1911–12 Brentford F.C. season

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Brentford
1911–12 season
ChairmanH. Jason-Saunders
Secretary ManagerFred Halliday
StadiumGriffin Park
Southern League First Division14th
FA CupFirst round
Top goalscorerLeague: Rippon (17)
All: Rippon (20)
Highest home attendance9,627
Lowest home attendance1,475

During the 1911–12 English football season, Brentford competed in the Southern League First Division. A forgettable season saw the club finish in mid-table and advance to the first round proper of the FA Cup.

Season summary[edit]

Cricketing-outside left Patsy Hendren returned to Brentford in 1911 and would remain until his retirement in 1927.

Brentford secretary-manager Fred Halliday strengthened his squad in preparation for the 1911–12 Southern League First Division season, bringing in left back Walter Spratt, outside right Billy Brawn, inside forward Patsy Hendren and centre forward Thomas Graham.[1][2][3][4] He would later sign forwards Fred Rouse and Willis Rippon in a bid to improve the team's goalscoring,[5][6] with Rippon going on to finish the season as top-scorer with 20 goals.[4] Full back Steve Buxton was sold to Oldham Athletic on the eve of the season for a £425 fee, in a bid to settle some of the club's debts.[7] The sale of Geordie Reid to Clyde for a club record £500 fee in September 1911 helped pay off further debts.[7]

Brentford finished the season in 14th place and advanced to the first round proper of the FA Cup,[8] taking Crystal Palace to a replay before going out of the competition.[9] The 9–0 league defeat to Coventry City on 27 December 1911 is the heaviest in club history.[10]

League table[edit]

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GR Pts
12 Norwich City 38 10 14 14 40 60 0.667 34
13 West Ham United 38 13 7 18 64 69 0.928 33
14 Brentford 38 12 9 17 60 65 0.923 33
15 Exeter City 38 11 11 16 48 62 0.774 33
16 Southampton 38 10 11 17 46 63 0.730 31
Source: rsssf.com
Rules for classification: The system of using goal average to separate two teams tied on points was used until the 1976-77 season. The points system: 2 points for a win, 1 point for a draw and 0 points for losing.

Results[edit]

Brentford's goal tally listed first.

Legend[edit]

Win Draw Loss

Southern League First Division[edit]

No. Date Opponent Venue Result Attendance Scorer(s)
1 2 September 1911 Reading A 0–0 7,000
2 6 September 1911 Brighton & Hove Albion A 2–0 n/a Sibbald (2)
3 9 September 1911 Watford H 4–2 7,344 Reid (3), Graham
4 16 September 1911 New Brompton A 1–2 5,000 Sibbald
5 23 September 1911 Exeter City H 3–1 7,400 Hendren (2), Sibbald
6 30 September 1911 Luton Town H 0–1 5,700
7 7 October 1911 Queens Park Rangers A 0–4 14,000
8 14 October 1911 Millwall H 3–3 7,000 Graham, Brawn, Hendren
9 21 October 1911 West Ham United A 4–7 6,000 Rippon (3), Hendren
10 28 October 1911 Bristol Rovers H 2–2 5,000 Brawn, Rippon
11 4 November 1911 Swindon Town A 0–2 n/a
12 11 November 1911 Northampton Town H 2–2 5,000
13 25 November 1911 Stoke H 0–1 n/a
14 9 December 1911 Leyton H 2–0 n/a Rippon, Rouse
15 16 December 1911 Norwich City A 0–2 5,000
16 23 December 1911 Crystal Palace H 1–0 5,000 Sibbald
17 25 December 1911 Southampton H 4–0 9,627 Graham (2), Sibbald (2)
18 26 December 1911 Southampton A 2–3 6,000 Rouse, Sibbald
19 27 December 1911 Coventry City A 0–9 n/a
20 30 December 1911 Reading H 0–0 4,000
21 6 January 1912 Watford A 0–3 n/a
22 20 January 1912 New Brompton H 7–1 3,000 Rippon (3), Rouse (2), Hendren (2)
23 27 January 1912 Exeter City A 0–1 5,000
24 3 February 1912 Luton Town A 0–0 n/a
25 10 February 1912 Queens Park Rangers H 1–2 9,450 Rouse
26 17 February 1912 Millwall A 0–2 n/a
27 2 March 1912 Bristol Rovers A 3–1 4,000 McTavish, Rippon (2)
28 16 March 1912 Northampton Town A 3–6 5,000 McTavish, Rippon (2)
29 23 March 1912 Brighton & Hove Albion H 1–1 2,503 Sibbald
30 27 March 1912 West Ham United H 1–2 3,000 Sibbald
31 30 March 1912 Stoke A 1–1 6,000 Sibbald
32 5 April 1912 Plymouth Argyle H 4–0 8,795 Sibbald, Rippon (2), McTavish
33 6 April 1912 Coventry City H 3–0 5,453 Brawn (2), McTavish
34 8 April 1912 Plymouth Argyle A 0–1 3,000
35 13 April 1912 Leyton A 1–1 2,000 McTavish
36 20 April 1912 Norwich City H 3–0 4,000 McTavish, Wolstenholme (og), Rippon
37 24 April 1912 Swindon Town H 2–0 n/a Rippon (2, 1 pen)
38 27 April 1912 Crystal Palace A 0–2 4,000

