1942–43 Brentford F.C. season

Brentford returned to the Football League South for the 1942–43 season with cause for optimism, having generated over £20,000 (equivalent to £991,700 in 2023) from the semi-finals and the final of the club's victorious 1941–42 London War Cup campaign.[1] Again the first team squad would be hit by a lack of unavailability of players, with no goalkeeper available for the second season in succession.[2] Despite averaging only 12 appearances per season since the war began, centre forward Len Townsend had been averaging nearly a goal a game and was in fantastic form, scoring 17 goals in a 17 match spell, including six in a 9–4 victory over Brighton & Hove Albion on 12 September 1942.[2] The record of six goals in a single match bettered the official club record of five, but due to the unofficial nature of wartime football, Townsend does not hold the club record outright.[3]

Brentford's league form held up until the turn of the year then fell apart, losing 10 of the final 15 matches of the season in all competitions.[2] Guest forwards Eddie Perry and Douglas Hunt, who had scored the bulk of the team's goals since the beginning of the 1940–41 season failed to find the net with such regularity, though Albion Rovers' guest Tommy Kiernan notably scored 9 goals in his 10 appearances.[2] The discontinuation of the London War Cup meant that the Bees would be unable to defend their crown, so the club were entered into the Football League South War Cup, which ended in elimination in the group stages.[4] Brentford finished the league season in 9th place and Len Townsend scored 19 goals in 20 appearances.[4]

Brentford's goal tally listed first.

Players' ages are as of the opening day of the 1942–43 season.

Pos.	Name	Nat.	Date of birth (age)	Signed from	Signed in	Notes
Defenders
DF	Buster Brown		(1910-09-06)6 September 1910 (aged 31)	Huddersfield Town	1937
DF	George Poyser		(1910-02-06)6 February 1910 (aged 32)	Port Vale	1934
Midfielders
HB	Joe James		(1910-01-13)13 January 1910 (aged 32)	Battersea Church	1929
HB	Ernest Muttitt		(1908-07-24)24 July 1908 (aged 34)	Middlesbrough	1932	Guest for Chelsea, West Ham United
Forwards
FW	Vic Aicken		(1914-10-29)29 October 1914 (aged 27)	Glentoran	1937	Guest for Watford
FW	Tommy Cheetham		(1910-10-11)11 October 1910 (aged 31)	Queens Park Rangers	1939
FW	Jack Holliday		(1908-12-19)19 December 1908 (aged 33)	Middlesbrough	1932
FW	Idris Hopkins		(1910-10-11)11 October 1910 (aged 31)	Crystal Palace	1932
FW	Billy Scott		(1907-12-06)6 December 1907 (aged 34)	Middlesbrough	1932
FW	Les Smith		(1918-03-13)13 March 1918 (aged 24)	Petersham	1934
FW	Len Townsend		(1917-08-31)31 August 1917 (aged 24)	Hayes	1937	Guest for Belfast Celtic
FW	George Wilkins		(1919-10-27)27 October 1919 (aged 22)	Hayes	1939
Guest players
GK	Harry Dukes		(1912-03-31)31 March 1912 (aged 30)	Norwich City	1941	Guest from Norwich City
GK	Ken Groves		(1921-10-09)9 October 1921 (aged 20)	Preston North End	1943	Guest from Preston North End
GK	John Jackson		(1906-11-29)29 November 1906 (aged 35)	Chelsea	1942	Guest from Chelsea
GK	Bill Mason		(1908-10-31)31 October 1908 (aged 33)	Queens Park Rangers	1942	Guest from Queens Park Rangers
GK	Reg Saphin		(1916-08-08)8 August 1916 (aged 26)	Walthamstow Avenue	1943	Guest from Walthamstow Avenue
DF	Alex Muir		n/a	Albion Rovers	1942	Guest from Albion Rovers
HB	Ernie Collett		(1914-11-17)17 November 1914 (aged 27)	Arsenal	1943	Guest from Arsenal
HB	Duncan McKenzie		(1912-08-10)10 August 1912 (aged 30)	Middlesbrough	1943	Guest from Middlesbrough
HB	Tally Sneddon		(1914-04-01)1 April 1914 (aged 28)	Swansea Town	1942	Guest from Swansea Town
HB	Bill Whittaker		(1922-12-20)20 December 1922 (aged 19)	Charlton Athletic	1942	Guest from Charlton Athletic
FW	Matt Armstrong		(1911-11-12)12 November 1911 (aged 30)	Aberdeen	1942	Guest from Aberdeen
FW	Albert Bonass		(1911-05-29)29 May 1911 (aged 31)	Queens Park Rangers	1942	Guest from Queens Park Rangers
FW	Walter Boyes		(1913-01-05)5 January 1913 (aged 29)	Everton	1943	Guest from Everton
FW	Edwin Cunningham		(1919-09-20)20 September 1919 (aged 22)	Bristol City	1942	Guest from Bristol City
FW	Harry Dooley		n/a	Unattached	1943	Guest
FW	Allenby Driver		(1919-09-29)29 September 1919 (aged 22)	Sheffield Wednesday	1943	Guest from Sheffield Wednesday
FW	Jack Finch		(1909-02-03)3 February 1909 (aged 33)	Fulham	1943	Guest from Fulham
FW	Dick Foss		(1912-11-12)12 November 1912 (aged 29)	Chelsea	1942	Guest from Chelsea
FW	Pat Gallacher		(1913-01-09)9 January 1913 (aged 29)	Bournemouth	1942	Guest from Bournemouth
FW	Les Henley		(1922-09-26)26 September 1922 (aged 19)	Arsenal	1943	Guest from Arsenal
FW	Dennis Hillman		(1918-11-27)27 November 1918 (aged 23)	Brighton & Hove Albion	1943	Guest from Brighton & Hove Albion
FW	Douglas Hunt		(1914-05-19)19 May 1914 (aged 28)	Sheffield Wednesday	1942	Guest from Sheffield Wednesday
FW	Tommy Kiernan		(1918-10-20)20 October 1918 (aged 23)	Albion Rovers	1942	Guest from Albion Rovers
FW	David McCulloch		(1912-10-05)5 October 1912 (aged 29)	Derby County	1943	Guest from Derby County
FW	Milton		n/a	Fulham	1943	Amateur, guest from Fulham
FW	Frank O'Donnell		(1911-08-31)31 August 1911 (aged 30)	Blackpool	1943	Guest from Blackpool
FW	Eddie Perry		(1909-01-19)19 January 1909 (aged 33)	Doncaster Rovers	1942	Guest from Doncaster Rovers
FW	Reg Pugh		(1917-07-28)28 July 1917 (aged 25)	Cardiff City	1942	Guest from Cardiff City
FW	Jack Vidler		(1905-06-13)13 June 1905 (aged 37)	Bristol City	1943	Guest from Bristol City

