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1984–85 season of Brentford F.C.
Brentford 1984–85 football season
During the 1984–85 English football season, Brentford competed in the Football League Third Division . The season is best remembered for the club's first appearance in a Football League Trophy final, which was lost 3–1 to Wigan Athletic .
Frank McLintock prepared for his first full season as Brentford manager by trimming his squad, releasing goalkeeper Paddy Roche , defenders Jim McNichol , Ian Bolton , Graham Wilkins and forward Tony Mahoney .[ 1] His only significant signings were left back Jamie Murray from Cambridge United for £27,500 and centre back Steve Wignall from Colchester United for a £18,000 fee.[ 1]
Manager McLintock presided over a season of transition in the Third Division , treading water in mid-table through to the end of 1984 and then dropping further in the early months of 1985.[ 2] The goals of £20,000 signing Robbie Cooke allayed any fears that the club would be sucked into a relegation battle for the second successive season.[ 1] The Bees repeated the previous season's feats in the League Cup and FA Cup , reaching the second and third rounds respectively.[ 2] McLintock gave teenage defenders Keith Millen and Roger Joseph their debuts late in the season and both of whom would go on to become key players for the club.[ 1] [ 3] Brentford finished in 13th place in the Third Division.[ 4]
Brentford's 1984–85 season is chiefly remembered for the club's run to the final of the Football League Trophy .[ 1] The competition had been established in the 1982–83 season as the Football League Group Cup , but by 1984–85 the tournament had gained prestige, with sponsorship from Freight Rover and Wembley Stadium was announced as the venue for the final.[ 1] The Bees won six matches in a row to reach the final, scoring 17 goals and conceding just three.[ 2] The final was reached after an emphatic 6–0 Southern Area Final win over Newport County at Griffin Park ,[ 2] in which winger Gary Roberts scored four goals in a four-minute spell either side of half-time .[ 1] The final versus Wigan Athletic at Wembley Stadium on 1 June 1985 was Brentford's first appearance at the ground since the 1942 London War Cup final.[ 5] A disappointing defensive performance led to a 3–1 defeat, with Robbie Cooke scoring what proved to be the consolation goal.[ 6]
Two club records were set or equalled during the season:
Most Football League games without a clean sheet : 20 (29 September 1984 – 26 January 1985)[ 7]
Fastest hattrick (all competitions): 3 minutes – Gary Roberts (versus Newport County, Football League Trophy Southern Area final, 17 May 1985)[ 8]
Brentford's goal tally listed first.
No.
Date
Opponent
Venue
Result
Attendance
Scorer(s)
1
25 August 1984
Orient
H
0–1
4,171
2
1 September 1984
Walsall
A
1–0
4,747
Booker
3
8 September 1984
Wigan Athletic
H
2–0
3,724
Cassells , Salman
4
18 September 1984
Rotherham United
A
1–1
3,644
Hurlock
5
22 September 1984
Swansea City
H
3–0
4,298
Hurlock , Cassells (2)
6
29 September 1984
Cambridge United
A
2–1
2,580
Kamara , Cassells
7
2 October 1984
Doncaster Rovers
H
1–1
4,901
Harle (og )
8
6 October 1984
Bradford City
H
0–1
4,196
9
13 October 1984
Millwall
A
0–2
5,385
10
20 October 1984
Gillingham
H
5–2
4,053
G. Roberts (3), Alexander , Cassells
11
23 October 1984
Burnley
A
1–3
2,916
Malley (og )
12
27 October 1984
York City
H
2–1
4,261
Salman , G. Roberts
13
3 November 1984
Bristol City
A
1–1
7,674
Kamara
14
7 November 1984
Derby County
A
0–1
10,530
15
10 November 1984
Lincoln City
H
2–2
4,115
Cassells , Booker
16
24 November 1984
Bournemouth
A
0–1
4,113
17
27 November 1984
Newport County
A
0–2
1,589
18
1 December 1984
Bolton Wanderers
H
2–1
3,668
Cassells , Kamara
19
15 December 1984
Preston North End
A
1–1
2,818
G. Roberts
20
22 December 1984
Hull City
A
0–4
6,354
21
26 December 1984
Bristol Rovers
H
0–3
5,254
22
29 December 1984
Reading
H
2–1
5,161
Booker , Richardson (og )
23
1 January 1985
Plymouth Argyle
A
1–1
6,926
Alexander
24
19 January 1985
Wigan Athletic
A
1–1
3,358
Cooke
25
26 January 1985
Newport County
H
2–5
3,962
Kamara (pen ), Cooke
26
2 February 1985
Cambridge United
H
2–0
3,254
Cooke , Torrance
27
9 February 1985
Swansea City
A
2–3
4,440
Kamara , Cooke
28
16 February 1985
Doncaster Rovers
A
2–2
3,129
Cooke , Salman
29
23 February 1985
Bristol City
H
1–2
4,526
Booker
30
2 March 1985
York City
A
0–1
4,288
31
5 March 1985
Burnley
H
2–1
3,267
Cooke , Butler