FA Cup[edit]

Round Date Opponent Venue Result Attendance Scorer(s) Notes
QR5 18 November 1911 First Battalion King's Royal Rifles H 1–1 1,475 Hendren
QR5 (replay) 22 November 1911 First Battalion King's Royal Rifles A 4–1 2,600 Hendren, Rippon (3) [nb 1]
QR6 2 December 1911 Southend United A 1–0 3,500 Brawn
R1 13 January 1912 Crystal Palace H 0–0 8,916
R1 (replay) 17 January 1912 Crystal Palace A 0–4 9,000
  • Source: 100 Years Of Brentford[4]

Playing squad[edit]

Players' ages are as of the opening day of the 1911–12 season.
Pos. Name Nat. Date of birth (age) Signed from Signed in Notes
Goalkeepers
GK Archie Ling England (1881-03-14)14 March 1881 (aged 30) Swindon Town 1909
Defenders
DF Arthur Cleverley England (1885-03-28)28 March 1885 (aged 26) Yiewsley 1910
DF Dusty Rhodes (c) England (1882-08-16)16 August 1882 (aged 29) Sunderland 1908
DF Walter Spratt England (1889-04-14)14 April 1889 (aged 22) Rotherham Town 1911
Midfielders
HB Walter Allen England (1889-09-28)28 September 1889 (aged 21) Barnet & Alston 1911 Amateur
HB Alec Barclay England (1885-11-01)1 November 1885 (aged 25) Ilford 1910 Amateur
HB Jock Hamilton Scotland (1879-02-28)28 February 1879 (aged 32) Leeds City 1909
HB William Hickleton England (1882-05-12)12 May 1882 (aged 29) Coventry City 1911 On loan from Coventry City
HB George Kennedy Scotland (1882-03-12)12 March 1882 (aged 29) Chelsea 1910
HB Phil Richards England (1884-02-19)19 February 1884 (aged 27) Bradford Park Avenue 1908
Forwards
FW George Anderson England (1879-11-29)29 November 1879 (aged 31) Birmingham 1909
FW Billy Brawn England (1878-08-01)1 August 1878 (aged 33) Chelsea 1911
FW Willie Furr England (1891-07-22)22 July 1891 (aged 20) Hitchin Town 1912
FW Thomas Graham England (1887-07-20)20 July 1887 (aged 24) Castleford Town 1911
FW Patsy Hendren England (1889-02-05)5 February 1889 (aged 22) Coventry City 1911 Played when his cricket commitments allowed
FW Henry Purver England (1891-05-03)3 May 1891 (aged 20) Oxford City 1911 Amateur
FW Willis Rippon England (1888-12-02)2 December 1888 (aged 22) Woolwich Arsenal 1911
FW Jack Sibbald England (1890-09-12)12 September 1890 (aged 20) Wallsend Elm Villa 1910
FW Charles Symes England (1888-03-13)13 March 1888 (aged 23) South Tooting 1912
FW Bob McTavish Scotland (1888-10-26)26 October 1888 (aged 22) Tottenham Hotspur 1912
Players who left the club mid-season
GK Harry Furr England (1887-01-13)13 January 1887 (aged 24) Croydon Common 1911 Transferred to Croydon Common
FW Geordie Reid Scotland (1882-01-30)30 January 1882 (aged 29) Bradford Park Avenue 1908 Transferred to Clyde
FW Fred Rouse England (1881-11-28)28 November 1881 (aged 29) Croydon Common 1911 Retired
  • Source: Brentford Football Club Official Handbook 1911–12,[11] 100 Years Of Brentford,[4] Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939[12]

