1985–86 season of Brentford F.C.
Brentford 1985–86 football season
During the 1985–86 English football season, Brentford competed in the Football League Third Division . Inferior home form and a number of key player departures meant that the Bees could finish no higher than 10th position.
Season summary [ edit ] Wimbledon winger Ian Holloway was signed on loan late in the season to invigorate the attack. After the recent Heysel Stadium disaster and the Bradford City stadium fire , the financial implications of the work needed to bring Griffin Park up to standard hampered Brentford manager Frank McLintock 's movement in the transfer market during the 1985 off-season.[1] The core of the previous season's Football League Trophy final team would be sold off,[1] with midfielder Chris Kamara and forward Keith Cassells leaving before the beginning of the season and captain Terry Hurlock would later be sold for a club-record £95,000 fee in February 1986.[2] Goalkeeper Trevor Swinburne and defender Paul Roberts were released and the mid-season retirement of goalscoring winger Gary Roberts also compounded the break-up of the team.[2] McLintock re-signed bit-part goalkeeper Richard Key and midfielder Terry Bullivant on free transfers and also brought in 20-year-old centre back Terry Evans from non-league Hillingdon , a transfer which would go on to be an important contributor the club's success in the early 1990s.[2]
The 1985–86 season proved to be one of consolidation in the Third Division for Brentford, with the team briefly challenging for promotion in August and for a three-month period in late 1985, but otherwise being rooted in mid-table.[3] There was little cheer to be had in the cup competitions,[3] but manager Frank McLintock was able to make some incoming mid-season transfers, bringing in midfielder Andy Sinton for a £25,000 fee and loaning wingers Steve Burke and Ian Holloway from Queens Park Rangers and Wimbledon respectively.[4] Forward Francis Joseph , top scorer during the 1982–83 season, returned from a long injury layoff in April 1986 and boosting the attack,[4] which had been led alone by Robbie Cooke .[5] Brentford finished the season in 10th place, with an away record superior to that of at Griffin Park.[6]
League table [ edit ]
Results [ edit ] Brentford's goal tally listed first. Pre-season and friendlies [ edit ] No. Date Opponent Venue Result Attendance Scorer(s) 1 17 August 1985 Wolverhampton Wanderers H 2–1 5,576 Bullivant , Murray 2 24 August 1985 Bristol Rovers A 1–0 4,140 Lynch 3 26 August 1985 Bournemouth H 1–0 4,283 Cooke 4 31 August 1985 Wigan Athletic A 0–4 2,871 5 7 September 1985 Plymouth Argyle H 1–1 3,927 Lynch 6 13 September 1985 Doncaster Rovers A 0–1 2,831 7 17 September 1985 Reading H 1–2 6,351 Booker 8 21 September 1985 Lincoln City A 0–3 1,856 9 28 September 1985 Rotherham United H 1–1 3,257 Alexander 10 1 October 1985 Darlington A 5–3 2,447 Alexander (3), Booker , Lynch 11 5 October 1985 Swansea City H 1–0 3,508 Lynch 12 12 October 1985 Bolton Wanderers A 2–1 4,106 Wignall , Cooke 13 19 October 1985 Newport County A 0–0 3,646 14 22 October 1985 Walsall A 2–1 4,318 Wignall , Hurlock 15 26 October 1985 Blackpool A 0–4 5,448 16 2 November 1985 Cardiff City H 3–0 3,934 Hurlock , Cooke , Lynch 17 6 November 1985 Derby County H 3–3 4,707 Murray , Cooke , Butler 18 9 November 1985 Bristol City A 0–0 6,598 19 23 November 1985 Chesterfield H 1–0 3,502 Roberts 20 30 November 1985 York City A 0–1 3,674 21 14 December 1985 Bury H 1–0 4,038 Sinton (pen ) 22 22 December 1985 Bristol Rovers H 1–0 5,724 Cooke 23 28 December 1985 Bournemouth A 0–0 4,006 24 4 January 1986 Cardiff City A 0–1 3,398 25 11 January 1986 Wigan Athletic H 1–3 4,048 Booker 26 18 January 1986 Wolverhampton Wanderers A 4–1 3,420 Cooke (2), Sinton (2) 27 21 January 1986 Notts County H 1–1 4,002 Evans 28 24 January 1986 Doncaster Rovers H 1–3 3,568 Cooke 29 1 February 1986 