# 1948–49 Brentford F.C. season

During the 1948–49 English football season, Brentford competed in the Football League Second Division. It was Harry Curtis' final season as manager and he was replaced by Jackie Gibbons in February 1949. Brentford ended the season in 18th-place, just one point away from a second relegation in three seasons, though the Bees advanced to the sixth round of the FA Cup for the third time in the club's history.

## Season summary

Brentford manager Harry Curtis prepared conservatively for the 1948–49 Second Division season, with inside forward Viv Woodward and wing half Paddy Harris being his only veteran additions to the first team squad. The Essential Work Order made it almost impossible for the Bees to sign any player aged under 30, due to the club having spent £28,300 (almost double the club's net income, equivalent to £1,299,800 in 2024) on six new players during the previous financial year, with only Jack Chisholm and Fred Monk aged under 30. Curtis elected to build for the future with the signings of young players Les Devonshire, Jimmy Anders, Micky Bull and Billy Dare, but Dare was the only one of the quartet who would go on to make an impact on the first team. On the eve of the season, it was announced that Curtis would step down from the manager's position at the end of the campaign.
After two wins from the opening seven matches, Curtis signed Leicester City forward Peter McKennan for £8,000. He failed to have an immediate effect on the team's goalscoring problems, but Brentford were able to stay afloat in mid-table due to the low number of goals conceded. Amidst a dire run of form in league matches around the turn of the year, McKennan finally came into form and scored 9 goals in a seven-match spell, firing Brentford into the sixth round of the FA Cup for the second time in four seasons. In the midst of the run was an 8–2 victory over Bury, in which McKennan became the third (and as of November 2024, most recent) Brentford player to score five goals in a Football League match. The Bury fixture also marked the first match in charge for player-manager Jackie Gibbons, having replaced Harry Curtis, who remained at Griffin Park until the end of the season as an adviser to Gibbons. Brentford's FA Cup run ended with defeat to Leicester City in the sixth round, with the 38,678 crowd setting a new club record, which still stands as of November 2024.
Brentford's form deserted them in the wake of the FA Cup exit, with just two victories during the remaining 14 league matches of the season. Centre half Ron Greenwood was bought from Bradford Park Avenue for £9,000 in February 1949, with all of the money being recouped following the sale of captain Jack Chisholm to Sheffield United for £16,000 a month later. Advanced preparations for the 1949–50 season continued in April, with the £7,000 purchase of Jackie Goodwin and Wally Quinton from Birmingham City. Brentford slumped to an 18th-place finish, just one point above 21st-place Nottingham Forest. Young forward Billy Dare was blooded in the final two months of the season and showed promise for the future with four goals in the final six matches.

## League table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GAv | Pts |
| 16 | Coventry City | 42 | 15 | 7 | 20 | 55 | 64 | 0.859 | 37 |
| 17 | Bradford Park Avenue | 42 | 13 | 11 | 18 | 65 | 78 | 0.833 | 37 |
| 18 | Brentford | 42 | 11 | 14 | 17 | 42 | 53 | 0.792 | 36 |
| 19 | Leicester City | 42 | 10 | 16 | 16 | 62 | 79 | 0.785 | 36 |
| 20 | Plymouth Argyle | 42 | 12 | 12 | 18 | 49 | 64 | 0.766 | 36 |

## Results

    Brentford's goal tally listed first.