Coaching staff[edit]

Name Role
England Fred Halliday Secretary Manager
England Tom Cowper Trainer

Statistics[edit]

Appearances and goals[edit]

Brentford's highest appearance-makers in each position during the Southern League season.
Pos Nat Name League FA Cup Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
GK England Harry Furr 6 0 2 0 8 0
GK England Archie Ling 32 0 3 0 35 0
DF England Arthur Cleverley 14 0 0 0 14 0
DF England Dusty Rhodes 29 0 5 0 34 0
DF England Walter Spratt 31 0 5 0 36 0
HB England Walter Allen 2 0 0 0 2 0
HB England Alec Barclay 28 0 3 0 31 0
HB Scotland Jock Hamilton 22 0 5 0 27 0
HB Scotland George Kennedy 28 0 4 0 32 0
HB England Phil Richards 12 0 3 0 15 0
FW England George Anderson 20 1 3 0 23 1
FW England Billy Brawn 34 4 5 1 39 5
FW England Willie Furr 2 0 0 0 2 0
FW England Thomas Graham 15 4 1 0 16 4
FW England Patsy Hendren 32 4 5 2 37 6
FW Scotland Bob McTavish 12 6 12 6
FW England Henry Purver 2 0 0 0 2 0
FW Scotland Geordie Reid 4 3 4 3
FW England Willis Rippon 24 17 5 3 29 20
FW England Fred Rouse 15 5 2 0 17 5
FW England Jack Sibbald 29 12 4 0 33 12
FW England Charles Symes 1 0 1 0
Players loaned in during the season
HB England William Hickleton 24 1 0 0 24 1
  • Players listed in italics left the club mid-season.
  • Source: 100 Years Of Brentford[4]

Goalscorers[edit]

Pos. Nat Player SL1 FAC Total
FW England Willis Rippon 17 3 20
FW England Jack Sibbald 12 0 12
FW Scotland Bob McTavish 6 6
FW England Patsy Hendren 4 2 6
FW England Fred Rouse 5 0 5
FW England Billy Brawn 4 1 5
FW England Thomas Graham 4 0 4
FW Scotland Geordie Reid 3 3
FW England George Anderson 1 0 1
HB England William Hickleton 1 0 1
Opponents 1 0 1
Total 60 6 66
  • Players listed in italics left the club mid-season.
  • Source: 100 Years Of Brentford[4]

Management[edit]

Name Nat From To Record All Comps Record League
P W D L W % P W D L W %
Fred Halliday England 2 September 1911 27 April 1912 43 14 11 18 032.56 38 12 9 17 031.58

Summary[edit]

Games played 47 (42 Southern League First Division, 5 FA Cup)
Games won 14 (12 Southern League First Division, 2 FA Cup)
Games drawn 11 (9 Southern League First Division, 2 FA Cup)
Games lost 18 (17 Southern League First Division, 1 FA Cup)
Goals scored 66 (60 Southern League First Division, 6 FA Cup)
Goals conceded 71 (65 Southern League First Division, 6 FA Cup)
Clean sheets 13 (11 Southern League First Division, 2 FA Cup)
Biggest league win 7–1 versus New Brompton, 20 January 1912
Worst league defeat 9–0 versus Coventry City, 27 December 1911
Most appearances 39, Billy Brawn (34 Southern League First Division, 5 FA Cup)
Top scorer (league) 17, Willis Rippon
Top scorer (all competitions) 20, Willis Rippon

