1940–41 Brentford F.C. season
During the 1940–41 English football season, Brentford competed in the Football League South, due to the cessation of competitive football for the duration of the Second World War. Though the Bees finished well down in the league placings, the club enjoyed some measure of success in the London War Cup, finishing as runners-up to Reading.
Season summary
In Brentford's first full season of wartime football during the Second World War, low crowds and takings of just £30-40 per match during the first half of the Football League South season brought about fears that the club would be unable to fulfil the remaining fixtures of the season. Manager Harry Curtis, backed by his directors, elected to carry on and welcome respite was found in the new London War Cup, in which the Bees advanced to the final, largely helped by 8 goals in five matches from guest forward Eddie Perry.[2] Despite a further two goals for Perry in the final, Brentford finished as runners-up to Reading, losing 3–2 at Stamford Bridge.
Tables
Football League South
Source: Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation
London War Cup Group A
Source: 100 Years Of Brentford
Results
- Brentford's goal tally listed first.
Legend
Football League South
| No. |
Date | Opponent | Venue | Result |
Attendance | Scorer(s) |
Notes |
| 1 |
31 August 1940 | Clapton Orient | H | 2–2 |
1,123 | Wilkins, McKenzie (pen) |
|
| 2 |
7 September 1940 | Chelsea |
A | 1–2 |
3,500 | Wilkins |
[nb 1] |
| 3 |
14 September 1940 | Charlton Athletic | H | 1–1 |
600 | McKenzie (pen) |
|
| 4 |
21 September 1940 | Arsenal | A | 1–3 |
1,700 | Hunt |
|
| 5 |
5 October 1940 | Clapton Orient | A | 0–1 |
500 | |
|
| 6 |
12 October 1940 | Charlton Athletic | A | 4–1 |
800 | Hunt (2), Townsend (2) |
[nb 2] |
| 7 |
19 October 1940 | Fulham | H | 8–3 |
1,300 | Hunt (3), Hopkins, McKenzie (pen), Townsend (2), Muttitt |
|
| 8 |
26 October 1940 | Arsenal | H | 3–3 |
1,200 | Townsend (2), Muttitt |
|
| 9 |
2 November 1940 | Portsmouth | H | 3–1 |
500 | Ferris, Cheetham, Hopkins |
|
| 10 |
16 November 1940 | West Ham United | H | 0–2 |
400 | |
|
| 11 |
23 November 1940 | Fulham | A | 0–3 |
600 | |
|
| 12 |
7 December 1940 | Reading |
H | 2–3 |
600 | Hopkins, McKenzie (pen) |
|
| 13 |
14 December 1940 | Millwall |
A | 0–3 |
1,250 | |
|
| 14 |
21 December 1940 | Portsmouth |
A | 3–2 |
1,814 | Holliday (2), Wilkins |
|
| 15 |
25 December 1940 | Queens Park Rangers |
H | 2–1 |
3,725 | Wilkins, Hunt |
|
| 16 |
28 December 1940 | Millwall | H | 3–2 |
1,759 | Hunt, Boulter |
|
| 17 |
15 March 1941 | Crystal Palace | H | 2–3 |
4,000 | Perry, Hopkins |
|
| 18 |
22 March 1941 | Crystal Palace | A | 0–5 |
2,638 | |
|
| 19 |
19 April 1941 |
Millwall |
H |
5–2 |
2,500 |
Perry, Hopkins, Townsend |
|
| 20 |
3 May 1941 |
West Ham United |
A |
2–3 |
3,000 |
Hopkins (2) |
|
| 21 |
10 May 1941 |
Fulham |
H |
2–3 |
2,670 |
Bamford, Holliday |
|
| 22 |
17 May 1941 |
Reading |
A |
4–1 |
5,000 |
Perry (3), Holliday |
|
| 23 |
24 May 1941 |
Reading |
H |
3–1 |
1,520 |
Hopkins (3) |
|
Football League War Cup
London War Cup
| Round |
Date | Opponent | Venue | Result |
Attendance | Scorer(s) |
Notes |
| Grp |
4 January 1941 | Crystal Palace | H | 2–2 |
1,000 | Muttitt, Boulter |
|
| Grp |
11 January 1941 | Crystal Palace | A | 2–2 |
2,841 | Muttitt, L. Smith |
|
| Grp |
25 January 1941 | Chelsea | A | 1–0 |
1,318 | Davie |
|
| Grp |
1 February 1941 | Fulham |
A | 1–4 |
2,500 | L. Smith |
|
| Grp |
8 February 1941 | Fulham | H | 7–4 |
2,428 | Hunt, Hopkins (3), Perry (2), McKenzie |
|
| Grp |
29 March 1941 | Chelsea | H | 2–2 |
1,654 | L. Smith, Townsend |
|
| Grp |
5 April 1941 | Aldershot | H | 4–2 |
1,960 | Perry (2), Hopkins (2) |
|
| Grp |
12 April 1941 | Aldershot | A | 2–2 |
4,000 | Wilkins, Perry |
|
| Grp |
14 April 1941 | Queens Park Rangers |
H | 4–2 |
5,000 | Hopkins, Perry (2), L. Smith |
|
| Grp |
26 April 1941 | Queens Park Rangers | A | 0–0 |
6,000 | |
|
| SF |
31 May 1941 |
Tottenham Hotspur |
A |
2–0 |
6,405 |
Perry, Townsend |
|
| F |
7 June 1941 | Reading | N | 2–3 |
9,000 | Perry (2) |
[nb 4] |
- Sources: 100 Years Of Brentford[2]
Playing squad
- Players' ages are as of the opening day of the 1940–41 season.
