1952–53 Brentford F.C. season
1952–53 season | ||
---|---|---|
Chairman | Frank Davis | |
Manager | Jimmy Bain (until 2 January 1953) Tommy Lawton (from 2 January 1953) | |
Stadium | Griffin Park | |
Second Division | 17th | |
FA Cup | Fourth round | |
Top goalscorer | League: Lawton (13) All: Lawton (15) | |
Highest home attendance | 29,241 | |
Lowest home attendance | 8,565 | |
Average home league attendance | 17,474 | |
| ||
During the 1952–53 English football season, Brentford competed in the Football League Second Division. A forgettable season, during which Tommy Lawton was appointed as the club's player-manager, ended with a 17th-place finish.
Season summary
Brentford's 1952–53 pre-season preparations were thrown into disarray by the departure of secretary-manager Jackie Gibbons in August 1952.[1] In his letter of resignation, Gibbons wrote of having failed to see "eye to eye" with the Brentford board.[1] Long-serving assistant manager Jimmy Bain took over as caretaker until a permanent appointment could be made.[1] 34-year-old forward Les Smith was the club's only signing and returned to Griffin Park after six years with Aston Villa.[1] Half backs Bill Slater and forwards Johnny Paton and Jimmy Bowie were the only departures of note.[1]
Brentford had a poor start to the Second Division season and won just five of the opening 20 matches.[2] Four defeats and no wins in a five-match spell in September 1952 led caretaker Bain to break up his settled XI and experiment with moving players into different positions.[1] Want-away captain Ron Greenwood left for First Division club Chelsea in October 1952 and forward Jimmy D'Arcy arrived in part-exchange.[1] The tide began to turn after back to back victories over Barnsley on Christmas Day and Boxing Day.[2] Forward Tommy Lawton was announced as Brentford's player-manager on 2 January 1953 and Jimmy Bain reverted to his role as assistant.[1] Lawton was unbeaten in 9 of his first 12 matches, but the team lost confidence after a pair of heavy defeats in March and slumped to a 17th-place finish.[1][2]
League table
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GAv | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
15 | Lincoln City | 42 | 11 | 17 | 14 | 64 | 71 | 0.901 | 39 |
16 | Everton | 42 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 71 | 75 | 0.947 | 38 |
17 | Brentford | 42 | 13 | 11 | 18 | 59 | 76 | 0.776 | 37 |
18 | Hull City | 42 | 14 | 8 | 20 | 57 | 69 | 0.826 | 36 |
19 | Notts County | 42 | 14 | 8 | 20 | 60 | 88 | 0.682 | 36 |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal average; 3) Goals scored
Results
- Brentford's goal tally listed first.
Legend
Win | Draw | Loss |
Football League Second Division
No. | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorer(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 23 August 1952 | Lincoln City | H | 1–0 | 27,787 | Goodwin |
2 | 27 August 1952 | Huddersfield Town | A | 0–0 | 21,358 | |
3 | 30 August 1952 | Hull City | A | 2–2 | 35,993 | Dare, Monk (pen) |
4 | 3 September 1952 | Huddersfield Town | H | 1–3 | 21,733 | Lawton |
5 | 6 September 1952 | Blackburn Rovers | H | 3–2 | 21,904 | Sperrin, Lawton, Monk (pen) |
6 | 8 September 1952 | Sheffield United | A | 2–3 | 17,397 | Goodwin, Ledgerton |
7 | 13 September 1952 | Nottingham Forest | A | 0–3 | 26,923 | |
8 | 17 September 1952 | Sheffield United | H | 0–0 | 11,707 | |
9 | 20 September 1952 | Everton | H | 2–4 | 21,042 | Lawton, Harper |
10 | 27 September 1952 | Bury | A | 0–3 | 12,398 | |
11 | 4 October 1952 | Doncaster Rovers | A | 2–0 | 13,465 | Monk, Goodwin |
12 | 11 October 1952 | Southampton | H | 3–0 | 17,225 | Lawton, Monk (pen), Smith |
13 | 18 October 1952 | Notts County | A | 0–4 | 26,033 | |
14 | 25 October 1952 | Leicester City | H | 4–2 | 21,655 | Goodwin, Lawton (2), Dare |
