1926–27 Brentford F.C. season explained

Club:	Brentford
Season:	1926–27
Manager:	Harry Curtis
Chairman:	W. Flewitt
Stadium:	Griffin Park
League:	Third Division South
League Result:	11th
Cup1:	FA Cup
Cup1 Result:	Fifth round
League Topscorer:	Watkins (20)
Season Topscorer:	Watkins (24)
Average Attendance:	9,713
Pattern La1:	_red_stripes
Pattern B1:	_whitestripes
Pattern Ra1:	_red_stripes
Body1:	ff0000
Shorts1:	000000
Socks1:	000000
Prevseason:	1925–26
Nextseason:	1927–28
Highest Attendance:	20,799
Lowest Attendance:	4,775

During the 1926–27 English football season, Brentford competed in the Football League Third Division South. In Harry Curtis' first season as manager, the club finished 11th and advanced to the fifth round of the FA Cup for the first time.

Season summary

After just one top-half finish in the Third Division South since entering the Football League in 1920, Brentford appointed former Gillingham manager Harry Curtis to the position on a one-year contract in May 1926.^[1] The club was still seeking a winning formula, after generally poor league placings from previous managers Fred Halliday and Archie Mitchell. The directors of the club cleared the decks and retained just 9 of the previous season's squad.^[2] Curtis brought with him assistant trainer Jack Cartmell (an ex-Brentford player) and five Gillingham players – full backs Wally Barnard and Charlie Butler, half back Charlie Reddock and forwards Bill Berry and Joe Craddock.^[3] Former Gillingham half back Frank Marshall later signed in January 1927. Jim Ferguson replaced the departed John Thomson in goal and defenders John Hodgson, Ted Winship, half backs Bert Bellamy, Joe Hodnett and forwards George Anderson and Stephen Dearn were also signed.

A 4–0 victory over Brighton & Hove Albion on the opening day put Brentford at the top of the Third Division South table, which was the first time since joining the Football League that the club had occupied the top spot in the division.^[4] Defeat in the following match to Luton Town dropped the Bees back to 6th, but three successive wins in the following matches saw the club rise back to the top and they stayed there until 15 September. 10 goals in the first 9 matches from Ernie Watkins was a factor in the bright start. By early December, the team's league form was affected by a fixture pile-up, caused by a run to the fifth round of the FA Cup. The 8 FA Cup matches played in a single season is the most ever by the club. The run was a financial success and generated enough money for the club to build a new grandstand on the Braemar Road side of Griffin Park.A goal drought suffered by forwards Ernie Watkins, Jack Lane, Stephen Dearn and the departure of Jack Allen to The Wednesday in March 1927 saw Brentford limp through the final three months of the season. The Bees finished the season in 11th place and had been rooted in mid-table since 5 February 1927. Ernie Watkins top-scored with 24 goals, then the highest tally for a Brentford player since the club joined the Football League. Four consecutive home league draws between 2 and 30 April 1927 equalled the club record.^[5]

A notable departure after the season was that of 38-year old cricketer Patsy Hendren, who had played intermittently as an outside forward for Brentford since 1907. During the season he had become the first Bees player since the club joined the Football League to score four goals in a match (during a 7–3 rout of Coventry City on 23 October 1926) and an 11,000 crowd turned up to see his final match against Newport County on Easter Saturday 1927. Upon his departure, Hendren's 400-plus Brentford appearances was then the club record and he was posthumously inducted into the club's Hall of Fame in May 2015.^[6]

Results

Brentford's goal tally listed first.