- Sources: Timeless Bees,[3] Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939,[4] 100 Years Of Brentford[2]
Coaching staff
Statistics
Appearances and goals
- Players listed in italics left the club mid-season.
- Source: 100 Years Of Brentford[2]
Goalscorers
- Players listed in italics left the club mid-season.
- Source: 100 Years Of Brentford[2]
Wartime international caps
Management
| Name |
Nat |
From |
To |
Record All Comps |
Record League |
| P | W | D | L | W % | P | W | D | L | W % |
| Harry Curtis |
 |
31 August 1940 |
7 June 1941 |
7001390000000000000♠39 |
7001150000000000000♠15 |
7001100000000000000♠10 |
7001140000000000000♠14 |
7001384600000000000♠38.46| | 7001230000000000000♠23 |
7000900000000000000♠9 |
7000300000000000000♠3 |
7001110000000000000♠11 |
7001391300000000000♠39.13 |
Summary
| Games played | 39 (23 Football League South, 4 Football League War Cup, 12 London War Cup) |
| Games won | 15 (9 Football League South, 1 Football League War Cup, 5 London War Cup) |
| Games drawn | 10 (3 Football League South, 2 Football League War Cup, 5 London War Cup) |
| Games lost | 14 (11 Football League South, 1 Football League War Cup, 2 London War Cup) |
| Goals scored | 90 (51 Football League South, 10 Football League War Cup, 29 London War Cup) |
| Goals conceded | 83 (51 Football League South, 9 Football League War Cup, 23 London War Cup) |
| Clean sheets | 3 (0 Football League South, 0 Football League War Cup, 3 London War Cup) |
| Biggest league win | 8–3 versus Fulham, 19 October 1940 |
| Worst league defeat | 5–0 versus Crystal Palace, 22 March 1941 |
| Most appearances | 39, Joe James (23 Football League South, 4 Football League War Cup, 12 London War Cup) |
| Top scorer (league) | 10, Idris Hopkins |
| Top scorer (all competitions) |
21, Eddie Perry |
Transfers & loans
- Guest players' arrival and departure dates correspond to their first and last appearances of the season.
Notes
- ↑ Match abandoned after 70 minutes due to an air raid.
- ↑ Match abandoned after 55 minutes due to an air raid.
- ↑ Match played at Fratton Park, Portsmouth due to bomb damage at The Dell, Southampton.
- ↑ Match played at Stamford Bridge, London.
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 White, Eric, ed. (1989). 100 Years Of Brentford. Brentford FC. p. 376. ISBN 0951526200.
- ↑ Haynes, Graham; Coumbe, Frank (2006). Timeless Bees: Brentford F.C. Who's Who 1920-2006. Yore Publications. ISBN 978-0955294914.
- ↑ Joyce, Michael (2012). Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939. Nottingham: Tony Brown. ISBN 190589161X.
- ↑ "Dai Hopkins". 11v11.com. Retrieved 2016-05-23.
- ↑ Haynes, Graham (1998). A-Z Of Bees: Brentford Encyclopedia. Harefield, Middlesex: Yore Publications. p. 83. ISBN 1 874427 57 7.
- ↑ "Leeds United F.C. History". www.ozwhitelufc.net.au. Retrieved 2016-06-22.
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