# 1931–32 Brentford F.C. season

During the 1931–32 English football season, Brentford competed in the Football League Third Division South. Despite leading the division for two months in mid-season, the Bees fell away and finished 5th.

## Season summary

Brentford manager Harry Curtis' additions to his squad for the 1931–32 Third Division South season were minor – backup goalkeeper Dave Smith, amateur half back Jackie Gibbons and forwards George Cook, George Robson and Bert Stephens. The team had a very strong first half of the season, rising to the top of the table by 5 December 1931 and staying there until 13 February 1932, when a run of just five defeats in 31 matches in all competitions came to an end. Billy Lane kept up his prolific goalscoring form from the previous two seasons, scoring 20 goals in a 27 match spell, with Jackie Foster, Bill Berry and Jackie Gibbons also supporting with regular goals.
As in the previous two seasons, Brentford's suffered a slump in the second half of the campaign, losing 9 of 14 matches between mid-February and late April to drop to as low as 9th, though two wins from the final two matches of the season elevated the side to a 5th-place finish. Brentford had also reached the fourth round of the FA Cup for the second successive season, exiting the competition after a heavy 6–1 defeat at the hands of top-flight Manchester City at Maine Road. It had been rumoured in April 1932 that manager Curtis had tendered his resignation, but chairman Louis P. Simon recognised his good work over the previous six years and persuaded him to stay. A run of four successive home Football League draws during the season equalled the club record, while Billy Lane's seventh and final Brentford hattrick (scored versus Coventry City on 12 September 1931) set a new club record.

### Reserve team

Brentford's reserve team finished as champions of the London Combination for the first time. The team went undefeated at home from 21 November 1931, setting off a run which extended until 4 November 1933. Ralph Allen captained the team and scored a large percentage of the goals.

## League table

| Pos | Team v t e | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GAv | Pts |
| 3 | Southend United | 42 | 21 | 11 | 10 | 77 | 53 | 1.453 | 53 |
| 4 | Crystal Palace | 42 | 20 | 11 | 11 | 74 | 63 | 1.175 | 51 |
| 5 | Brentford | 42 | 19 | 10 | 13 | 68 | 52 | 1.308 | 48 |
| 6 | Luton Town | 42 | 20 | 7 | 15 | 95 | 70 | 1.357 | 47 |
| 7 | Exeter City | 42 | 20 | 7 | 15 | 77 | 62 | 1.242 | 47 |

## Results

    Brentford's goal tally listed first.

