1899–1900 Brentford F.C. season

During the 1899–1900 English football season, Brentford competed in the Southern League Second Division. A Middlesex FA investigation into the club's financial affairs necessitated a change to professional status mid-season, but a forgettable campaign ended with the Bees finishing third-from-bottom.

Brentford
1899–1900 season
ChairmanWilliam Lewis
StadiumCross Roads
Southern League Second Division9th
FA CupThird qualifying round
Top goalscorerLeague: E. Andrews (7)
All: E. Andrews,
Dailley (7)

Season summary

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Forward Ralph McElhaney was a late-season signing from East Stirlingshire.

After a difficult first season in the Southern League Second Division, Brentford's AGM in May 1899 revealed that the club had lost £100 on the previous season, taking the overall debt to £180 (equivalent to £25,600 in 2024).[1] After a series of meetings, a new committee was elected in July after it was decided that the club would continue to operate on an amateur basis.[1] On the playing side, only six members of the team that finished the previous season remained at the club – goalkeeper Ben Brown, full back George Turner, half backs 'Nick' Mattocks, Billy Smith and forwards Richard Dailley, Thomas Knapman and Charlie Evans.[1] Incoming transfers included full back Bert Lane, half back G. Pearce and forwards E. Andrews and John Bayne.[1]

Brentford won and drew each of the opening two Second Division fixtures, with new forward John Bayne scoring in each, before he and George Turner, both soldiers, departed for service in the Second Boer War with their regiments.[1] Things went from bad to worse in October when the Middlesex FA opened an enquiry into Brentford's "shamateurism", the results of which saw the club fined £10 and suspended from football for a month beginning 20 November.[1] Additionally, a number of members of the club's committee were suspended sine die or until 30 April 1900.[1] A new committee took charge of the club and elected to turn professional.[1]

Following the resumption of competitive play on 23 December, Brentford showed appalling form, failing to win until late March 1900.[1] A 13-match winless streak, which stretched back to 23 September, culminated in a 7–0 thrashing at the hands of Grays United on 24 March.[2] Additionally, a meeting had been called in January to discuss if the club could even continue, but donations of £60 (equivalent to £8,500 in 2024) helped to ensure that the Bees would survive for the immediate future.[1] Late in the season, professional half backs Frederick Broughton and Ralph McElhaney joined the club and immediately fortunes turned around on the pitch, with Brentford winning four and drawing one of the final six matches of the season to finish in 9th position, two places off the bottom.[1]

League table

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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GR Pts Qualification or relegation
1 Watford 20 14 2 4 57 25 2.280 30 Promotion test matches
2 Fulham 20 10 4 6 44 23 1.913 24
3 Chesham Town 20 11 2 7 43 37 1.162 24
4 Wolverton L&NWR 20 9 6 5 46 36 1.278 24 Left league at end of season
5 Grays United 20 8 6 6 63 29 2.172 22
6 Shepherds Bush 20 9 4 7 45 37 1.216 22
7 Dartford 20 8 3 9 36 44 0.818 19 Left league at end of season
8 Wycombe Wanderers 20 8 3 9 35 50 0.700 19
9 Brentford 20 5 7 8 31 48 0.646 17
10 Southall 20 6 3 11 21 44 0.477 15
11 Maidenhead 20 1 2 17 16 64 0.250 4
Source: rsssf.com
Rules for classification: The system of using goal average to separate two teams tied on points was used up until the 1976–77 season. The points system: 2 points for a win, 1 point for a draw and 0 points for losing.

Results

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Brentford's goal tally listed first.

Legend

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Win Draw Loss

Southern League Second Division

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No. Date Opponent Venue Result Scorer(s)
1 9 September 1899 Wycombe Wanderers H 1–0 Bayne
2 23 September 1899 Shepherds Bush A 2–2 Bayne, Knapman
3 7 October 1899 Watford A 0–4
4 4 November 1899 Fulham H 3–3 Knapman, E. Andrews, Dailley (pen)
5 11 November 1899 Maidenhead A 0–2
6 23 December 1899 Chesham A 1–4 Harding (og)
7 30 December 1899 Fulham A 0–5
8 27 January 1900 Watford H 2–2 E. Andrews, Dailley
9 8 February 1900 Grays United H 0–5
10 17 February 1900 Wolverton London & North Western Railway A 1–5 Dailley
11 24 February 1900 Shepherds Bush H 1–1 Edwards
12 3 March 1900 Southall A 0–0
13 17 March 1900 Chesham H 1–1 Dailley
14 24 March 1900 Grays United A 0–7
15 31 March 1900 Dartford H 4–0 Dailley (2), Asbury, E. Andrews
16 16 April 1900 Dartford A 1–2 Mattocks
17 21 April 1900 Maidenhead H 3–2 Asbury, E. Andrews (2)
18 26 April 1900 Wolverton London & North Western Railway H 3–1 Allwright, Watt (2)
19 28 April 1900 Southall H 6–0 Knapman (3), E. Andrews (2), Evans
20 30 April 1900 Wycombe Wanderers A 2–2 Broughton, Evans