### Legend

| Win | Draw | Loss |

### Football League Second Division

| No. | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorer(s) |
| 1 | 21 August 1948 | Coventry City | H | 2–2 | 26,090 | Nelson, Monk |
| 2 | 25 August 1948 | Leeds United | A | 0–0 | 26,625 | |
| 3 | 28 August 1948 | Sheffield Wednesday | A | 0–0 | 35,116 | |
| 4 | 1 September 1948 | Leeds United | H | 1–3 | 19,212 | Woodward |
| 5 | 4 September 1948 | Lincoln City | H | 2–1 | 22,414 | Manley, Girling |
| 6 | 6 September 1948 | Leicester City | A | 0–0 | 24,151 | |
| 7 | 11 September 1948 | Chesterfield | A | 1–0 | 11,057 | Girling |
| 8 | 15 September 1948 | Leicester City | H | 1–2 | 17,986 | Buchanan |
| 9 | 18 September 1948 | West Bromwich Albion | H | 0–0 | 28,212 | |
| 10 | 25 September 1948 | Bury | A | 2–1 | 22,473 | Monk (2) |
| 11 | 2 October 1948 | West Ham United | A | 0–0 | 31,369 | |
| 12 | 9 October 1948 | Queens Park Rangers | A | 0–2 | 25,814 | |
| 13 | 16 October 1948 | Luton Town | H | 2–0 | 23,211 | Gibbons, Buchanan |
| 14 | 23 October 1948 | Bradford Park Avenue | A | 1–3 | 14,906 | Blakeman |
| 15 | 30 October 1948 | Southampton | H | 0–0 | 29,887 | |
| 16 | 6 November 1948 | Barnsley | A | 2–1 | 20,883 | Nelson (pen), Monk |
| 17 | 13 November 1948 | Grimsby Town | H | 2–0 | 24,992 | Keene, Monk |
| 18 | 20 November 1948 | Nottingham Forest | A | 2–1 | 19,278 | Gibbons, Monk |
| 19 | 4 December 1948 | Plymouth Argyle | A | 0–1 | 25,611 | |
| 20 | 11 December 1948 | Blackburn Rovers | H | 0–1 | 21,421 | |
| 21 | 18 December 1948 | Coventry City | A | 1–2 | 21,280 | Manley |
| 22 | 25 December 1948 | Cardiff City | H | 1–1 | 22,813 | Monk |
| 23 | 27 December 1948 | Cardiff City | A | 0–2 | 49,236 | |
| 24 | 1 January 1949 | Sheffield Wednesday | H | 2–1 | 16,753 | Buchanan, Monk |
| 25 | 15 January 1949 | Lincoln City | A | 1–3 | 13,125 | McKennan |
| 26 | 22 January 1949 | Chesterfield | H | 1–1 | 25,549 | Monk |
| 27 | 5 February 1949 | West Bromwich Albion | A | 0–2 | 39,482 | |
| 28 | 19 February 1949 | Bury | H | 8–2 | 23,249 | McKennan (5, 1 pen), Gibbons, Monk |
| 29 | 5 March 1949 | Queens Park Rangers | H | 0–3 | 29,420 | |
| 30 | 12 March 1949 | Luton Town | A | 1–2 | 16,682 | Chisholm |
| 31 | 19 March 1949 | Bradford Park Avenue | H | 1–0 | 18,413 | Manley (pen) |
| 32 | 26 March 1949 | Southampton | A | 0–2 | 25,217 | |
| 33 | 2 April 1949 | Barnsley | H | 0–0 | 18,485 | |
| 34 | 6 April 1949 | Fulham | H | 0–0 | 29,160 | |
| 35 | 9 April 1949 | Grimsby Town | A | 0–3 | 15,695 | |
| 36 | 15 April 1949 | Tottenham Hotspur | A | 0–2 | 39,050 | |
| 37 | 16 April 1949 | Nottingham Forest | H | 2–1 | 15,857 | Gager (og), Dare |
| 38 | 18 April 1949 | Tottenham Hotspur | H | 1–1 | 19,004 | Dare |
| 39 | 23 April 1949 | Fulham | A | 1–2 | 39,149 | Dare |
| 40 | 25 April 1949 | West Ham United | A | 1–1 | 15,553 | Smith |
| 41 | 30 April 1949 | Plymouth Argyle | H | 2–2 | 14,360 | Buchanan (2) |
| 42 | 7 May 1949 | Blackburn Rovers | A | 1–2 | 15,453 | Gray (og), Dare |

### FA Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorer(s) |
| 3R | 8 January 1949 | Middlesbrough | H | 3–2 (a.e.t.) | 30,000 | Harper, Monk, McKennan |
| 4R | 29 January 1949 | Torquay United | H | 1–0 | 24,500 | McKennan |
| 5R | 12 February 1949 | Burnley | H | 4–2 | 34,000 | McKennan (2), Gibbons, Monk |
| 6R | 26 February 1949 | Leicester City | H | 0–2 | 38,678 | |
* Sources: Statto, 11v11, 100 Years Of Brentford