15 | 1 November 1952 | West Ham United | A | 1–3 | 23,263 | D'Arcy |
16 | 8 November 1952 | Fulham | H | 2–2 | 29,241 | D'Arcy, Monk (pen) |
17 | 15 November 1952 | Rotherham United | A | 1–4 | 15,427 | Monk (pen) |
18 | 22 November 1952 | Plymouth Argyle | H | 1–2 | 17,192 | Lawton |
19 | 29 November 1952 | Leeds United | A | 2–3 | 16,077 | Dare, Ledgerton |
20 | 13 December 1952 | Birmingham City | A | 1–3 | 9,963 | Lawton |
21 | 20 December 1952 | Lincoln City | A | 0–0 | 11,953 | |
22 | 25 December 1952 | Barnsley | H | 4–0 | 15,976 | Sperrin, Dare, Lawton (2) |
23 | 26 December 1952 | Barnsley | A | 2–0 | 13,725 | McNeil (og), Ledgerton |
24 | 3 January 1953 | Hull City | H | 1–0 | 16,035 | D'Arcy |
25 | 17 January 1953 | Blackburn Rovers | A | 0–3 | 21,487 | |
26 | 24 January 1953 | Nottingham Forest | H | 1–1 | 15,110 | Ledgerton |
27 | 7 February 1953 | Everton | A | 0–5 | 36,431 | |
28 | 14 February 1953 | Bury | H | 2–2 | 9,387 | Sperrin, Bloomfield |
29 | 21 February 1953 | Doncaster Rovers | H | 1–0 | 16,716 | Lawton |
30 | 28 February 1953 | Southampton | A | 2–0 | 20,327 | Ellerington (og), Dare |
31 | 7 March 1953 | Notts County | H | 5–0 | 16,147 | Monk (pen), Harper, Dare, Lawton (2) |
32 | 14 March 1953 | Leicester City | A | 3–2 | 21,307 | Morrad, Latimer |
33 | 21 March 1953 | West Ham United | H | 1–4 | 18,117 | Latimer |
34 | 28 March 1953 | Fulham | A | 0–5 | 25,550 | |
35 | 3 April 1953 | Swansea Town | H | 0–0 | 17,876 | |
36 | 4 April 1953 | Rotherham United | H | 1–1 | 14,411 | Bloomfield |
37 | 6 April 1953 | Swansea Town | A | 2–3 | 21,695 | Ledgerton, Godwin |
38 | 11 April 1953 | Plymouth Argyle | A | 0–1 | 19,955 | |
39 | 18 April 1953 | Leeds United | H | 3–3 | 12,783 | Ledgerton, Coote, Lawton |
40 | 22 April 1953 | Luton Town | H | 1–1 | 16,347 | Ledgerton |
41 | 25 April 1953 | Luton Town | A | 1–0 | 15,826 | Dare |
42 | 1 May 1953 | Birmingham City | H | 1–2 | 8,565 |
FA Cup
Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorer(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
3R | 10 January 1953 | Leeds United | H | 2–1 | 27,000 | Ledgerton, Lawton |
4R | 31 January 1953 | Aston Villa | A | 0–0 | 40,625 | |
4R (replay) | 4 February 1953 | Aston Villa | H | 1–2 | 21,735 | Lawton |
Playing squad
- Players' ages are as of the opening day of the 1952–53 season.
Pos. | Name | Nat. | Date of birth (age) | Signed from | Signed in | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Goalkeepers | ||||||
GK | Alf Jefferies | 9 February 1922 (aged 30) | Oxford City | 1945 | ||
GK | Reg Newton | 30 June 1926 (aged 26) | Leyton Orient | 1949 | ||
Defenders | ||||||
DF | Ken Horne | 25 June 1926 (aged 26) | Blackpool | 1950 | ||
DF | Tecwyn Jones | 3 January 1930 (aged 22) | Holywell Town | 1950 | ||
DF | Fred Monk | 9 October 1920 (aged 31) | Guildford City | 1948 | ||
DF | Roddy Munro | 27 July 1920 (aged 32) | Rangers | 1946 | ||
Midfielders | ||||||
HB | Wally Bragg | 8 July 1929 (aged 23) | Twickenham Celtic | 1946 | ||
HB | George Bristow | 25 June 1933 (aged 19) | Youth | 1950 | ||
HB | Ken Coote | 19 May 1928 (aged 24) | Wembley | 1949 | ||
HB | Ian Dargie | 3 October 1931 (aged 20) | Tonbridge | 1952 | ||
HB | Tony Harper | 26 May 1925 (aged 27) | Headington United | 1948 | ||
HB | Frank Latimer | 3 October 1923 (aged 28) | Snowdown Colliery Welfare | 1945 | ||
Forwards | ||||||
FW | Jimmy Bloomfield | 15 February 1934 (aged 18) | Hayes | 1952 | ||
FW | Micky Bull | 3 April 1930 (aged 22) | Youth | 1948 | ||
FW | Jimmy D'Arcy | 14 December 1921 (aged 30) | Chelsea | 1952 | ||
FW | Billy Dare | 14 February 1927 (aged 25) | Hendon | 1948 | ||
FW | Verdi Godwin | 11 February 1926 (aged 26) | Grimsby Town | 1952 | ||
FW | Jackie Goodwin | 29 September 1920 (aged 31) | Birmingham City | 1949 | ||
