# 1923–24 Brentford F.C. season

During the 1923–24 English football season, Brentford competed in the Football League Third Division South and finished in 17th place.

## Season summary

Third Division South club Brentford decided not to conduct an overhaul of its squad during the 1923 off-season. Goalkeeper and half backs William Young, Cyril Hunter, Bill Inglis and James Kerr were retained, as was outside forward Patsy Hendren. Up front, Bobby Hughes, Henry Parkinson and Harry Williams were signed to boost the team's strikeforce. Forwards Freddy Capper, Billy Clayson and Sidney Mulford were all retained, despite scoring just 11 goals between them during the 1922–23 season.
Aside from a six-match unbeaten run in November and December 1923, Brentford spent much of the 1923–24 season in the bottom four of the Third Division South. Three wins in the final four matches lifted the club to a 17th-place finish. Youngster Reginald Parker proved to be a revelation up front and became the first Brentford player to hit 20 goals in a season since the club entered the Football League in 1920. Billy Clayson also scored 10 goals, which meant Parker and Clayson accounted for 30 of the 45 goals the Bees scored during the season. Brentford failed to draw an away league match during the campaign, a joint-club record.

## League table

| Pos | Team v t e | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GAv | Pts |
| 15 | Gillingham | 42 | 12 | 13 | 17 | 43 | 58 | 0.741 | 37 |
| 16 | Exeter City | 42 | 15 | 7 | 20 | 37 | 52 | 0.712 | 37 |
| 17 | Brentford | 42 | 14 | 8 | 20 | 54 | 71 | 0.761 | 36 |
| 18 | Reading | 42 | 13 | 9 | 20 | 51 | 57 | 0.895 | 35 |
| 19 | Southend United | 42 | 12 | 10 | 20 | 53 | 84 | 0.631 | 34 |

## 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 | 25 August 1923 | Queens Park Rangers | A | 0–1 | 18,000 | |
| 2 | 27 August 1923 | Plymouth Argyle | H | 1–1 | 6,500 | Hughes |
| 3 | 1 September 1923 | Queens Park Rangers | H | 0–1 | 12,000 | |
| 4 | 3 September 1923 | Plymouth Argyle | A | 1–4 | 10,000 | Clayson |
| 5 | 8 September 1923 | Luton Town | H | 2–1 | 10,000 | Clayson, Parkinson |
| 6 | 10 September 1923 | Aberdare Athletic | A | 2–1 | 6,000 | Parkinson, Hughes |
| 7 | 15 September 1923 | Luton Town | A | 1–2 | 8,000 | Hunter |
| 8 | 22 September 1923 | Brighton & Hove Albion | H | 1–2 | 5,000 | Hunter |
| 9 | 29 September 1923 | Brighton & Hove Albion | A | 0–2 | 7,000 | |
| 10 | 6 October 1923 | Bristol Rovers | A | 0–2 | 10,000 | |
| 11 | 13 October 1923 | Bristol Rovers | H | 1–2 | 9,000 | Mulford |
| 12 | 20 October 1923 | Southend United | A | 1–3 | 6,000 | Capper |
| 13 | 27 October 1923 | Southend United | H | 3–1 | 5,000 | Hughes, Parker (2) |
| 14 | 3 November 1923 | Portsmouth | A | 0–3 | 9,867 | |
| 15 | 10 November 1923 | Portsmouth | H | 1–1 | 9,000 | Capper |
| 16 | 24 November 1923 | Exeter City | H | 1–0 | 4,000 | Williams |
| 17 | 8 December 1923 | Aberdare Athletic | H | 1–1 | 6,000 | Clayson |
| 18 | 22 December 1923 | Gillingham | H | 3–2 | 5,000 | Johnstone, Clayson, Parker |
| 19 | 25 December 1923 | Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic | A | 4–2 | 5,000 | Parker (2) |
| 20 | 26 December 1923 | Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic | H | 2–0 | 7,000 | Clayson, Parker |
| 21 | 29 December 1923 | Millwall | A | 1–4 | 9,000 | Parker (pen) |
| 22 | 5 January 1924 | Millwall | H | 1–3 | 7,000 | Amos (og) |
| 23 | 26 January 1924 | Newport County | H | 0–0 | 5,000 | |
| 24 | 2 February 1924 | Merthyr Town | A | 0–2 | 6,000 | |
| 25 | 9 February 1924 | Merthyr Town | H | 0–0 | 3,000 | |
| 26 | 16 February 1924 | Charlton Athletic | A | 1–3 | 3,000 | Parker |
| 27 | 24 February 1924 | Charlton Athletic | H | 0–0 | 5,000 | |
| 28 | 1 March 1924 | Norwich City | A | 3–2 | 7,000 | Parker (2), Williams |
| 29 | 8 March 1924 | Norwich City | H | 3–0 | 7,794 | Mulford, Parker, Inglis |
| 30 | 15 March 1924 | Swindon Town | H | 2–2 | 6,000 | Alton (pen), Parker |
| 31 | 19 March 1924 | Gillingham | A | 0–6 | 8,000 | |
| 32 | 22 March 1924 | Swindon Town | A | 1–2 | 6,000 | Parker |
| 33 | 29 March 1924 | Watford | H | 4–1 | 6,500 | Parker (2), Garnish, Clayson |
| 34 | 2 April 1924 | Exeter City | A | 0–1 | 3,500 | |
| 35 | 5 April 1924 | Watford | A | 1–0 | 4,500 | Williams |
| 36 | 12 April 1924 | Swansea Town | H | 2–2 | 7,000 | Parker, Clayson |
| 37 | 18 April 1924 | Reading | A | 0–1 | 11,8782 | |
| 38 | 19 April 1924 | Swansea Town | A | 0–4 | 6,000 | |
| 39 | 21 April 1924 | Reading | H | 4–1 | 5,000 | Williams (2), Parker, Alton (pen) |
| 40 | 22 April 1924 | Newport County | A | 2–3 | 6,000 | Hughes, Parker |
| 41 | 26 April 1924 | Northampton Town | H | 1–0 | 3,000 | Clayson |
| 42 | 3 May 1924 | Northampton Town | A | 3–2 | 4,000 | Hughes (3) |

