Brentford F.C. Reserves and Academy

Background

Brentford Reserves was formed to give young players and first team players returning from injury game time in a competitive environment. The ever-changing structure of the game in England in the late 19th and early 20th centuries saw the Brentford reserve team included in leagues competing against the first teams of amateur clubs. On occasion, the reserve team would compete in two leagues simultaneously. The reserve team was dissolved in 2011, upon the Football League's acceptance of the Premier League's Elite Player Performance Plan, which replaced reserve teams with U21 Development Squads. Winger Micky Ball made the most appearances for the reserve team, making 159 appearances, without having ever made a first team appearance. Two other players made more than 150 reserve team appearances - Fred Ryecraft and Johnny Hales.

London League (1900–1914)

The reserve team entered the London League Division One in the 1900–01 season, finishing 8th out of 11. Following a demotion, the reserves were London League Division Two champions in 1902–03, earning promotion to Division One. They finished third in Division One in the 1903–04 season and were promoted to the Premier Division for 1904–05, finishing in 8th place. Bottom and second-from-bottom finishes saw the team back in Division One for the 1908–09 season, which saw the reserves promoted back to the Premier Division as champions. They achieved their highest Premier Division placing in 1909–10, finishing fifth. Mid-table finishes followed in the Premier Division until 1913–14 when, competing for the first time in an all-professional reserve league, Brentford Reserves finished bottom in their final season in the league before the outbreak of the First World War.

Great Western Suburban League (1905–1911)

The reserve team entered the Great Western Suburban League for the 1905–06 season and finished as champions in 1907–08, 1908–09 and 1910–11 and runners up in 1905–06, 1906–07 and 1909–10. Their main rivals during those years were Reading Reserves, Hounslow and Shepherd's Bush. The 1910–11 title win (in which the side failed to win only two of their games, going the whole season unbeaten) forced the league's management to ban professional clubs from competing, which caused Brentford to leave the league.

South Eastern League (1914–1915)

Brentford Reserves competed in the South Eastern League during the 1914–15 season, but due to falling attendances brought on by the First World War, the team was withdrawn from the league in January 1915 and its record expunged.

Football Combination (1919–1967, 1998–2004, 2009–2011)

The reserve team spent much of its existence competing in the Football Combination. Brentford Reserves were London Combination (as the Football Combination was known then) champions in 1931–32 and 1932–33. The title-clinching game on 6 May 1933 against Aldershot Reserves was watched by a crowd of over 9,000 at Griffin Park, the club record for a reserve team fixture. A notable achievement was 43-game winning run at Griffin Park between November 1931 and November 1933. Much of the success in those two seasons was down to the prolific goalscoring of Ralph Allen. Overspending and the subsequent cutting of costs forced the club to disband the reserve team and quit the Football Combination in 1967. The reserves rejoined the Football Combination for the 1998–99 season and a notable third-place finish was achieved in 2001–02. The reserve team was folded by then-first team manager Martin Allen in 2004, but was relaunched for the 2009–10 season by then-first team manager Andy Scott and won election to the Football Combination Central Division. The team played for two seasons before being replaced by the Brentford Development Squad in 2011. In their final two seasons, the Reserves played their home games at Griffin Park.

London Midweek League (1974–1985)

After the Brentford Reserve team was revived in 1974, the team entered the London Midweek League. The team's best finish was as runners-up in 1982–83.

Capital Football League (1984–1998)

A reserve team was entered into the Capital Football League as founding members in 1984. Throughout their time in the league, the reserves consistently competitive and won the title in 1987–88 and 1995–96. The team were winners of the Capital Football League Cup in 1987–88, 1990–91, 1991–92 and 1994–95.

Background

The Brentford Development Squad was launched in 2011 and played friendly matches during the 2011–12 season. The Development Squad played their home matches at the club's training ground at Jersey Road, Osterley and a limited number of fixtures were played at Griffin Park. The team was made up of U21 players and was allowed to field three overage outfield players and one overage goalkeeper, which enabled first team fringe players to get game time. Scholars were also eligible to play for the Development Squad. After impressing during the 2011–12 pre-season, Jake Reeves was the first Development Squad player to be promoted into the first team squad. Charlie Adams, Josh Clarke and Mark Smith also graduated from the team and signed first team contracts. Josh Clarke made the most competitive appearances for the team during its existence with 64 and Jan Holldack, Luke Norris and Jermaine Udumaga tied as top scorers with 14 goals each.

