| Club: | Brentford |
| Season: | 1975–76 |
| Manager: | John Docherty |
| Chairman: | Dan Tana |
| Stadium: | Griffin Park |
| League: | Fourth Division |
| League Result: | 18th |
| Cup1: | FA Cup |
| Cup1 Result: | Third round |
| Cup2: | League Cup |
| Cup2 Result: | Second round |
| League Topscorer: | Cross (14) |
| Season Topscorer: | Cross (16) |
| Highest Attendance: | 12,452 |
| Lowest Attendance: | 3,453 |
| Average Attendance: | 5,096 |
| Pattern La1: | _red_stripes |
| Pattern B1: | _brentford_home_7577 |
| Pattern Ra1: | _red_stripes |
| Pattern So1: | _brentford_home_98-00 |
| Shorts1: | 000000 |
| Socks1: | 000000 |
| Leftarm2: | 146b03 |
| Pattern B2: | _brentford_away_7576 |
| Rightarm2: | 146b03 |
| Shorts2: | 000000 |
| Socks2: | 146b03 |
| Prevseason: | 1974–75 |
| Nextseason: | 1976–77 |
During the 1975–76 English football season, Brentford competed in the Football League Fourth Division. A poor middle third of the season led to an 18th-place finish, just three points above the re-election zone.
Despite a strong finish to the previous campaign, only one incoming transfer (veteran goalkeeper Bill Glazier for £4,000) did not raise the belief around Griffin Park that Brentford would challenge for promotion from the Fourth Division during the 1975–76 season.[1] Instead, manager John Docherty made up the numbers with members of the club's youth team, with teenagers Gordon Sweetzer, Danis Salman, Paul Walker and Graham Cox all joining the club.
Brentford had a strong start to the season, winning three and drawing three of the first six league matches of the season and advancing to the second round of the League Cup, where the run was brought to an end at Old Trafford by Manchester United.[2] With goalkeeper Bill Glazier quitting the club after just 12 appearances, Brentford would tread water in the lower reaches of mid-table throughout the season, in which a run to the third round of the FA Cup became the focus. Having reached that stage of the competition for the first time since the 1970–71 season, the Bees took Second Division club Bolton Wanderers to a replay before losing 2–0 at Burnden Park. A slight upturn in form towards the end of the season was inspired by the signing of Oxford United forward Andrew McCulloch for a club record £25,000 fee.[3]
Two club records were set during the season:
Brentford's goal tally listed first.
| Win | Draw | Loss |
| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorer(s) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 August 1975 | Oxford United | H | 1–5 | 1,420 | Lawrence | |
| 4 August 1975 | Walton | A | 0–0 | n/a | ||
| 6 August 1975 | Portsmouth | H | 0–1 | 955 | ||
| 7 August 1975 | Hayes | A | 2–1 | n/a | Graham, Bartlett | |
| 9 August 1975 | Aldershot | H | 1–1 | 1,490 | Cross | |
| 11 August 1975 | Bexley | A | 5–0 | n/a | Cross (2), Simmons, French, untraced (og) | |
| 29 April 1976 | Hillingdon Borough | A | 4–2 | 513 | Scales, Lawrence, Sweetzer, Poole | |
| 3 May 1976 | Hounslow | A | 3–1 | n/a | Russell, Malcolm, Sweetzer |
| No. | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorer(s) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 16 August 1975 | Bradford City | A | 1–1 | 2,385 | Johnson | |
| 2 | 23 August 1975 | Hartlepool | H | 1–1 | 4,948 | Cross | |
| 3 | 30 August 1975 | Torquay United | A | 3–2 | 3,179 | Cross, Allen, Graham | |
| 4 | 6 September 1975 | Barnsley | H | 1–0 | 5,605 | Cross | |
