# 1926–27 Brentford F.C. season

During the 1926–27 English football season, Brentford competed in the Football League Third Division South. In Harry Curtis' first season as manager, the club finished 11th and advanced to the fifth round of the FA Cup for the first time.

## Season summary

After just one top-half finish in the Third Division South since entering the Football League in 1920, Brentford appointed former Gillingham manager Harry Curtis to the position on a one-year contract in May 1926. The club was still seeking a winning formula, after generally poor league placings from previous managers Fred Halliday and Archie Mitchell. The directors of the club cleared the decks and retained just 9 of the previous season's squad. Curtis brought with him assistant trainer Jack Cartmell (an ex-Brentford player) and five Gillingham players – full backs Wally Barnard and Charlie Butler, half back Charlie Reddock and forwards Bill Berry and Joe Craddock. Former Gillingham half back Frank Marshall later signed in January 1927. Jim Ferguson replaced the departed John Thomson in goal and defenders John Hodgson, Ted Winship, half backs Bert Bellamy, Joe Hodnett and forwards George Anderson and Stephen Dearn were also signed.
A 4–0 victory over Brighton & Hove Albion on the opening day put Brentford at the top of the Third Division South table, which was the first time since joining the Football League that the club had occupied the top spot in the division. Defeat in the following match to Luton Town dropped the Bees back to 6th, but three successive wins in the following matches saw the club rise back to the top and they stayed there until 15 September. 10 goals in the first 9 matches from Ernie Watkins was a factor in the bright start. By early December, the team's league form was affected by a fixture pile-up, caused by a run to the fifth round of the FA Cup. The 8 FA Cup matches played in a single season is the most ever by the club. The run was a financial success and generated enough money for the club to build a new grandstand on the Braemar Road side of Griffin Park.
A goal drought suffered by forwards Ernie Watkins, Jack Lane, Stephen Dearn and the departure of Jack Allen to The Wednesday in March 1927 saw Brentford limp through the final three months of the season. The Bees finished the season in 11th place and had been rooted in mid-table since 5 February 1927. Ernie Watkins top-scored with 24 goals, then the highest tally for a Brentford player since the club joined the Football League. Four consecutive home league draws between 2 and 30 April 1927 equalled the club record.
A notable departure after the season was that of 38-year old cricketer Patsy Hendren, who had played intermittently as an outside forward for Brentford since 1907. During the season he had become the first Bees player since the club joined the Football League to score four goals in a match (during a 7–3 rout of Coventry City on 23 October 1926) and an 11,000 crowd turned up to see his final match against Newport County on Easter Saturday 1927. Upon his departure, Hendren's 400-plus Brentford appearances was then the club record and he was posthumously inducted into the club's Hall of Fame in May 2015.

## League table

| Pos | Team v t e | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GAv | Pts |
| 9 | Newport County | 42 | 19 | 6 | 17 | 57 | 71 | 0.803 | 44 |
| 10 | Bristol Rovers | 42 | 16 | 9 | 17 | 78 | 80 | 0.975 | 41 |
| 11 | Brentford | 42 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 70 | 61 | 1.148 | 40 |
| 12 | Exeter City | 42 | 15 | 10 | 17 | 76 | 73 | 1.041 | 40 |
| 13 | Charlton Athletic | 42 | 16 | 8 | 18 | 60 | 61 | 0.984 | 40 |