Legend

Win

Draw

Loss

Football League Third Division South

No.	Date	Opponent	Venue	Result	Attendance	Scorer(s)
1	28 August 1926	Brighton & Hove Albion	H	4–0	12,057	Rae (pen), Berry, Watkins (2)
2	30 August 1926	Luton Town	A	1–2	9,090	Dearn
3	4 September 1926	Northampton Town	A	3–2	10,082	Berry (2), Douglas
4	6 September 1926	Southend United	H	3–1	7,996	Watkins (2), Dearn
5	11 September 1926	Queens Park Rangers	H	4–2	17,380	Lane, Watkins (2), Douglas
6	15 September 1926	Southend United	A	1–3	6,512	Dearn
7	18 September 1926	Millwall	H	0–0	14,125
8	25 September 1926	Bristol Rovers	A	3–1	8,311	Lane, Watkins (2)
9	2 October 1926	Swindon Town	H	2–2	15,404	Watkins (2)
10	9 October 1926	Exeter City	A	1–3	7,152	Lane
11	16 October 1926	Crystal Palace	A	3–4	14,860	Berry (2), Lane
12	23 October 1926	Coventry City	H	7–3	9,099	Hendren (4, 2 pens), Watkins, Dearn (2)
13	30 October 1926	Charlton Athletic	A	1–1	8,058	Rae
14	6 November 1926	Bristol City	H	3–0	11,457	Anderson (2), Dearn
15	20 November 1926	Plymouth Argyle	H	0–0	8,481
16	4 December 1926	Aberdare Athletic	H	1–4	9,485	Baynham (og)
17	18 December 1926	Watford	H	3–0	9,631	Watkins, Dearn, Douglas
18	25 December 1926	Norwich City	A	1–2	10,743	Hendren
19	27 December 1926	Norwich City	H	3–0	17,002	Allen, Watkins, Douglas
20	1 January 1927	Luton Town	H	2–2	9,116	Lane, Dearn
21	15 January 1927	Brighton & Hove Albion	A	1–1	9,517	Hendren
22	22 January 1927	Northampton Town	H	1–1	4,775	Allen
23	5 February 1927	Millwall	A	0–3	19,178
24	12 February 1927	Bristol Rovers	H	0–2	6,630
25	26 February 1927	Exeter City	H	6–1	6,986	Watkins (2), Lane (2), Craddock, Douglas
26	5 March 1927	Crystal Palace	H	3–0	8,205	Watkins, Allen, Lane
27	9 March 1927	Swindon Town	A	2–4	4,659	Craddock, Hendren
28	12 March 1927	Coventry City	A	1–3	11,910	Watkins
29	16 March 1927	Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic	A	1–3	3,195	Watkins
30	19 March 1927	Charlton Athletic	H	2–0	6,755	Donnelly (pen), Craddock
31	26 March 1927	Bristol City	A	0–1	14,062
32	30 March 1927	Gillingham	A	2–1	2,947	Watkins, Lawson
33	2 April 1927	Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic	H	0–0	6,766
34	9 April 1927	Plymouth Argyle	A	1–2	9,556	Craddock
35	15 April 1927	Merthyr Town	H	1–1	9,031	Lane
36	16 April 1927	Newport County	H	1–1	7,801	Watkins
37	19 April 1927	Merthyr Town	A	0–1	3,910
38	23 April 1927	Aberdare Athletic	A	1–3	1,227	Craddock
39	25 April 1927	Newport County	A	0–0	1,721
40	30 April 1927	Gillingham	H	0–0	5,793
41	5 May 1927	Queens Park Rangers	A	1–1	11,355	Lawson
42	7 May 1927	Watford	A	0–0	4,999

FA Cup

See main article: 1926–27 FA Cup.

Round	Date	Opponent	Venue	Result	Attendance	Scorer(s)
1R	27 November 1926	Clapton	A	1–1	4,412	Anderson
1R (replay)	1 December 1926	Clapton	H	7–3	5,936	Lane (2), Watkins (3), Hendren (2)
2R	11 December 1926	Gillingham	A	1–1	10,076	Hendren
2R (replay)	15 December 1926	Gillingham	H	1–0	6,695	Dearn
3R	10 January 1927	Oldham Athletic	A	4–2	10,670	Allen (3), Watkins
4R	29 January 1927	West Ham United	A	1–1	35,000	Lane
4R (replay)	2 February 1927	West Ham United	H	2–0	20,799	Lane, Allen
5R	19 February 1927	Reading	A	0–1	33,042

• Sources: Statto, 11v11, 100 Years of Brentford

Playing squad

Players' ages are as of the opening day of the 1926–27 season.

Pos.	Name	Nat.	Date of birth (age)	Signed from	Signed in	Notes
Goalkeepers
GK	Arthur Collins		August 28, 1926	Derby County	1926
GK	Jim Ferguson		August 28, 1926	St Roch's	1926
Defenders
DF	Charlie Butler		August 28, 1926	Gillingham	1926
DF	James Donnelly		August 28, 1926	Southend United	1925
DF	John Hodgson		August 28, 1926	Sunderland	1926
DF	Ted Winship		1900 (aged 25–26)	Kidderminster Harriers	1926
Midfielders
HB	Jack Beacham		August 28, 1926	Weymouth	1925
HB	Bert Bellamy		August 28, 1926	Swansea Town	1926
HB	Archie Clark		August 28, 1926	Aylesford Paper Mills	1927
HB	Joe Hodnett		August 28, 1926	Merthyr Town	1926
HB	Frank Marshall		1904 (aged 21–22)	Gillingham	1927
HB	Alan Noble		August 28, 1926	Leeds United	1925
HB	Harry Rae		August 28, 1926	Clyde	1925
HB	Charlie Reddock		1902 (aged 23–24)	Gillingham	1926
Forwards
FW	George Anderson		August 28, 1926	Airdrieonians	1926
FW	Bill Berry		August 28, 1926	Gillingham	1926
FW	Joe Craddock		August 28, 1926	Gillingham	1926
FW	Stephen Dearn		March 1901 (aged 25)	Portsmouth	1926
FW	Alfred Douglas		August 28, 1926	Washington Colliery	1925
FW	Patsy Hendren		August 28, 1926	Queens Park Rangers	1911	Played when his cricket commitments allowed
FW	Jack Lane (c)		August 28, 1926	Chesterfield	1925
FW	Herbert Lawson		August 28, 1926	Arsenal	1927
FW	Ernie Watkins		August 28, 1926	Southend United	1926
Players who left the club mid-season
FW	Jack Allen		August 28, 1926	Leeds United	1924	Transferred to The Wednesday

