1959–60 Brentford F.C. season explained

Club:Brentford
Season:1959–60
Manager:Malky MacDonald
Chairman:Frank Davis
Stadium:Griffin Park
League:Third Division
League Result:6th
Cup1:FA Cup
Cup1 Result:Second round
League Topscorer:Francis (26)
Season Topscorer:Francis (31)
Highest Attendance:21,600
Lowest Attendance:6,300
Average Attendance:11,912
Pattern La1:_red_stripes
Pattern B1:_whitestripes3
Pattern Ra1:_red_stripes
Pattern So1:_redtop_2whitestripes
Body1:ff0000
Shorts1:000000
Socks1:000000
Prevseason:1958–59
Nextseason:1960–61

During the 1959–60 English football season, Brentford competed in the Football League Third Division. A strong run in the final 13 matches of the season lifted the Bees from mid-table to a 6th-place finish.

Season summary

After two strong pushes for promotion from the Third Division, Brentford manager Malky MacDonald conducted little transfer business in the 1959 off-season, with his main signing being that of former Chelsea centre half Bill Livingstone as cover for the injured Ian Dargie. However, two youngsters MacDonald signed from Scotland in June and July 1959 between them would go on to make nearly 700 appearances for the club – Tommy Higginson and John Docherty. As a testament how little the squad had changed over the previous three years, by the end of the season MacDonald had 12 players on the books who had all made over 100 appearances for Brentford – Cakebread, Wilson, Horne, Coote, Bristow, Goundry, Dargie, Parsons, Heath, Rainford, Francis and Towers.

Despite runs of one defeat in seven matches in August and September 1959 and six wins in seven matches in October, Brentford had uneven first half of the season and were rooted firmly in mid-table at the turn of the year.[1] Jim Towers became the Bees' record Football League goalscorer courtesy of a hattrick in a 3–0 defeat of Accrington Stanley on 24 October 1959 and he had taken 19 fewer matches to pass Jack Holliday's record. Towers' strike partner George Francis followed up with a hattrick in a 4–2 derby victory over rivals Queens Park Rangers and eclipsed that performance with a four-goal haul in a 5–0 FA Cup first round victory over non-league club Ashford Town on 14 November. With the Brentford's so-so league form, the FA Cup looked to be the focus of the Bees' efforts, but they met their end in the following round versus Fourth Division club Exeter City.

Brentford welcomed the 1960s with a 2–0 defeat to the eventual-promoted side Southampton at The Dell on 2 January 1960 and continued to muddle through to March, when a 1–0 victory over Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic on the 5th of the month kicked off a strong run which would last until the end of the season. In the remaining 13 matches of the campaign, George Francis and Jim Towers each scored eight goals to fire Brentford to a 6th-place finish. Francis ended the season as top scorer with 31 goals, the second time he had managed to better his fellow "Terrible Twin" Towers' total.

Results

Brentford's goal tally listed first.