### Legend

| Win | Draw | Loss |

### Football League Third Division South

| No. | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorer(s) |
| 1 | 29 August 1931 | Queens Park Rangers | H | 1–0 | 20,739 | Robson |
| 2 | 3 September 1931 | Thames | A | 1–1 | 4,217 | Cook |
| 3 | 5 September 1931 | Exeter City | A | 1–4 | 7,093 | Lane |
| 4 | 9 September 1931 | Reading | A | 2–1 | 9,155 | Lane, Foster |
| 5 | 12 September 1931 | Coventry City | H | 4–2 | 8,017 | Lane (3), Foster |
| 6 | 19 September 1931 | Gillingham | A | 2–1 | 7,225 | Lane, Foster |
| 7 | 24 September 1931 | Reading | H | 3–0 | 8,942 | Lane (2), Foster |
| 8 | 26 September 1931 | Luton Town | H | 1–0 | 12,540 | Burns |
| 9 | 3 October 1931 | Cardiff City | A | 2–3 | 9,521 | Burns, Lane |
| 10 | 10 October 1931 | Northampton Town | H | 2–0 | 12,694 | Lane (pen), Robson |
| 11 | 17 October 1931 | Bristol Rovers | H | 4–2 | 11,338 | Burns, Robson (2 pens), Berry |
| 12 | 24 October 1931 | Torquay United | A | 1–1 | 4,650 | Robson (pen) |
| 13 | 31 October 1931 | Clapton Orient | H | 3–0 | 11,295 | Berry (2), Burns |
| 14 | 7 November 1931 | Swindon Town | A | 3–1 | 6,415 | Lane, Foster (2) |
| 15 | 14 November 1931 | Norwich City | H | 0–1 | 11,484 | |
| 16 | 21 November 1931 | Brighton & Hove Albion | A | 2–1 | 9,582 | Lane, Berry |
| 17 | 5 December 1931 | Watford | A | 4–1 | 12,086 | Robson, Foster, Lane (2) |
| 18 | 19 December 1931 | Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic | A | 3–1 | 5,000 | Lane, Foster, Burns |
| 19 | 25 December 1931 | Fulham | H | 0–0 | 26,139 | |
| 20 | 26 December 1931 | Fulham | A | 1–2 | 29,253 | Robson |
| 21 | 2 January 1932 | Queens Park Rangers | A | 2–1 | 33,553 | Lane (2) |
| 22 | 13 January 1932 | Mansfield Town | H | 1–1 | 4,902 | Lane |
| 23 | 16 January 1932 | Exeter City | H | 2–2 | 11,981 | Lane, Foster |
| 24 | 28 January 1932 | Coventry City | A | 1–0 | 6,172 | Berry |
| 25 | 30 January 1932 | Gillingham | H | 1–1 | 11,361 | Berry |
| 26 | 6 February 1932 | Luton Town | A | 1–1 | 7,402 | Lane |
| 27 | 13 February 1932 | Cardiff City | H | 2–3 | 16,239 | Crompton, Gibbins |
| 28 | 20 February 1932 | Northampton Town | A | 0–3 | 6,533 | |
| 29 | 27 February 1932 | Bristol Rovers | A | 0–2 | 6,114 | |
| 30 | 5 March 1932 | Torquay United | H | 3–2 | 11,293 | Webster (og), Burns, Gibbins |
| 31 | 12 March 1932 | Clapton Orient | A | 2–2 | 10,700 | Crompton, Foster |
| 32 | 19 March 1932 | Swindon Town | H | 2–0 | 10,179 | Robson (pen), Foster |
| 33 | 25 March 1932 | Southend United | H | 2–3 | 15,237 | Crompton, Gibbins |
| 34 | 26 March 1932 | Norwich City | A | 0–1 | 10,422 | |
| 35 | 28 March 1932 | Southend United | A | 0–1 | 17,313 | |
| 36 | 2 April 1932 | Brighton & Hove Albion | H | 2–2 | 9,107 | Gibbins (2) |
| 37 | 9 April 1932 | Mansfield Town | A | 0–2 | 4,932 | |
| 38 | 13 April 1932 | Crystal Palace | H | 1–1 | 5,816 | Lane |
| 39 | 16 April 1932 | Watford | H | 1–2 | 6,723 | Burns |
| 40 | 23 April 1932 | Crystal Palace | A | 0–1 | 12,138 | |
| 41 | 30 April 1932 | Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic | H | 4–2 | 5,906 | Foster (2), Cook, Lane |
| 42 | 7 May 1932 | Thames | H | 1–0 | 6,364 | Robson |

### FA Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorer(s) |
| 1R | 28 November 1931 | Tunbridge Wells Rangers | A | 1–1 | 5,680 | Burns |
| 1R (replay) | 2 December 1931 | Tunbridge Wells Rangers | H | 2–1 | 10,000 | Lane (pen), Burns |
| 2R | 12 December 1931 | Norwich City | H | 4–1 | 17,050 | Lane (2), Robson, Berry |
| 3R | 9 January 1932 | Bath City | H | 2–0 | 15,700 | Lane, Berry |
| 4R | 23 January 1932 | Manchester City | A | 1–6 | 56,190 | Lane |
* Sources: Statto, 11v11, 100 Years of Brentford

