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1981–82 season of Brentford F.C.
Brentford 1981–82 football season
During the 1981–82 English football season, Brentford competed in the Football League Third Division . After losing ground in January and February 1982, just one win from the final five matches of the season ended the Bees' hopes of promotion.
Season summary [ edit ]
Midfielder Chris Kamara was signed from Portsmouth in an exchange deal in October 1981 and was named captain of Brentford in March 1982.[1]
Aside from the club record signing of £65,000 central defender Alan Whitehead , Brentford manager Fred Callaghan presided over a quiet 1981 off-season at Griffin Park .[2] Goalkeeper Paul Priddy returned to the club for a third spell on a part-time contract as cover for David McKellar , but the club went into the season understaffed in the striking department, having lost Gary Johnson to injury in a car crash and a suitable replacement could not be found in time.[1] Bids for midfielders John Beck , Jeff Chandler , forward David Kemp and former Brentford player Andrew McCulloch had failed to yield any transfers.[1]
Despite going unbeaten in the first four Third Division matches of the season, a bad run of results in September and October 1981 dropped the club to just above the relegation places.[3] Manager Callaghan acted swiftly in the transfer market, signing midfielders Stan Bowles , Chris Kamara and finally bolstering the forward line with the acquisition of Keith Bowen .[1] The upturn in form was immediate and seven wins and one draw from a 10-match spell lifted the Bees from 18th place on 17 October to 4th on 28 December.[3] The run included five consecutive away league wins, which equalled the club record.[4]
Brentford began 1982 with a run in which the team took just two points from a possible 24, which dropped the club back into mid-table.[3] Former player Gordon Sweetzer briefly returned to Griffin Park in January, but scored just one goal in 9 appearances before returning to his native Canada .[2] The team recovered in March and things further improved after forward David Kemp was finally signed on loan in March,[3] but he succumbed to injury after just three appearances.[2] A 2–1 win over Chester on 24 April put the Bees in 7th position,[3] four points behind 3rd-place Lincoln City with five matches to play.[5] Brentford's outside chances of promotion were killed off in the following match versus Wimbledon at Griffin Park, losing 3–2, having been leading 2–0.[2] The Bees finished the season in 8th position.[2]
League table [ edit ]
Results [ edit ]
Brentford's goal tally listed first.
Pre-season and friendlies [ edit ]
Date
Opponent
Venue
Result
Attendance
Scorer(s)
5 August 1981
Wembley
A
5–0
n/a
Crown , Walker , Booker , Rowe , B. Bowen
8 August 1981
Hillingdon Borough
A
2–0
n/a
Booker , Roberts
11 August 1981
Woking
A
3–0
n/a
Tonge (2), Roberts
15 August 1981
Cambridge United
H
5–0
1,195
Crown (3), Whitehead , Booker
18 August 1981
Brighton & Hove Albion
H
1–3
n/a
Booker
12 October 1981
San Jose Earthquakes
H
8–2
3,970
Roberts (3), K. Bowen (3), G. Johnson , Booker
10 May 1982
Watford
H
1–2
2,098
Roberts
No.
Date
Opponent
Venue
Result
Attendance
Scorer(s)
1
29 August 1981
Fulham
A
2–1
7,632
Tucker (pen ), Brown (og )
2
5 September 1981
Walsall
H
0–0
5,353
3
12 September 1981
Portsmouth
A
2–2
10,364
Crown , Booker
4
19 September 1981
Plymouth Argyle
H
0–0
4,943
5
21 September 1981
Gillingham
H
0–1
5,425
6
26 September 1981
Doncaster Rovers
A
0–1
5,494
7
29 September 1981
Newport County
A
1–0
4,040
Tucker
8
3 October 1981
Carlisle United
H
1–2
4,587
G. Johnson
9
10 October 1981
Exeter City
A
1–3
3,589
Crown
10
17 October 1981
Lincoln City
H
3–1
4,187
Booker , Whitehead , Tucker
11
19 October 1981
Southend United
H
0–1
5,043
12
24 October 1981
Chesterfield
A
2–0
5,525
K. Bowen , Roberts
13
31 October 1981
Burnley
H
0–0
6,929
14
3 November 1981
Swindon Town
A
3–0
6,649
G. Johnson , K. Bowen , Kamara
15
7 November 1981
Bristol City
H
0–1
6,758
16
14 November 1981
Oxford United
A
2–1
5,693
G. Johnson (2)
17
28 November 1981
Chester
H
1–0
5,201
McNichol
18
5 December 1981
Preston North End
A
3–1
4,171
K. Bowen (2), G. Johnson
19
28 December 1981
Millwall
A
1–0
7,474
Roberts
20
2 January 1982
Huddersfield Town
H
0–1
5,438
21
19 January 1982
Walsall
A
0–3
3,853
22
23 January 1982
Fulham
H
0–1
10,834
23
27 January 1982
Reading
A
1–4
3,710
Sweetzer
24
30 January 1982
Plymouth Argyle
A
0–1
5,008
25