Legend

WinDrawLoss

Football League Third Division

No.DateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorer(s)Notes
122 August 1959BarnsleyA2–17,418Francis (2)
225 August 1959WrexhamH3–116,970Francis, Rainford, Towers (pen)
329 August 1959SouthamptonH2–215,740Rainford (2)
42 September 1959WrexhamA2–313,112Towers, McLeod (pen)
55 September 1959ReadingA3–313,523Francis (2), Heath
68 September 1959BuryH1–116,000Rainford
712 September 1959Shrewsbury TownH2–112,500Towers, McLeod
815 September 1959BuryA0–113,048
919 September 1959Port ValeA1–312,817Francis
1022 September 1959Halifax TownH1–115,700Francis
1126 September 1959Norwich CityH3–421,600Towers (2), Heath
1228 September 1959Halifax TownA0–17,654
133 October 1959Grimsby TownA3–111,209Francis, Rainford (2)
146 October 1959Colchester UnitedH2–014,750Francis, Towers
1510 October 1959Tranmere RoversH2–111,481Rainford, Francis
1612 October 1959Colchester UnitedA1–27,790Francis
1717 October 1959Bournemouth & Boscombe AthleticA2–112,226Towers, Hales
1824 October 1959Accrington StanleyH3–012,700Towers (3)
1931 October 1959Queens Park RangersA4–219,430Francis (3), Towers
2021 November 1959York CityH1–213,100McLeod (pen)
2128 November 1959Coventry CityA1–214,959Towers
2212 December 1959Newport CountyA2–49,401Goundry, Towers
2319 December 1959BarnsleyH3–06,500Towers, Francis, Parsons
2426 December 1959Southend UnitedA0–211,694
2528 December 1959Southend UnitedH3–111,750Parsons (pen), Hales, Rainford
262 January 1960SouthamptonA0–216,993
279 January 1960Swindon TownA0–08,633
2816 January 1960ReadingH2–29,200Francis, Parsons
2923 January 1960Shrewsbury TownA1–16,997Wallace (og)
306 February 1960Port ValeH2–010,100Towers, Francis
3113 February 1960Norwich CityA1–222,388Francis
3220 February 1960Grimsby TownH0–210,900
3327 February 1960Tranmere RoversA1–28,053Parsons
345 March 1960Bournemouth & Boscombe AthleticH1–09,750Francis
358 March 1960ChesterfieldH3–06,300Bristow, McLeod (pen), Towers
3611 March 1960Accrington StanleyA4–33,500Parsons, Towers, Francis (2)
3719 March 1960Coventry CityH3–19,900Francis (2), Bristow
3826 March 1960ChesterfieldA0–14,363[2]
392 April 1960Swindon TownH2–18,550Towers, Higgins (og)
409 April 1960York CityA1–04,608Towers
4115 April 1960Mansfield TownH1–19,575Francis
4216 April 1960Queens Park RangersH1–116,000Towers
4318 April 1960Mansfield TownA1–07,626Parsons
4423 April 1960Bradford CityA2–06,509Francis, Goundry
4530 April 1960Newport CountyH1–27,900Towers
463 May 1960Bradford CityH4–07,200Hales, Towers (2), Francis

FA Cup

See main article: 1959–60 FA Cup.

RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorer(s)
1R14 November 1959Ashford TownH5–013,900Francis (4), Towers
2R5 December 1959Exeter CityA1–310,000Francis

Playing squad

Players' ages are as of the opening day of the 1959–60 season.

Pos.NameNat.Date of birth (age)Signed fromSigned in
Goalkeepers
GKGerry CakebreadAugust 22, 1959Youth1954
Defenders
DFVernon AvisAugust 22, 1959Youth1952
DFKen CooteAugust 22, 1959Wembley1949
DFKen HorneAugust 22, 1959Blackpool1950
DFTom Wilson (c)August 22, 1959Fulham1957
Midfielders
HBGeorge BristowAugust 22, 1959Youth1950
HBIan DargieAugust 22, 1959Tonbridge1952
HBBilly GoundryAugust 22, 1959Huddersfield Town1955
HBBill LivingstoneAugust 22, 1959Chelsea1959
HBCharlie McInallyAugust 22, 1959St Roch's1958
HBRon PeplowAugust 22, 1959Southall1955
HBSid RussellAugust 22, 1959Jolly X1956
Forwards
FWGeorge FrancisAugust 22, 1959Youth1955
FWJohnny HalesAugust 22, 1959St Roch's1958
FWDennis HeathAugust 22, 1959Youth1954
FWTommy HigginsonAugust 22, 1959Kilmarnock1959
FWGeorge McLeodAugust 22, 1959Luton Town1958
FWEric ParsonsAugust 22, 1959Chelsea1956
FWJohnny RainfordAugust 22, 1959Cardiff City1953
FWJim TowersAugust 22, 1959Youth1954

