# 1985–86 Brentford F.C. season

During the 1985–86 English football season, Brentford competed in the Football League Third Division. Inferior home form and a number of key player departures meant that the Bees could finish no higher than 10th position.

## Season summary

After the recent Heysel Stadium disaster and the Bradford City stadium fire, the financial implications of the work needed to bring Griffin Park up to standard hampered Brentford manager Frank McLintock's movement in the transfer market during the 1985 off-season. The core of the previous season's Football League Trophy final team would be sold off, with midfielder Chris Kamara and forward Keith Cassells leaving before the beginning of the season and captain Terry Hurlock would later be sold for a club-record £95,000 fee in February 1986. Goalkeeper Trevor Swinburne and defender Paul Roberts were released and the mid-season retirement of goalscoring winger Gary Roberts also compounded the break-up of the team. McLintock re-signed bit-part goalkeeper Richard Key and midfielder Terry Bullivant on free transfers and also brought in 20-year-old centre back Terry Evans from non-league Hillingdon, a transfer which would go on to be an important contributor the club's success in the early 1990s.
The 1985–86 season proved to be one of consolidation in the Third Division for Brentford, with the team briefly challenging for promotion in August and for a three-month period in late 1985, but otherwise being rooted in mid-table. There was little cheer to be had in the cup competitions, but manager Frank McLintock was able to make some incoming mid-season transfers, bringing in midfielder Andy Sinton for a £25,000 fee and loaning wingers Steve Burke and Ian Holloway from Queens Park Rangers and Wimbledon respectively. Forward Francis Joseph, top scorer during the 1982–83 season, returned from a long injury layoff in April 1986 and boosting the attack, which had been led alone by Robbie Cooke. Brentford finished the season in 10th place, with an away record superior to that of at Griffin Park.

## League table

| Pos | Team v t e | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 8 | Notts County | 46 | 19 | 14 | 13 | 71 | 60 | +11 | 71 |
| 9 | Bristol City | 46 | 18 | 14 | 14 | 69 | 60 | +9 | 68 |
| 10 | Brentford | 46 | 18 | 12 | 16 | 58 | 61 | −3 | 66 |
| 11 | Doncaster Rovers | 46 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 45 | 52 | −7 | 64 |
| 12 | Blackpool | 46 | 17 | 12 | 17 | 66 | 55 | +11 | 63 |

## Results

    Brentford's goal tally listed first.

### Legend

| Win | Draw | Loss |

### Pre-season and friendlies

| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorer(s) |
| 27 July 1985 | Wembley | A | 0–0 | n/a | |
| 30 July 1985 | Wokingham Town | A | 2–1 | n/a | Hurlock, Cooke |
| 7 August 1985 | Southampton | H | 1–0 | 962 | Butler |
| 10 August 1985 | Oxford United | H | 4–2 | 1,480 | Hurlock, Cooke, Lynch, Evans |
| 9 May 1986 | Tottenham Hotspur | H | 4–3 | 2,129 | Cassells, Holloway, F. Joseph, Roberts |