| 5 | 15 September 1975 | Doncaster Rovers | A | 1–1 | 6,353 | Johnson | |
| 6 | 20 September 1975 | Stockport County | H | 2–1 | 6,282 | Simmons, Riddick | |
| 7 | 24 September 1975 | Bournemouth | A | 0–3 | 4,113 | ||
| 8 | 27 September 1975 | Huddersfield Town | A | 1–2 | 4,160 | Sweetzer | |
| 9 | 4 October 1975 | Newport County | H | 1–3 | 5,678 | Graham | |
| 10 | 11 October 1975 | Lincoln City | A | 1–3 | 6,312 | Graham | |
| 11 | 18 October 1975 | Southport | H | 1–0 | 4,515 | Johnson | |
| 12 | 21 October 1975 | Northampton Town | A | 1–3 | 6,225 | Scales | |
| 13 | 25 October 1975 | Cambridge United | A | 1–2 | 2,596 | French | |
| 14 | 1 November 1975 | Scunthorpe United | H | 5–2 | 4,227 | French, Johnson, Cross (2), Graham | |
| 15 | 3 November 1975 | Workington | H | 4–0 | 5,379 | French, Sweetzer, Johnson (pen), Cross | |
| 16 | 7 November 1975 | Tranmere Rovers | A | 1–5 | 4,326 | Cross | |
| 17 | 15 November 1975 | Watford | H | 1–0 | 6,934 | Scales | |
| 18 | 29 November 1975 | Crewe Alexandra | A | 0–1 | 2,248 | ||
| 19 | 6 December 1975 | Rochdale | H | 3–0 | 4,853 | Johnson (pen), Cross, Riddick | |
| 20 | 20 December 1975 | Darlington | H | 3–0 | 4,193 | Sweetzer (2), Cross | |
| 21 | 26 December 1975 | Exeter City | A | 0–0 | 4,912 | ||
| 22 | 27 December 1975 | Reading | H | 2–2 | 10,612 | Johnson, Scales | |
| 23 | 10 January 1976 | Torquay United | H | 1–1 | 5,687 | Johnson | |
| 24 | 16 January 1976 | Stockport County | A | 0–2 | 2,267 | ||
| 25 | 24 January 1976 | Doncaster Rovers | H | 0–1 | 4,885 | ||
| 26 | 31 January 1976 | Northampton Town | H | 2–1 | 4,114 | Johnson (pen), Cross | |
| 27 | 7 February 1976 | Workington | A | 1–1 | 1,231 | French | |
| 28 | 14 February 1976 | Tranmere Rovers | H | 0–1 | 4,725 | ||
| 29 | 21 February 1976 | Watford | A | 2–3 | 6,223 | Bristow (og), Sweetzer | |
| 30 | 23 February 1976 | Bournemouth | H | 1–2 | 4,585 | Graham | |
| 31 | 28 February 1976 | Cambridge United | H | 0–0 | 4,095 | ||
| 32 | 6 March 1976 | Scunthorpe United | A | 1–2 | 3,377 | Sharp | |
| 33 | 8 March 1976 | Newport County | A | 0–1 | 1,150 | ||
| 34 | 13 March 1976 | Lincoln City | H | 1–0 | 5,386 | Cross | |
| 35 | 16 March 1976 | Southport | A | 0–2 | 1,506 | ||
| 36 | 20 March 1976 | Crewe Alexandra | H | 0–0 | 3,851 | ||
| 37 | 27 March 1976 | Rochdale | A | 2–1 | 894 | McCulloch, French | |
| 38 | 29 March 1976 | Darlington | A | 0–2 | 1,758 | ||
| 39 | 3 April 1976 | Bradford City | H | 2–2 | 3,453 | McCulloch, Cross | |
| 40 | 5 April 1976 | Huddersfield Town | H | 0–0 | 4,413 | ||
| 41 | 10 April 1976 | Barnsley | A | 1–1 | 3,877 | Cross | |
| 42 | 16 April 1976 | Swansea City | H | 1–0 | 4,623 | Johnson | |
| 43 | 17 April 1976 | Exeter City | H | 5–1 | 4,175 | Bence, French (2), McCulloch, Cross | |
| 44 | 19 April 1976 | Reading | A | 0–1 | 12,972 | ||
| 45 | 24 April 1976 | Hartlepool | A | 0–1 | 1,276 | ||
| 46 | 26 April 1976 | Swansea City | A | 2–2 | 1,480 | French, Johnson |
See main article: 1975–76 FA Cup.
| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorer(s) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1R | 22 November 1975 | Northampton Town | H | 2–0 | 6,645 | Sweetzer (2) | |
| 2R | 13 December 1975 | Wimbledon | A | 2–0 | 8,375 | Johnson (2, 1 pen) | |
| 3R | 3 January 1976 | Bolton Wanderers | H | 0–0 | 12,452 | ||
| 3R (replay) | 6 January 1976 | Bolton Wanderers | A | 0–2 | 18,538 |
See main article: 1975–76 Football League Cup.
| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorer(s) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1R (1st leg) | 19 August 1975 | Brighton & Hove Albion | H | 2–1 | 5,360 | Johnson (pen), Cross | |
| 1R (2nd leg) | 27 August 1975 | Brighton & Hove Albion | A | 1–1 (won 3–2 on aggregate) | 11,016 | Cross | |
| 2R | 10 September 1974 | Manchester United | A | 1–2 | 25,286 | Lawrence |
Players' ages are as of the opening day of the 1975–76 season.
| Pos. | Name | Nat. | Date of birth (age) | Signed from | Signed in | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | |||||||
| GK | Paul Priddy | August 16, 1975 | Walton & Hersham | 1975 | |||
| Defenders | |||||||
| DF | Michael Allen | August 16, 1975 | Middlesbrough | 1971 | |||
| DF | Paul Bence (c) | August 16, 1975 | Reading | 1970 | |||
| DF | Keith Lawrence | August 16, 1975 | Chelsea | 1974 | |||
| DF | Alan Nelmes | August 16, 1975 | Chelsea | 1967 | |||
| DF | Gordon Riddick | August 16, 1975 | Northampton Town | 1973 | |||
| DF | Tom Sharp | August 16, 1975 | Everton | 1976 | Loaned from Everton before transferring permanently | ||
| DF | Nigel Smith | August 16, 1975 | Queens Park Rangers | 1975 | |||
| Midfielders | |||||||
| MF | Jackie Graham | August 16, 1975 | Guildford City | 1970 | |||
| MF | Terry Johnson | August 16, 1975 | Southend United | 1974 | |||
| MF | Danis Salman | August 16, 1975 | Youth | 1975 | |||
| MF | Terry Scales | August 16, 1975 | West Ham United | 1971 | |||
| Forwards | |||||||
| FW | Roger Cross | August 16, 1975 | Fulham | 1973 | |||
| FW | Micky French | August 16, 1975 | Queens Park Rangers | 1975 | |||
| FW | Andrew McCulloch | August 16, 1975 | Oxford United | 1976 | |||
| FW | Richard Poole | August 16, 1975 | Youth | 1972 | |||
| FW | Gordon Sweetzer |  | August 16, 1975 | Queens Park Rangers | 1975 | ||
| Players who left the club mid-season | |||||||
| GK | Bill Glazier | August 16, 1975 | Coventry City | 1975 | Released | ||
| GK | Graham Horn | August 16, 1975 | Luton Town | 1975 | Returned to Luton Town after loan | ||
| FW | Dave Simmons | August 16, 1975 | Cambridge United | 1974 | Transferred to Cambridge United | ||
| Name | Role | |
|---|---|---|
| John Docherty | Manager | |
| Eddie Lyons | Trainer | |
| Bob Pearson | Chief Scout |
Substitute appearances in brackets.
| Pos | Nat | Name | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||||
| GK | Bill Glazier | 19 | 0 | — | 3 | 0 | 12 | 0 | |||
| GK | Paul Priddy | 34 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 38 | 0 | |||
| DF | Michael Allen | 45 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 52 | 1 | ||
| DF | Paul Bence | 46 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 53 | 1 | ||
| DF | Keith Lawrence | 35 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 42 | 1 | ||
| DF | Alan Nelmes | 28 (1) | 0 | 3 (1) | 0 | 3 | 0 | 34 (2) | 0 | ||
| DF | Gordon Riddick | 23 (3) | 2 | 1 (1) | 0 | 0 (1) | 0 | 24 (5) | 2 | ||
| DF | Tom Sharp | 2 (10) | 1 | — | — | 2 (10) | 1 | ||||
| DF | Nigel Smith | 37 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 44 | 0 | ||
| MF | Jackie Graham | 38 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 45 | 5 | ||
| MF | Terry Johnson | 46 | 11 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 53 | 14 | ||
| MF | Danis Salman | 3 (3) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 (3) | 0 | ||
| MF | Terry Scales | 43 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 50 | 3 | ||
| FW | Roger Cross | 37 | 14 | 3 | 0 | 2 (1) | 2 | 42 (1) | 16 | ||
| FW | Micky French | 27 (4) | 8 | 1 (1) | 0 | 2 | 0 | 30 (5) | 8 | ||
| FW | Andrew McCulloch | 13 | 3 | — | — | 13 | 3 | ||||