• Sources: 100 Years of Brentford, Timeless Bees,^[7] Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939^[8]

Coaching staff

Name	Role
Harry Curtis	Manager
Tom Ratcliff	Trainer
Jack Cartmell	Assistant trainer

Statistics

Appearances and goals

Pos	Nat	Name	League		FA Cup		Total
			Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
GK		Arthur Collins	4	0	0	0	4	0
GK		Jim Ferguson	38	0	8	0	46	0
DF		Charlie Butler	27	0	8	0	35	0
DF		James Donnelly	39	1	5	0	44	1
DF		John Hodgson	4	0	0	0	4	0
DF		Ted Winship	11	0	3	0	14	0
HB		Jack Beacham	14	0	6	0	20	0
HB		Bert Bellamy	33	0	6	0	39	0
HB		Archie Clark	1	0	—		1	0
HB		Joe Hodnett	9	0	0	0	9	0
HB		Frank Marshall	21	0	—		21	0
HB		Alan Noble	10	0	2	0	12	0
HB		Harry Rae	30	2	8	0	38	2
HB		Charlie Reddock	6	0	0	0	6	0
FW		Jack Allen	7	3	4	4	11	7
FW		George Anderson	8	2	1	1	9	3
FW		Bill Berry	22	5	2	0	24	5
FW		Joe Craddock	12	5	0	0	12	5
FW		Stephen Dearn	30	8	6	1	36	9
FW		Alfred Douglas	26	5	6	0	32	5
FW		Patsy Hendren	21	7	8	3	29	10
FW		Jack Lane	41	9	8	4	49	13
FW		Herbert Lawson	13	2	—		13	2
FW		Ernie Watkins	35	20	7	4	42	24

• Players listed in italics left the club mid-season.
• Source: 100 Years of Brentford

Goalscorers

Pos.	Nat	Player	FL3	FAC	Total
FW		Ernie Watkins	20	4	24
FW		Jack Lane	9	4	13
FW		Patsy Hendren	7	3	10
FW		Stephen Dearn	8	1	9
FW		Jack Allen	3	4	7
FW		Bill Berry	5	0	5
FW		Joe Craddock	5	0	5
FW		Alfred Douglas	5	0	5
FW		George Anderson	2	1	3
FW		Herbert Lawson	2	0	2
HB		Harry Rae	2	0	2
DF		James Donnelly	1	0	1
Opponent			1	0	1
Total			70	17	87

• Players listed in italics left the club mid-season.
• Source: 100 Years of Brentford

Summary

Games played	50 (42 Third Division South, 8 FA Cup)
Games won	17 (13 Third Division South, 4 FA Cup)
Games drawn	17 (14 Third Division South, 3 FA Cup)
Games lost	16 (15 Third Division South, 1 FA Cup)
Goals scored	87 (70 Third Division South, 17 FA Cup)
Goals conceded	70 (61 Third Division South, 9 FA Cup)
Clean sheets	14 (12 Third Division South, 2 FA Cup)
Biggest league win	6–1 versus Exeter City, 26 February 1927
Worst league defeat	3–0 versus Millwall, 5 February 1927; 4–1 versus Aberdare Athletic, 4 December 1926
Most appearances	48, Jim Ferguson (38 Third Division South, 8 FA Cup)
Top scorer (league)	20, Ernie Watkins
Top scorer (all competitions)	24, Ernie Watkins

Transfers & loans

Cricketers are not included in this list.