## Playing squad

    Players' ages are as of the opening day of the 1948–49 season.
| Pos. | Name | Nat. | Date of birth (age) | Signed from | Signed in | Notes |
| Goalkeepers | Goalkeepers | Goalkeepers | Goalkeepers | Goalkeepers | Goalkeepers | |
| GK | Joe Crozier | | (1914-12-02)2 December 1914 (aged 33) | East Fife | 1937 | |
| GK | Ted Gaskell | | (1916-12-19)19 December 1916 (aged 31) | Buxton | 1937 | |
| Defenders | Defenders | Defenders | Defenders | Defenders | Defenders | |
| DF | Bill Gorman | | (1911-01-13)13 January 1911 (aged 37) | Bury | 1938 | |
| DF | Malky MacDonald | | (1913-10-26)26 October 1913 (aged 34) | Kilmarnock | 1946 | Coach |
| DF | Roddy Munro | | (1920-07-27)27 July 1920 (aged 28) | Rangers | 1946 | |
| DF | Wally Quinton | | (1917-12-13)13 December 1917 (aged 30) | Birmingham City | 1949 | |
| Midfielders | Midfielders | Midfielders | Midfielders | Midfielders | Midfielders | |
| HB | Ron Greenwood | | (1921-11-11)11 November 1921 (aged 26) | Bradford Park Avenue | 1949 | |
| HB | Tom Manley | | (1912-10-07)7 October 1912 (aged 35) | Manchester United | 1939 | |
| HB | David Nelson | | (1918-02-03)3 February 1918 (aged 30) | Fulham | 1947 | |
| HB | George Paterson | | (1914-09-26)26 September 1914 (aged 33) | Celtic | 1946 | |
| HB | Alan Smith | | (1921-10-15)15 October 1921 (aged 26) | Arsenal | 1946 | |
| Forwards | Forwards | Forwards | Forwards | Forwards | Forwards | |
| FW | Peter Buchanan | | (1915-10-13)13 October 1915 (aged 32) | Fulham | 1947 | |
| FW | Billy Dare | | (1927-02-14)14 February 1927 (aged 21) | Hendon | 1948 | |
| FW | Jackie Gibbons | | (1914-04-10)10 April 1914 (aged 34) | Bradford Park Avenue | 1947 | Manager |
| FW | Dickie Girling | | (1922-05-24)24 May 1922 (aged 26) | Crystal Palace | 1947 | |
| FW | Tony Harper | | (1925-05-26)26 May 1925 (aged 23) | Headington United | 1948 | |
| FW | Peter McKennan | | (1918-07-16)16 July 1918 (aged 30) | Leicester City | 1948 | |
| FW | Doug Keene | | (1928-08-30)30 August 1928 (aged 19) | Kingsbury Town | 1946 | |
| FW | Fred Monk | | (1920-10-09)9 October 1920 (aged 27) | Guildford City | 1948 | |
| FW | Viv Woodward | | (1914-05-25)25 May 1914 (aged 34) | Millwall | 1948 | |
| Players who left the club mid-season |||||||
| HB | Jack Chisholm (c) | | (1924-10-09)9 October 1924 (aged 23) | Tottenham Hotspur | 1947 | Transferred to Sheffield United |
| HB | Paddy Harris | | (1918-02-20)20 February 1918 (aged 30) | Notts County | 1948 | Released |
| FW | Alec Blakeman | | (1918-06-11)11 June 1918 (aged 30) | Oxford City | 1946 | Transferred to Sheffield United |
* Sources: 100 Years of Brentford, Timeless Bees

## Coaching staff
### Harry Curtis (21 August 1948 – 14 February 1949)

| Name | Role |
| Harry Curtis | Manager |
| Jimmy Bain | Assistant Manager |
| Malky MacDonald | Trainer-Coach |
| Jack Cartmell | Trainer |

### Jackie Gibbons (15 February – 7 May 1949)

| Name | Role |
| Jackie Gibbons | Manager |
| Jimmy Bain | Assistant Manager |
| Malky MacDonald | Coach |
| Jack Cartmell | Trainer |
| Harry Curtis | Advisory Manager |

## 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 | | Joe Crozier | 41 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 45 | 0 |
| GK | | Ted Gaskell | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| DF | | Bill Gorman | 42 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 46 | 0 |
| DF | | Malky MacDonald | 30 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 34 | 0 |
| DF | | Roddy Munro | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| DF | | Wally Quinton | 1 | 0 | — | — | 1 | 0 |
| HB | | Jack Chisholm | 30 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 34 | 1 |
| HB | | Ron Greenwood | 12 | 0 | — | — | 12 | 0 |
| HB | | Paddy Harris | 4 | 0 | — | — | 4 | 0 |
| HB | | Tom Manley | 42 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 46 | 3 |
| HB | | David Nelson | 40 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 44 | 2 |
| HB | | George Paterson | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| HB | | Alan Smith | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| FW | | Alec Blakeman | 9 | 1 | — | — | 9 | 1 |
| FW | | Peter Buchanan | 34 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 38 | 5 |
| FW | | Billy Dare | 13 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 4 |
| FW | | Jackie Gibbons | 15 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 17 | 4 |
| FW | | Dickie Girling | 24 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 26 | 2 |
| FW | | Tony Harper | 19 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 21 | 1 |
| FW | | Doug Keene | 12 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 14 | 1 |
| FW | | Peter McKennan | 24 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 28 | 9 |
| FW | | Fred Monk | 37 | 11 | 4 | 2 | 41 | 13 |
| FW | | Viv Woodward | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 1 |
* Players listed in italics left the club mid-season.
* Source: 100 Years Of Brentford

