1996–97 Brentford F.C. season

Brentford
1996–97 season
ChairmanMartin Lange
ManagerDavid Webb
StadiumGriffin Park
Second Division4th
Play-offsRunners-up
FA CupThird round
League CupSecond round
Football League TrophyQuarter-final
Top goalscorerLeague: Asaba (23)
All: Asaba (24)
Highest home attendance12,019
Lowest home attendance1,455
Average home league attendance5,920

During the 1996–97 English football season, Brentford competed in the Football League Second Division. Despite having led the division for most of the season, a collapse in the final 13 matches dropped the Bees into the playoffs, where they were defeated by Crewe Alexandra in the 1997 Second Division playoff Final.

Season summary

Despite a hangover in the 1995–96 season, Brentford entered 1996–97 with largely the same core of players which reached the 1995 Second Division playoff semi-finals.[1] That said, central defender Barry Ashby and midfielders Paul Smith and Carl Hutchings all rejected new contracts in favour of monthly agreements, but the trio signed new deals during the opening two months of the season.[1] Manager David Webb's only significant signing of the 1996 off-season was that of midfielder Scott Canham, paying West Ham United a £25,000 fee to turn his loan from the previous season into a permanent deal.[1]

Brentford began the Second Division season with an 11-match unbeaten run and firmly held on to top spot in the table.[2] The four-pronged attack of Carl Asaba, Nicky Forster, Robert Taylor and Marcus Bent proved fruitful and Asaba's 7-minute hat-trick versus Shrewsbury Town on 31 August 1996 was the quickest ever in a league match by a Brentford player.[3][4] One win in eight matches from mid-October through to mid-November dropped the Bees back into the playoff positions, but the club returned to the summit early in the following 13-match unbeaten run.[2] Forward Nicky Forster, who was in the final year of his contract, was sold to Birmingham City for a £700,000 fee on 31 January 1997, but he was not replaced.[1]

Despite the loss of Forster, the unbeaten run continued until defeat away to Preston North End on 8 March.[1] In the aftermath of the match, manager David Webb tendered his resignation,[5] citing verbal abuse of himself, the coaching staff and the players and "undisclosed sensitive issues" as the reason.[1] Chairman Martin Lange refused to accept Webb's resignation.[1] The fallout from the Preston match gave way to a run of eight defeats in the final 13 matches of the season, in which just six goals were scored and the team failed to find the net at all during the final four matches.[2] Things went from bad to worse when central defender Barry Ashby suffered an injury on 19 April and Carl Asaba was sent off in the penultimate match of the season.[1] The run dropped Brentford from 1st to 4th place and into a two-legged tie with Bristol City in the playoff semi-finals.[1]

Brentford rallied in the playoff semi-finals, seeing off Bristol City (who had finished the regular season with five consecutive wins) 4–2 on aggregate,[2] winning 2–1 home and away.[6] The Bees were "exposed and outclassed" in the final at Wembley Stadium versus Crewe Alexandra, losing 1–0 in a match which saw the Railwaymen hit the woodwork on three occasions and have two goalbound efforts cleared off the line by Carl Hutchings.[3] In addition, Bees defender Brian Statham was sent off for committing a second bookable offence 15 minutes from time.[3]

League table

Main article: 1996–97 Football League Second Division

Pos Team
 Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion or relegation
2 Stockport County (P) 46 23 13 10 59 41 +18 82 Promotion to the First Division
3 Luton Town 46 21 15 10 71 45 +26 78 Qualification for the Second Division play-offs
4 Brentford 46 20 14 12 56 43 +13 74
5 Bristol City 46 21 10 15 69 51 +18 73
6 Crewe Alexandra (O, P) 46 22 7 17 56 47 +9 73
Source: [7]
Rules for classification: In the Football League goals scored (GF) takes precedence over goal difference (GD).
(O) Play-off winners; (P) Promoted

Results

Brentford's goal tally listed first.

Legend

Win Draw Loss

Pre-season and friendlies

Date Opponent Venue Result Attendance Scorer(s)
22 July 1996 Hampton A 3–0 n/a Asaba (pen), Taylor (pen), Forster
25 July 1996 Carshalton Athletic A 1–0 n/a Omigie
27 July 1996 Chertsey Town A 1–0 n/a Taylor
29 July 1996 Southend United H 3–0 n/a Bent, Forster, Asaba
31 July 1996 Tottenham Hotspur H 0–3 3,175
2 August 1996 Queens Park Rangers H 2–1 3,793 Taylor (pen), Abrahams
5 August 1996 Stevenage Borough A 2–2 n/a Dennis, Asaba
7 August 1996 Derby County H 0–2 1,936
12 August 1996 Hayes A 7–0 n/a Dennis (2), Taylor, Forster, Bent, Myall, untraced (og)
14 February 1997 Southampton H 2–0 n/a Asaba (2)

