank Jenner   n/a St Mirren 1944 Guest from St Mirren
DF Fred Lester   (1911-02-20)20 February 1911 (aged 32) Sheffield Wednesday 1943 Guest from Sheffield Wednesday
DF George Taylor   (1909-04-23)23 April 1909 (aged 34) Bolton Wanderers 1943 Guest from Bolton Wanderers
HB Len Jones   (1913-06-09)9 June 1913 (aged 30) Plymouth Argyle 1943 Guest from Plymouth Argyle
HB Duncan McKenzie   (1912-08-10)10 August 1912 (aged 31) Middlesbrough 1943 Guest from Middlesbrough
HB David Nelson   (1918-02-03)3 February 1918 (aged 25) Arsenal 1943 Guest from Arsenal
HB Frank Soo   (1914-03-12)12 March 1914 (aged 29) Stoke City 1943 Guest from Stoke City
HB Jack Watson   (1917-12-31)31 December 1917 (aged 25) Bury 1944 Guest from Bury
HB Jimmy Watson   (1914-01-01)1 January 1914 (aged 29) Bristol Rovers 1943 Guest from Bristol Rovers
HB Bill Whittaker   (1922-12-20)20 December 1922 (aged 20) Charlton Athletic 1943 Guest from Charlton Athletic
FW Dickie Davis   (1922-01-22)22 January 1922 (aged 21) Sunderland 1943 Guest from Sunderland
FW Johnny Deakin   n/a St Mirren 1944 Guest from St Mirren
FW Allenby Driver   (1919-09-29)29 September 1919 (aged 23) Sheffield Wednesday 1943 Guest from Sheffield Wednesday
FW Bobby Flavell   (1921-09-01)1 September 1921 (aged 21) Airdrieonians 1943 Guest from Airdrieonians
FW Dickie Girling   (1922-05-24)24 May 1922 (aged 21) Crystal Palace 1944 Guest from Crystal Palace
FW Douglas Hunt   (1914-05-19)19 May 1914 (aged 29) Sheffield Wednesday 1943 Guest from Sheffield Wednesday
FW Tommy Kiernan   (1918-10-20)20 October 1918 (aged 24) Albion Rovers 1943 Guest from Albion Rovers
FW Charlie Leyfield   (1911-10-30)30 October 1911 (aged 31) Doncaster Rovers 1943 Guest from Doncaster Rovers
FW George Little   (1915-12-01)1 December 1915 (aged 27) Doncaster Rovers 1943 Guest from Doncaster Rovers
FW Peter McKennan   (1918-07-16)16 July 1918 (aged 25) Partick Thistle 1943 Guest from Partick Thistle
FW Ernie Shepherd   (1919-08-14)14 August 1919 (aged 24) Fulham 1944 Guest from Fulham
FW Arthur Stevens   (1921-01-13)13 January 1921 (aged 22) Fulham 1944 Guest from Fulham
FW George Stewart   (1920-10-18)18 October 1920 (aged 22) Hamilton Academical 1943 Guest from Hamilton Academical
FW Harry Thompson   (1915-04-29)29 April 1915 (aged 28) Sunderland 1943 Guest from Sunderland
FW Dennis Westcott   (1917-07-02)2 July 1917 (aged 26) Wolverhampton Wanderers 1944 Guest from Wolverhampton Wanderers
  • Sources: Timeless Bees,[11] Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939,[12] 100 Years Of Brentford[4]

Coaching staff

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Name Role
  Harry Curtis Manager
  Jimmy Bain Assistant manager
  Bob Kane Trainer
  Jack Cartmell Assistant trainer