FW | Tommy Lawton | 6 October 1919 (aged 32) | Notts County | 1952 | ||
FW | Terry Ledgerton | 7 October 1930 (aged 21) | Huyton | 1950 | ||
FW | Frank Morrad | 28 February 1920 (aged 32) | Brighton & Hove Albion | 1951 | ||
FW | Les Smith | 13 March 1918 (aged 34) | Aston Villa | 1952 | ||
FW | Billy Sperrin | 9 April 1922 (aged 30) | Guildford City | 1949 | ||
Players who left the club mid-season | ||||||
HB | Ron Greenwood (c) | 11 November 1921 (aged 30) | Bradford Park Avenue | 1949 | Transferred to Chelsea |
Coaching staff
Jimmy Bain (23 August 1952 – 2 January 1953)
Name | Role |
---|---|
Jimmy Bain | Caretaker Manager |
David Richards | Trainer |
Jack Cartmell | Assistant Trainer |
Tommy Lawton (2 January 1953 – 1 May 1953)
Name | Role |
---|---|
Tommy Lawton | Player-Manager |
Jimmy Bain | Assistant Manager |
David Richards | Trainer |
Jack Cartmell | Assistant Trainer |
Statistics
Appearances and goals
Pos | Nat | Name | League | FA Cup | Total | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
GK | Alf Jefferies | 35 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 38 | 0 | |
GK | Reg Newton | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | |
DF | Ken Horne | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | |
DF | Tecwyn Jones | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | |
DF | Fred Monk | 40 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 43 | 7 | |
DF | Roddy Munro | 34 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 37 | 0 | |
HB | Wally Bragg | 38 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 41 | 0 | |
HB | George Bristow | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | |
HB | Ken Coote | 17 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 1 | |
HB | Ian Dargie | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | |
HB | Ron Greenwood | 9 | 0 | — | 9 | 0 | ||
HB | Tony Harper | 36 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 39 | 3 | |
HB | Frank Latimer | 30 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 33 | 3 | |
FW | Jimmy Bloomfield | 15 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 2 | |
FW | Micky Bull | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
FW | Jimmy D'Arcy | 13 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 3 | |
FW | Billy Dare | 33 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 36 | 8 | |
FW | Verdi Godwin | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | |
FW | Jackie Goodwin | 24 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 27 | 4 | |
FW | Tommy Lawton | 34 | 13 | 3 | 2 | 37 | 15 | |
FW | Terry Ledgerton | 28 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 31 | 8 | |
FW | Frank Morrad | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | |
FW | Les Smith | 14 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 1 | |
FW | Billy Sperrin | 12 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 15 | 3 |
- Players listed in italics left the club mid-season.
- Source: 100 Years Of Brentford[3]
Goalscorers
Pos. | Nat | Player | FL2 | FAC | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
FW | Tommy Lawton | 13 | 2 | 15 | |
FW | Billy Dare | 8 | 0 | 8 | |
FW | Terry Ledgerton | 7 | 1 | 8 | |
DF | Fred Monk | 7 | 0 | 7 | |
FW | Jackie Goodwin | 4 | 0 | 4 | |
FW | Jimmy D'Arcy | 3 | 0 | 3 | |
HB | Tony Harper | 3 | 0 | 3 | |
HB | Frank Latimer | 3 | 0 | 3 | |
FW | Billy Sperrin | 3 | 0 | 3 | |
FW | Jimmy Bloomfield | 2 | 0 | 2 | |
HB | Ken Coote | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
FW | Verdi Godwin | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
FW | Frank Morrad | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
FW | Les Smith | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
Opponents | 2 | 0 | 2 | ||
Total | 59 | 3 | 62 |
- Players listed in italics left the club mid-season.