• Sources: Timeless Bees,[5] Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939,[6] 100 Years Of Brentford[2]

Guest players' arrival and departure dates correspond to their first and last appearances of the season.

Guest players in
Date from	Pos.	Name	Previous Club	Date to	Ref.
29 August 1942	FW	Albert Bonass	Queens Park Rangers	29 August 1942	[2]
29 August 1942	FW	Douglas Hunt	Sheffield Wednesday	End of season	[2]
29 August 1942	GK	Bill Mason	Queens Park Rangers	29 August 1942	[2]
29 August 1942	HB	Duncan McKenzie	Middlesbrough	End of season	[2]
5 September 1942	FW	Edwin Cunningham	Bristol City	5 September 1942	[2]
5 September 1942	GK	John Jackson	Chelsea	20 March 1943	[2]
5 September 1942	HB	Tally Sneddon	Swansea Town	27 February 1943	[2]
5 September 1942	HB	Bill Whittaker	Charlton Athletic	End of season	[2]
12 September 1942	FW	Tommy Kiernan	Albion Rovers	19 December 1942	[2]
26 September 1942	FW	Pat Gallacher	Portsmouth	26 September 1942	[2]
26 September 1942	FW	Reg Pugh	Cardiff City	26 September 1942	[2]
10 October 1942	FW	Matt Armstrong	Aberdeen	20 February 1943	[2]
31 October 1942	FW	Eddie Perry	Doncaster Rovers	3 April 1943	[2]
12 December 1942	GK	Harry Dukes	Norwich City	12 December 1942	[2]
19 December 1942	FW	Dick Foss	Chelsea	19 December 1942	[2]
25 December 1942	DF	Alex Muir	Albion Rovers	26 December 1942	[2]
2 January 1943	FW	Allenby Driver	Sheffield Wednesday	2 January 1943	[2]
2 January 1943	FW	Jack Finch	Fulham	6 March 1943	[2]
9 January 1943	FW	Jack Vidler	Bristol City	9 January 1943	[2]
23 January 1943	FW	David McCulloch	Derby County	13 February 1943	[2]
6 February 1943	FW	Walter Boyes	Everton	13 February 1943	[2]
20 February 1943	FW	Milton	Unattached	13 March 1943	[2]
27 February 1943	FW	Les Henley	Arsenal	27 February 1943	[2]
27 February 1943	FW	Dennis Hillman	Brighton & Hove Albion	27 February 1943	[2]
6 March 1943	FW	Frank O'Donnell	Blackpool	6 March 1943	[2]
20 March 1943	HB	Ernie Collett	Arsenal	3 April 1943	[2]
27 March 1943	FW	Harry Dooley	Unattached	End of season	[2]
27 March 1943	GK	Ken Groves	Preston North End	27 March 1943	[2]
3 April 1943	GK	Reg Saphin	Walthamstow Avenue	End of season	[2]
Guest players out
Date from	Pos.	Name	To	Date to	Ref.
8 August 1942	GK	Joe Crozier	Hibernian	5 September 1942	[8]
12 December 1942	HB	Vic Aicken	Watford	19 December 1942	[9]
9 January 1943	HB	Ernest Muttitt	West Ham United	9 January 1943	[10]
27 March 1943	HB	Ernest Muttitt	Chelsea	10 April 1943	[11]
n/a	FW	Len Townsend	Belfast Celtic	1943	[12]