Football League Second Division

No. Date Opponent Venue Result Attendance Scorer(s)
1 17 August 1996 Bury A 1–1 3,373 Taylor
2 24 August 1996 Luton Town H 3–2 5,404 Asaba, Bates, Taylor
3 27 August 1996 Gillingham H 2–0 5,384 Abrahams (2)
4 31 August 1996 Shrewsbury Town A 3–0 3,530 Asaba (3)
5 7 September 1996 Chesterfield A 2–0 3,643 Bates, Forster
6 10 September 1996 Plymouth Argyle H 3–2 5,377 Smith, Asaba, Bent
7 14 September 1996 Blackpool H 1–1 5,908 Asaba
8 21 September 1996 Wycombe Wanderers A 1–0 5,330 Bent
9 28 September 1996 York City H 3–3 5,243 Taylor, Asaba (2)
10 1 October 1996 Bristol City A 2–1 9,520 Asaba, Forster
11 5 October 1996 Rotherham United H 4–2 6,137 Asaba (2), Taylor, Forster
12 12 October 1996 Crewe Alexandra A 0–2 4,313
13 15 October 1996 Peterborough United A 1–0 5,037 Taylor
14 19 October 1996 Walsall H 1–1 5,419 Hutchings
15 26 October 1996 Millwall H 0–0 7,691
16 29 October 1996 Bristol Rovers A 1–2 5,163 Hutchings
17 2 November 1996 Watford A 0–2 11,448
18 9 November 1996 Stockport County H 2–2 5,076 Canham, Forster
19 19 November 1996 Bournemouth A 1–2 3,464 Anderson
20 23 November 1996 Wrexham H 2–0 4,885 Forster, Asaba
21 29 November 1996 Millwall A 0–0 7,845
22 3 December 1996 Notts County H 2–0 3,675 Bent, Asaba
23 14 December 1996 Burnley A 2–1 10,575 Asaba, Forster
24 21 December 1996 Preston North End H 0–0 5,365
25 26 December 1996 Plymouth Argyle A 4–1 9,525 Forster (2), Asaba, Omigie
26 11 January 1997 York City A 4–2 3,085 Asaba (2), Forster (2)
27 18 January 1997 Bristol City H 0–0 7,606
28 21 January 1997 Bristol Rovers H 0–0 4,191
29 1 February 1997 Stockport County A 2–1 8,650 McGhee, Taylor
30 8 February 1997 Watford H 1–1 8,679 Asaba
31 22 February 1997 Bournemouth H 1–0 6,071 Asaba
32 1 March 1997 Notts County A 1–1 4,323 Ashby
33 4 March 1997 Wycombe Wanderers H 0–0 5,375
34 8 March 1997 Preston North End A 0–1 9,489
35 15 March 1997 Burnley H 0–3 6,624
36 21 March 1997 Luton Town A 0–1 8,164
37 25 March 1997 Wrexham A 2–0 4,053 Asaba (2, 1 pen)
38 29 March 1997 Bury H 0–2 7,823
39 31 March 1997 Gillingham A 2–1 7,361 Janney, Asaba
40 5 April 1997 Shrewsbury Town H 0–0 5,355
41 11 April 1997 Rotherham United A 1–0 1,797 Taylor
42 15 April 1997 Chesterfield H 1–0 5,216 Asaba
43 19 April 1997 Crewe Alexandra H 0–2 6,183
44 22 April 1997 Blackpool A 0–1 4,030
45 26 April 1997 Walsall A 0–1 5,359
46 3 May 1997 Peterborough United H 0–1 5,274

Football League Second Division play-offs

Round Date Opponent Venue Result Attendance Scorer(s) Notes
SF (1st leg) 11 May 1997 Bristol City A 2–1 15,581 Smith, Taylor
SF (2nd leg) 14 May 1997 Bristol City H 2–1 (won 4–2 on aggregate) 9,496 Taylor, Bent
F 25 May 1997 Crewe Alexandra N 0–1 34,149 [nb 1]

FA Cup

Main article: 1996–97 FA Cup
Round Date Opponent Venue Result Attendance Scorer(s) Notes
R1 16 November 1996 Bournemouth H 2–0 4,509 Smith, Forster
R2 7 December 1996 Sudbury Town A 3–1 3,973 McGhee, Taylor (2) [nb 2]
R3 25 January 1997 Manchester City H 0–1 12,019