6 February 1982
Portsmouth
H
2–2
5,947
Tucker (pen ), Bowles
26
9 February 1982
Gillingham
A
1–1
3,931
Bowles
27
13 February 1982
Carlisle United
A
0–1
4,942
28
20 February 1982
Newport County
H
2–0
4,297
Roberts , Kamara
29
27 February 1982
Exeter City
H
2–0
4,934
Whitehead , K. Bowen
30
6 March 1982
Lincoln City
A
0–1
2,880
31
8 March 1982
Southend United
A
1–1
4,058
Kemp
32
13 March 1982
Chesterfield
H
2–0
5,374
Roberts , Kamara
33
20 March 1982
Burnley
A
0–0
7,906
34
22 March 1982
Bristol Rovers
H
1–0
5,840
Bowles (pen )
35
27 March 1982
Bristol City
A
1–0
6,243
K. Bowen
36
3 April 1982
Oxford United
H
1–2
5,786
Booker
37
9 April 1982
Millwall
H
4–1
7,460
G. Johnson , Booker , McNichol , Roberts
38
12 April 1982
Wimbledon
A
2–1
4,513
Hurlock , Roberts
39
17 April 1982
Preston North End
H
0–0
5,627
40
19 April 1982
Swindon Town
H
4–2
5,374
Hurlock , K. Bowen , Bowles , McNichol
41
24 April 1982
Chester
A
2–1
1,484
Kamara , G. Johnson
42
26 April 1982
Wimbledon
H
2–3
6,612
Bowles , G. Johnson
43
1 May 1982
Doncaster Rovers
H
2–2
4,124
K. Bowen , Whitehead
44
3 May 1982
Bristol Rovers
A
2–1
4,314
Roberts , Kamara
45
8 May 1982
Huddersfield Town
A
1–1
4,542
Bowles (pen )
46
15 May 1982
Reading
H
1–2
4,502
Roberts
Round
Date
Opponent
Venue
Result
Attendance
1R (1st leg)
2 September 1981
Oxford United
A
0–1
3,621
1R (2nd leg)
15 September 1981
Oxford United
H
0–2 (lost 3–0 on aggregate)
5,490
Sources: 100 Years of Brentford,[6] The Big Brentford Book of the Eighties,[7] [8] Statto
Playing squad [ edit ]
Players' ages are as of the opening day of the 1981–82 season.
Sources: The Big Brentford Book of the Eighties,[9] Timeless Bees[10]
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[11]
Goalscorers [ edit ]
Players listed in italics left the club mid-season.
Source: The Big Brentford Book of the Eighties [11]
Management [ edit ]
Name
Nat
From
To
Record All Comps
Record League
P
W
D
L
W %
P
W
D
L
W %
Fred Callaghan
29 August 1981
15 May 1982
51
20
12
19
0 39.22
46
19
11
16
0 41.30
Summary [ edit ]
Games played
51 (46 Third Division , 3 FA Cup , 2 League Cup )
Games won
20 (19 Third Division, 1 FA Cup, 0 League Cup)
Games drawn
12 (11 Third Division, 1 FA Cup, 0 League Cup)
Games lost
19 (16 Third Division, 1 FA Cup, 2 League Cup)
Goals scored
59 (56 Third Division, 3 FA Cup, 0 League Cup)
Goals conceded
52 (47 Third Division, 2 FA Cup, 3 League Cup)
Clean sheets
16 (15 Third Division, 1 FA Cup, 0 League Cup)
Biggest league win
3–0 versus Swindon Town , 3 November 1981; 4–1 versus Millwall , 9 April 1982
Worst league defeat
3–0 versus Walsall , 19 January 1982; 4–1 versus Reading , 27 January 1982
Most appearances
50, David McKellar (45 Third Division, 3 FA Cup, 2 League Cup)
Top scorer (league)
8, Keith Bowen , Gary Johnson , Gary Roberts
Top scorer (all competitions)
10, Keith Bowen
Transfers & loans [ edit ]
References [ edit ]
^ 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. 60-65.
^ a b c d e White, p. 316-317.
^ a b c d e "Brentford results for the 1981–1982 season" . Statto.com . Archived from the original on 17 February 2017. Retrieved 16 February 2017 .
^ "Brentford scoring and sequence records" . Statto.com . Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 17 February 2017 .
^ "English Division Three (old) 1981–1982 Table" . Statto.com . Archived from the original on 19 December 2009. Retrieved 31 August 2017 .
^ White, Eric, ed. (1989). 100 Years Of Brentford . Brentford FC. p. 396. ISBN 0951526200 .
^ Croxford, Lane & Waterman, p. 48-59.
^ Croxford, Lane & Waterman, p. 390-391.
^ 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. 423.
^ a b Croxford, Lane & Waterman, p. 383.
National teams
League competitions
Levels 1–4 Level 5 Levels 6–7 Levels 8–9
Isthmian League (Two )
Athenian League (level 8 only)
Cheshire County League (One , Two )
Combined Counties League (Eastern , Western ) (level 8 only)
Town & Country League (level 8 only)
Essex Senior League (level 8 only)
Hellenic League (Premier , One )
Kent League (level 8 only)
Lancashire Combination (level 8 only)
London Spartan League (Premier , Senior )
Midland Football Combination (level 8 only)
Midland League (Premier , One )
Northern League (level 8 only)
South Midlands League (Premier , One )
Sussex County League (One , Two )
United Counties League (Premier , One )
West Midlands (Regional) League (level 8 only)
Western League (Premier , One )
Yorkshire League (One , Two )
Cup competitions
FA cups Football League cups
European competitions