# 1963–64 Brentford F.C. season

During the 1963–64 English football season, Brentford competed in the Football League Third Division. Despite expectations that the club could achieve a second-successive promotion, poor form in late 1963 and early 1964 led to a mid-table finish.

## Season summary

After a single-season stay in the Fourth Division, Brentford had returned to the Third Division as champions for the 1963–64 season. A large outlay had been made on new signings during the previous 12 months and though chairman Jack Dunnett stated that the club's big-spending days were a thing of the past, he would continue to make money available to manager Malky MacDonald during the season. There was very little transfer activity during the 1963 off-season, with half backs Willie Smith and Bill Slater coming in (Slater returned to Griffin Park after 11 years away) and £5,000 was spent on Liverpool full back Allan Jones as a replacement for the inexperienced Tom Anthony. Redevelopment work was carried out on Griffin Park throughout the summer, with floodlight pylons erected at each corner of the ground, while new club offices and a bar were built into the Braemar Road stand.
Brentford had what was perceived to be a poor start to the season and sat in mid-table after 10 matches. Expectations had been high after the Fourth Division championship triumph at the end of the previous season, but defeat to an attractive Coventry City side (managed by former Brentford player Jimmy Hill) on 5 October 1963 highlighted the gulf between the Third and Fourth Divisions. In the wake of the defeat, Brentford rapidly recovered and won six and drew two of the following 10 matches, which included a 9–0 thrashing of Wrexham at Griffin Park, a result which remains as the club's record Football League win. The team's form collapsed in late November 1963 and despite something of a recovery after a spell of over three months without a league win, the Bees were consigned to a 15th-place finish. Some success was had in the FA Cup with a run to the fourth round, but after seeing off Second Division Middlesbrough in the third round, Fourth Division strugglers Oxford United took Brentford to a replay in the fourth round and then emerged 2–1 victors at Griffin Park.
100 goals were scored during the season, just two shy of the total set during the previous campaign, but the team's achilles heel was the goalkeeping position, with four players vying for the position, though November 1963 signing Chic Brodie would eventually make the position his own. The end of the 1963–64 season was notable for the retirement of full back and captain Ken Coote. He had made 559 appearances and scored 15 goals over the course of 15 seasons for Brentford and is the club's all-time record appearance maker.
A large number of record were set or equalled during the season:
* Record Football League win: 9–0 versus Wrexham, 15 October 1963
* Most goals conceded in a home Football League defeat: 6 (2–6 versus Luton Town, 8 February 1964)
* Most consecutive matches without failing to score a Football League goal: 26 (4 March – 14 September 1963)
* Most consecutive matches without failing to score a home Football League goal: 41 (21 August 1962 – 28 March 1964)
* Most Football League away draws in a season: 10
* Most home Football League goals conceded in a season: 36
* Quickest time to reach 50 Football League goals in a season: 22 matches

## League table

| Pos | Team v t e | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GAv | Pts |
| 14 | Southend United | 46 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 77 | 78 | 0.987 | 45 |
| 15 | Queens Park Rangers | 46 | 18 | 9 | 19 | 76 | 78 | 0.974 | 45 |
| 16 | Brentford | 46 | 15 | 14 | 17 | 87 | 80 | 1.088 | 44 |
| 17 | Colchester United | 46 | 12 | 19 | 15 | 70 | 68 | 1.029 | 43 |
| 18 | Luton Town | 46 | 16 | 10 | 20 | 64 | 80 | 0.800 | 42 |

## Results

    Brentford's goal tally listed first.