### Football League Third Division

| No. | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorer(s) |
| 1 | 17 August 1985 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | H | 2–1 | 5,576 | Bullivant, Murray |
| 2 | 24 August 1985 | Bristol Rovers | A | 1–0 | 4,140 | Lynch |
| 3 | 26 August 1985 | Bournemouth | H | 1–0 | 4,283 | Cooke |
| 4 | 31 August 1985 | Wigan Athletic | A | 0–4 | 2,871 | |
| 5 | 7 September 1985 | Plymouth Argyle | H | 1–1 | 3,927 | Lynch |
| 6 | 13 September 1985 | Doncaster Rovers | A | 0–1 | 2,831 | |
| 7 | 17 September 1985 | Reading | H | 1–2 | 6,351 | Booker |
| 8 | 21 September 1985 | Lincoln City | A | 0–3 | 1,856 | |
| 9 | 28 September 1985 | Rotherham United | H | 1–1 | 3,257 | Alexander |
| 10 | 1 October 1985 | Darlington | A | 5–3 | 2,447 | Alexander (3), Booker, Lynch |
| 11 | 5 October 1985 | Swansea City | H | 1–0 | 3,508 | Lynch |
| 12 | 12 October 1985 | Bolton Wanderers | A | 2–1 | 4,106 | Wignall, Cooke |
| 13 | 19 October 1985 | Newport County | A | 0–0 | 3,646 | |
| 14 | 22 October 1985 | Walsall | A | 2–1 | 4,318 | Wignall, Hurlock |
| 15 | 26 October 1985 | Blackpool | A | 0–4 | 5,448 | |
| 16 | 2 November 1985 | Cardiff City | H | 3–0 | 3,934 | Hurlock, Cooke, Lynch |
| 17 | 6 November 1985 | Derby County | H | 3–3 | 4,707 | Murray, Cooke, Butler |
| 18 | 9 November 1985 | Bristol City | A | 0–0 | 6,598 | |
| 19 | 23 November 1985 | Chesterfield | H | 1–0 | 3,502 | Roberts |
| 20 | 30 November 1985 | York City | A | 0–1 | 3,674 | |
| 21 | 14 December 1985 | Bury | H | 1–0 | 4,038 | Sinton (pen) |
| 22 | 22 December 1985 | Bristol Rovers | H | 1–0 | 5,724 | Cooke |
| 23 | 28 December 1985 | Bournemouth | A | 0–0 | 4,006 | |
| 24 | 4 January 1986 | Cardiff City | A | 0–1 | 3,398 | |
| 25 | 11 January 1986 | Wigan Athletic | H | 1–3 | 4,048 | Booker |
| 26 | 18 January 1986 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | A | 4–1 | 3,420 | Cooke (2), Sinton (2) |
| 27 | 21 January 1986 | Notts County | H | 1–1 | 4,002 | Evans |
| 28 | 24 January 1986 | Doncaster Rovers | H | 1–3 | 3,568 | Cooke |
| 29 | 1 February 1986 | Plymouth Argyle | A | 0–2 | 4,873 | |
| 30 | 4 February 1986 | Walsall | H | 1–3 | 3,015 | Alexander |
| 31 | 1 March 1986 | Rotherham United | A | 2–1 | 3,260 | Booker, Cooke |
| 32 | 8 March 1986 | Swansea City | A | 0–2 | 3,683 | |
| 33 | 11 March 1986 | Newport County | A | 2–1 | 1,508 | Lynch, Cooke |
| 34 | 14 March 1986 | Bolton Wanderers | H | 1–1 | 3,284 | Booker |
| 35 | 18 March 1986 | Gillingham | A | 2–1 | 3,558 | Booker, Cooke |
| 36 | 22 March 1986 | Blackpool | H | 1–1 | 3,528 | Cooke |
| 37 | 29 March 1986 | Notts County | A | 4–0 | 3,857 | Burke, Cooke (2), Holloway |
| 38 | 31 March 1986 | Gillingham | H | 1–2 | 4,702 | Cooke |
| 39 | 5 April 1986 | Derby County | A | 1–1 | 11,026 | Holloway |
| 40 | 13 April 1986 | Bristol City | H | 1–2 | 3,701 | Millen |
| 41 | 16 April 1986 | Reading | A | 1–3 | 6,855 | Murray |
| 42 | 19 April 1986 | Chesterfield | A | 3–1 | 2,344 | Cooke, Butler, Booker |
| 43 | 22 April 1986 | Lincoln City | H | 0–1 | 3,011 | |
| 44 | 26 April 1986 | York City | H | 3–3 | 2,864 | Hood (og), R. Joseph, F. Joseph |
| 45 | 3 May 1986 | Bury | A | 0–0 | 2,953 | |
| 46 | 5 May 1986 | Darlington | H | 2–1 | 2,824 | Millen, Cooke |

### FA Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorer(s) |
| 1R | 16 November 1985 | Bristol Rovers | H | 1–3 | 4,716 | Evans |