Professional Development League 2 South (2011–2016)

The Development Squad entered the Professional Development League 2 South for the 2012–13 season and finished fourth, two places away from qualifying for the knockout stage. Luke Norris finished as top scorer, with 13 goals from 21 games and Charlie Adams led the team in appearances with 22. The Development Squad had a poor second competitive season, ending 2013–14 second-from-bottom. Josh Clarke was the leading appearance-maker with 16 and first team midfielder Martin Fillo topped the goalscoring chart, scoring four times. In the first managerial change in the side's history, Jon de Souza was replaced by Lee Carsley in October 2014. Despite a run which amassed 26 points from a possible 39, the team finished third-from-bottom in the 2014–15 season. Aaron Greene was the leading appearance-maker with 25, while Jermaine Udumaga's 12 goals saw him called up for four first team matches in the second half of 2014–15. After Lee Carsley was promoted to first team manager in late September 2015, his assistant Kevin O'Connor temporarily took over the role of head coach until the appointment of Flemming Pedersen in January 2016. The team entered the U21 Premier League Cup for the first and only time in the 2015–16 season and reached the quarter-finals. The team finished the Professional Development League 2 South 2015–16 second-from-bottom, having won just 8 of 29 matches and the Development Squad model was abandoned after the season. Jan Holldack top-scored, with 14 goals from 31 appearances.

Original incarnation (1890s)

The original Brentford B team was active during the 1890s and functioned as the third XI, below the first team and reserve team. From the beginning of the 1899–00 season, the B team was renamed Brentford Thursday.

Relaunch (2016–present)

After the Brentford Academy was closed at the end of the 2015–16 season, the Development Squad was renamed Brentford B. From the beginning of the 2016–17 season, the team plays friendly matches against Category One academies and international teams, with a squad of players aged from 17 to 21. Both the players and staff are part of an ongoing exchange of information with Brentford's partner club FC Midtjylland. Owner Matthew Benham revealed in July 2016 that with the club needing to focus on the first team and its new stadium, "the B team seemed like a simpler and more attractive option" and Head of Football Operations Robert Rowan stated that the team's initial objective is to promote at least one player into the first team squad by the end of the 2016–17 season. Under head coach Flemming Pedersen and assistant coach Kevin O'Connor, the team's first fixture took place on 20 July 2016 against an FC Midtjylland XI, winning 4–3 on penalties after drawing 2–2 at the end of normal time. On 17 November 2016, O'Connor replaced Pedersen as a head coach and five weeks later, left back Tom Field became the first player to graduate to the first team from the B team, signing a long-term contract. The team won its first silverware on 22 January 2017, winning the 2017 Kai Thor Cup in Odense, Denmark after victories over Hamburger SV U19 and SK Brann U19.

History (1893–2012)

A Brentford youth team won the West Middlesex Junior Cup in 1893–94. The youth team reached the semi-finals of the FA Youth Cup in 1952–53, succumbing 8–1 on aggregate to the eventual winners Manchester United. Under the stewardship of Alf Bew and because of the financial constraints imposed on the first team, the youth team of the early 1950s was particularly productive, yielding Vernon Avis, Johnny Pearson, Gerry Cakebread, Dennis Heath, Jim Towers and George Francis. Following financial problems in 1967, the youth team was disbanded, but was revived again in 1972 with money raised by supporters. The youth team won a youth tournament in Frankfurt the following year, beating Frem in the final, with Richard Poole top-scoring. Along with Poole, Kevin Harding and Roy Cotton progressed to play league football with the first team, while Gary Huxley won England Youth international honours. The youth team ceased playing competitive fixtures at the end of the 1973–74 season.