### Legend

| Win | Draw | Loss |

### Football League Third Division

| No. | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorer(s) |
| 1 | 24 August 1963 | Notts County | H | 4–1 | 13,200 | Block, Brooks, Loxley (og), McAdams |
| 2 | 27 August 1963 | Bristol City | H | 1–2 | 16,800 | Dick |
| 3 | 31 August 1963 | Crewe Alexandra | A | 1–1 | 6,729 | McLeod |
| 4 | 7 September 1963 | Crystal Palace | H | 2–1 | 15,800 | Block, McAdams |
| 5 | 10 September 1963 | Bristol City | A | 3–3 | 12,689 | Dick (2), Kurila (og) |
| 6 | 14 September 1963 | Walsall | A | 2–2 | 6,448 | McAdams, Block |
| 7 | 16 September 1963 | Port Vale | A | 0–3 | 11,559 | |
| 8 | 21 September 1963 | Reading | H | 4–2 | 12,360 | Dick (3), Block |
| 9 | 28 September 1963 | Luton Town | A | 2–0 | 7,479 | Dick, McAdams |
| 10 | 1 October 1963 | Port Vale | H | 1–2 | 11,900 | McAdams |
| 11 | 5 October 1963 | Coventry City | H | 2–3 | 15,830 | Dick, McAdams |
| 12 | 9 October 1963 | Wrexham | A | 4–2 | 7,923 | Slater (2), McAdams, Dick |
| 13 | 12 October 1963 | Bristol Rovers | H | 2–5 | 13,400 | Fielding, Dick |
| 14 | 15 October 1963 | Wrexham | H | 9–0 | 10,500 | McAdams (2), Ward (2), Fox (og), Hales, Brooks (2), Summers |
| 15 | 19 October 1963 | Barnsley | A | 1–1 | 6,602 | Brooks |
| 16 | 21 October 1963 | Mansfield Town | A | 2–2 | 12,115 | Dick, Ward |
| 17 | 26 October 1963 | Millwall | H | 3–1 | 15,200 | McAdams, Block (2) |
| 18 | 29 October 1963 | Mansfield Town | H | 4–0 | 14,900 | Dick, Ward (3) |
| 19 | 2 November 1963 | Colchester United | A | 2–1 | 7,117 | Block, Dick |
| 20 | 9 November 1963 | Watford | H | 1–2 | 17,000 | Dick |
| 21 | 23 November 1963 | Peterborough United | H | 2–0 | 15,900 | Dick (2) |
| 22 | 30 November 1963 | Oldham Athletic | A | 1–4 | 14,385 | Block |
| 23 | 14 December 1963 | Notts County | A | 0–2 | 3,744 | |
| 24 | 21 December 1963 | Crewe Alexandra | H | 2–2 | 7,520 | Fielding, Dick |
| 25 | 28 December 1963 | Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic | A | 0–2 | 7,992 | |
| 26 | 11 January 1964 | Crystal Palace | A | 0–1 | 16,630 | |
| 27 | 18 January 1964 | Walsall | H | 1–1 | 10,650 | Ward |
| 28 | 1 February 1964 | Reading | A | 3–4 | 10,783 | Block, Lazarus, Ward |
| 29 | 8 February 1964 | Luton Town | H | 2–6 | 9,000 | McAdams, Lazarus |
| 30 | 15 February 1964 | Coventry City | A | 2–2 | 22,971 | Dick, Ward |
| 31 | 22 February 1964 | Bristol Rovers | A | 1–3 | 8,703 | Block |
| 32 | 29 February 1964 | Queens Park Rangers | H | 2–2 | 12,200 | Block, Lazarus |
| 33 | 7 March 1964 | Millwall | A | 3–1 | 9,140 | McAdams, Ward (2) |
| 34 | 14 March 1964 | Colchester United | H | 3–1 | 7,050 | Ward (2), Lazarus |
| 35 | 16 March 1964 | Southend United | A | 1–2 | 6,846 | Ward |
| 36 | 20 March 1964 | Queens Park Rangers | A | 2–2 | 9,351 | Ward (2) |
| 37 | 28 March 1964 | Southend United | H | 3–0 | 9,200 | Higginson, Fielding, McAdams |
| 38 | 30 March 1964 | Shrewsbury Town | H | 0–1 | 10,040 | |
| 39 | 31 March 1964 | Shrewsbury Town | A | 1–1 | 5,058 | Summers |
| 40 | 4 April 1964 | Peterborough United | A | 0–3 | 5,550 | |
| 41 | 11 April 1964 | Oldham Athletic | H | 2–0 | 8,930 | Ward (2) |
| 42 | 13 April 1964 | Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic | H | 2–0 | 10,200 | Jones, Ward |
| 43 | 18 April 1964 | Hull City | A | 0–0 | 6,798 | |
| 44 | 21 April 1964 | Watford | A | 2–2 | 19,279 | Fielding, McAdams |
| 45 | 25 April 1964 | Barnsley | H | 1–1 | 8,350 | Thomson |
| 46 | 28 April 1964 | Hull City | H | 1–3 | 6,800 | Hales |

### FA Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorer(s) |
| 1R | 16 November 1963 | Margate | H | 2–2 | 12,150 | Block, Dick |
| 1R (replay) | 20 November 1963 | Margate | A | 2–0 | 6,212 | Ward (2) |
| 2R | 7 December 1963 | Gravesend & Northfleet | H | 1–0 | 11,850 | Block |
| 3R | 4 January 1964 | Middlesbrough | H | 2–1 | 16,100 | Dick, McAdams |
| 4R | 25 January 1964 | Oxford United | A | 2–2 | 15,517 | Block, Ward |
| 4R (replay) | 28 January 1964 | Oxford United | H | 1–2 | 26,000 | McAdams |

### Football League Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorer(s) |
| 1R (1st leg) | 4 September 1963 | Reading | A | 1–1 | 7,582 | Block |
| 1R (replay) | 23 September 1963 | Reading | H | 2–0 | 10,360 | Spiers (og), McLaughlin |
| 2R | 25 September 1963 | Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic | H | 0–0 | 10,830 | |
| 2R (replay) | 4 November 1963 | Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic | A | 0–2 | 8,057 | |
* Sources: 100 Years Of Brentford, Statto

