# 1925–26 Brentford F.C. season

During the 1925–26 English football season, Brentford competed in the Football League Third Division South and finished in 18th place, conceding a club record 94 goals.

## Season summary

Brentford manager Fred Halliday overhauled the club's squad during the 1925 off-season, with all but seven players being released. Despite running a deficit of £6,000 (equivalent to £432,300 in 2024), the board of directors pledged a "substantial sum of money" for the transfer of quality players and in came new goalkeeper John Thomson, four full backs, four half backs and new forwards Bill Finlayson and Bert Young. The club's colours were changed to the now-traditional red-and-white stripes, black shorts and black socks.
9 defeats from the opening 10 matches of the season left Brentford rooted to the bottom of the Third Division South and forward Reginald Parker (one of the club's highest scorers during the previous two seasons) elected to transfer to South Shields. Griffin Park was closed by the Football League for the first and only time due to crowd disturbance during a 6–1 thrashing at the hands of Brighton & Hove Albion on 12 September 1925. The ground was reopened 14 days later. The poor run ended with the first victory of the season on 17 October, 2–1 over Bristol Rovers. Five wins in the following seven matches lifted the Bees out of the re-election places, with forwards Jack Lane, Bill Finlayson and full back Percival Whitton (who had been deployed up front by manager Halliday) all coming into form, with half back Alex Graham converting a number of penalties.
By 20 February 1926, a run of just five defeats in 19 matches lifted Brentford to 13th in the table. The signing of forward Ernie Watkins from Southend United for a then-club record fee of £1,000 in January 1928 proved to be money well-spent, with Watkins scoring 11 goals in his first 12 matches, including a hat-trick in the Bees' biggest victory of the season, 5–1 versus Norwich City on 2 April. The Bees' form petered out in the final two months of the season, winning just 3 of the final 12 matches to finish 18th with the worst defensive record in the division. The 94 goals conceded during the 1925–26 season is a club record.

## League table

| Pos | Team v t e | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GAv | Pts |
| 16 | Norwich City | 42 | 15 | 9 | 18 | 58 | 73 | 0.795 | 39 |
| 17 | Newport County | 42 | 14 | 10 | 18 | 64 | 74 | 0.865 | 38 |
| 18 | Brentford | 42 | 16 | 6 | 20 | 69 | 94 | 0.734 | 38 |
| 19 | Bristol Rovers | 42 | 15 | 6 | 21 | 66 | 69 | 0.957 | 36 |
| 20 | Exeter City | 42 | 15 | 5 | 22 | 72 | 70 | 1.029 | 35 |