32
9 March 1985
Gillingham
A
0–2
5,799
33
23 March 1985
Bradford City
A
4–5
6,038
Cooke (3), Booker
34
27 March 1985
Walsall
H
3–1
3,021
G. Roberts , Hurlock , Cooke
35
30 March 1985
Derby County
H
1–1
4,423
G. Roberts
36
6 April 1985
Bristol Rovers
A
0–3
4,419
37
8 April 1985
Plymouth Argyle
H
3–1
4,043
Cassells (2, 1 pen ), G. Roberts
38
13 April 1985
Lincoln City
A
1–1
1,980
Cooke
39
16 April 1985
Orient
A
1–0
3,164
Booker
40
20 April 1985
Bournemouth
H
0–0
3,559
41
23 April 1985
Rotherham United
H
3–0
3,019
G. Roberts (2), Cassells
42
27 April 1985
Bolton Wanderers
A
1–1
4,230
Kamara
43
4 May 1985
Preston North End
H
3–1
3,476
Booker , G. Roberts , Cooke
44
6 May 1985
Reading
A
0–0
3,898
45
11 May 1985
Hull City
H
2–1
4,309
Skipper (og ), Cassells (pen )
46
19 May 1985
Millwall
H
1–1
5,050
Cassells
Round
Date
Opponent
Venue
Result
Attendance
Scorer(s)
Notes
SR1 (1st leg)
6 February 1985
Reading
A
3–1
2,500
Torrance (2), P. Roberts
SR1 (2nd leg)
26 February 1985
Reading
H
2–0 (won 5–1 on aggregate)
2,011
Wignall , G. Roberts
SR2
19 March 1985
Cambridge United
H
1–0
2,003
Cooke
SQF
11 April 1985
Swansea City
A
2–0
1,653
Booker (2)
SSF
30 April 1985
Bournemouth
A
3–2
4,657
Cooke (2), Kamara
SF
17 May 1985
Newport County
H
6–0
8,214
Cassells (2, 1 pen ), G. Roberts (4)
F
1 June 1985
Wigan Athletic
N
1–3
39,897
Cooke
[ nb 1]
Sources: 100 Years of Brentford,[ 3] The Big Brentford Book of the Eighties,[ 6] Statto
Players' ages are as of the opening day of the 1984–85 season.
Sources: The Big Brentford Book of the Eighties,[ 9] Timeless Bees[ 10]
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]
Players listed in italics left the club mid-season.
Source: The Big Brentford Book of the Eighties[ 11]
Name
Nat
From
To
Record All Comps
Record League
P
W
D
L
W %
P
W
D
L
W %
Frank McLintock
25 August 1984
1 June 1985
61
25
15
21
0 40.98
46
16
14
16
0 34.78
Games played
61 (46 Third Division , 4 FA Cup , 4 League Cup , 7 Football League Trophy )
Games won
25 (16 Third Division, 2 FA Cup, 1 League Cup, 6 Football League Trophy)
Games drawn
15 (14 Third Division, 1 FA Cup, 0 League Cup, 0 Football League Trophy)
Games lost
21 (16 Third Division, 1 FA Cup, 3 League Cup, 1 Football League Trophy)
Goals scored
93 (62 Third Division, 9 FA Cup, 4 League Cup, 18 Football League Trophy)
Goals conceded
81 (64 Third Division, 4 FA Cup, 7 League Cup, 6 Football League Trophy)
Clean sheets
15 (8 Third Division, 2 FA Cup, 1 League Cup, 4 Football League Trophy)
Biggest league win
3–0 on two occasions; 5–2 versus Gillingham , 20 October 1984
Worst league defeat
4–0 versus Hull City , 22 December 1984
Most appearances
61, Jamie Murray (46 Third Division, 4 FA Cup, 4 League Cup, 7 Football League Trophy)
Top scorer (league)
12, Keith Cassells , Robbie Cooke
Top scorer (all competitions)
18, Keith Cassells, Gary Roberts
^ a b c d e f g White, p. 324-326.
^ a b c d "Brentford results for the 1984–1985 season" . Statto.com . Archived from the original on 21 March 2016. Retrieved 20 February 2017 .
^ a b White, Eric, ed. (1989). 100 Years Of Brentford . Brentford FC. p. 398. ISBN 0951526200 .
^ "Brentford League Table 1984-1985" . Statto.com . Archived from the original on 24 March 2016. Retrieved 20 February 2017 .
^ Haynes, Graham (1998). A-Z Of Bees: Brentford Encyclopedia . Yore Publications. p. 135. ISBN 1 874427 57 7 .
^ a b Croxford, Lane & Waterman, p. 124-136.
^ "Brentford scoring and sequence records" . Statto.com . Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 21 February 2017 .
^ Brentford's Official Matchday Magazine versus AFC Bournemouth . 16 November 1996. p. 2.
^ 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. 426.
^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s Croxford, Lane & Waterman, p. 138-144.
^ "Player: Ian Robert Bolton" . Watford Football Club Archive . Retrieved 16 February 2024 .
^ 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 North , Two South )
Combined Counties League (level 8 only )
Eastern Counties League (level 8 only )
Essex Senior League (level 8 only )
Hellenic League (Premier , One )
Kent League (level 8 only )
London Spartan League (Premier , Senior )
Midland Football Combination (level 8 only )
North West Counties League (One , Two )
Northern Counties East League (Premier , One North , One Central , One South )
Northern League (One , Two )
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 )
Cup competitions
FA cups Football League cups
European competitions Other