| FW | Richard Poole | 2 (5) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 (5) | 0 | ||
| FW | Dave Simmons | 10 | 1 | — | 2 (1) | 0 | 12 (1) | 1 | |||
| FW | | Gordon Sweetzer | 25 (2) | 5 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 29 (2) | 7 | |
| Players loaned in during the season | |||||||||||
| GK | Graham Horn | 3 | 0 | — | — | 3 | 0 | ||||
| Pos. | Nat | Player | FL4 | FAC | FLC | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FW | Roger Cross | 14 | 0 | 2 | 16 | ||
| MF | Terry Johnson | 11 | 2 | 1 | 14 | ||
| FW | Micky French | 8 | 0 | 0 | 8 | ||
| FW | | Gordon Sweetzer | 5 | 2 | 0 | 7 | |
| MF | Jackie Graham | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | ||
| FW | Andrew McCulloch | 3 | — | — | 3 | ||
| MF | Terry Scales | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | ||
| DF | Gordon Riddick | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| DF | Tom Sharp | 1 | — | — | 1 | ||
| FW | Dave Simmons | 1 | 0 | — | 1 | ||
| DF | Michael Allen | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| DF | Paul Bence | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| DF | Keith Lawrence | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||
| Opponents | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |||
| Total | 56 | 4 | 4 | 64 | |||
| Games played | 53 (46 Fourth Division, 4 FA Cup, 3 League Cup) | |
| Games won | 17 (14 Fourth Division, 2 FA Cup, 1 League Cup) | |
| Games drawn | 15 (13 Fourth Division, 1 FA Cup, 1 League Cup) | |
| Games lost | 21 (19 Fourth Division, 1 FA Cup, 1 League Cup) | |
| Goals scored | 64 (56 Fourth Division, 4 FA Cup, 4 League Cup) | |
| Goals conceded | 67 (60 Fourth Division, 3 FA Cup, 4 League Cup) | |
| Clean sheets | 14 (12 Fourth Division, 2 FA Cup, 0 League Cup) | |
| Biggest league win | 4–0 versus Workington, 3 November 1975 | |
| Worst league defeat | 5–1 versus Tranmere Rovers, 7 November 1975 | |
| Most appearances | 53, Paul Bence, Terry Johnson (46 Fourth Division, 4 FA Cup, 3 League Cup) | |
| Top scorer (league) | 14, Roger Cross | |
| Top scorer (all competitions) | 16, Roger Cross |
| Players transferred in | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Pos. | Name | Previous Club | Fee | Ref. | |
| June 1975 | GK | Bill Glazier | Coventry City | £4,000 | [10] | |
| September 1975 | GK | Paul Priddy | Walton & Hersham | n/a | ||
| September 1975 | MF | Danis Salman | Queens Park Rangers | n/a | ||
| September 1975 | FW | Gordon Sweetzer | Queens Park Rangers | Trial | ||
| September 1975 | MF | Paul Walker | n/a | n/a | ||
| 1975 | GK | Graham Cox | n/a | n/a | ||
| January 1976 | MF | Larry McGettigan | Unattached | Non-contract | [11] | |
| January 1976 | n/a | David Oxley | Dundee | Trial | ||
| March 1976 | FW | Andrew McCulloch | Oxford United | £25,000 | ||
| March 1976 | DF | Tom Sharp | Everton | n/a | ||
| Players loaned in | ||||||
| Date from | Pos. | Name | From | Date to | Ref. | |
| November 1975 | GK | Graham Horn | Luton Town | December 1975 | ||
| January 1976 | DF | Tom Sharp | Everton | March 1976 | ||
| Players transferred out | ||||||
| Date | Pos. | Name | Subsequent club | Fee | Ref. | |
| November 1975 | FW | Dave Simmons | Cambridge United | Nominal | ||
| Players released | ||||||
| Date | Pos. | Name | Subsequent club | Join date | Ref. | |
| October 1975 | GK | Bill Glazier |  St. Louis Stars | 1977 | ||
| 1975 | MF | Barry Salvage | Millwall | August 1975 | ||
| May 1976 | DF | Keith Lawrence | Wealdstone | 1976 | ||
| May 1976 | MF | Larry McGettigan | Emeralds | n/a | ||
| May 1976 | DF | Alan Nelmes | Hillingdon Borough | 1976 | ||
| May 1976 | n/a | David Oxley | n/a | n/a | ||
| May 1976 | FW | Richard Poole | Watford | July 1976 | ||