League Cup

Main article: 1996–97 Football League Cup
Round Date Opponent Venue Result Attendance Scorer
R1 (1st leg) 20 August 1996 Plymouth Argyle H 1–0 3,034 Taylor
R1 (2nd leg) 3 September 1996 Plymouth Argyle A 0–0 (won 1–0 on aggregate) 5,180
R2 (1st leg) 17 September 1996 Blackburn Rovers H 1–2 8,938 Forster
R2 (2nd leg) 24 September 1996 Blackburn Rovers A 0–2 (lost 4–1 on aggregate) 9,599

Football League Trophy

Main article: 1996–97 Football League Trophy
Round Date Opponent Venue Result Attendance Scorer(s)
SR1 10 December 1996 Bristol Rovers A 2–1 2,752 Omigie, Asaba
SR2 7 January 1997 Barnet H 2–1 (a.e.t.) 1,455 Taylor, Forster
SQF 28 January 1997 Colchester United H 0–1 2,253
  • Source: Statto, The Big Brentford Book of the Nineties[8]

Playing squad

Players' ages are as of the opening day of the 1996–97 season.
Position Name Nationality Date of birth (age) Signed from Signed in Notes
Goalkeepers
GK Kevin Dearden England (1970-03-08)8 March 1970 (aged 26) Tottenham Hotspur 1993
GK Tamer Fernandes England (1974-12-07)7 December 1974 (aged 21) Youth 1993
Defenders
DF Ijah Anderson England (1975-12-30)30 December 1975 (aged 20) Southend United 1995
DF Barry Ashby England (1970-11-21)21 November 1970 (aged 25) Watford 1994
DF Jamie Bates (c) England (1968-02-24)24 February 1968 (aged 28) Youth 1986
DF Carl Hutchings England (1974-09-24)24 September 1974 (aged 21) Youth 1993
DF Brian Statham England (1969-05-21)21 May 1969 (aged 27) Tottenham Hotspur 1992
Midfielders
MF Scott Canham England (1974-11-11)11 November 1974 (aged 21) West Ham United 1996
MF Kevin Dennis England (1976-12-14)14 December 1976 (aged 19) Arsenal 1996
MF Richard Goddard England (1978-03-31)31 March 1978 (aged 18) Arsenal 1996
MF Lee Harvey England (1966-12-21)21 December 1966 (aged 29) Nottingham Forest 1993
MF Gus Hurdle Barbados (1973-10-14)14 October 1973 (aged 22) Carshalton Athletic 1993
MF David McGhee England (1976-06-19)19 June 1976 (aged 20) Youth 1994
MF Paul Smith England (1971-09-18)18 September 1971 (aged 24) Southend United 1993
Forwards
FW Carl Asaba England (1973-01-28)28 January 1973 (aged 23) Dulwich Hamlet 1994
FW Marcus Bent England (1978-05-19)19 May 1978 (aged 18) Youth 1995
FW Malcolm McPherson Scotland (1974-12-09)9 December 1974 (aged 21) West Ham United 1996
FW Joe Omigie England (1972-06-13)13 June 1972 (aged 24) Donna 1994
FW Kevin Rapley England (1977-09-21)21 September 1977 (aged 18) Youth 1997
FW Robert Taylor England (1971-04-30)30 April 1971 (aged 25) Leyton Orient 1994
Players who left the club mid-season
MF Paul Abrahams England (1973-10-31)31 October 1973 (aged 22) Colchester United 1995 Transferred to Colchester United
MF Mark Janney England (1977-12-02)2 December 1977 (aged 18) Tottenham Hotspur 1997 Returned to Tottenham Hotspur after loan
FW Nicky Forster England (1973-09-08)8 September 1973 (aged 22) Gillingham 1994 Transferred to Birmingham City
FW Steve Slade England (1975-10-06)6 October 1975 (aged 20) Queens Park Rangers 1997 Returned to Queens Park Rangers after loan

Coaching staff

Name Role
England David Webb Manager
England Kevin Lock First Team Coach
England Roy Johnson Physiotherapist
England Fergus Dignan Medical Officer