## 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 1925 | Northampton Town | H | 3–4 | 12,317 | Allen (2), Graham |
| 2 | 2 September 1925 | Southend United | A | 1–3 | 8,224 | Allen |
| 3 | 5 September 1925 | Aberdare Athletic | A | 0–3 | 4,140 | |
| 4 | 7 September 1925 | Southend United | H | 1–3 | 6,409 | Douglas |
| 5 | 12 September 1925 | Brighton & Hove Albion | H | 1–6 | 8,803 | Parker |
| 6 | 19 September 1925 | Watford | A | 2–2 | 4,771 | Young, Parker |
| 7 | 23 September 1925 | Plymouth Argyle | A | 0–4 | 8,384 | |
| 8 | 26 September 1925 | Queens Park Rangers | H | 1–2 | 9,719 | Beacham |
| 9 | 3 October 1925 | Crystal Palace | A | 0–2 | 15,724 | |
| 10 | 10 October 1925 | Bristol City | A | 0–3 | 11,095 | |
| 11 | 17 October 1925 | Bristol Rovers | A | 2–1 | 7,095 | Lane, Whitton |
| 12 | 24 October 1925 | Swindon Town | H | 3–1 | 8,282 | Whitton, Finlayson, Graham (pen) |
| 13 | 31 October 1925 | Newport County | A | 3–2 | 4,933 | Lane (2), Finlayson |
| 14 | 7 November 1925 | Luton Town | H | 1–0 | 7,533 | Lane |
| 15 | 14 November 1925 | Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic | A | 2–3 | 4,530 | Whitton (2) |
| 16 | 21 November 1925 | Charlton Athletic | H | 4–0 | 8,017 | Whitton, Allen, Lane, Graham (pen) |
| 17 | 5 December 1925 | Merthyr Town | H | 1–1 | 6,932 | Graham (pen) |
| 18 | 19 December 1925 | Reading | H | 1–0 | 7,064 | Graham |
| 19 | 25 December 1925 | Millwall | A | 1–2 | 13,333 | Hendren |
| 20 | 26 December 1925 | Millwall | H | 2–0 | 16,893 | Allen (2) |
| 21 | 28 December 1925 | Exeter City | A | 1–6 | 5,493 | Finlayson |
| 22 | 2 January 1926 | Northampton Town | A | 1–6 | 4,649 | Allen |
| 23 | 9 January 1926 | Gillingham | A | 3–1 | 6,093 | Watkins, Douglas (2) |
| 24 | 16 January 1926 | Aberdare Athletic | H | 1–0 | 5,632 | Douglas |
| 25 | 23 January 1926 | Brighton & Hove Albion | A | 2–3 | 6,107 | Lane, Watkins |
| 26 | 30 January 1926 | Watford | H | 4–3 | 7,711 | Graham (2), Rae, Hendren |
| 27 | 6 February 1926 | Queens Park Rangers | A | 1–1 | 13,085 | Plunkett (og) |
| 28 | 13 February 1926 | Crystal Palace | H | 3–2 | 10,140 | Watkins (2), Douglas |
| 29 | 20 February 1926 | Bristol City | H | 2–1 | 11,956 | Watkins, Graham |
| 30 | 27 February 1926 | Bristol Rovers | H | 4–1 | 9,902 | Watkins, Douglas, Graham (pen), Rae |
| 31 | 6 March 1926 | Swindon Town | A | 1–2 | 4,932 | Hendren |
| 32 | 13 March 1926 | Newport County | H | 3–3 | 9,643 | Watkins (2), Rae |
| 33 | 20 March 1926 | Luton Town | A | 2–4 | 6,072 | Lane, Till (og) |
| 34 | 27 March 1926 | Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic | H | 0–2 | 7,687 | |
| 35 | 2 April 1926 | Norwich City | H | 5–1 | 11,463 | Hendren, Watkins (3) |
| 36 | 3 April 1926 | Charlton Athletic | A | 2–0 | 6,812 | Young, Rae |
| 37 | 5 April 1926 | Norwich City | A | 0–1 | 11,694 | |
| 38 | 10 April 1926 | Gillingham | H | 0–0 | 7,942 | |
| 39 | 17 April 1926 | Merthyr Town | A | 0–6 | 2,329 | |
| 40 | 24 April 1926 | Exeter City | H | 2–0 | 7,889 | Finlayson, Douglas |
| 41 | 26 April 1926 | Plymouth Argyle | H | 2–2 | 10,123 | Finlayson, Douglas |
| 42 | 1 May 1926 | Reading | A | 1–7 | 17,432 | Lane |

### FA Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorer(s) |
| 1R | 28 November 1925 | Barnet | H | 3–1 | 9,480 | Lane, Whitton, Graham (pen) |
| 2R | 12 December 1925 | Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic | H | 1–2 | 8,200 | Whitton |
* Sources: Statto, 11v11, 100 Years Of Brentford