Transfers & loans[edit]

Cricketers are not included in this list.
Players transferred in
Date Pos. Name Previous club Fee Ref.
5 May 1911 FW England Thomas Graham England Castleford Town n/a [7]
5 May 1911 DF England Walter Spratt England Rotherham Town Free [1]
19 May 1911 FW England Billy Brawn England Chelsea n/a [13]
19 August 1911 FW England Patsy Hendren England Coventry City n/a [14]
August 1911 GK J. Blackburn England Tottenham Thursday Amateur [15]
August 1911 FW England Henry Purver England Oxford City Amateur [7]
22 September 1911 FW England Fred Rouse England Chelsea n/a [6]
21 October 1911 FW England Willis Rippon England Woolwich Arsenal £200 [7]
28 October 1911 GK England Harry Furr England Croydon Common n/a [16]
1911 HB England Walter Allen England Barnet & Alston Amateur [7]
1911 HB England Joseph Raw n/a n/a [17]
1911 HB England Thomas Wicks n/a n/a [17]
February 1912 FW England Willie Furr England Hitchin Town n/a [18]
2 March 1912 FW Scotland Bob McTavish England Tottenham Hotspur Nominal [7]
1912 FW England Charles Symes England South Tooting n/a [18]
Players loaned in
Date Pos. Name Subsequent club Date to Ref.
26 August 1911 HB England William Hickleton England Coventry City End of season [7]
Players transferred out
Date Pos. Name Subsequent club Fee Ref.
5 August 1911 DF England Steve Buxton England Oldham Athletic £425 [7]
22 September 1911 FW Scotland Geordie Reid Scotland Clyde £500 [19]
March 1912 GK England Harry Furr England Croydon Common n/a [16]
Players released
Date Pos. Name Subsequent club Join date Ref.
February 1912 FW England Fred Rouse Retired [6]
May 1912 HB England Walter Allen Barnet & Alston n/a [7]
May 1912 FW England George Anderson Retired [7]
May 1912 GK England Archie Ling Retired [7]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ Match played at Griffin Park due to the inadequacy of First Battalion King's Royal Rifles' ground.

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Handbook 1911, p. 25.
  2. ^ Handbook 1911, p. 33.
  3. ^ Handbook 1911, p. 34.
  4. ^ a b c d e f White, Eric, ed. (1989). 100 Years Of Brentford. Brentford FC. p. 361. ISBN 0951526200.
  5. ^ "Willis Rippon". Arsenal.com. Retrieved 10 June 2016.
  6. ^ a b c "Biographies – Fred Rouse" (PDF). Croydon Common Football Club. Retrieved 8 May 2018.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l White 1989, p. 97-99.
  8. ^ "England – Southern League Final Tables". RSSSF. Retrieved 10 June 2016.
  9. ^ "F.A. Cup 1911–12". Football Club History Database. Retrieved 10 June 2016.
  10. ^ Haynes, Graham (1998). A-Z Of Bees: Brentford Encyclopedia. Yore Publications. p. 119. ISBN 1 874427 57 7.
  11. ^ Brentford Football Club Official Handbook 1911–12. Richmond. p. 20.
  12. ^ Joyce, Michael (2012). Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939. Nottingham: Tony Brown. ISBN 190589161X.
  13. ^ "Field, Road And River – Pars Of Interest To Sportsmen". County of Middlesex Independent. 20 May 1911.
  14. ^ "Patsy Hendren". Football and the First World War. Retrieved 12 June 2016.
  15. ^ "Field, Road And River". County of Middlesex Independent. 5 August 1911.
  16. ^ a b "Biographies – Harry Furr" (PDF). Croydon Common Football Club. Retrieved 8 May 2018.
  17. ^ a b Brentford F.C. Club Handbook 1912–13.
  18. ^ a b White 1989, p. 99-101.
  19. ^ Litster, John. Record of Pre-War Scottish League Players. Norwich: PM Publications.