Statistics

Appearances and goals

Substitute appearances in brackets.
Pos Nat Name League FA Cup League Cup FL Trophy Playoffs Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
GK England Kevin Dearden 44 0 3 0 4 0 2 0 3 0 56 0
GK England Tamer Fernandes 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 3 0
DF England Ijah Anderson 46 1 2 0 4 0 1 0 3 0 56 1
DF England Barry Ashby 40 1 3 0 4 0 3 0 0 (1) 0 50 (1) 1
DF England Jamie Bates 37 2 3 0 4 0 3 0 3 0 50 2
DF Barbados Gus Hurdle 28 (3) 0 2 0 4 0 1 0 3 0 38 (3) 0
DF England Brian Statham 11 (8) 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 3 0 17 (8) 0
MF England Paul Abrahams 5 (3) 2 — 1 (2) 0 — — 6 (5) 2
MF England Marcus Bent 29 (5) 3 2 0 4 0 1 (1) 0 3 1 39 (6) 4
MF England Scott Canham 13 1 1 0 2 0 0 0 0 (2) 0 16 (2) 1
MF England Kevin Dennis 9 (3) 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 0 12 (3) 0
MF England Richard Goddard 0 (1) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 (1) 0
MF England Lee Harvey 2 (12) 0 0 (2) 0 0 (2) 0 1 0 0 0 3 (16) 0
MF England Carl Hutchings 23 (5) 2 1 0 0 (1) 0 1 0 3 0 28 (6) 2
MF England David McGhee 44 (1) 1 3 1 2 (1) 0 3 0 3 0 55 (2) 2
MF England Paul Smith 46 1 3 1 4 0 2 0 3 1 58 3
FW England Carl Asaba 44 23 3 0 4 0 3 1 2 0 56 24
FW England Nicky Forster 25 10 3 1 3 1 1 1 — 32 13
FW Scotland Malcolm McPherson 2 (1) 0 0 0 0 0 1 (1) 0 0 0 3 (2) 0
FW England Joe Omigie 7 (6) 1 0 (3) 0 0 0 2 (1) 1 0 0 9 (10) 2
FW England Kevin Rapley 1 (1) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 (1) 0
FW England Robert Taylor 43 7 3 2 4 1 3 1 3 2 56 13
Players loaned in during the season
MF England Mark Janney 1 (1) 1 — — — — 1 (1) 1
MF England Steve Slade 4 0 — — — — 4 0
  • Players listed in italics left the club mid-season.
  • Source: The Big Brentford Book of the Nineties[9]

Goalscorers

Pos. Nat Player FL2 FAC FLC FLT FLP Total
FW England Carl Asaba 23 0 0 1 0 24
FW England Nicky Forster 10 1 1 1 — 13
FW England Robert Taylor 7 2 1 1 2 13
MF England Marcus Bent 3 0 0 0 1 4
MF England Paul Smith 1 1 0 0 1 3
MF England Paul Abrahams 2 — 0 — — 2
DF England Jamie Bates 2 0 0 0 0 2
MF England Carl Hutchings 2 0 0 0 0 2
MF England David McGhee 1 1 0 0 0 2
FW England Joe Omigie 1 0 0 1 0 2
MF England Mark Janney 1 — — — — 1
DF England Ijah Anderson 1 0 0 0 0 1
DF England Barry Ashby 1 0 0 0 0 1
MF England Scott Canham 1 0 0 0 0 1
Total 56 5 2 4 4 71
  • Players listed in italics left the club mid-season.
  • Source: The Big Brentford Book of the Nineties[9]

Discipline

Pos Nat Player FL2 FAC FLC FLT FLP Total Pts
Yellow card Red card Yellow card Red card Yellow card Red card Yellow card Red card Yellow card Red card Yellow card Red card
FW England Carl Asaba 6 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 1 1 9 1 12
DF England Barry Ashby 4 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 6 2 12
DF England Ijah Anderson 7 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 8 0 8
DF Barbados Gus Hurdle 6 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 7 0 7
DF England Brian Statham 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 3 1 6
FW England Nicky Forster 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 — 5 0 5
DF England Jamie Bates 3 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 4
MF England Marcus Bent 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 3
MF England Paul Smith 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 3
MF England Steve Slade 2 0 — — — — 2 0 2
MF England Kevin Dennis 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 2
MF England Carl Hutchings 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 2
MF England Scott Canham 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 2
GK England Kevin Dearden 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1
FW England Robert Taylor 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1
Total 47 0 2 0 7 0 0 0 2 2 58 2 64
  • Players listed in italics left the club mid-season.
  • Source: Soccerbase

Management

Name Nat From To Record All Comps Record League
P W D L W % P W D L W %
David Webb England 17 August 1996 25 May 1997 59 27 15 17 045.76 46 20 14 12 043.48