## Playing squad

    Players' ages are as of the opening day of the 1925–26 season.
| Pos. | Name | Date of birth (age) | Signed from | Signed in | Notes |
| Goalkeepers |||||||
| GK | Harry Stanford | (1899-05-31)31 May 1899 (aged 26) | Southend United | 1925 | |
| GK | John Thomson | (1896-07-27)27 July 1896 (aged 29) | Aberdare Athletic | 1925 | |
| Defenders |||||||
| DF | James Donnelly | (1893-12-18)18 December 1893 (aged 31) | Southend United | 1925 | |
| DF | James McClennon | (1900-12-16)16 December 1900 (aged 24) | Grimsby Town | 1925 | |
| DF | Jack Price | (1900-06-09)9 June 1900 (aged 25) | Swindon Town | 1925 | |
| Midfielders |||||||
| HB | Jack Beacham | (1902-08-15)15 August 1902 (aged 23) | Weymouth | 1925 | |
| HB | Tommy Cain | (1892-11-10)10 November 1892 (aged 32) | Sheppey United | 1924 | |
| HB | Evan Evans | (1903-07-25)25 July 1903 (aged 22) | Llanidloes Town | 1925 | |
| HB | Alex Graham (c) | (1889-07-11)11 July 1889 (aged 36) | Arsenal | 1924 | Assistant manager |
| HB | Alan Noble | (1900-06-19)19 June 1900 (aged 25) | Leeds United | 1925 | |
| HB | Harry Rae | (1895-10-22)22 October 1895 (aged 29) | Clyde | 1925 | |
| HB | Jimmy Walton | (1898-11-03)3 November 1898 (aged 26) | Bristol Rovers | 1924 | |
| Forwards |||||||
| FW | Jack Allen | (1903-01-31)31 January 1903 (aged 22) | Leeds United | 1924 | |
| FW | Alfred Douglas | (1899-03-26)26 March 1899 (aged 26) | Washington Colliery | 1925 | |
| FW | Bill Finlayson | (1899-03-29)29 March 1899 (aged 26) | Clapton Orient | 1925 | |
| FW | Patsy Hendren | (1889-02-05)5 February 1889 (aged 36) | Queens Park Rangers | 1911 | Played when his cricket commitments allowed |
| FW | Jack Lane | (1898-05-29)29 May 1898 (aged 27) | Chesterfield | 1925 | |
| FW | Ernie Watkins | (1898-04-03)3 April 1898 (aged 27) | Southend United | 1926 | |
| FW | Frank Watson | (1898-11-15)15 November 1898 (aged 26) | Leeds United | 1925 | |
| FW | Percival Whitton | (1892-01-14)14 January 1892 (aged 33) | Newport County | 1925 | |
| FW | Bert Young | (1899-09-04)4 September 1899 (aged 25) | Aberdare Athletic | 1925 | |
| Players who left the club mid-season |||||||
| FW | Reginald Parker | (1902-07-08)8 July 1902 (aged 23) | Boldon Comrades | 1922 | Transferred to South Shields |
* Sources: Timeless Bees, Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939, 100 Years Of Brentford

## Coaching staff

| Name | Role |
| Fred Halliday | Manager |
| Tom Ratcliff | Trainer |
| Alex Graham | 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 | | Harry Stanford | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| GK | | John Thomson | 40 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 42 | 0 |
| DF | | James Donnelly | 39 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 41 | 0 |
| DF | | James McClennon | 24 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 26 | 0 |
| DF | | Jack Price | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| HB | | Jack Beacham | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 |
| HB | | Tommy Cain | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| HB | | Evan Evans | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| HB | | Alex Graham | 25 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 27 | 10 |
| HB | | Alan Noble | 31 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 32 | 0 |
| HB | | Harry Rae | 37 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 38 | 4 |
| HB | | Jimmy Walton | 36 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 37 | 0 |
| FW | | Jack Allen | 11 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 13 | 7 |
| FW | | Alfred Douglas | 27 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 8 |
| FW | | Bill Finlayson | 21 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 22 | 5 |
| FW | | Patsy Hendren | 28 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 30 | 5 |
| FW | | Jack Lane | 38 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 40 | 9 |
| FW | | Reginald Parker | 5 | 2 | — | — | 5 | 2 |
| FW | | Ernie Watkins | 19 | 11 | — | — | 19 | 11 |
| FW | | Frank Watson | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| FW | | Percy Whitton | 25 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 27 | 7 |
| FW | | Bert Young | 22 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 23 | 2 |
* Players listed in italics left the club mid-season.
* Source: 100 Years of Brentford

