1914–15 Brentford F.C. season

Season summary

Brentford's players were due to report back for pre-season training during the week beginning 3 August 1914, but those preparations were disrupted by Britain's declaration of war on Germany on 4 August. Just two players had been signed, forwards Jack Curtis and Stephen Stonley. As the season got underway, Brentford lost just two of the first 10 Southern League Division Two matches, but by that point it had become obvious that the war would not be over by Christmas as predicted. Beginning in mid-October 1914, the squad was decimated by departures to serve in the army (Kent, Sloley, Hendren, Amos), work in munitions at the Royal Arsenal (McGovern, Johnson, Stonley) or on transfers (J. Curtis, Spratt). Reserves, guest players, free transfers and local amateurs were brought in to plug gaps in the squad, with full back Fred Price, half backs Mick O'Brien, Charles Allwright and forwards M. Donaghy, W. Chalk, F. Arnold and C. Hibbert making up for the departures of the professionals in the second half of the season. Amateur W. Chalk would become something of a minor success, scoring six goals in 9 appearances.

Notably, a 10–0 win over Abertillery on 28 November 1914 set a new club record victory, but the result was declared void two days later when Abertillery resigned from the Southern League. Earlier wins over Leyton and Mardy were also chalked off when those clubs also left the league. Brentford won just three of the final 15 matches of the season, the one bright spot being the emergence of inside right Henry White. Low attendances meant the Bees finished a mid-table season £7,000 in debt and 1914–15 would become the final season of competitive football until 1919–20, after the war ended in November 1918.

One-time England amateur international George Littler (who appeared for Brentford Reserves in the Southern Alliance during the 1913–14 season), became the first former Brentford player to die in the First World War, on 11 May 1915. He had been serving as a sergeant in the King's Royal Rifle Corps when he died of wounds suffered in the Battle of Aubers Ridge.

League table

^{1: The system of using goal average to separate two teams tied on points was used up until the 1976–77 season.}

^{2: The points system: 2 points for a win, 1 point for a draw and 0 points for losing.}

^{Leyton, Mardy and Abertillery Town resigned from the league mid-season and their records were expunged}

Results

FA Cup

Playing squad

Appearances and goals

Goalscorers