## Playing squad

    Players' ages are as of the opening day of the 1963–64 season.
| Pos. | Name | Date of birth (age) | Signed from | Signed in | Notes |
| Goalkeepers |||||||
| GK | Chic Brodie | (1937-02-22)22 February 1937 (aged 26) | Northampton Town | 1963 | |
| GK | Gerry Cakebread | (1936-04-01)1 April 1936 (aged 27) | Youth | 1954 | |
| GK | Gordon Phillips | (1946-11-17)17 November 1946 (aged 16) | Hayes | 1963 | |
| GK | Fred Ryecraft | (1939-08-28)28 August 1939 (aged 23) | Southall | 1959 | |
| Defenders |||||||
| DF | Tom Anthony | (1943-08-16)16 August 1943 (aged 20) | Youth | 1961 | |
| DF | Ken Coote (c) | (1928-05-19)19 May 1928 (aged 35) | Wembley | 1949 | |
| DF | Alan Hawley | (1946-06-07)7 June 1946 (aged 17) | Youth | 1962 | |
| DF | Allan Jones | (1940-01-06)6 January 1940 (aged 23) | Liverpool | 1963 | |
| DF | George Thomson | (1936-10-19)19 October 1936 (aged 26) | Everton | 1963 | |
| Midfielders |||||||
| HB | Matt Crowe | (1932-07-04)4 July 1932 (aged 31) | Norwich City | 1962 | |
| HB | Peter Gelson | (1941-10-18)18 October 1941 (aged 21) | Youth | 1961 | |
| HB | Tommy Higginson | (1937-01-06)6 January 1937 (aged 26) | Kilmarnock | 1959 | |
| HB | Hugh McLaughlin | (1943-09-02)2 September 1943 (aged 19) | St Roch's | 1961 | |
| HB | Mel Scott | (1939-09-26)26 September 1939 (aged 23) | Chelsea | 1963 | |
| HB | Bill Slater | (1927-04-29)29 April 1927 (aged 36) | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 1963 | Amateur |
| HB | Willie Smith | (1943-12-06)6 December 1943 (aged 19) | Celtic | 1963 | |
| Forwards |||||||
| FW | Micky Block | (1940-01-28)28 January 1940 (aged 23) | Chelsea | 1962 | |
| FW | John Dick | (1930-03-19)19 March 1930 (aged 33) | West Ham United | 1962 | |
| FW | John Fielding | (1939-09-02)2 September 1939 (aged 23) | Southport | 1963 | |
| FW | Johnny Hales | (1940-05-15)15 May 1940 (aged 23) | St Roch's | 1958 | |
| FW | Mark Lazarus | (1938-12-05)5 December 1938 (aged 24) | Queens Park Rangers | 1964 | |
| FW | Billy McAdams | (1934-01-20)20 January 1934 (aged 29) | Leeds United | 1962 | |
| FW | Tim Soutar | (1946-02-25)25 February 1946 (aged 17) | Youth | 1961 | |
| FW | George Summers | (1941-07-30)30 July 1941 (aged 22) | Shawfield | 1959 | |
| FW | Dai Ward | (1934-07-13)13 July 1934 (aged 29) | Watford | 1963 | |
| Players who left the club mid-season |||||||
| FW | Johnny Brooks | (1931-12-23)23 December 1931 (aged 31) | Chelsea | 1961 | Transferred to Crystal Palace |
| FW | George McLeod | (1932-11-30)30 November 1932 (aged 30) | Luton Town | 1958 | Transferred to Queens Park Rangers |
* Sources: 100 Years Of Brentford, Timeless Bees