A youth team containing a young Keith Millen was crowned champions of the South East Counties Junior League in 1983–84. A second FA Youth Cup semi-final was reached in 1988–89, in which Brentford were beaten by Watford. After the dissolution of the South East Counties League, the youths later competed in the Football League Youth Alliance and were Division One South champions in 2001–02 and 2002–03. The youths had a memorable run in the FA Youth Cup during the 2005–06 season, seeing off Arsenal (featuring future first team regulars Nicklas Bendtner, Alexandre Song and Vito Mannone) in the third round on penalties after extra time and finally succumbing 2–1 to Newcastle United in the fifth round. The side enjoyed another run in the 2011–12 FA Youth Cup, seeing off Lewes, Southend United and Hull City before being knocked out in the fourth round by Stoke City.

Brentford U18 (2012–2016)

Under the Elite Player Performance Plan, the Brentford Youth Team was officially renamed as the Brentford U18 team in 2012 (though it continued to be colloquially known as the "youth team") and fielded scholars, U16s and U15s. The U18s entered the Professional U18 Development League 2 South for the 2012–13 season, finishing bottom. The U18 team reached the final of the Middlesex Senior Youth Cup in 2013, but were defeated 6–1 by Wealdstone. George Pilbeam and Montell Moore were the leading appearance-makers during the 2012–13 season, with 20 appearances each. Myles Hippolyte headed the goal chart, scoring seven times. The U18s finished 2013–14 season second-from-bottom in the Professional U18 Development League 2 South table. Courtney Senior was a leading appearance-maker, while Montell Moore was top scorer, scoring 9 goals in 16 games.

In December 2014, the team was invited to take part in the prestigious IMG Cup: Boys Invitational at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida and finished the tournament tied in fifth position with United States U17. Late in the 2014–15 season, the U18s qualified for the Professional U18 Development League 2 South knockout stage for the first time, after finishing second to Charlton Athletic in the league stage. The team progressed to the final of the knockout stage, suffering a 1–0 defeat to Charlton Athletic. Ten second-year scholars graduated from the U18 team to sign professional contracts in April 2015, the generation which had previously won the Junior category at the 2012 Milk Cup while U15s. Amidst upheaval behind the scenes and many of its best players playing predominantly for the Development Squad, the U18s finished the 2015–16 season in eighth place. The academy was closed at the end of the 2015–16 season and the team ceased to exist, with the majority of the scholars being released or sold.

'A' Team (1959–1916)

A third Brentford team, known as Brentford A, competed in the Seanglian League in 1959–60, finishing in mid-table. The 'A's fared worse the following season, finishing second from bottom and was disbanded. The side was managed by former first team goalkeeper Ted Gaskell, with Eddie Lyons as his assistant. Future key players John Docherty, Tommy Higginson and Peter Gelson began their Brentford careers in the team.

'C' Team (1890s)

Brentford C functioned as a fourth XI and was active during the 1890s. It later became known as Brentford Old Boys.

Brentford Griffins and Brentford Bees (2014–present)

Two teams, Brentford Griffins and Brentford Bees, participate in the National League U19 Alliance. The Brentford FC Community Sports Trust, in partnership with West Thames College, runs an Elite Development Programme, which sees boys between the ages of 16-18 train with the club three times a week, while also studying for BTEC courses at the college. The course also provides the opportunity for the players to gain FA coaching qualifications. The sides played their inaugural seasons in 2014–15, with Brentford Griffins winning the Football Conference Youth Alliance London & South East division title. Despite the title win, coach Dan Wright revealed that the teams had fallen short of providing new scholars for the academy. Brentford Griffins again finished champions in the 2015–16 season, winning Division 'F'. From the beginning of the 2016–17 season, the Griffins and Bees became the de facto replacement for the Youth Team, offering a pathway to the B team for the players of required standard. The teams are coached by Danny Senda, former youth graduate Ryan Peters and Luke Brooks-Smith.

Centre Of Excellence

The Brentford Centre Of Excellence was formed to nurture youth talent and was headed by Barry Quin, Director Of Youth Football at the club for 20 years. Quin was succeeded in the role by Ose Aibangee in 2010. The Centre Of Excellence was shut down in 2013.