### FA Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorer(s) |
| 5QR | 1 December 1923 | Botwell Mission | A | 1–2 | 7,629 | Parker |
| 5QR (replay) | 5 December 1923 | Botwell Mission | H | 2–0 | 6,200 | Clayson, Parker (pen) |
| 6QR | 15 December 1923 | Portsmouth | H | 1–1 | 9,059 | Clayson |
| 6QR (replay) | 19 December 1923 | Portsmouth | A | 0–1 | 11,664 | |
* Sources: Statto, 100 Years of Brentford, The Complete History

## Playing squad

    Players' ages are as of the opening day of the 1923–24 season.
| Pos. | Name | Date of birth (age) | Signed from | Signed in | Notes |
| Goalkeepers |||||||
| GK | William Young | (1892-08-04)4 August 1892 (aged 31) | South Shields | 1920 | |
| Defenders |||||||
| DF | Philip Allen | (1902-11-05)5 November 1902 (aged 20) | Grenadier Guards | 1922 | |
| DF | Charles Alton | (1891-12-24)24 December 1891 (aged 31) | Rotherham County | 1921 | |
| DF | George Kell | (1896-07-13)13 July 1896 (aged 27) | The Wednesday | 1922 | |
| DF | John Pearson | (1896-03-14)14 March 1896 (aged 27) | Burnley | 1923 | |
| Midfielders |||||||
| HB | Cyril Hunter | (1898-02-08)8 February 1898 (aged 25) | Leadgate Park | 1921 | |
| HB | Bill Inglis | (1899-09-04)4 September 1899 (aged 23) | Derby County | 1922 | |
| HB | Roland James | (1897-05-04)4 May 1897 (aged 26) | West Bromwich Albion | 1922 | |
| HB | Horace Jones | n/a | Ton Pentre | 1922 | |
| HB | James Kerr | (1894-04-07)7 April 1894 (aged 29) | Blackburn Rovers | 1921 | |
| Forwards |||||||
| FW | Freddy Capper (c) | 8 May 1892 (aged 32) | The Wednesday | 1921 | |
| FW | Billy Clayson | (1897-07-12)12 July 1897 (aged 26) | Wellingborough Town | 1922 | |
| FW | Tom Garnish | (1900-05-03)3 May 1900 (aged 23) | Wandsworth | 1923 | |
| FW | Patsy Hendren | (1889-02-05)5 February 1889 (aged 34) | Queens Park Rangers | 1911 | Played when his cricket commitments allowed |
| FW | Bobby Hughes | (1892-09-05)5 September 1892 (aged 30) | Sheffield United | 1923 | |
| FW | Gordon Johnstone | (1900-04-21)21 April 1900 (aged 23) | Houghton Rovers | 1922 | |
| FW | Sidney Mulford | (1896-11-23)23 November 1896 (aged 26) | Kew Association | 1922 | |
| FW | Reginald Parker | (1902-07-08)8 July 1902 (aged 21) | Boldon Comrades | 1922 | |
| FW | Henry Parkinson | (1899-04-01)1 April 1899 (aged 24) | Hazel Grove | 1923 | |
| FW | Harry Williams | (1898-07-29)29 July 1898 (aged 25) | Manchester United | 1923 | |
| Players who left the club mid-season |||||||
| DF | Bert Gower | (1899-03-26)26 March 1899 (aged 24) | Ealing Celtic | 1923 | Amateur, transferred to Southall |
* Sources: Timeless Bees, Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939, 100 Years Of Brentford