## 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 | 28 August 1926 | Brighton & Hove Albion | H | 4–0 | 12,057 | Rae (pen), Berry, Watkins (2) |
| 2 | 30 August 1926 | Luton Town | A | 1–2 | 9,090 | Dearn |
| 3 | 4 September 1926 | Northampton Town | A | 3–2 | 10,082 | Berry (2), Douglas |
| 4 | 6 September 1926 | Southend United | H | 3–1 | 7,996 | Watkins (2), Dearn |
| 5 | 11 September 1926 | Queens Park Rangers | H | 4–2 | 17,380 | Lane, Watkins (2), Douglas |
| 6 | 15 September 1926 | Southend United | A | 1–3 | 6,512 | Dearn |
| 7 | 18 September 1926 | Millwall | H | 0–0 | 14,125 | |
| 8 | 25 September 1926 | Bristol Rovers | A | 3–1 | 8,311 | Lane, Watkins (2) |
| 9 | 2 October 1926 | Swindon Town | H | 2–2 | 15,404 | Watkins (2) |
| 10 | 9 October 1926 | Exeter City | A | 1–3 | 7,152 | Lane |
| 11 | 16 October 1926 | Crystal Palace | A | 3–4 | 14,860 | Berry (2), Lane |
| 12 | 23 October 1926 | Coventry City | H | 7–3 | 9,099 | Hendren (4, 2 pens), Watkins, Dearn (2) |
| 13 | 30 October 1926 | Charlton Athletic | A | 1–1 | 8,058 | Rae |
| 14 | 6 November 1926 | Bristol City | H | 3–0 | 11,457 | Anderson (2), Dearn |
| 15 | 20 November 1926 | Plymouth Argyle | H | 0–0 | 8,481 | |
| 16 | 4 December 1926 | Aberdare Athletic | H | 1–4 | 9,485 | Baynham (og) |
| 17 | 18 December 1926 | Watford | H | 3–0 | 9,631 | Watkins, Dearn, Douglas |
| 18 | 25 December 1926 | Norwich City | A | 1–2 | 10,743 | Hendren |
| 19 | 27 December 1926 | Norwich City | H | 3–0 | 17,002 | Allen, Watkins, Douglas |
| 20 | 1 January 1927 | Luton Town | H | 2–2 | 9,116 | Lane, Dearn |
| 21 | 15 January 1927 | Brighton & Hove Albion | A | 1–1 | 9,517 | Hendren |
| 22 | 22 January 1927 | Northampton Town | H | 1–1 | 4,775 | Allen |
| 23 | 5 February 1927 | Millwall | A | 0–3 | 19,178 | |
| 24 | 12 February 1927 | Bristol Rovers | H | 0–2 | 6,630 | |
| 25 | 26 February 1927 | Exeter City | H | 6–1 | 6,986 | Watkins (2), Lane (2), Craddock, Douglas |
| 26 | 5 March 1927 | Crystal Palace | H | 3–0 | 8,205 | Watkins, Allen, Lane |
| 27 | 9 March 1927 | Swindon Town | A | 2–4 | 4,659 | Craddock, Hendren |
| 28 | 12 March 1927 | Coventry City | A | 1–3 | 11,910 | Watkins |
| 29 | 16 March 1927 | Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic | A | 1–3 | 3,195 | Watkins |
| 30 | 19 March 1927 | Charlton Athletic | H | 2–0 | 6,755 | Donnelly (pen), Craddock |
| 31 | 26 March 1927 | Bristol City | A | 0–1 | 14,062 | |
| 32 | 30 March 1927 | Gillingham | A | 2–1 | 2,947 | Watkins, Lawson |
| 33 | 2 April 1927 | Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic | H | 0–0 | 6,766 | |
| 34 | 9 April 1927 | Plymouth Argyle | A | 1–2 | 9,556 | Craddock |
| 35 | 15 April 1927 | Merthyr Town | H | 1–1 | 9,031 | Lane |
| 36 | 16 April 1927 | Newport County | H | 1–1 | 7,801 | Watkins |
| 37 | 19 April 1927 | Merthyr Town | A | 0–1 | 3,910 | |
| 38 | 23 April 1927 | Aberdare Athletic | A | 1–3 | 1,227 | Craddock |
| 39 | 25 April 1927 | Newport County | A | 0–0 | 1,721 | |
| 40 | 30 April 1927 | Gillingham | H | 0–0 | 5,793 | |
| 41 | 5 May 1927 | Queens Park Rangers | A | 1–1 | 11,355 | Lawson |
| 42 | 7 May 1927 | Watford | A | 0–0 | 4,999 | |

### FA Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorer(s) |
| 1R | 27 November 1926 | Clapton | A | 1–1 | 4,412 | Anderson |
| 1R (replay) | 1 December 1926 | Clapton | H | 7–3 | 5,936 | Lane (2), Watkins (3), Hendren (2) |
| 2R | 11 December 1926 | Gillingham | A | 1–1 | 10,076 | Hendren |
| 2R (replay) | 15 December 1926 | Gillingham | H | 1–0 | 6,695 | Dearn |
| 3R | 10 January 1927 | Oldham Athletic | A | 4–2 | 10,670 | Allen (3), Watkins |
| 4R | 29 January 1927 | West Ham United | A | 1–1 | 35,000 | Lane |
| 4R (replay) | 2 February 1927 | West Ham United | H | 2–0 | 20,799 | Lane, Allen |
| 5R | 19 February 1927 | Reading | A | 0–1 | 33,042 | |
* Sources: Statto, 11v11, 100 Years of Brentford