FA Cup

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Round Date Opponent Venue Result Scorer
3QR 28 October 1899 Richmond Association H 1–2 Dailley
  • Source: 100 Years of Brentford[2]

Playing squad

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Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
GK   ENG S. Andrews
GK   ENG Ben Brown
GK   ENG Louis Hare
GK   ENG S. Marshall
DF   ENG R. Davis
DF   ENG E. Dicks
DF   ENG Herbert Edney
DF   ENG Bert Lane
DF   ENG John Pilgrim
MF   ENG R. Allen
MF   ENG Frederick Broughton
MF   ENG F. Dean
MF   ENG P. Duncan
MF   ENG Billy Green
MF    Hay
MF   ENG Joseph Hood
MF   WAL T. Jones
MF   ENG J. Lucas
MF   ENG Alfred Mattocks
MF   ENG William Mehew
No. Pos. Nation Player
MF   SCO Ralph McElhaney
MF   ENG G. Pearce
MF   ENG Billy Smith
FW   ENG Bert Allen
FW   ENG William Allwright
FW   ENG E. Andrews
FW   ENG Benjamin Asbury
FW    "Bailey"
FW   ENG Frederick Carte
FW   ENG Richard Dailley (c)
FW   ENG B. Edwards
FW    Charlie Evans
FW   ENG M. Granger
FW   ENG Thomas Knapman
FW   ENG J. Read
FW   ENG John Richardson
FW   ENG Harry Thurston
FW   ENG Alfred Townsend
FW   ENG S. Vincent
FW   ENG A. Watt

Left club during season

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Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
DF   SCO George Turner
No. Pos. Nation Player
FW   SCO John Bayne
  • "Bailey" is an alias
  • Source: 100 Years of Brentford[2]

Statistics

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Appearances

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Brown
Lane
Dicks
Broughton
Pearce
Smith
Asbury
Watt
Dailley (c)
E. Andrews
Edwards
Brentford's highest appearance-makers in each position during the Southern League season.

Goalscorers

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Pos. Nat Player SL2 FAC Total
FW   E. Andrews 7 0 7
FW   Richard Dailley 6 1 7
FW   Thomas Knapman 5 0 5
FW   John Bayne 2 2
FW   Benjamin Asbury 2 0 2
FW n/a Charlie Evans 2 0 2
FW   A. Watt 2 0 2
FW   William Allwright 1 0 1
HB   Frederick Broughton 1 0 1
FW   B. Edwards 1 0 1
HB   Alfred Mattocks 1 0 1
Opponents 1 0 1
Total 31 1 32
  • Players listed in italics left the club mid-season.
  • Source: 100 Years Of Brentford[2]

Management

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Name From To Record All Comps Record League
P W D L W % P W D L W %
Committee 9 September 1899 30 April 1900 21 5 7 9 023.81 20 5 7 8 025.00

Summary

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Games played 28 (20 Southern League Second Division, 1 FA Cup)
Games won 5 (5 Southern League Second Division, 0 FA Cup)
Games drawn 7 (7 Southern League Second Division, 0 FA Cup)
Games lost 9 (8 Southern League Second Division, 1 FA Cup)
Goals scored 32 (31 Southern League Second Division, 1 FA Cup)
Goals conceded 50 (48 Southern League Second Division, 2 FA Cup)
Clean sheets 4 (4 Southern League Second Division, 0 FA Cup)
Biggest league win 6–0 versus Southall, 28 April 1900
Worst league defeat 7–0 versus Grays United, 24 March 1900
Most appearances 17, E. Andrews, Richard Dailley (17 Southern League Second Division, 1 FA Cup)
Top scorer (league) 7, E. Andrews
Top scorer (all competitions) 7, E. Andrews, Richard Dailley

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k White, p. 71-74.
  2. ^ a b c d White, Eric, ed. (1989). 100 Years Of Brentford. Brentford FC. p. 355. ISBN 0951526200.