### Goalscorers

| Pos. | Nat | Player | FL3 | FAC | Total |
| FW | | Ernie Watkins | 11 | — | 11 |
| HB | | Alex Graham | 9 | 1 | 10 |
| FW | | Jack Lane | 8 | 1 | 9 |
| FW | | Alfred Douglas | 8 | 0 | 8 |
| FW | | Jack Allen | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| FW | | Percy Whitton | 5 | 2 | 7 |
| FW | | Bill Finlayson | 5 | 0 | 5 |
| FW | | Patsy Hendren | 5 | 0 | 5 |
| HB | | Harry Rae | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| FW | | Reginald Parker | 2 | — | 2 |
| FW | | Bert Young | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| HB | | Jack Beacham | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Opponents | Opponents | Opponents | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Total | Total | Total | 62 | 4 | 68 |
* 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 % |
| Fred Halliday | | 29 August 1925 | 1 May 1926 | 44 | 17 | 6 | 21 | 038.64| | 42 | 16 | 6 | 20 | 038.10 |

### Summary

| Games played | 44 (42 Third Division South, 2 FA Cup) |
| Games won | 17 (16 Third Division South, 1 FA Cup) |
| Games drawn | 6 (6 Third Division South, 0 FA Cup) |
| Games lost | 21 (20 Third Division South, 1 FA Cup) |
| Goals scored | 73 (69 Third Division South, 4 FA Cup) |
| Goals conceded | 97 (94 Third Division South, 3 FA Cup) |
| Clean sheets | 8 (8 Third Division South, 0 FA Cup) |
| Biggest league win | 5–1 versus Norwich City, 2 April 1926 |
| Worst league defeat | 6–0 versus Merthyr Town, 2 April 1926; 7–1 versus Reading, 1 May 1926 |
| Most appearances | 42, John Thomson (40 Third Division South, 2 FA Cup) |
| Top scorer (league) | 11, Ernie Watkins |
| Top scorer (all competitions) | 11, Ernie Watkins |

## Transfers & loans

    Cricketers are not included in this list.
Players transferred in :
| Date | Pos. | Name | Previous Club | Fee | Ref. |
| May 1925 | HB | Alan Noble | Leeds United | Free | |
| 30 June 1925 | HB | Harry Rae | Clyde | n/a | |
| July 1925 | DF | James Donnelly | Southend United | Free | |
| July 1925 | FW | Percival Whitton | Newport County | Free | |
| 26 August 1925 | GK | John Thomson | Aberdare Athletic | Free | |
| August 1925 | FW | Alfred Douglas | Washington Colliery | Free | |
| August 1925 | DF | James McClennon | Grimsby Town | Free | |
| 16 November 1925 | DF | Jack Price | Swindon Town | Free | |
| 1925 | HB | Jack Beacham | Weymouth | Free | |
| 1925 | HB | Evan Evans | Llanidloes Town | Amateur | |
| 1925 | FW | Bill Finlayson | Clapton Orient | Free | |
| 1925 | GK | Harry Stanford | Southend United | Free | |
| 1925 | FW | Frank Watson | Leeds United | Free | |
| January 1926 | FW | Ernie Watkins | Southend United | £1,000 | |
| Players transferred out ||||||
| Date | Pos. | Name | Subsequent club | Fee | Ref. |
| September 1925 | FW | Reginald Parker | South Shields | Nominal | |
| Players released ||||||
| Date | Pos. | Name | Subsequent club | Join date | Ref. |
| August 1925 | FB | Charles Alton | Northfleet United | 1925 | |
| May 1926 | HB | Tommy Cain | Retired | | |
| May 1926 | HB | Alex Graham | Folkestone | 1926 | |
| May 1926 | DF | James McClennon | Grimsby Town | 1926 | |
| May 1926 | FW | William Relph | Blyth Spartans | 1926 | |
| May 1926 | GK | Harry Stanford | Bristol Rovers | 1926 | |
| May 1926 | DF | John Steel | Retired | | |
| May 1926 | GK | John Thomson | Plymouth Argyle | 8 June 1926 | |
| May 1926 | HB | Jimmy Walton | Hartlepools United | November 1926 | |
| May 1926 | FW | Frank Watson | Southend United | 1926 | |