Plymouth Argyle A 0–2 4,873 30 4 February 1986 Walsall H 1–3 3,015 Alexander 31 1 March 1986 Rotherham United A 2–1 3,260 Booker , Cooke 32 8 March 1986 Swansea City A 0–2 3,683 33 11 March 1986 Newport County A 2–1 1,508 Lynch , Cooke 34 14 March 1986 Bolton Wanderers H 1–1 3,284 Booker 35 18 March 1986 Gillingham A 2–1 3,558 Booker , Cooke 36 22 March 1986 Blackpool H 1–1 3,528 Cooke 37 29 March 1986 Notts County A 4–0 3,857 Burke , Cooke (2), Holloway 38 31 March 1986 Gillingham H 1–2 4,702 Cooke 39 5 April 1986 Derby County A 1–1 11,026 Holloway 40 13 April 1986 Bristol City H 1–2 3,701 Millen 41 16 April 1986 Reading A 1–3 6,855 Murray 42 19 April 1986 Chesterfield A 3–1 2,344 Cooke , Butler , Booker 43 22 April 1986 Lincoln City H 0–1 3,011 44 26 April 1986 York City H 3–3 2,864 Hood (og ), R. Joseph , F. Joseph 45 3 May 1986 Bury A 0–0 2,953 46 5 May 1986 Darlington H 2–1 2,824 Millen , Cooke
Round Date Opponent Venue Result Attendance Scorer(s) 1R 16 November 1985 Bristol Rovers H 1–3 4,716 Evans
Round Date Opponent Venue Result Attendance Scorer SR1 (match 1) 15 January 1986 Derby County H 0–0 2,531 SR1 (match 2) 29 January 1986 Gillingham A 1–1 1,464 Murray
Sources: 100 Years of Brentford,[5] The Big Brentford Book of the Eighties,[7] Statto Playing squad [ edit ] Players' ages are as of the opening day of the 1985–86 season. Sources: The Big Brentford Book of the Eighties,[8] Timeless Bees[9] Coaching staff [ edit ] Statistics [ edit ] Appearances and goals [ edit ] Substitute appearances in brackets. Players listed in italics left the club mid-season. Source: The Big Brentford Book of the Eighties[10] Goalscorers [ edit ] Players listed in italics left the club mid-season. Source: The Big Brentford Book of the Eighties[10] Management [ edit ] Name Nat From To Record All Comps Record League P W D L W % P W D L W % Frank McLintock 17 August 1985 5 May 1986 53 19 16 18 0 35.85 46 18 12 16 0 39.13
Summary [ edit ] Games played 53 (46 Third Division , 1 FA Cup , 4 League Cup , 2 Football League Trophy ) Games won 19 (18 Third Division, 0 FA Cup, 1 League Cup, 0 Football League Trophy) Games drawn 16 (12 Third Division, 0 FA Cup, 2 League Cup, 2 Football League Trophy) Games lost 18 (16 Third Division, 1 FA Cup, 1 League Cup, 0 Football League Trophy) Goals scored 65 (58 Third Division, 1 FA Cup, 5 League Cup, 1 Football League Trophy) Goals conceded 70 (61 Third Division, 3 FA Cup, 5 League Cup, 1 Football League Trophy) Clean sheets 14 (12 Third Division, 0 FA Cup, 1 League Cup, 1 Football League Trophy) Biggest league win 4–0 versus Notts County , 29 March 1986 Worst league defeat 4–0 on two occasions Most appearances 52, Jamie Murray (45 Third Division, 1 FA Cup, 4 League Cup, 2 Football League Trophy) Top scorer (league) 17, Robbie Cooke Top scorer (all competitions) 18, Robbie Cooke
Transfers & loans [ edit ] References [ edit ] ^ a b Croxford, Lane & Waterman, p. 150. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w Croxford, Lane & Waterman, p. 168-173. ^ a b "Brentford results for the 1985–1986 season" . Statto.com . Archived from the original on 13 March 2016. Retrieved 21 February 2017 . ^ a b White, p. 328-331. ^ a b White, Eric, ed. (1989). 100 Years Of Brentford . Brentford FC. p. 398. ISBN 0951526200 . ^ "Brentford League Table 1985-1986" . Statto.com . Archived from the original on 25 February 2017. Retrieved 21 February 2017 . ^ Croxford, Lane & Waterman, p. 152-164, 399. ^ Croxford, Mark; Lane, David; Waterman, Greville (2011). The Big Brentford Book of the Eighties . Sunbury, Middlesex: Legends Publishing. ISBN 978-1906796716 . ^ Haynes, Graham; Coumbe, Frank (2006). Timeless Bees: Brentford F.C. Who's Who 1920–2006 . Yore Publications. ISBN 978-0955294914 . ^ a b Croxford, Lane & Waterman, p. 427. ^ Croxford, Lane & Waterman, p. 390. ^ a b Croxford, Lane & Waterman, p. 383.
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