## Playing squad

    Players' ages are as of the opening day of the 1931–32 season.
| Pos. | Name | Date of birth (age) | Signed from | Signed in | Notes |
| Goalkeepers |||||||
| GK | Edward Nash | (1902-04-12)12 April 1902 (aged 29) | Swindon Town | 1930 | |
| GK | Dave Smith | (1903-07-06)6 July 1903 (aged 28) | Gillingham | 1931 | |
| Defenders |||||||
| DF | Tom Adamson | (1901-02-12)12 February 1901 (aged 30) | Bury | 1929 | |
| DF | Bill Bann | (1902-08-15)15 August 1902 (aged 29) | Tottenham Hotspur | 1930 | |
| DF | William Hodge | (1904-08-31)31 August 1904 (aged 26) | Rangers | 1927 | |
| DF | Alexander Stevenson | (1903-10-24)24 October 1903 (aged 27) | Armadale | 1927 | |
| DF | George Weeks | (1902-08-05)5 August 1902 (aged 29) | Southall | 1929 | |
| Midfielders |||||||
| HB | Jimmy Bain (c) | (1899-02-06)6 February 1899 (aged 32) | Manchester Central | 1928 | |
| HB | Joe James | (1910-01-13)13 January 1910 (aged 21) | Battersea Church | 1929 | |
| HB | Harry Salt | (1899-01-20)20 January 1899 (aged 32) | Crystal Palace | 1929 | |
| HB | Teddy Ware | (1906-09-17)17 September 1906 (aged 24) | Chatham Town | 1928 | |
| HB | Les Wilkins | (1907-01-21)21 January 1907 (aged 24) | West Ham United | 1931 | |
| Forwards |||||||
| FW | Ralph Allen | (1906-06-30)30 June 1906 (aged 25) | Fulham | 1930 | |
| FW | Bill Berry | (1904-08-18)18 August 1904 (aged 27) | Gillingham | 1926 | |
| FW | Jackie Burns | (1906-11-27)27 November 1906 (aged 24) | Queens Park Rangers | 1931 | Amateur |
| FW | George Cook | (1895-02-27)27 February 1895 (aged 36) | Tottenham Hotspur | 1931 | |
| FW | Arthur Crompton | (1903-01-09)9 January 1903 (aged 28) | Southend United | 1932 | |
| FW | Jackie Foster | (1903-03-21)21 March 1903 (aged 28) | Bristol City | 1929 | |
| FW | Vivian Gibbins | (1901-08-10)10 August 1901 (aged 30) | Clapton | 1932 | Amateur |
| FW | Billy Lane | (1904-10-23)23 October 1904 (aged 26) | Reading | 1929 | |
| FW | Herbert Lawson | (1905-04-12)12 April 1905 (aged 26) | Arsenal | 1927 | |
| FW | George Robson | (1908-06-17)17 June 1908 (aged 23) | West Ham United | 1931 | |
| FW | Bert Stephens | (1909-05-13)13 May 1909 (aged 22) | Ealing Association | 1931 | |
* Sources: 100 Years of Brentford, Timeless Bees, Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939

## Coaching staff

| Name | Role |
| Harry Curtis | Manager |
| Bob Kane | Trainer |
| Jack Cartmell | Assistant trainer |

## Statistics
### Appearances and goals

| Pos | Nat | Name | League | League | FA Cup | FA Cup | Total | Total |
| Pos | Nat | Name | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| GK | | Edward Nash | 35 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 40 | 0 |
| GK | | Dave Smith | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| DF | | Tom Adamson | 35 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 40 | 0 |
| DF | | Bill Bann | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| DF | | William Hodge | 29 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 32 | 0 |
| DF | | Alexander Stevenson | 14 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 16 | 0 |
| DF | | George Weeks | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| HB | | Jimmy Bain | 37 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 40 | 0 |
| HB | | Joe James | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| HB | | Harry Salt | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| HB | | Teddy Ware | 41 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 46 | 0 |
| HB | | Les Wilkins | 17 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 21 | 0 |
| FW | | Ralph Allen | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| FW | | Bill Berry | 31 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 36 | 8 |
| FW | | Jackie Burns | 36 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 41 | 7 |
| FW | | George Cook | 14 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 15 | 3 |
| FW | | Arthur Crompton | 12 | 3 | — | — | 12 | 3 |
| FW | | Jackie Foster | 40 | 12 | 5 | 0 | 45 | 12 |
| FW | | Vivian Gibbins | 8 | 5 | — | — | 8 | 5 |
| FW | | Billy Lane | 37 | 22 | 5 | 5 | 42 | 27 |
| FW | | Herbert Lawson | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| FW | | George Robson | 38 | 9 | 5 | 1 | 43 | 10 |
| FW | | Bert Stephens | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
* Players listed in italics left the club mid-season.
* Source: 100 Years of Brentford