## Coaching staff

| Name | Role |
| Malky MacDonald | Manager |
| Tommy Cavanagh | Trainer |

## Statistics
### Appearances and goals

| Pos | Nat | Name | League | League | FA Cup | FA Cup | League Cup | League Cup | Total | Total |
| Pos | Nat | Name | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| GK | | Chic Brodie | 25 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | — | 29 | 0 |
| GK | | Gerry Cakebread | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| GK | | Gordon Phillips | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| GK | | Fred Ryecraft | 15 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 20 | 0 |
| DF | | Tom Anthony | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| DF | | Ken Coote | 19 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 24 | 0 |
| DF | | Allan Jones | 45 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 55 | 1 |
| DF | | Alan Hawley | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| DF | | George Thomson | 23 | 1 | 4 | 0 | — | — | 27 | 1 |
| HB | | Matt Crowe | 34 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 41 | 0 |
| HB | | Peter Gelson | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| HB | | Tommy Higginson | 37 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 43 | 1 |
| HB | | Hugh McLaughlin | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 1 |
| HB | | Mel Scott | 44 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 54 | 0 |
| HB | | Bill Slater | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 |
| HB | | Willie Smith | 13 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 18 | 0 |
| FW | | Micky Block | 35 | 11 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 45 | 15 |
| FW | | Johnny Brooks | 6 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 4 |
| FW | | John Dick | 30 | 18 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 40 | 20 |
| FW | | John Fielding | 28 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 31 | 4 |
| FW | | Johnny Hales | 9 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 2 |
| FW | | Mark Lazarus | 20 | 4 | — | — | — | — | 20 | 4 |
| FW | | Billy McAdams | 39 | 14 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 48 | 16 |
| FW | | George McLeod | 14 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 20 | 1 |
| FW | | Tim Soutar | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| FW | | George Summers | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 2 |
| FW | | Dai Ward | 33 | 19 | 6 | 3 | — | — | 39 | 22 |
* Players listed in italics left the club mid-season.
* Source: 100 Years Of Brentford

### Goalscorers

| Pos. | Nat | Player | FL3 | FAC | FLC | Total |
| FW | | Dai Ward | 19 | 3 | — | 22 |
| FW | | John Dick | 18 | 2 | 0 | 20 |
| FW | | Billy McAdams | 14 | 2 | 0 | 16 |
| FW | | Micky Block | 11 | 3 | 1 | 15 |
| FW | | Mark Lazarus | 4 | — | — | 4 |
| FW | | Johnny Brooks | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| FW | | John Fielding | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| FW | | Johnny Hales | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| HB | | Bill Slater | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| FW | | George Summers | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| HB | | Tommy Higginson | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| DF | | Allan Jones | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| FW | | George McLeod | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| DF | | George Thomson | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| HB | | Hugh McLaughlin | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Opponents | Opponents | Opponents | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Total | Total | Total | 87 | 10 | 3 | 100 |
* 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 % |
| Malky MacDonald | | 24 August 1963 | 28 April 1964 | 56 | 19 | 18 | 19 | 033.93 | 46 | 15 | 14 | 17 | 032.61 |

### Summary

| Games played | 56 (46 Third Division, 6 FA Cup, 4 League Cup) |
| Games won | 19 (15 Third Division, 3 FA Cup, 1 League Cup) |
| Games drawn | 18 (14 Third Division, 2 FA Cup, 2 League Cup) |
| Games lost | 19 (17 Third Division, 1 FA Cup, 1 League Cup) |
| Goals scored | 100 (87 Third Division, 10 FA Cup, 3 League Cup) |
| Goals conceded | 90 (80 Third Division, 7 FA Cup, 3 League Cup) |
| Clean sheets | 10 (8 Third Division, 2 FA Cup, 2 League Cup) |
| Biggest league win | 9–0 versus Wrexham, 12 September 1963 |
| Worst league defeat | 6–2 versus Luton Town, 8 February 1964 |
| Most appearances | 55, Allan Jones (45 Third Division, 6 FA Cup, 4 League Cup) |
| Top scorer (league) | 19, Dai Ward |
| Top scorer (all competitions) | 22, Dai Ward |

## Transfers & loans

Players transferred in :
| Date | Pos. | Name | Previous Club | Fee | Ref. |
| June 1963 | HB | Willie Smith | Celtic | Free | |
| July 1963 | HB | Bill Slater | Wolverhampton Wanderers | Amateur | |
| August 1963 | DF | Allan Jones | Liverpool | £5,000 | |
| 15 October 1963 | FW | Dai Ward | Watford | £8,000 | |
| November 1963 | GK | Chic Brodie | Northampton Town | £10,000 | |
| November 1963 | DF | George Thomson | Everton | n/a | |
| 1963 | GK | Gordon Phillips | Hayes | n/a | |
| 1963 | n/a | John Todd | n/a | n/a | |
| January 1964 | FW | Mark Lazarus | Queens Park Rangers | Part-exchange | |
| Players transferred out ||||||
| Date | Pos. | Name | Subsequent club | Fee | Ref. |
| January 1964 | FW | George McLeod | Queens Park Rangers | Part-exchange | |
| January 1964 | FW | Johnny Brooks | Crystal Palace | n/a | |
| Players released ||||||
| Date | Pos. | Name | Subsequent club | Join date | Ref. |
| April 1964 | DF | Ken Coote | Retired | | |
| April 1964 | HB | Matt Crowe | Port Elizabeth City | n/a | |
| April 1964 | FW | Johnny Hales | Retired | | |
| April 1964 | GK | Fred Ryecraft | Gravesend & Northfleet | n/a | |
| April 1964 | HB | Graham Sawyer | Bexley United | 1964 | |
| April 1964 | HB | Bill Slater | Northern Nomads | n/a | |