Statistics

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Appearances and goals

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Brentford's highest appearance-makers in each position during the Football League South season.
Pos Nat Name League FL War Cup Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
GK   Joe Crozier 15 0 1 0 16 0
GK   Reg Saunders 3 0 1 0 4 0
DF   Buster Brown 30 0 5 0 35 0
DF   Bernard Floodgate 1 0 — 1 0
DF   George Poyser 24 0 6 0 30 0
HB   Jack Holliday 3 1 — 3 1
HB   Joe James 22 0 1 0 23 0
HB   Tom Manley 2 0 2 0 4 0
HB   Ernest Muttitt 8 0 3 0 11 0
FW   Johnny Baynham 2 2 — 2 2
FW   Fred Durrant 1 1 — 1 1
FW   Idris Hopkins 12 2 2 0 14 2
FW   Maurice Richfield 1 0 — 1 0
FW   Les Smith 21 12 4 1 25 13
FW   Bob Thomas 8 2 — 8 2
FW   Len Townsend 10 8 5 7 15 15
Players guested during the season
GK   Gordon Bentley 5 0 2 0 7 0
GK   Charlie Briggs 1 0 — 1 0
GK   Harry Dukes 4 0 — 4 0
GK   Freddie Houldsworth — 1 0 1 0
GK   John Jones 2 0 — 2 0
GK   Bill Mason 1 0 — 1 0
GK   Alec Roxburgh — 1 0 1 0
DF   Ralph Cowan — 1 0 1 0
DF   Frank Jenner 1 0 — 1 0
DF   Fred Lester 1 0 — 1 0
DF   George Taylor 1 0 — 1 0
HB   Len Jones 1 0 — 1 0
HB   Duncan McKenzie 18 0 — 18 0
HB   David Nelson 5 0 — 5 0
HB   Frank Soo 12 1 3 0 15 1
HB   Jimmy Watson 14 2 6 0 20 2
HB   Jack Watson 1 0 — 1 0
HB   Bill Whittaker 20 0 4 0 24 0
FW   Dickie Davis 2 0 — 2 0
FW   Johnny Deakin 1 0 — 1 0
FW   Allenby Driver 1 1 — 1 1
FW   Bobby Flavell 1 0 — 1 0
FW   Dickie Girling 1 0 — 1 0
FW   Douglas Hunt 26 15 4 3 30 18
FW   Tommy Kiernan 4 0 — 4 0
FW   Charlie Leyfield 1 0 — 1 0
FW   George Little 2 1 — 2 1
FW   Peter McKennan 18 14 2 0 20 14
FW   Ernie Shepherd 1 0 1 1 2 1
FW   Arthur Stevens — 1 1 1 1
FW   George Stewart 22 8 6 0 28 8
FW   Harry Thompson 1 0 — 1 0
FW   Dennis Westcott 1 1 4 5 5 6
  • Players listed in italics left the club mid-season.
  • Source: 100 Years Of Brentford[4]

Goalscorers

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Pos. Nat Player FLS FLC Total
FW   Douglas Hunt 15 3 18
FW   Len Townsend 8 7 15
FW   Peter McKennan 14 0 14
FW   Les Smith 12 1 13
FW   George Stewart 8 0 8
FW   Dennis Westcott 1 5 6
FW   Johnny Baynham 2 — 2
FW   Bob Thomas 2 — 2
FW   Idris Hopkins 2 0 2
HB   Jimmy Watson 2 0 2
FW   Allenby Driver 1 — 1
FW   Fred Durrant 1 — 1
HB   Jack Holliday 1 — 1
FW   George Little 1 — 1
HB   Frank Soo 1 0 1
FW   Ernie Shepherd 0 1 1
FW   Arthur Stevens 0 1 1
Total 71 18 89
  • Players listed in italics left the club mid-season.
  • Source: 100 Years Of Brentford[4]

Wartime international caps

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Pos. Nat Player Caps Goals Ref
GK   Joe Crozier 3 0 [6]
FW   Idris Hopkins 1 0 [7]
FW   Les Smith 3 1 [5]

Management

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Name Nat From To Record All Comps Record League
P W D L W % P W D L W %
Harry Curtis   28 August 1943 6 May 1944 36 16 8 12 044.44| 30 14 7 9 046.67

Summary

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Games played 36 (30 Football League South, 6 Football League War Cup)
Games won 16 (14 Football League South, 2 Football League War Cup)
Games drawn 8 (7 Football League South, 1 Football League War Cup)
Games lost 12 (9 Football League South, 3 Football League War Cup)
Goals scored 89 (71 Football League South, 18 Football League War Cup)
Goals conceded 68 (51 Football League South, 17 Football League War Cup)
Clean sheets 10 (9 Football League South, 1 Football League War Cup)
Biggest league win 7–2 versus Southampton, 18 December 1943
Worst league defeat 5–2 versus Queens Park Rangers, 25 December 1943
Most appearances 35, Buster Brown (30 Football League South, 5 Football League War Cup)
Top scorer (league) 15, Douglas Hunt
Top scorer (all competitions) 18, Douglas Hunt