### Goalscorers

| Pos. | Nat | Player | FL3 | FAC | Total |
| FW | | Billy Lane | 22 | 5 | 27 |
| FW | | Jackie Foster | 12 | 0 | 12 |
| FW | | George Robson | 9 | 1 | 10 |
| FW | | Bill Berry | 6 | 2 | 8 |
| FW | | Jackie Burns | 7 | 2 | 5 |
| FW | | Vivian Gibbins | 5 | — | 5 |
| FW | | Arthur Crompton | 3 | — | 3 |
| FW | | George Cook | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Opponents | Opponents | Opponents | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Total | Total | Total | 68 | 10 | 78 |
* Players listed in italics left the club mid-season.
* Source: 100 Years of Brentford

### Amateur international caps

| Pos. | Nat | Player | Caps | Goals | Ref |
| FW | | Jackie Burns | 3 | 0 | |
| FW | | Vivian Gibbins | 2 | 0 | |

### 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 % |
| Harry Curtis | | 9 August 1931 | 7 May 1932 | 47 | 22 | 11 | 14 | 046.81| | 42 | 19 | 10 | 13 | 045.24 |

### Summary

| Games played | 47 (42 Third Division South, 5 FA Cup) |
| Games won | 22 (19 Third Division South, 3 FA Cup) |
| Games drawn | 11 (10 Third Division South, 1 FA Cup) |
| Games lost | 14 (13 Third Division South, 1 FA Cup) |
| Goals scored | 78 (68 Third Division South, 10 FA Cup) |
| Goals conceded | 61 (52 Third Division South, 9 FA Cup) |
| Clean sheets | 10 (9 Third Division South, 1 FA Cup) |
| Biggest league win | 3–0 on two occasions; 4–1 versus Watford, 5 December 1931 |
| Worst league defeat | 3–0 versus Northampton Town, 20 February 1932; 4–1 versus Exeter City, 5 September 1931 |
| Most appearances | 46, Teddy Ware (41 Third Division South, 5 FA Cup) |
| Top scorer (league) | 22, Billy Lane |
| Top scorer (all competitions) | 27, Billy Lane |

## Transfers & loans

    Cricketers are not included in this list.
Players transferred in :
| Date | Pos. | Name | Previous Club | Fee | Ref. |
| May 1931 | FW | Andy Anderson | Blyth Spartans | n/a | |
| May 1931 | FW | Jackie Burns | Queens Park Rangers | Amateur | |
| May 1931 | FW | Malcolm Comrie | Denny Hibernians | n/a | |
| May 1931 | FW | Johnny McPhee | Sunderland | n/a | |
| May 1931 | GK | Dave Smith | Gillingham | Free | |
| August 1931 | FW | George Cook | Tottenham Hotspur | n/a | |
| August 1931 | FW | S. Fieldus | Millwall | n/a | |
| August 1931 | HB | Cecil Smith | Brentford Market | Free | |
| 1931 | LH | Albert Woods | Gillingham | n/a | |
| 11 February 1932 | FW | Vivian Gibbins | Clapton | Amateur | |
| February 1932 | FW | Arthur Crompton | Southend United | n/a | |
| Players transferred out ||||||
| Date | Pos. | Name | Subsequent club | Fee | Ref. |
| August 1931 | FW | Cecil Blakemore | Norwich City | £200 | |
| Players released ||||||
| Date | Pos. | Name | Subsequent club | Join date | Ref. |
| May 1932 | FW | Andy Anderson | n/a | n/a | |
| May 1932 | DF | Bill Bann | Bristol Rovers | 4 June 1932 | |
| May 1932 | FW | Malcolm Comrie | Manchester City | July 1932 | |
| May 1932 | FW | George Cook | Colwyn Bay United | 1932 | |
| May 1932 | HB | Reginald Davies | Mansfield Town | 1932 | |
| May 1932 | FW | Vivian Gibbins | Bristol Rovers | 9 June 1932 | |
| May 1932 | GK | Edward Nash | Crystal Palace | August 1932 | |
| May 1932 | HB | Harry Salt | Walsall | May 1932 | |
| May 1932 | FW | David Sherlaw | St Johnstone | 6 July 1932 | |
| May 1932 | GK | Dave Smith | Nithsdale Wanderers | 1932 | |
| May 1932 | DF | George Weeks | Watford | July 1932 | |
| May 1932 | FW | Les Wilkins | Swindon Town | 25 August 1932 | |