### Football League Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorer(s) |
| 1R (1st leg) | 20 August 1985 | Cambridge United | A | 1–1 | 1,794 | Booker |
| 1R (2nd leg) | 3 September 1985 | Cambridge United | H | 2–0 (won 3–1 on aggregate) | 2,512 | Cooke (pen), Hurlock |
| 2R (1st leg) | 25 September 1985 | Sheffield Wednesday | H | 2–2 | 5,352 | Alexander (2) |
| 2R (2nd leg) | 15 October 1985 | Sheffield Wednesday | A | 0–2 (lost 2–4 on aggregate) | 11,132 | |

### Football League Trophy

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorer |
| SR1 (match 1) | 15 January 1986 | Derby County | H | 0–0 | 2,531 | |
| SR1 (match 2) | 29 January 1986 | Gillingham | A | 1–1 | 1,464 | Murray |
* Sources: 100 Years of Brentford, The Big Brentford Book of the Eighties, Statto

## Playing squad

    Players' ages are as of the opening day of the 1985–86 season.
| Pos. | Name | Date of birth (age) | Signed from | Signed in | Notes |
| Goalkeepers |||||||
| GK | Richard Key | (1956-04-13)13 April 1956 (aged 29) | Swindon Town | 1985 | Non-contract |
| GK | Gary Phillips | (1961-09-20)20 September 1961 (aged 23) | Barnet | 1984 | |
| Defenders |||||||
| DF | Jamie Bates | (1968-02-24)24 February 1968 (aged 17) | Youth | 1986 | Loaned to Maidstone United |
| DF | Terry Evans | (1965-04-12)12 April 1965 (aged 20) | Hillingdon | 1985 | |
| DF | Roger Joseph | (1965-12-24)24 December 1965 (aged 19) | Southall | 1984 | |
| DF | Keith Millen | (1966-09-26)26 September 1966 (aged 18) | Youth | 1985 | |
| DF | Jamie Murray | (1958-12-27)27 December 1958 (aged 26) | Cambridge United | 1984 | |
| DF | Danis Salman | (1960-03-12)12 March 1960 (aged 25) | Youth | 1975 | |
| DF | Steve Wignall (c) | (1954-09-17)17 September 1954 (aged 30) | Colchester United | 1984 | |
| Midfielders |||||||
| MF | Terry Bullivant | (1956-09-23)23 September 1956 (aged 28) | Unattached | 1985 | |
| MF | Steve Burke | (1960-09-29)29 September 1960 (aged 24) | Queens Park Rangers | 1986 | On loan from Queens Park Rangers |
| MF | Ian Holloway | (1963-03-12)12 March 1963 (aged 22) | Wimbledon | 1986 | On loan from Wimbledon |
| MF | Tony Lynch | (1966-01-20)20 January 1966 (aged 19) | Youth | 1983 | |
| MF | Andy Sinton | (1966-03-19)19 March 1966 (aged 19) | Cambridge United | 1985 | |
| MF | George Torrance | (1957-09-17)17 September 1957 (aged 27) | Wokingham Town | 1984 | Loaned to Maidstone United |
| Forwards |||||||
| FW | Rowan Alexander | (1961-01-28)28 January 1961 (aged 24) | St Mirren | 1984 | |
| FW | Bob Booker | (1958-01-25)25 January 1958 (aged 27) | Bedmond Sports & Social | 1978 | |
| FW | Steve Butler | (1962-01-27)27 January 1962 (aged 23) | Windsor & Eton | 1984 | Loaned to Maidstone United |
| FW | Robbie Cooke | (1957-02-16)16 February 1957 (aged 28) | Cambridge United | 1984 | |
| FW | Francis Joseph | (1960-03-06)6 March 1960 (aged 25) | Wimbledon | 1982 | |
| Players who left the club mid-season |||||||
| DF | Bobby Fisher | (1956-08-03)3 August 1956 (aged 29) | Cambridge United | 1984 | Released |
| MF | Gary Cooper | (1965-11-20)20 November 1965 (aged 19) | Queens Park Rangers | 1985 | Returned to Queens Park Rangers after loan |
| MF | Terry Hurlock | (1958-11-22)22 November 1958 (aged 26) | Leytonstone/Ilford | 1980 | Transferred to Reading |
| MF | Gary Roberts | (1960-04-05)5 April 1960 (aged 25) | Wembley | 1980 | Released |
* Sources: The Big Brentford Book of the Eighties, Timeless Bees