Transfers & loans

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Guest players' arrival and departure dates correspond to their first and last appearances of the season.
Guest players in
Date from Pos. Name Previous Club Date to Ref.
28 August 1943 FW   Douglas Hunt   Sheffield Wednesday End of season [4]
28 August 1943 HB   Len Jones   Plymouth Argyle 28 August 1943 [4]
28 August 1943 HB   Duncan McKenzie   Middlesbrough 22 January 1944 [4]
28 August 1943 FW   George Stewart   Hamilton Academical End of season [4]
28 August 1943 HB   Jimmy Watson   Bristol Rovers 22 April 1944 [4]
4 September 1943 GK   John Jones   Northampton Town 11 September 1943 [4]
4 September 1943 HB   Bill Whittaker   Charlton Athletic End of season [4]
11 September 1943 FW   Harry Thompson   Sunderland 11 September 1943 [4]
18 September 1943 FW   Peter McKennan   Partick Thistle 10 April 1944 [4]
18 September 1943 HB   Frank Soo   Stoke City 18 March 1944 [4]
16 October 1943 GK   Charlie Briggs   Halifax Town 19 December 1942 [4]
23 October 1943 DF   Fred Lester   Sheffield Wednesday 23 October 1943 [4]
23 October 1943 FW   Charlie Leyfield   Doncaster Rovers 23 October 1943 [4]
30 October 1943 FW   Allenby Driver   Sheffield Wednesday 30 October 1943 [4]
6 November 1943 FW   Dickie Davis   Sunderland 13 November 1943 [4]
6 November 1943 GK   Harry Dukes   Norwich City 27 December 1943 [4]
6 November 1943 FW   Bobby Flavell   Airdrieonians 6 November 1943 [4]
6 November 1943 FW   George Little   Doncaster Rovers 27 November 1943 [4]
13 November 1943 HB   David Nelson   Arsenal 8 January 1944 [4]
4 December 1943 FW   Tommy Kiernan   Albion Rovers 22 January 1944 [4]
27 December 1943 DF   George Taylor   Bolton Wanderers 27 December 1943 [4]
1 January 1944 GK   Gordon Bentley   Burnley 11 March 1944 [4]
22 January 1944 FW   Ernie Shepherd   Fulham 11 March 1944 [4]
29 January 1944 FW   Johnny Deakin   St Mirren 29 January 1944 [4]
5 February 1944 FW   Dennis Westcott   Wolverhampton Wanderers 18 March 1944 [4]
19 February 1944 GK   Freddie Houldsworth   Reading 19 February 1944 [4]
19 February 1944 FW   Arthur Stevens   Fulham 19 February 1944 [4]
26 February 1944 GK   Alec Roxburgh   Blackpool 27 March 1943 [4]
4 March 1944 DF   Ralph Cowan   Rangers 4 March 1944 [4]
1 April 1944 GK   Bill Mason   Queens Park Rangers 1 April 1944 [4]
1 April 1944 HB   Jack Watson   Bury 1 April 1944 [4]
10 April 1944 HB   Frank Jenner   St Mirren 10 April 1944 [4]
6 May 1944 FW   Dickie Girling   Crystal Palace End of season [4]
Guest players out
Date from Pos. Name To Date to Ref.
9 October 1943 HB   Ernest Muttitt   Watford 9 October 1943 [13]
4 December 1943 HB   Ernest Muttitt   Chelsea 4 December 1943 [14]
22 January 1944 HB   Tom Manley   Tottenham Hotspur 22 January 1944 [15]
5 February 1944 HB   Ernest Muttitt   West Ham United 5 February 1944 [16]
n/a DF   Jimmy Anderson   Hamilton Academical n/a [17]
Players released
Date Pos. Name Subsequent club Join date Ref.
May 1944 FW   Jack Holliday Retired [10]
May 1944 HB   Joe James Retired [8]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d White 1989, p. 175-176.
  2. ^ White 1989, p. 375.
  3. ^ "England 1943/44". RSSSF. Retrieved 23 June 2016.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am White, Eric, ed. (1989). 100 Years Of Brentford. Brentford FC. p. 377. ISBN 0951526200.
  5. ^ a b c "Les Smith". 11v11.com. Retrieved 23 June 2016.
  6. ^ a b "Joe Crozier". 11v11.com. Retrieved 23 June 2016.
  7. ^ a b "Dai Hopkins". 11v11.com. Retrieved 23 May 2016.
  8. ^ a b Haynes & Coumbe 2006, p. 86.
  9. ^ "Joe James – Players – Colchester United". coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 23 June 2016.
  10. ^ a b c Haynes & Coumbe 2006, p. 79.
  11. ^ Haynes, Graham; Coumbe, Frank (2006). Timeless Bees: Brentford F.C. Who's Who 1920–2006. Yore Publications. ISBN 978-0955294914.
  12. ^ Joyce, Michael (2012). Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939. Nottingham: Tony Brown. ISBN 190589161X.
  13. ^ "Season: 1943/1944". Watford Football Club Archive. Retrieved 12 May 2024.
  14. ^ "Chelsea 0–1 Brighton & Hove Albion (1943–44 League South)". TheChels.info – The Chelsea Football Club Wiki. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
  15. ^ Goodwin, Bob (2017). The Spurs Alphabet. Lulu.com. p. 290. ISBN 978-0-9540434-2-1.
  16. ^ "Ernie [ww 2] Muttitt". www.westhamstats.info. Retrieved 26 June 2016.
  17. ^ Litster, John. Record of Pre-War Scottish League Players. Norwich: PM Publications.
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