## Playing squad

    Players' ages are as of the opening day of the 1926–27 season.
| Pos. | Name | Date of birth (age) | Signed from | Signed in | Notes |
| Goalkeepers |||||||
| GK | Arthur Collins | (1902-09-16)16 September 1902 (aged 23) | Derby County | 1926 | |
| GK | Jim Ferguson | (1896-08-30)30 August 1896 (aged 29) | St Roch's | 1926 | |
| Defenders |||||||
| DF | Charlie Butler | (1897-10-10)10 October 1897 (aged 28) | Gillingham | 1926 | |
| DF | James Donnelly | (1893-12-18)18 December 1893 (aged 32) | Southend United | 1925 | |
| DF | John Hodgson | (1900-09-28)28 September 1900 (aged 25) | Sunderland | 1926 | |
| DF | Ted Winship | 1900 (aged 25–26) | Kidderminster Harriers | 1926 | |
| Midfielders |||||||
| HB | Jack Beacham | (1902-08-15)15 August 1902 (aged 24) | Weymouth | 1925 | |
| HB | Bert Bellamy | (1896-04-07)7 April 1896 (aged 30) | Swansea Town | 1926 | |
| HB | Archie Clark | (1902-04-04)4 April 1902 (aged 24) | Aylesford Paper Mills | 1927 | |
| HB | Joe Hodnett | (1896-07-18)18 July 1896 (aged 30) | Merthyr Town | 1926 | |
| HB | Frank Marshall | 1904 (aged 21–22) | Gillingham | 1927 | |
| HB | Alan Noble | (1900-06-19)19 June 1900 (aged 26) | Leeds United | 1925 | |
| HB | Harry Rae | (1895-10-22)22 October 1895 (aged 30) | Clyde | 1925 | |
| HB | Charlie Reddock | 1902 (aged 23–24) | Gillingham | 1926 | |
| Forwards |||||||
| FW | George Anderson | (1904-10-24)24 October 1904 (aged 21) | Airdrieonians | 1926 | |
| FW | Bill Berry | (1904-08-18)18 August 1904 (aged 22) | Gillingham | 1926 | |
| FW | Joe Craddock | (1902-08-03)3 August 1902 (aged 24) | Gillingham | 1926 | |
| FW | Stephen Dearn | March 1901 (aged 25) | Portsmouth | 1926 | |
| FW | Alfred Douglas | (1899-03-26)26 March 1899 (aged 27) | Washington Colliery | 1925 | |
| FW | Patsy Hendren | (1889-02-05)5 February 1889 (aged 37) | Queens Park Rangers | 1911 | Played when his cricket commitments allowed |
| FW | Jack Lane (c) | (1898-05-29)29 May 1898 (aged 28) | Chesterfield | 1925 | |
| FW | Herbert Lawson | (1905-04-12)12 April 1905 (aged 21) | Arsenal | 1927 | |
| FW | Ernie Watkins | (1898-04-03)3 April 1898 (aged 28) | Southend United | 1926 | |
| Players who left the club mid-season |||||||
| FW | Jack Allen | (1903-01-31)31 January 1903 (aged 23) | Leeds United | 1924 | Transferred to The Wednesday |
* Sources: 100 Years of Brentford, Timeless Bees, Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939

## Coaching staff

| Name | Role |
| Harry Curtis | Manager |
| Tom Ratcliff | 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 | | Arthur Collins | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| GK | | Jim Ferguson | 38 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 46 | 0 |
| DF | | Charlie Butler | 27 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 35 | 0 |
| DF | | James Donnelly | 39 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 44 | 1 |
| DF | | John Hodgson | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| DF | | Ted Winship | 11 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| HB | | Jack Beacham | 14 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 20 | 0 |
| HB | | Bert Bellamy | 33 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 39 | 0 |
| HB | | Archie Clark | 1 | 0 | — | — | 1 | 0 |
| HB | | Joe Hodnett | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| HB | | Frank Marshall | 21 | 0 | — | — | 21 | 0 |
| HB | | Alan Noble | 10 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| HB | | Harry Rae | 30 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 38 | 2 |
| HB | | Charlie Reddock | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| FW | | Jack Allen | 7 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 11 | 7 |
| FW | | George Anderson | 8 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 3 |
| FW | | Bill Berry | 22 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 24 | 5 |
| FW | | Joe Craddock | 12 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 5 |
| FW | | Stephen Dearn | 30 | 8 | 6 | 1 | 36 | 9 |
| FW | | Alfred Douglas | 26 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 32 | 5 |
| FW | | Patsy Hendren | 21 | 7 | 8 | 3 | 29 | 10 |
| FW | | Jack Lane | 41 | 9 | 8 | 4 | 49 | 13 |
| FW | | Herbert Lawson | 13 | 2 | — | — | 13 | 2 |
| FW | | Ernie Watkins | 35 | 20 | 7 | 4 | 42 | 24 |
* Players listed in italics left the club mid-season.
* Source: 100 Years of Brentford