Beginnings, planning and function

Plans to upgrade the Centre Of Excellence to an Academy began in 2010 after the takeover of the club by Matthew Benham. In December 2012, permission was granted by Hillingdon Council’s South and Central Planning Committee for Brentford to build a Category Two Academy on the grounds of Uxbridge High School. The Academy facility was paid for by the club, with a contribution from the school. In July 2013, the Academy was awarded Category Two status for the next three years. Brentford were the only League One club to make the advance from a Centre Of Excellence to a Category Two Academy.

At the official opening of the Academy in January 2014, Ose Aibangee predicted that by 2019, a Brentford academy graduate would be selected for the England national team. In April 2014, after the first team's promotion to the Championship for the 2014–15 season, then-U18 defender Richard Bryan said he believed that the academy could step up to produce players to play at Championship level, saying "for all the players here that want to get into the first team, it is definitely another step up and a harder challenge, but they have got to step up to the plate and be ready for it. There is a hunger in the team and in the coaches". An indicator of the academy beginning to bear fruit was evidenced by the call ups of Josh Bohui, Harry Francis and Ross McMahon to England and Scotland youth-level training camps respectively during the 2014–15 season. Julius Fenn-Evans won Wales U16 caps in April 2015, Ian Carlo Poveda represented England at U16 level in August 2015 and Josh Bohui made his England U17 debut in February 2016.

Facility

The Brentford Academy was based in an indoor facility on the grounds of Uxbridge High School and became fully operational in November 2013. The Academy building contained a 60m x 50m third-generation AstroTurf pitch, learning zones, changing rooms, a gym and a physiotherapy room. The Academy was officially opened on 16 January 2014 by FA chairman and former Brentford chairman Greg Dyke.

Closure

On 11 May 2016, a statement from co-directors of football Phil Giles and Rasmus Ankersen revealed that prior the beginning of the 2016–17 season, Brentford would withdraw from the Elite Player Performance Plan, the Professional Development League and would no longer run a full academy system between U8 and U21 level. Owner Matthew Benham later revealed the reasons for the closure in an open letter, saying "it is a competitive area, there are lots of academies in London. The risk is you have a great player, but he defects at the age of 16 and you get peanuts in return. In theory the player builds up loyalty to the club, but in practice there are other factors and the parents have an influence. EPPP made it difficult to run an academy, but also there is only so much the club can focus on. Overall, it seems to be difficult for smaller academies to keep hold of players".

U17

The U17 team played outside the United Kingdom for the first time when they journeyed to the Netherlands for a friendly match against AZ Alkmaar's Academy on 29 October 2013, with Brentford running out 4–1 winners. The U17s entered the Milk Cup for the first time in 2014, going out on penalties to Club América in the Premier Section Globe semi-final.

U16

On 29 October 2014, the U16s took on a Barcelona youth team in a prestigious friendly at La Masia. Brentford took the lead through Danny Parish, but lost 2–1. 12 members of the 2014–15 team signed scholarship deals in April 2015, with Parish being the only member of the group to sign a professional contract at Griffin Park.

U15

Brentford made its Milk Cup debut in 2010, finishing 23rd out of 24 entries. The U15s team winners of the Junior category at the 2012 Milk Cup, seeing off CSKA Moscow and Liverpool along the way and beating Everton in the final. The U15s again competed in the Junior category in 2013 Milk Cup and lost 3–2 to a Japan FA team in the Junior Vase final. The team were 2–1 victors over Inter Milan U15 in a friendly played at the Italian club's academy on 17 April 2014. At the 2014 Milk Cup, the U15s won the Junior Globe. The U15s were victorious in the 2015 Sportfan Football Festival in Lithuania, beating Skonto FC in the semi-finals and FM Vilnius in the final.

U14

At the time of the resumption of the Brentford youth system in 1970, an U14 team was created and coached by former player Ken Horne.

U13

In May 2016, the U13 team won the Elite Neon Cup in Greece, beating AEK Athens in the final.