- Source: 100 Years Of Brentford[3]
International caps
Pos. | Nat | Player | Caps | Goals | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
FW | Jimmy D'Arcy | 4 | 1 | [5] |
Management
Name | Nat | From | To | Record All Comps | Record League | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
P | W | D | L | W % | P | W | D | L | W % | ||||
Jimmy Bain | 23 August 1952 | 26 December 1952 | 23 | 7 | 5 | 11 | 30.43 | 23 | 7 | 5 | 11 | 30.43 | |
Tommy Lawton | 3 January 1952 | 1 May 1953 | 22 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 31.82 | 19 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 31.58 |
Summary
Games played | 45 (42 Second Division, 3 FA Cup) |
Games won | 13 (13 Second Division, 1 FA Cup) |
Games drawn | 12 (11 Second Division, 1 FA Cup) |
Games lost | 19 (18 Second Division, 1 FA Cup) |
Goals scored | 62 (59 Second Division, 3 FA Cup) |
Goals conceded | 79 (76 Second Division, 3 FA Cup) |
Clean sheets | 15 (14 Second Division, 1 FA Cup) |
Biggest league win | 5–0 versus Notts County, 7 March 1953 |
Worst league defeat | 5–0 on two occasions |
Most appearances | 43, Fred Monk (43 Second Division, 3 FA Cup) |
Top scorer (league) | 13, Tommy Lawton |
Top scorer (all competitions) | 15, Tommy Lawton |
Transfers & loans
Players transferred in | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Date | Pos. | Name | Previous Club | Fee | Ref. |
June 1952 | FW | Les Smith | Aston Villa | n/a | [6] |
October 1952 | FW | Bert Allum | Hereford United | n/a | [7] |
October 1952 | HB | Jimmy Bloomfield | Hayes | n/a | [8] |
October 1952 | FW | Jimmy D'Arcy | Chelsea | Part-exchange | [9] |
November 1952 | FW | Vernon Avis | Unattached | n/a | [10] |
November 1952 | FW | John Pearson | Chase of Chertsey | n/a | [11] |
March 1953 | HB | Leonard Geard | Fulham | n/a | [12] |
Players transferred out | |||||
Date | Pos. | Name | Subsequent club | Fee | Ref. |
July 1952 | FW | Jimmy Bowie | Watford | n/a | [13] |
July 1952 | FW | Johnny Paton | Watford | n/a | [14] |
August 1952 | DF | Wally Quinton | Shrewsbury Town | n/a | [15] |
August 1952 | HB | Bill Slater | Wolverhampton Wanderers | Amateur | [16] |
October 1952 | HB | Ron Greenwood | Chelsea | Part-exchange | [1] |
Players released | |||||
Date | Pos. | Name | Subsequent club | Join date | Ref. |
May 1953 | DF | Frank Morrad | Bedford Town | n/a | [17] |
May 1953 | DF | Roddy Munro | Cambridge City | n/a | [18] |
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j White 1989, p. 207-211.
- ^ a b c Ltd, Statto Organisation. "Brentford results for the 1952-1953 season - Statto.com". Statto.com. Archived from the original on 27 August 2016. Retrieved 19 November 2016.
- ^ a b c d White, Eric, ed. (1989). 100 Years Of Brentford. Brentford FC. p. 382. ISBN 0951526200.
- ^ Haynes, Graham; Coumbe, Frank (2006). Timeless Bees: Brentford F.C. Who's Who 1920–2006. Yore Publications. ISBN 978-0955294914.
- ^ "Jimmy D'Arcy". nifootball.blogspot.co.uk. Retrieved 22 November 2016.
- ^ "Les Smith". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 18 November 2016.
- ^ "Bert Allum". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 18 November 2016.
- ^ "Hayes & Yeading United FC: The Official Website". hyufc.com. Retrieved 18 November 2016.
- ^ "Jimmy D'Arcy". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 18 November 2016.
- ^ "Vernon Avis". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 20 November 2016.
- ^ "John Pearson". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 22 November 2016.
- ^ Haynes & Coumbe 2006, p. 63.
- ^ "Watford Football Club archive 1881–2016 – Bond to Bunce" (PDF). Retrieved 9 May 2018.
- ^ "Watford Football Club archive 1881–2016 – Pate to Pretty" (PDF). Retrieved 9 May 2018.
- ^ Haynes & Coumbe 2006, p. 67.
- ^ Haynes & Coumbe 2006, p. 146.
- ^ Haynes & Coumbe 2006, p. 110-111.
- ^ Haynes & Coumbe 2006, p. 43-44.