## Coaching staff

| Name | Role |
| Frank McLintock | Manager |
| John Docherty | Assistant Manager |
| Ron Woolnough | Physiotherapist |

## Statistics
### Appearances and goals

    Substitute appearances in brackets.
| Pos | Nat | Name | League | League | FA Cup | FA Cup | League Cup | League Cup | FL Trophy | FL Trophy | Total | Total |
| Pos | Nat | Name | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| GK | | Richard Key | 3 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| GK | | Gary Phillips | 43 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 50 | 0 |
| DF | | Terry Evans | 18 (1) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 22 (1) | 2 |
| DF | | Roger Joseph | 27 (1) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 32 (1) | 1 |
| DF | | Keith Millen | 30 (2) | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 35 (2) | 2 |
| DF | | Jamie Murray | 45 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 52 | 4 |
| DF | | Danis Salman | 40 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 45 | 0 |
| DF | | Steve Wignall | 28 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 32 | 2 |
| MF | | Terry Bullivant | 7 (1) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 (1) | 1 |
| MF | | Terry Hurlock | 27 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 32 | 3 |
| MF | | Tony Lynch | 28 (5) | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 35 (5) | 5 |
| MF | | Gary Roberts | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 3 | 1 |
| MF | | Andy Sinton | 26 | 3 | — | — | — | — | 2 | 0 | 28 | 3 |
| MF | | George Torrance | 18 (3) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 24 (3) | 0 |
| FW | | Rowan Alexander | 24 (4) | 6 | 1 | 0 | 2 (1) | 2 | 1 (1) | 0 | 28 (6) | 8 |
| FW | | Bob Booker | 44 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 50 | 8 |
| FW | | Steve Butler | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 1 |
| FW | | Robbie Cooke | 43 (1) | 17 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 50 (1) | 18 |
| FW | | Francis Joseph | 5 (3) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 (3) | 1 |
| Players loaned in during the season |||||||||||||
| MF | | Steve Burke | 10 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 10 | 1 |
| MF | | Gary Cooper | 9 (1) | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 9 (1) | 0 |
| MF | | Ian Holloway | 13 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 13 | 2 |
* Players listed in italics left the club mid-season.
* Source: The Big Brentford Book of the Eighties

### Goalscorers

| Pos. | Nat | Player | FL3 | FAC | FLC | FLT | Total |
| FW | | Robbie Cooke | 17 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 18 |
| FW | | Bob Booker | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 8 |
| FW | | Rowan Alexander | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 8 |
| MF | | Tony Lynch | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| DF | | Jamie Murray | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| MF | | Andy Sinton | 3 | — | — | 0 | 3 |
| MF | | Terry Hurlock | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| MF | | Ian Holloway | 2 | — | — | — | 2 |
| DF | | Keith Millen | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| DF | | Steve Wignall | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| DF | | Terry Evans | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| MF | | Steve Burke | 1 | — | — | — | 1 |
| MF | | Gary Roberts | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 1 |
| MF | | Terry Bullivant | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| FW | | Steve Butler | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| FW | | Francis Joseph | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| DF | | Roger Joseph | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Opponents | Opponents | Opponents | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Total | Total | Total | 58 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 65 |
* Players listed in italics left the club mid-season.
* Source: The Big Brentford Book of the Eighties