Players transferred in
Date	Pos.	Name	Previous Club	Fee	Ref.
May 1926	HB	Bert Bellamy	Swansea Town	Free	^[9]
May 1926	GK	Arthur Collins	Derby County	Free
June 1926	DF	Wally Barnard	Gillingham	Free	^[10]
June 1926	FW	Bill Berry	Gillingham	Free	^[11]
June 1926	GK	Jim Ferguson	St Roch's	Free
June 1926	DF	John Hodgson	Sunderland	Free
June 1926	HB	Charlie Reddock	Gillingham	Free
August 1926	DF	Ted Winship	Kidderminster Harriers	Free	^[12]
September 1926	DF	Charlie Butler	Gillingham	Free	^[13]
1926	FW	George Anderson	Airdrieonians	Free
1926	FW	James Birch	Queens Park Rangers	Free	^[14]
1926	FW	Joe Craddock	Gillingham	Free
1926	FW	Stephen Dearn	Portsmouth	Free
1926	HB	Joe Hodnett	Merthyr Town	Free
January 1927	HB	Frank Marshall	Gillingham	£500
March 1927	HB	Archie Clark	Aylesford Paper Mills	Free	^[15]
March 1927	FW	Herbert Lawson	Arsenal	Free
Players transferred out
Date	Pos.	Name	Subsequent club	Fee	Ref.
August 1926	FW	Bert Young	Bangor City	n/a	^[16]
8 March 1927	FW	Jack Allen	The Wednesday	£750	^[17]
Players released
Date	Pos.	Name	Subsequent club	Join date	Ref.
September 1926	FW	Bill Finlayson	Springfield Babes	1926
May 1927	DF	Wally Barnard	Retired		^[18]
May 1927	HB	Bert Bellamy	Wellingborough Town	May 1927
May 1927	GK	Arthur Collins	Scarborough	August 1927
May 1927	HB	Jimmy Elliott	Retired
May 1927	DF	John Hodgson	Hartlepools United	1927
May 1927	HB	Joe Hodnett	Gillingham	August 1927	^[19]
May 1927	HB	Alan Noble	Millwall	May 1927	^[20]
May 1927	DF	Jack Price	Torquay United	28 June 1927
May 1927	DF	Percival Whitton	Retired
May 1927	FW	Bert Young	Newport County	1927	^[21]

Notes and References

1. Web site: Chapman . Mark . Remembering The Guvnor: Harry Curtis . 22 May 2016 . www.brentfordfc.com.
2. Book: 100 Years Of Brentford . Brentford FC . 1989 . 0951526200 . White . Eric . 121–123.
3. Book: Haynes, Graham . A-Z Of Bees: Brentford Encyclopedia . 1998 . Yore Publications . 1 874427 57 7 . Harefield, Middlesex . 100.
4. Web site: Brentford results for the 1926–1927 season . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20160322205350/http://www.statto.com/football/teams/brentford/1926-1927/results . 22 March 2016 . 14 May 2016 . Statto.com.
5. Web site: Brentford scoring and sequence records . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20160304193423/http://www.statto.com/football/teams/brentford/records . 4 March 2016 . 17 May 2016 . Statto.com.
6. Web site: Wickham . Chris . Kevin O'Connor and Marcus Gayle join others in being added to Brentford FC Hall of Fame . 14 May 2016 . www.brentfordfc.com.
7. Book: Haynes, Graham . Timeless Bees: Brentford F.C. Who's Who 1920–2006 . Coumbe . Frank . Yore Publications . 2006 . 978-0955294914.
8. Book: Joyce, Michael . Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939 . Tony Brown . 2012 . 190589161X . Nottingham.
9. Web site: Player: Herbert Bellamy . 31 May 2024 . Watford Football Club Archive . en.
10. Web site: Barnard Wally Clapton 1922 . 7 July 2019 . Vintage Footballers . en-GB.
11. News: 11 June 1926 . More New Players For Brentford. Number Signed Now Totals Nineteen. Goalkeeper And Backs Still Wanted. . Chiswick Times.
12. News: 6 July 1929 . Winship in Brentford Hospital. Recovering from Serious Illness . County of Middlesex Independent.
13. News: 27 September 1926 . Brentford secured the signature of C. J. Butler, the Gillingham left back, in time to turn out at Bristol on Saturday . The Athletic News.
14. Web site: Birch Jimmy Queens Park Rangers 1923 . 23 December 2018 . Vintage Footballers . en-GB.
15. News: 21 March 1927 . Brentford have signed as a professional A. Clarke, centre half back, from Aylesford (Kent) Paper Mills F.C. . The Athletic News.
16. Web site: V, W, X, Y and Z . 18 March 2023 . The Bristol Rovers History Group . en.
17. Web site: A and B . 18 March 2023 . The Bristol Rovers History Group . en.
18. Book: Dorey, F.W. . Brentford Football Club Season 1926–27 Official Handbook . 1926 . 9.
19. Web site: Hodnett Joe Wolverhampton Wanderers 1923 . 7 July 2019 . Vintage Footballers . en-GB.
20. Web site: Noble Alan Leeds United 1922 . 7 July 2019 . Vintage Footballers . en-GB.
21. News: 12 August 1927 . Brentford’s Bright Prospects. A Big Bid For Promotion In The Coming Season. Full List Of Players. Illness Of Marshall: Competition For Forward Positions. . The Brentford & Chiswick Times.