Coaching staff

NameRole
Malky MacDonaldManager
Fred MonkTrainer
Jack HollidayAssistant Trainer

Statistics

Appearances and goals

PosNatNameLeagueFA CupTotal
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
GKGerry Cakebread46020480
DFVernon Avis11000110
DFKen Coote42020440
DFKen Horne20020220
DFTom Wilson19000190
HBGeorge Bristow35220372
HBIan Dargie20000200
HBBilly Goundry40220422
HBBill Livingstone19020210
HBCharlie McInally100010
HBRon Peplow800080
HBSid Russell15000150
FWGeorge Francis4626254831
FWJohnny Hales18320203
FWDennis Heath13200132
FWTommy Higginson200020
FWGeorge McLeod36410374
FWEric Parsons25610266
FWJohnny Rainford46820488
FWJim Towers4423214624

Goalscorers

Pos.NatPlayerFL3FACTotal
FWGeorge Francis26531
FWJim Towers23124
FWJohnny Rainford808
FWEric Parsons606
FWGeorge McLeod404
FWJohnny Hales303
HBGeorge Bristow202
HBBilly Goundry202
FWDennis Heath202
Opponents202
Total78684

Summary

Games played 48 (46 Third Division, 2 FA Cup)
Games won 22 (21 Third Division, 1 FA Cup)
Games drawn 9 (9 Third Division, 0 FA Cup)
Games lost 17 (16 Third Division, 1 FA Cup)
Goals scored 84 (78 Third Division, 6 FA Cup)
Goals conceded 64 (61 Third Division, 3 FA Cup)
Clean sheets 12 (11 Third Division, 1 FA Cup)
Biggest league win 4–0 versus Bradford City, 3 May 1960
Worst league defeat 2–0 on three occasions; 3–1 versus Port Vale, 19 September 1959; 4–2 versus Newport County, 12 December 1959
Most appearances 48, Gerry Cakebread, George Francis, Johnny Rainford (46 Third Division, 2 FA Cup)
Top scorer (league) 26, George Francis
Top scorer (all competitions) 31, George Francis

Transfers and loans

Players transferred in
DatePos.NamePrevious ClubFeeRef.
27 June 1959FW John Docherty St Roch'sn/a[5]
11 July 1959FW Tommy Higginson Kilmarnockn/a
July 1959DF Jimmy Gitshamn/an/a
July 1959HB Bill Livingstone ChelseaFree
August 1959GK Fred Ryecraft SouthallFree
February 1960FW Danny O'Donnell Kirkintilloch Rob Royn/a[6]
Players transferred out
DatePos.NameSubsequent clubFeeRef.
26 December 1959HB Jimmy Lafferty St Mirrenn/a
Players released
DatePos.NameSubsequent clubJoin dateRef.
January 1960FW Billy BloomfieldRetired[7]
May 1960HB Bill Livingstone Hastings Unitedn/a
May 1960FW Len Newcombe Guildford Cityn/a

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Brentford results for the 1959–1960 season . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20160912160919/http://www.statto.com/football/teams/brentford/1959-1960/results . 12 September 2016 . 28 November 2016 . Statto.com.
  2. The original fixture on 7 November 1959 was abandoned at half time due to fog, with the score at 1–1.
  3. Book: 100 Years Of Brentford . Brentford FC . 1989 . 0951526200 . White . Eric . 385.
  4. Book: Haynes, Graham . Timeless Bees: Brentford F.C. Who's Who 1920–2006 . Coumbe . Frank . Yore Publications . 2006 . 978-0955294914.
  5. Web site: Players' Transfers – 1959 . 17 February 2019 . Scottish Football Historical Archive.
  6. Web site: Player Appearances and goalscoring records – O . 17 February 2019 . Scottish Football Historical Archive . 586.
  7. Web site: 11 September 2003 . Billy Bloomfield . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20180220040241/http://world.brentfordfc.co.uk/page/LatestNews/0,,10421~423082,00.html . 20 February 2018 . 19 February 2018 . brentfordfc.co.uk.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "1959–60 Brentford F.C. season".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.