## Coaching staff

| Name | Role |
| Archie Mitchell | Manager |
| Dusty Rhodes | 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 | | William Young | 42 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 46 | 0 |
| DF | | Bert Gower | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| DF | | Philip Allen | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| DF | | Charles Alton | 31 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 31 | 2 |
| DF | | George Kell | 24 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 28 | 0 |
| DF | | John Pearson | 26 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 30 | 0 |
| HB | | Cyril Hunter | 31 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 34 | 2 |
| HB | | Bill Inglis | 30 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 34 | 1 |
| HB | | Roland James | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| HB | | Horace Jones | 12 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| HB | | James Kerr | 23 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 27 | 0 |
| FW | | Freddy Capper | 23 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 27 | 3 |
| FW | | Billy Clayson | 26 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 29 | 10 |
| FW | | Tom Garnish | 19 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 20 | 1 |
| FW | | Patsy Hendren | 27 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 31 | 0 |
| FW | | Bobby Hughes | 16 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 17 | 7 |
| FW | | Gordon Johnstone | 29 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 1 |
| FW | | Sidney Mulford | 14 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 2 |
| FW | | Reginald Parker | 39 | 18 | 4 | 2 | 43 | 20 |
| FW | | Henry Parkinson | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 2 |
| FW | | Harry Williams | 25 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 28 | 5 |
* Players listed in italics left the club mid-season.
* Source: 100 Years of Brentford

### Goalscorers

| Pos. | Nat | Player | FL3 | FAC | Total |
| FW | | Reginald Parker | 18 | 2 | 20 |
| FW | | Billy Clayson | 9 | 2 | 11 |
| FW | | Bobby Hughes | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| HB | | Harry Williams | 5 | 0 | 5 |
| FW | | Freddy Capper | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| DF | | Charles Alton | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| HB | | Cyril Hunter | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| FW | | Sidney Mulford | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| FW | | Henry Parkinson | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| FW | | Tom Garnish | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| HB | | Bill Inglis | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| FW | | Gordon Johnstone | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Opponents | Opponents | Opponents | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Total | Total | Total | 41 | 4 | 45 |
* 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 % |
| Archie Mitchell | | 25 August 1923 | 3 May 1924 | 46 | 14 | 14 | 18 | 030.43| | 42 | 13 | 12 | 17 | 030.95 |

### Summary

| Games played | 46 (42 Third Division South, 4 FA Cup) |
| Games won | 14 (13 Third Division South, 1 FA Cup) |
| Games drawn | 14 (12 Third Division South, 2 FA Cup) |
| Games lost | 18 (17 Third Division South, 1 FA Cup) |
| Goals scored | 45 (41 Third Division South, 4 FA Cup) |
| Goals conceded | 55 (51 Third Division South, 4 FA Cup) |
| Clean sheets | 9 (8 Third Division South, 1 FA Cup) |
| Biggest league win | 3–0 versus Norwich City, 8 March 1924; 4–1 on two occasions |
| Worst league defeat | 6–0 versus Gillingham, 19 March 1924 |
| Most appearances | 46, William Young (42 Third Division South, 4 FA Cup) |
| Top scorer (league) | 18, Reginald Parker |
| Top scorer (all competitions) | 20, Reginald Parker |

## Transfers & loans

    Cricketers are not included in this list.
Players transferred in :
| Date | Pos. | Name | Previous Club | Fee | Ref. |
| July 1923 | FW | Henry Parkinson | Hazel Grove | Free | |
| July 1923 | DF | John Pearson | Burnley | Free | |
| August 1923 | DF | Bert Gower | Ealing Celtic | Free | |
| August 1923 | FW | Bobby Hughes | Sheffield United | Free | |
| September 1923 | FW | Harry Williams | Manchester United | £300 | |
| 1923 | FW | James Batchelor | Gillingham | n/a | |
| 1923 | FW | Tom Garnish | Wandsworth | Free | |
| 1923 | FW | Arthur Isaac | Cambridge Town | Amateur | |
| Players transferred out ||||||
| Date | Pos. | Name | Subsequent club | Fee | Ref. |
| February 1924 | DF | Bert Gower | Southall | Amateur | |
| Players released ||||||
| Date | Pos. | Name | Subsequent club | Join date | Ref. |
| May 1924 | DF | Philip Allen | Peterborough & Fletton United | 1924 | |
| May 1924 | FW | Freddy Capper | Retired | | |
| May 1924 | FW | Bobby Hughes | Rochdale | 1924 | |
| May 1924 | HB | Cyril Hunter | South Shields | September 1924 | |
| May 1924 | HB | Roland James | Stockport County | 1924 | |
| May 1924 | HB | James Kerr | Annandale United | 1924 | |
| May 1924 | FW | Sidney Mulford | Northfleet United | 1924 | |
| May 1924 | FW | Henry Parkinson | Lytham | 1924 | |
| May 1924 | DF | John Pearson | Grimsby Town | 1924 | |