### Goalscorers

| Pos. | Nat | Player | FL2 | FAC | Total |
| FW | | Fred Monk | 11 | 2 | 13 |
| FW | | Peter McKennan | 6 | 3 | 9 |
| FW | | Peter Buchanan | 5 | 0 | 5 |
| FW | | Billy Dare | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| FW | | Jackie Gibbons | 3 | 1 | 4 |
| HB | | Tom Manley | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| FW | | Dickie Girling | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| HB | | David Nelson | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| FW | | Alec Blakeman | 1 | — | 1 |
| HB | | Jack Chisholm | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| FW | | Doug Keene | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| HB | | Alan Smith | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| FW | | Viv Woodward | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| FW | | Tony Harper | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Opponents | Opponents | Opponents | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Total | Total | Total | 42 | 8 | 50 |
* Players listed in italics left the club mid-season.
* Source: 100 Years Of Brentford

### 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 | | 21 August 1948 | 14 February 1949 | 30 | 11 | 9 | 10 | 036.67 | 27 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 029.63 |
| Jackie Gibbons | | 15 February 1949 | 7 May 1949 | 16 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 018.75 | 15 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 020.00 |

### Summary

| Games played | 46 (42 Second Division, 4 FA Cup) |
| Games won | 14 (11 Second Division, 3 FA Cup) |
| Games drawn | 14 (14 Second Division, 0 FA Cup) |
| Games lost | 18 (17 Second Division, 1 FA Cup) |
| Goals scored | 50 (42 Second Division, 8 FA Cup) |
| Goals conceded | 59 (53 Second Division, 6 FA Cup) |
| Clean sheets | 17 (16 Second Division, 1 FA Cup) |
| Biggest league win | 8–2 versus Bury, 19 February 1949 |
| Worst league defeat | 3–0 on two occasions |
| Most appearances | 46, Bill Gorman, Tom Manley (42 Second Division, 4 FA Cup) |
| Top scorer (league) | 11, Fred Monk |
| Top scorer (all competitions) | 13, Fred Monk |

## Transfers & loans

    Cricketers are not included in this list.
Players transferred in :
| Date | Pos. | Name | Previous Club | Fee | Ref. |
| 1 May 1948 | FW | Les Devonshire | Queens Park Rangers | n/a | |
| July 1948 | FW | Ron Brown | Blackburn Rovers | n/a | |
| July 1948 | HB | Paddy Harris | Notts County | n/a | |
| July 1948 | FW | Viv Woodward | Millwall | Free | |
| August 1948 | n/a | Ray Jefferies | Oxford City | n/a | |
| September 1948 | FW | Jimmy Anders | Preston North End | n/a | |
| September 1948 | FW | Micky Bull | n/a | n/a | |
| September 1948 | FW | Peter McKennan | Leicester City | £8,000 | |
| 19 November 1948 | FW | Billy Dare | Hendon | n/a | |
| 1948 | FW | Jim Towers | n/a | n/a | |
| February 1949 | HB | Ron Greenwood | Bradford Park Avenue | £9,000 | |
| May 1949 | FW | Ken Coote | Wembley | Amateur | |
| 29 April 1949 | FW | Jackie Goodwin | Birmingham City | £3,500 | |
| 5 May 1949 | DF | Wally Quinton | Birmingham City | £3,500 | |
| Players transferred out ||||||
| Date | Pos. | Name | Subsequent club | Fee | Ref. |
| 19 May 1948 | FW | Tommy Dawson | Swindon Town | £7,000 | |
| May 1948 | DF | Harry Oliver | Watford | £2,000 | |
| September 1948 | n/a | Tommy Connors | Celtic | n/a | |
| November 1948 | FW | Alec Blakeman | Middlesbrough | n/a | |
| November 1948 | FW | Tommy Dougall | Sunderland | n/a | |
| March 1949 | HB | Jack Chisholm | Sheffield United | £16,000 | |
| Players released ||||||
| Date | Pos. | Name | Subsequent club | Join date | Ref. |
| 1949 | HB | Paddy Harris | Retired | | |
| May 1949 | FW | Peter Buchanan | Headington United | 1949 | |
| May 1949 | GK | Joe Crozier | Chelmsford City | 1949 | |
| May 1949 | FW | Les Devonshire | Wealdstone | 1949 | |
| May 1949 | FW | Jackie Gibbons | Retired | | |
| May 1949 | FW | Robert Sherwood | Queens Park Rangers | May 1949 | |