### Management

| Name | Nat | From | To | Record All Comps | Record All Comps | Record All Comps | Record All Comps | Record All Comps | Record League | Record League | Record League | Record League | Record League |
| Name | Nat | From | To | P | W | D | L | W % | P | W | D | L | W % |
| Frank McLintock | | 17 August 1985 | 5 May 1986 | 53 | 19 | 16 | 18 | 035.85 | 46 | 18 | 12 | 16 | 039.13 |

### Summary

| Games played | 53 (46 Third Division, 1 FA Cup, 4 League Cup, 2 Football League Trophy) |
| Games won | 19 (18 Third Division, 0 FA Cup, 1 League Cup, 0 Football League Trophy) |
| Games drawn | 16 (12 Third Division, 0 FA Cup, 2 League Cup, 2 Football League Trophy) |
| Games lost | 18 (16 Third Division, 1 FA Cup, 1 League Cup, 0 Football League Trophy) |
| Goals scored | 65 (58 Third Division, 1 FA Cup, 5 League Cup, 1 Football League Trophy) |
| Goals conceded | 70 (61 Third Division, 3 FA Cup, 5 League Cup, 1 Football League Trophy) |
| Clean sheets | 14 (12 Third Division, 0 FA Cup, 1 League Cup, 1 Football League Trophy) |
| Biggest league win | 4–0 versus Notts County, 29 March 1986 |
| Worst league defeat | 4–0 on two occasions |
| Most appearances | 52, Jamie Murray (45 Third Division, 1 FA Cup, 4 League Cup, 2 Football League Trophy) |
| Top scorer (league) | 17, Robbie Cooke |
| Top scorer (all competitions) | 18, Robbie Cooke |

## Transfers & loans

Players transferred in :
| Date | Pos. | Name | Previous Club | Fee | Ref. |
| July 1985 | DF | Terry Evans | Hillingdon | n/a | |
| August 1985 | MF | Terry Bullivant | Unattached | Free | |
| August 1985 | GK | Richard Key | Swindon Town | Non-contract | |
| 29 November 1985 | GK | Richard Key | Swindon Town | Non-contract | |
| December 1985 | MF | Andy Sinton | Cambridge United | £25,000 | |
| 1985 | MF | Robbie Peters | n/a | n/a | |
| Players loaned in ||||||
| Date from | Pos. | Name | From | Date to | Ref. |
| September 1985 | MF | Gary Cooper | Queens Park Rangers | November 1985 | |
| 12 March 1986 | MF | Ian Holloway | Wimbledon | End of season | |
| March 1986 | MF | Steve Burke | Queens Park Rangers | End of season | |
| Players transferred out ||||||
| Date | Pos. | Name | Subsequent club | Fee | Ref. |
| 21 August 1985 | MF | Chris Kamara | Swindon Town | £14,500 | |
| August 1985 | FW | Keith Cassells | Mansfield Town | £17,000 | |
| 27 October 1985 | GK | Richard Key | Swindon Town | Non-contract | |
| February 1986 | MF | Terry Hurlock | Reading | £95,000 | |
| Players loaned out ||||||
| Date from | Pos. | Name | To | Date to | Ref. |
| September 1985 | FW | Steve Butler | Maidstone United | November 1985 | |
| March 1986 | DF | Jamie Bates | Maidstone United | n/a | |
| March 1986 | MF | George Torrance | Maidstone United | n/a | |
| Players released ||||||
| Date | Pos. | Name | Subsequent club | Join date | Ref. |
| October 1985 | DF | Bobby Fisher | Maidstone United | 1985 | |
| January 1986 | MF | Gary Roberts | Barnet | 1986 | |
| May 1986 | FW | Rowan Alexander | Greenock Morton | 1986 | |
| May 1986 | MF | Terry Bullivant | Retired | | |
| May 1986 | FW | Steve Butler | Maidstone United | 1986 | |
| May 1986 | MF | Tony Lynch | Maidstone United | 1986 | |
| May 1986 | MF | George Torrance | Maidstone United | 1986 | |

## Awards

* Supporters' Player of the Year: Gary Phillips
* Players' Player of the Year: Gary Phillips