U11

In June 2014, an U11 side entered the 28-team Holstein Cup (held in Bad Oldesloe, Germany) and finished third in the tournament, behind Hertha 03 Zehlendorf and Borussia Mönchengladbach. In late February 2015, Brentford hosted a prestigious England vs Germany U11 tournament, featuring sides from the academies of Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, Bayern Munich, Hertha Berlin, Hannover 96 and Schalke 04. Brentford won the Silver Group to finish runners-up in the tournament, behind Manchester United. The U11s took part in the Mediterranean International Cup in April 2015, going out to Valencia in the last 16.

Partnerships

The Academy had a number of partnerships with football clubs and sports organisations in and outside the UK:

UK

Uxbridge High School

North Hertfordshire College

AVC Sports Management

Elite Preparation Centre

CB Hounslow United

Football Magic Coaching

University of Westminster

Rural Friendly League

Isledon Wolves

West Thames College

GSK Human Performance Lab

Europe

UMF Selfoss (Iceland)

Combined Counties Football League (Ireland)

FC Midtjylland (Denmark)

North America

Next Gen USA (United States)

Africa

Gulu United (Uganda)

Coaching

B Team Head Coach: Kevin O'Connor

B Team Assistant Coach: Vacant

B Team Coach/Player Welfare Officer: Allan Steele

B Team Physiotherapist: Nick Stubbings

B Team Analyst: Ben Chadwick

Elite Development Programme Head Coach: Danny Senda

Elite Development Programme Coach: Ryan Peters

Elite Development Programme Coach: Luke Brooks-Smith

Mary Halder Youth Team Players’ Player of the Year

As of 17 November 2016, players in bold are still contracted to Brentford.

Champions

London League First Division: 1

1908–09

London League Second Division: 1

1902–03

Great Western Suburban League: 3

1907–08, 1908–09, 1910–11

London Combination: 2

1931–32, 1932–33

Capital Football League: 2

1987–88, 1994–95

Cup Winners

Capital Football League Cup: 4

1987–88, 1990–91, 1991–92, 1994–95

Kai Thor Cup: 1

2017

Champions

South East Counties Junior League: 1

1983–84

Football League Youth Alliance First Division South: 2

2001–02, 2002–03

Cup Winners

West Middlesex Junior Cup: 1

1893–94

U15

Milk Cup: 2

2012 (Junior), 2014 (Junior Globe)

Sportfan Football Festival: 1

2015

U13

Elite Neon Cup: 1

2015

U11

England v Germany Tournament: 1

2015 (Silver Phase)

Brentford Griffins

Football Conference Youth Alliance / National League U19 Alliance: 1

2014–15 (London & South East Division), 2015–16 (Division F)

Leagues

London League Premier Division

Best finish: 5th – 1909–10

London Midweek League

Best finish: 2nd – 1982–83

Professional Development League 2 South

Best finish: 4th – 2012–13

Cups

Middlesex Senior Charity Cup

Best performance: Finalists – 2012–13

U21 Premier League Cup

Best performance: Last 16 – 2015–16

Leagues

Professional U18 Development League 2 South

Best finish: Finalists – 2014–15

Cups

FA Youth Cup

Best performance: Semi-finals – 1952–53, 1988–89

Middlesex Senior Youth Cup

Best performance: Finalists – 2012–13

IMG Cup: Boys Invitational

Best performance: Tied 5th – 2014

U17

Milk Cup

Best performance: 4th – 2014 (Premier Globe)

U11

Holstein Cup

Best performance: 3rd – 2014

Mediterranean International Cup

Best performance: Last 16 – 2015

Brentford 'A'

Seanglian League

Best finish: 11th – 1959–60

Brentford Bees

Football Conference Youth Alliance / National League U19 Alliance

Best finish: 7th – 2014–15 (South West & Home Counties Division)

Noted graduates

Brentford's youth, reserve, Development Squad and 'B' teams have produced many players who have gone on to feature in the first team and make a respectable number of appearances. Players marked * won a full international cap while with Brentford or later in their career.

And those who made it elsewhere

Many former Brentford youth, reserve, Development Squad and 'B' team players have found success with other clubs. Those marked † did not make a senior appearance, but went on to make first team appearances for another Football League club or in another professional league. Players marked * won an international cap at any level while with Brentford or later in their career.