### Goalscorers

| Pos. | Nat | Player | FL3 | FAC | Total |
| FW | | Ernie Watkins | 20 | 4 | 24 |
| FW | | Jack Lane | 9 | 4 | 13 |
| FW | | Patsy Hendren | 7 | 3 | 10 |
| FW | | Stephen Dearn | 8 | 1 | 9 |
| FW | | Jack Allen | 3 | 4 | 7 |
| FW | | Bill Berry | 5 | 0 | 5 |
| FW | | Joe Craddock | 5 | 0 | 5 |
| FW | | Alfred Douglas | 5 | 0 | 5 |
| FW | | George Anderson | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| FW | | Herbert Lawson | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| HB | | Harry Rae | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| DF | | James Donnelly | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Opponent | Opponent | Opponent | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Total | Total | Total | 70 | 17 | 87 |
* 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 | | 28 August 1926 | 7 May 1927 | 50 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 034.00| | 42 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 030.95 |

### Summary

| Games played | 50 (42 Third Division South, 8 FA Cup) |
| Games won | 17 (13 Third Division South, 4 FA Cup) |
| Games drawn | 17 (14 Third Division South, 3 FA Cup) |
| Games lost | 16 (15 Third Division South, 1 FA Cup) |
| Goals scored | 87 (70 Third Division South, 17 FA Cup) |
| Goals conceded | 70 (61 Third Division South, 9 FA Cup) |
| Clean sheets | 14 (12 Third Division South, 2 FA Cup) |
| Biggest league win | 6–1 versus Exeter City, 26 February 1927 |
| Worst league defeat | 3–0 versus Millwall, 5 February 1927; 4–1 versus Aberdare Athletic, 4 December 1926 |
| Most appearances | 48, Jim Ferguson (38 Third Division South, 8 FA Cup) |
| Top scorer (league) | 20, Ernie Watkins |
| Top scorer (all competitions) | 24, Ernie Watkins |

## Transfers & loans

    Cricketers are not included in this list.
Players transferred in :
| Date | Pos. | Name | Previous Club | Fee | Ref. |
| May 1926 | HB | Bert Bellamy | Swansea Town | Free | |
| May 1926 | GK | Arthur Collins | Derby County | Free | |
| June 1926 | DF | Wally Barnard | Gillingham | Free | |
| June 1926 | FW | Bill Berry | Gillingham | Free | |
| June 1926 | GK | Jim Ferguson | St Roch's | Free | |
| June 1926 | DF | John Hodgson | Sunderland | Free | |
| June 1926 | HB | Charlie Reddock | Gillingham | Free | |
| August 1926 | DF | Ted Winship | Kidderminster Harriers | Free | |
| September 1926 | DF | Charlie Butler | Gillingham | Free | |
| 1926 | FW | George Anderson | Airdrieonians | Free | |
| 1926 | FW | James Birch | Queens Park Rangers | Free | |
| 1926 | FW | Joe Craddock | Gillingham | Free | |
| 1926 | FW | Stephen Dearn | Portsmouth | Free | |
| 1926 | HB | Joe Hodnett | Merthyr Town | Free | |
| January 1927 | HB | Frank Marshall | Gillingham | £500 | |
| March 1927 | HB | Archie Clark | Aylesford Paper Mills | Free | |
| March 1927 | FW | Herbert Lawson | Arsenal | Free | |
| Players transferred out ||||||
| Date | Pos. | Name | Subsequent club | Fee | Ref. |
| August 1926 | FW | Bert Young | Bangor City | n/a | |
| 8 March 1927 | FW | Jack Allen | The Wednesday | £750 | |
| Players released ||||||
| Date | Pos. | Name | Subsequent club | Join date | Ref. |
| September 1926 | FW | Bill Finlayson | Springfield Babes | 1926 | |
| May 1927 | DF | Wally Barnard | Retired | | |
| May 1927 | HB | Bert Bellamy | Wellingborough Town | May 1927 | |
| May 1927 | GK | Arthur Collins | Scarborough | August 1927 | |
| May 1927 | HB | Jimmy Elliott | Retired | | |
| May 1927 | DF | John Hodgson | Hartlepools United | 1927 | |
| May 1927 | HB | Joe Hodnett | Gillingham | August 1927 | |
| May 1927 | HB | Alan Noble | Millwall | May 1927 | |
| May 1927 | DF | Jack Price | Torquay United | 28 June 1927 | |
| May 1927 | DF | Percival Whitton | Retired | | |
| May 1927 | FW | Bert Young | Newport County | 1927 | |