Summary

Games played 59 (46 Second Division, 3 FA Cup, 4 League Cup, 3 Football League Trophy, 3 Football League playoffs)
Games won 27 (20 Second Division, 2 FA Cup, 1 League Cup, 2 Football League Trophy, 2 Football League playoffs)
Games drawn 15 (14 Second Division, 0 FA Cup, 1 League Cup, 0 Football League Trophy, 0 Football League playoffs)
Games lost 17 (12 Second Division, 1 FA Cup, 2 League Cup, 1 Football League Trophy, 1 Football League playoffs)
Goals scored 71 (56 Second Division, 5 FA Cup, 2 League Cup, 4 Football League Trophy, 4 Football League playoffs)
Goals conceded 55 (43 Second Division, 2 FA Cup, 4 League Cup, 3 Football League Trophy, 3 Football League playoffs)
Clean sheets 21 (18 Second Division, 1 FA Cup, 2 League Cup, 0 Football League Trophy, 0 Football League playoffs)
Biggest league win 3–0 versus Shrewsbury Town, 31 August 1996; 4–1 versus Plymouth Argyle, 26 December 1996
Worst league defeat 3–0 versus Burnley, 15 March 1997
Most appearances 58, Paul Smith (46 Second Division, 3 FA Cup, 4 League Cup, 2 Football League Trophy, 3 Football League playoffs)
Top scorer (league) 23, Carl Asaba
Top scorer (all competitions) 24, Carl Asaba

Transfers & loans

Players transferred in
Date Pos. Name Previous Club Fee Ref.
July 1996 MF England Kevin Dennis England Arsenal Free [10]
July 1996 MF England Richard Goddard England Arsenal Free [11]
July 1996 FW Scotland Malcolm McPherson England West Ham United Free [12]
July 1996 MF England Stuart Myall England Brighton & Hove Albion Free [13]
August 1996 MF England Scott Canham England West Ham United £25,000 [1]
Players loaned in
Date from Pos. Name From Date to Ref.
13 February 1997 FW England Steve Slade England Queens Park Rangers 8 March 1997 [14]
15 March 1997 FW England Paul Mahorn England Tottenham Hotspur March 1997 [15]
27 March 1997 MF England Mark Janney England Tottenham Hotspur 5 April 1997 [16]
Players transferred out
Date Pos. Name Subsequent club Fee Ref.
23 October 1996 MF England Paul Abrahams England Colchester United £20,000 [17]
31 January 1997 FW England Nicky Forster England Birmingham City £700,000 [18]
Players loaned out
Date from Pos. Name To Date to Ref.
December 1996 MF England Stuart Myall England Hastings Town January 1997 [1]

Kit

Supplier: Cobra Sports
Sponsor(s): Ericsson

Home
Away
Goalkeeper

Source: Brentford F.C.

Awards

Notes

  1. ^ Match played at Wembley Stadium, London.
  2. ^ Match played at Layer Road, Colchester.

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Croxford, Mark; Lane, David; Waterman, Greville (2013). The Big Brentford Book Of The Nineties. Sunbury, Middlesex: Legends Publishing. pp. 230–234. ISBN 9781906796723.
  2. ^ a b c d "Brentford results for the 1996–1997 season". Statto.com. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 12 November 2016.
  3. ^ a b c Croxford, Lane & Waterman 2013, p. 208-229.
  4. ^ Brentford's Official Matchday Magazine versus AFC Bournemouth. 16 November 1996. p. 2.
  5. ^ "Furious Webb set to quit". Sunday Mirror. 9 March 1997. Retrieved 25 June 2015.
  6. ^ "Moment in time: Bristol City". Retrieved 18 August 2017.
  7. ^ "England 1996–97". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Archived from the original on 28 March 2010. Retrieved 24 February 2010.
  8. ^ Croxford, Lane & Waterman 2013, p. 208-229, 464–467.
  9. ^ a b Croxford, Lane & Waterman 2013, p. 482.
  10. ^ "Kevin Dennis". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 12 November 2016.
  11. ^ "Richard Goddard-Crawley". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 12 November 2016.
  12. ^ "Malcolm McPherson". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 12 November 2016.
  13. ^ "Stuart Myall". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 12 November 2016.
  14. ^ Steve Slade at Soccerbase
  15. ^ "England's Tournoi de France match against Brazil has been switched to Paris because the stadium in Lens, being rebuilt for the 1998 Cup finals, will not be ready on time". The Independent. 15 March 1997. Archived from the original on 1 May 2022. Retrieved 12 November 2016.
  16. ^ Mark Janney at Soccerbase
  17. ^ Paul Abrahams at Soccerbase
  18. ^ "Premier and Football League transfers". www.11v11.com. Retrieved 12 November 2016.
  19. ^ Croxford, Lane & Waterman 2013, p. 445.
  20. ^ a b Brentford's Official Matchday Magazine versus Peterborough United. 3 May 1997. p. 3.